gatorade, pancakes, and Chinandega

I got my obligatory bought of GI distress after safely making it nearly 3 weeks living off street food. Really I think it was a virus - the whole hotel had it, and we don't exactly use a dishwasher… or have hot water for the washing of communal dishes. I slept for an entire day in between trips to the bathroom, but the next two days were the weekend. Although the idea of eating was unappealing, I no longer needed a toilet at my side. What was I supposed to do? Lay around all day in my warm room, with my dwindling groceries and watch tv all day? Why not go with my hotel-mates and lay around all day an the beach with the healthful sea air to cure me and Gatorade and pancakes at my fingertips.

I only needed a few of the zofran that I badgered the travel doc into giving me. 

The next weekend, I went on a weekend adventure with the resident I had been working with. All of the residents have been super nice. Helen is the resident who was stuck with me following her around for the first month. Not only did she put up with me asking for excruciating details about how to write a note here, but she invites me to her family's house in Chinandega, a nearby town. 

She was post call Saturday, so we went for breakfast and then took a bus from the main terminal in León to her house. She took me to the grocery store and told me what all the fruits and vegetables were. This is a sapodilla. It is delicious and surely horrible for you. 

Sounds like a small thing, but it was actually super helpful. We bought a few candies and fruits to try and headed to a fair in town. It was the feast day of Saint Anne, the patron saint of the town. 

Helen and her super cute niece.

Saint Anne float

walking through the market

I drank about a gallon of pitaya juice (dragon fruit), and found out later that it turns your pee red/I wasn't dying. 

Her dad works in some sort of management position at a fishing company (Chinandega is close to the shore). He brought home shrimp and some kind of fish I've never heard of and couldn't translate. The first night he made this delicious tomato based shrimp dish and the next day Helen cooked these guys - mmmm:

Helen kept laughing at me for taking so many pictures of food. Apparently I'm a typical American http://kitchenette.jezebel.com/ny-restaurant-figures-out-surprising-reason-for-custome-1604058077. I guess this post is full of food. weird. 

She took me to the mall (there isn't one in León and it was pretty fancy). There was no GAP, but we went to the flor de caña store (famous Nicaraguan rum), and I convinced her to drink some with me. Rum > GAP.

We didn't get back until the next morning just in time for work, so it was a little mentally exhausting, but totally worth it.