Managua, Nicaragua, day 3, with Jimmy & my parents

Today Jimmy and I took my parents to Managua and we exposed them to a variety of cultural experiences that they will never forget. First we went to the huge market in the neighborhood where Jimmy grew up, and my parents were fascinated with the local feel to that environment. We did not see any tourists in that market, especially in the “regular” products section, like fruits & vegetables, flowers, piñatas, bathroom stuff, cooking utensils, etc. We spent a couple of hours in that market and the majority of that time was spent in the art craft section, where we all bought gifts and souvenirs. The colors of the art markets in Nicaragua are vibrant and brilliant, and the crafts are absolutely beautiful. After the local market, Jimmy and I took my parents to the huge mall that resembles any kind of nice mall in the States. Extremes. Being exposed to polarized realities is shocking, because wealth and poverty are just so different. We ate a safe lunch at the food court, and then left the mall with our eyebrows raised.

Then we went to Jimmy’s neighborhood. We went to his Aunt Deisi´s house to leave our bags of gifts and souvenirs while we went on a walk around the neighborhood where Jimmy grew up. He took us to his church, to the park where he played baseball, to the location where his parent’s house was (which was abandoned during the war and then sold illegally, and torn down, and the lot was divided up, and new concrete houses were built) and to his little school where he learned to read and write. After our neighborhood tour, we returned to his Aunt’s house and we introduced my parents to so many family members, which includes cousins, second cousins, third cousins, aunts, uncles and his paternal grandmother that Jimmy had not seen in over 20 years. Now my parents have a better understanding of who Jimmy is because they have experienced his roots.

It has been totally easy to travel with my parents. They are very easy to get along with and they are not demanding. I am very proud of them because they do not complain and they are dealing with the cultural experiences that Jimmy and I are exposing them to. They hop on any kind of bus, they cram into any kind of taxi, they walk along any kind of street, and they trust us as their guides. This experience in Nicaragua with Jimmy and my parents has been very intense and has created so many unexplainable memories.