A last trip this summer before the start of class this fall at UW-L found me winging it to the hot and steam Central American country of Nicaragua. Well, as it turns out it was too hot and steamy as I was only able to move around during the cool hours of the early morning and late evening. So, I fled to the highlands in the north of the country where the higher altitude made the heat and humidity bearable. The cities there are small without much to entertain. The interest there is found in the countryside. There the people practice quite a bit of eco-friendly farming, feeding the vast other areas of Nicaragua. There are also several stunning nature preserves to view waterfalls, and otherwordly flora and fauna. Although Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, its' people are very friendly, open, curious, and honest. They are world renown for their pottery and naieve primitivist paintings.