Brendon´s new girlfriend

She´s called toña and he´s been out with her every night since we´ve been here.
In fact he´s popped across the road to meet her now.
He seems to meet her wherever we go.
I´ve got to be honest- sometimes she is pretty much attached to his lips.
The first phrases of spanish that the boy has learnt out here have all been about toña. How he needs her, how important she is etc.

I´m half expecting he is going to try to take her home with him

Top 10 ways to travel in nicaragua

No 1. Family bicycle. This invovles señor pedro peddling, señorita pipita sat across the cross bar, and baby pepe sat on the handlebars.

No 2. The internationally approved minibus. To be seen all over the world. the samll 14 seat toyota minibus. 24 people and a few empty crates in the last one i was in. I´d love to know the most any of you have seen in one of these contraptions.

No 3. The intercity coach. Worth a mention for the tradesman who come on the coach at each stop. I did expect to be offered a bit of bread or a cold drink. I was perhaps expecting a young man to make a sales pitch from a box of midicines, something for every ailment. I certainly wasn´t expecting a preacher man to give us 20 mins of bible exposition, and then start selling pens. You see all of our professions can find a role on a single coach journey!

No. 4. The good old fashioned oxen and cart

these lads have lost there cart and are being taken home by roberto on his bicycle (he´ll then be picking up roberta and baby robertina to go out somewhere)

No 5. Not even sure what this is called?

to work or not to work....?

Well that has been the question for the last week. not a choice but a predicament. I´m still not sure whether my nicaraguan medical registration has been completed yet. A variety of forms to be signed by a variety of people in a variety of towns, you ge the idea.

One day I´m being told there´ll be no work going on till jan 5th, the next day I´m told I´ll be working without a break.
So I´ve come down to the island of ometepe, hopefully paperwork will be faxed through and hopefully I´ll get to work in their paediatric clinic, general medical clinic and emergency room. I get the impresssion that the emergency bit operates as and when it is needed.

So things are finally getting going. I´ll let you know what its really like when I´ve been there a few days