The picture above documents a taxi ride my Nicaragua travel fellows and I shared from Rivas to Bahia Majagual (more or less) in the SW of Nica. Beginning at 6:30/7:00 a.m. and lasting through close to 9:00, the ride provided nonstop entertainment including but not limited to some brazenly blasted "Take My Breath Away", a necessary nescafe/coca-light stop, some Foreigner, a demi-size steering wheel built for the racetrack, a tinted windshield, accusations of 7:00 a.m. rum drinking, a satisfying banana/lime/rum/gallo pinto stop, many a perilous road crossing (resulting once in complete rutting-out, which required at least 6 Nicaraguan caballeros to push 'er through the slick mud) and a river drop-off. Nicaragua: bless.

Last night, instead of doing some pre-Nicaragua* studying, I blitzed to see ze Baltimore Round Robin's "eyes night" at the MOCAD. The concept sounded a little wacky and certainly interesting, both of which it was. It was also nice on the eyes and, at times, really quite good. Post-dusk trips to Detroit have underpinned the semester's regular goings-on --> Greektown, a trip on the people mover, and sigur rós at the State/Fillmore were all amazing a few weeks back.

*I'm heading so Nica with some dear friends from the 16th through the 22nd of this month. Un nuevo traje de swimmin' just arrived in the mail and I'm ready to go; bring it Manags,.