"Hay que experimentar con todo!"

"You have to try everything!" said the street vendor while teaching me how to use my teeth to open the two cordoba baggie of ice cold water I'd bought from the cooler on her head.  So here's a recap of strange things I've eaten recently:

Raspada: shaved ice with creme de leche syrup on top 9/10

Street vendor shaving ice for the raspada
(supposed to make foreigners violently ill...no symptoms to report)

Atolito: warm creamy custard with some spices 7/10
(a little goes a LONG way though)

Pupusa: Salvadorian tortilla with beans and cheese + my own fried egg 9/10

Mechudo malvavisco: marshmallow covered with sprinkles 10/10 

Leche con zapote: like a milkshake made from a tropical fruit translated as sapodilla 10/10

Honeyed popcorn covered in molasses 6/10
(can't remember the name, just that the street vendor lied when I asked if it was chocolate)

Jacote: tropical fruit 5/10

(I was entertained by the translation of Frosted Flakes at grocery store)

Nicaraguans are obsessed with Maruchan cup noodles,
more flavors than I've ever seen before and they're everywhere!

I've had sliced mangoes sold street side almost daily.  They will put a spoonful of salt in the baggie as they hand it to you (Nicaraguan street vendors love bags).  One day, I tried a different colored sliced fruit in a baggie, which the lady said was marmey.  It was nearly flavorless with just a tad bit of tropical sweetness.  A lot of street vendors also sell cuajada, which is a fragrant crumbly cheese unlike anything stateside.  I've discovered manuelitas, which are Nicaraguan crepes with sugar and this cuajada cheese which sometimes tastes sweet.  I'm enjoying maletas too.  It literally means suitcase, but they are a sweet mixture of carrots and meat packaged in a little pastry.

There a citywide siren at noon everyday to signal the lunch break, and there's occasionally one at seven am too.  There is also fireworks EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.  I can see them from my balcony.  The partying Leoneses better not disappoint for Fourth of July.

I almost bought deodorant from a street vendor yesterday just because it was bamboo flavored, but then I remembered that I sweat like a gringa, and I don't know if Nicaraguan deodorant can handle that.  Most of Nicaragua is in the informal sector (read as: street vendors and people selling everything from their houses--my type of place).  I've never lived anywhere where when I look at the iPhone map, nothing comes up near me!  Not a single labeled place!  There aren’t official addresses here either; all locations are given in reference to the nearest church+plaza.  For example, we live a block and a half south of San Juan Plaza.

To add to strange foods I've eaten recently, I should note the ways I've injured myself recently (all better than the diarrhea, vomiting, and fevers that Sara and Hannah are dealing with): I tried to surf with the locals lolz, landed on the fin of the board and now have a nice dent in my thigh: I ran into an iron windowsill because I was looking down while walking to try to avoid all the catcalling and now I have a small dent in my head and a chip in my tooth.