Adjusting...

So, I´m slowly adjusting to Nicaragua, and am feeling a little more grounded. For the past week I´ve been dying to come back to Canada, and to see something familiar.
Today is to be my first day of work and I had a couple hours to bust, so I decided a trip to the internet cafe was much needed. My first trip outside without a Nicaraguan guide :)
You know that stereotypical image of a bunch of central americans piled into the back of an old Toyota truck?? That was me yesterday. We went to check out some of the more rural workplaces on a series of back roads (undrivable in a regular vehicle). The truck was outfitted with bars to hold on to, and my entire group of 18 people were piled into the back. What a rush. Definitely the kind of thing that would quickly get your license taken away in Canada. Not here! The rules of the road are definitely different. Much scarier! It´s commonplace for a driver to make a pass on a tight curve and think nothing of it. I´m very surprised that I haven´t seen any accidents yet.
Somoto itself is in the more mountainous area of Nicaragua, near the North-Western boarder of Honduras. The scenary is nothing short of beautiful, with a backdrop of huge mountains wherever you go.
The basic meal ALWAYS involves some kind of Rice and Bean dish, usually accompanied by Plantain. I love it now, but I have the feeling that after 3 months I´ll never want to touch another Plantain in my life. Not much diversity as far as the food is concerned. As would be expected in a developing country. The coffee is fantastic. It´ll be hard for me to make the switch back to the stuff we have in Canada.
Well, I´m off to do a couple more errands before I´m picked up for my first day of work.
Wish me luck!