After an easy flight from Omaha to Atlanta then Atlanta to Managua, Nicaragua we were driven 45 minutes to Granada, Nicaragua. It was Christmas Day and we didn't make any plans, so after a delicious Nicaraguan breakfast at our hotel (rice, beans, avocado, and fried cheese) we started wandering around the city on foot. Granada was founded by the Spanish in the 1500's and is considered the first European city in the Americas, so there were tons of old churches and buildings. Everything in the city is very condensed so it's easy to walk around and explore the entire area.

Later in the day we found someone to take us on a boat ride on Lake Nicaragua for $25. Our guide told us Lake Nicaragua is one of the top 20 largest lakes in the world and the only freshwater lake with sharks in it. The nearby volcano created around 400 small islands on the lake and there are lots of fancy houses on the islands - seems like a big status symbol to own your own island. One of the islands was solely inhabited by monkeys, and when the boat driver drove up close to the island, one of the monkeys jumped in the boat with her baby on her back. Our boat driver called his monkey friend Lucy, and he gave her an avocado to eat.

In the evening we walked to the main street where the locals seem to gather for Christmas dinner, drinks, and loud music. It was super fun to people watch and try a couple new drinks called Caipirino (lemon drink with rum) and Macua (some kind of juice like orange juice, but better, with rum). Both were delicious. I had heard that Granada was pretty touristy, but we were pleasantly surprised that it seemed like there were a lot more locals out and about than tourists. Throughout the day we continued to comment how laid back the people and the entire city feels. Nobody seems like they are in too much of a rush, and unlike in a lot of cities, people aren't nearly as aggressive trying to convince you to buy stuff. All around it was an awesome first day in Nicaragua.