And he smiled.....

Mission Accomplished with Mr. Grumpy. 
As I spent a few days in this Hotel in Masaya, I spent some time getting to know the owner-Mr. Grumpy.  He was so serious and professional with not one smile on his face. He would interact with his family in a serious manner. When I sat down and spent some time getting to know him(difficult conversation as he spoke some funky Spanish), I tried to smile as much as I could. "A smile is contagious." I shared with him some of travel questions that I don't understand like "Why do people hurdle together with no direction?" "Why do they speak Spanish so quickly in Honduras?" He loved the story of me jumping off the bus at 1am to switch.

After this first conversation, that smile just kept reappearing.  He felt comfortable to make his own jokes and he called me the "Spanish Indian." He would pat me on the back so hard I felt like it could be effective as a choking maneuver.  When I would sit in the rocking chair in the front, I would see him check on me from the inside.   A couple times I came back after my curfew and he said he was going to have me sleep with the dog in back. He always had these tough love ways of expressing himself and I was happy to see him happy. (Ce La Vie). 

One day, I was walking towards the hotel and he says, "Hey, hey." I look to my left and he just arrived back in his mini red geo.  It was the smallest most compact car and he sat their waiving and smiling-moments that I just adore people. 

 It was difficult parting ways because I kind of saw him as a father type. It was nice being part of a family again. This is why I just love the accommodation run by a family-it's a great way to  get to know the culture. 

He was one of those people who wanted to smile, but he was trying to portray a serious and grumpy image.  That didn't last long with Priscilla coming to the rescue.