El Fumador

We bought a truck, sight unseen, before we arrived in Nicaragua.  We wanted to make sure we had reliable transportation to be able to get around and access our lot - as that has been an issue in past travels.   JD was so excited when he found this ad in the local Nica kijiji site.   It is his dream vehicle...a 1985 toyota  hilux  diesel truck with four doors, a pick up bed, and racks for carrying lots of stuff, people, cows, etc...

JD went to pick up the truck while the girls and I stayed at the Best Western and swam in the pool.   Upon his arrival, I have to say, I was taken aback and worried that our purchase was perhaps delusional.  To me it looked like an old beater.  One that might not make it out of the parking lot.  We piled in our luggage anyways, and the kids, and were off through the streets of Managua. 
The kids had a blast, don't let Nora's expression fool you.

Closer to our lots we realized we made the right choice.  The roads were bad and the truck was good.  Yes, there is smoke that comes up through the holes in the floor, the back seat rattles, the brakes stick, and the gas guage does not work (we found that out that hard way and met a nice fellow by the name of Mike).  Here is a photo of our driveway.  Hmm, we have some work to do but we are glad it is not the rainy season.