Welcome to Managua!

Well, before flying into Managua, I had a horrible feeling of regret and a feeling that I had made a wrong decision.  I think this is not that uncommon of a feeling when going into the unknown.  Once getting onto the plane and seeing the beautiful water, and thinking of the tropical weather, I quickly had a change of heart.   Upon landing, I looked around and saw houses (better termed “shacks”).  Since Managua is a large city (1.7 million), I guess I was expecting it to look more like Dongguan, China and less like, well, the third world country that it is.  After an hour car ride from the airport, we arrived at our destination. The school grounds are gated and there is both a pool and basketball courts.  The apartments are set aside down below on the school grounds.  They are small, but rather nice.  Air conditioning was a great option to see, but we did not have access to the internet.  After someone helped us unload our belongings into the apartment, we were sort of left out to dry.  When we went up to the office, however,we were able to exchange our money and get a ride into the local grocery store.  I also spotted a few fancy-looking buildings, a Burger King, and a McDonalds!  Civilization wasn't too far away after all!  After a rough start, I’m hoping for a change in attitude from myself and a better experience from here on out!.  I am definitely looking forward to meeting the other teachers and the students!