Granada

Granada is a beautiful town resting on the shore of Lake Nicaragua. This "gem of the country" draws in the tourists who fill the hostels and sip $1.25 double mojitos on Greengo Street. But Granada's greatest treasure often goes undiscovered because its barried in the barrios unmarked on tourists' maps. But it is here where you find joyful eyes that sparkle like diamonds and pearls of wisdom wrapped around Grandma's words.

It is in these homes where people still rise to the crow of the rooster and wash away the sweat of the day with cool waters poured overhead from a bucket. It is in these streets where kids still roam without parents' apprehension and every adult has the right to lend an ornery child an earful. It is in these kitchens where meals are still prepared over wood-burning fires and clothes are still cleaned with a stone wash and pair of able hands. It is on these patios where neighbors still gather to enjoy the sunset, rocking chairs, and most of all, each other's company.

It is a place that reveals the real pricetag of washing machines and wi-fi hookups, and makes you question whether luxury really leads to leisure. It is a place that makes you miss the simpler times you never knew.