kfast was excellent at the Convent Hotel. As has been the case with several of the large Latin American cities visited so far, getting in and getting out are often stressful. Aside from lack of signage, roads are frequently closed for repair, parades, markets, etc. – no rerouting signs whatsoever and lots of one-way streets! Forget about grid patterns to the streets. These colonial cities grew organically around their principal plazas. Google maps works to at least identify some streets. Here is hoping for major improvement as we go along.
I saw class bigotry in action while the windshield was being patched. A mestizo bicyclist was riding by when a white driver knocked him off his bike. Although the bicyclist was cut and scratched, the driver came out angry and accusative and more worried about whether his car was scratched than the condition of the bicyclist. I gave the bicyclist a number of band-aids from my golf bag and a 
The handicraft market of Masaya, recommended by the guidebooks, did not offer us high quality goods. We had batidos of fruit that I have seen but never eaten, and then onward to Granada and La Gran Francia Hotel. The hotel is in a grand colonial building with a central courtyard, and at the Zocolo. We visited Los Pueblos Blancos, where the artisans had their workshops. We purchased several one off ceramics. It will probably cost more to ship them than their cost. Lunch was a treat: Julia and I had armadillo a la plancha. It tastes good, akin to pork. We finished off at Catarina Mirador for a spectacular view of Apoyo Crater Lake and Lake Nicaragua beyond. We discussed the history of Sandino as opposed to the US Marines & Somoza.
Tonight, we went out around the lively Granada Zocolo area. The zocolo (principal town square) is still full of people preparing for a big fiesta & parade tomorrow!
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