Nicaragua Summer Family Vacation 2014

Nicaragua? Are you going on a mission trip?.....just a couple of the responses when people heard where our family vacation was taking us this year. I must say our trip started off rather bumpy when our rental van tire was slashed and my sister's smart phone and about $25 in cash was stolen during the whole tire ordeal....all within the first hour of travel after leaving the airport. My husband was ready to turn around and go back to the airport and head home! I was wondering what in the world I had gotten us into this year. I thought we were traveling to one of the safest countries in Central America. The good thing is from that point the trip just got better and better. I have never seen so many people work so hard and have so little, but yet so much. No washers and dryers, but the children's school clothes were pristine white! Nicaraguans traveled by horse, buggy, walked, rode bicycles, took taxis, chicken buses, and very few owned motor vehicles. We traveled to the mountains of Nicaragua where we hiked to waterfalls and down a river through a canyon. We flew to the Corn Islands of Nicaragua in the beautiful Caribbean where we enjoyed snorkeling and island views. Then it was off to Ometepe to climb a volcano! All in all a great trip and opened our eyes to the culture of Nicaragua. Traveling to third world countries really makes you appreciate everything you have in the United States!! We are truly blessed.