How to keep the Gallo Pinto from packing on the pounds...

(warning, this could be considered an excuse to post pictures and nothing much of substance...)

So for those of you who know me well you know that I have a certain predisposition to excercising - whether it be trhough playing games, spending hours upon hours on the bike or just running around - really anything that gets me up and out of the chair or the house.  But here in El Sauce I have no bike(well that would serve for long-range excursions) and the culture of exercise is more or less absent. There are a few gyms for lifting weights or hitting the treadmill, but that really holds no appeal for me.  So what am I to do?  Turns out you don't need much of anything to enjoy running except for some shoes.  However, either due to the fact that I am a gringo or that I am running - I usually gets loads and loads of funny looks and cat-calls - from both girls and, strangely enough, guys.  So to avoid this, and the crazy hot temps around here, I have started running first thing in the morning.  Turns out that sunrise in Nicaragua is a beautiful thing.

Not in Nicaragua - but still got represent the team even though I wasn't on the bike!

The dirt trails- I mean roads- in El Sauce do a real number on the shoes!

Bright and shiny - mind you they now have a good coating of dust, mud and other goodies.

Even though Nicaragua may be baseball country ( I know - how disappointing!)  I have finally found where and when I can play soccer - and it turns out to be just about every afternoon.  The ball may or may not have air, and you have to run through or around the piles of horse manure - but it's fun and some of those guys are quite good!  And the sunset every evening is quite spectacular.

Looking at volcanos from the soccer field at sunset - not a bad vista...

It get's dark quickly though...

The travels should begin again soon...