Gringa on the Go!: Felices fiestas!

Hehehehe....this is so late, and probably a bit bizarre to be posting mid-Feb, but I've had it typed up for ages and was only waiting for my pics to post. So, why waste it? On to my Christmas edition!

I wake up, as always, early. From the amount of light filtering through my casita (tent) and the sound of the passing bus 200 meters up the road, I estimate it to be between 5:30 and 6:00. I open the "doors" to my little dwelling and am pleasantly surprised to see the sky clear, void of the ominous cumulus clouds that have been plaguing the island the past week, bringing strange out-of-season rains and much annoyance to gringas on the go. I decide to take advantage of the calm weather and the tranquility of the early morning, and as fast as I can, change into my bathing suit and jump in the lake. The water feels cool but refreshing, and gives me the sort of early morning kick that coffee manufacturers can only dream of. I wade in the water, under the gaze of a towering volcano, and try to soak in as much of the beauty surrounding me as possible. Then suddenly it dawns on me: it's December 24, Christmas Eve. Christmas Eve and here I am, taking an early morning swim in Latin America's second largest lake. There is not a single other soul out here, and for a brief interlude I have it all to myself. I'm not a very sentimental person when it comes to holidays, but I have to admit, this is a pretty awesome way to celebrate Christmas.

I was on Ometepe Island, in Lake Nicaragua, and really got into the Christmas spirit later that evening when a fabulous Catalan couple showed up as the sun was setting with a 1.75L bottle of Flor de Cana rum. By 11pm Edgar, one of the Catalans, myself and another guest, Guillaume, had almost finished the entire bottle and I found myself yelling out to the group, "Vamos a la iglesia!" (Let's go to the church!) - where the entire village was celebrating. Luckily for my dignity, we didn't, but I still got in on some local festivities - the family running the hospedaje where I was camping treated me to specially made vegetarian nacatamales, the traditional food eaten on Christmas Eve.

A few days later, when two more equally awesome Catalans arrived, they convinced me to extend my stay a few days longer and ring in the new year with them all. Which turned out to be a fantastic decision, as I can easily say it was the best one I've had yet. We made a big group supper - individual pizzas, cooked to perfection in the small toaster oven we had at our disposal (it only took about 4-5 hours). After our delicious cena came a few party games, a lot of fun but not as easy when it's not your first language. And then, when the clock struck 12, I suddenly found myself hurriedly stuffing grapes into my mouth as tradition in Spain dictates - one chime of a bell every second, beginning at midnight and continuing for 12 seconds. With each chime, a new grape until you've got all 12 or your mouth is going to explode (I got in 10). And, no Central American fiesta would be complete with out some eardrum blasting fireworks and reggaeton, so we set some off on the beach and then promptly cranked on the music and started a dance party with all the children of the family, lasting until the wee wee hours of the morning. And in ways reminiscent of Christmas Eve, I closed the night but brought in the new year with a very early morning swim. As I finally made my way to bed as the sun was coming up, I took a minute to think of the incredible year that had just passed and how excited I am for the next one to come, which I know will only be better.

Fun fact: Did you know that Lake Nicaragua is the only place on Earth where you could be eaten by fresh water sharks?