Nicaragua

Back in May of 2008, I went off on another trip and this time to visit my girlfriend in Nicaragua. No, Leah is not Nicaraguan herself but she decided to go on a four month tour of Central America.

Nicaragua is considered the second poorest country in the western hemisphere after Haiti. Reading the history of the country it seemed that it had been in a continual state of war. There were the Spanish conquistadors, the wars between the conservatives and liberals, American interventions, the Sandinista revolution and the Contra war. And in between all that were earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and hurricanes. However, it looks like the country may have finally turned a corner and is now considered the safest country in Central America. In addition, the people are proud and are not going to allow any outside nation or corrupt leader ruin what they have achieved.

Managua

I arrived in Managua and after getting through customs I could see Leah waiting for me. She looked like something straight out of a Roxy advertisement; blond curly hair, hippy outfit and a super deep tan. After exchanging a Hollywood moment it was off to the Best Western Hotel which was only across the street from the airport. Next day we got up and started on our adventure.

Our first destination was the Managua bus station which ended up living to its reputation for sketchiness. As soon as the taxi driver opened up the trunk of the car, two guys went and grabbed our bags. Not very amused by this, I ran after them leaving Leah to pay the driver. Fortunately, they were just being overly eager for us to get on their bus and not out to snatch our stuff. After looking at their packed vehicle we decided on another more comfortable one to take us to Granada.

Granada

Upon arriving in Granada we tracked down Hostel Oasis which was only a few blocks away from the bus station. We went through the front gate and found ourselves in a beautiful interior court yard with the rooms facing onto it. There was a swimming pool, free internet, a garden, and self serve beer and pop (just write down your room number). My favourite was of course the hammocks tied to the pillars around the court yard. Reading a book and swinging in a hammock while drinking a beer is the perfect way to relax after a long day.

Speaking of hammocks…they were definitely a staple of Nicaragua. You would often see them strung out in front of Nicaraguan homes and at most hostels. At one hostel, you could pay $5 to sleep in a hammock for the night. Not sure how comfortable that would be.

After dropping our stuff off, we walked to Granada’s town square to check things out. Around the square were a few fancy hotels, some beautiful cultural buildings and a stunning Catholic church. In the square itself there was a gazebo (took Leah and I the longest time to remember what one of those was called?!), some statues, benches, and a few fountains. The locals were selling some tourist items, snacks and drinks. This was a great place for to sit back and people watch, especially the old dudes as they discussed life. As we would continue our travels, it seemed that if you were going to be any sort of town, it was a requirement to have a town square with a church anchoring it.

From the square we then headed down a street that led to the shores of Lake Nicaragua. This tidy little road, with amazing restaurants, but a general lack of locals would be nicknamed by some as Gringo Street. On this day however, we were surprised by a parade of cowboys and cowgirls riding there magnificent horses. Intermingled with the horses were a couple bands, street performers, and ladies pushing beer carts. It was kind of surreal considering this was our first day in Granada. After following the crowd to the water, we headed back up to have dinner at a fusion restaurant. We would end up finding that Nicaragua was full of restaurants with delicious food, great ambience, and at affordable prices.

The next day we went to visit a few of the many beautiful churches in town. The San Francisco was attached to a museum which had a very detailed model of the city. I stared at it for about ten minutes to Leah’s amusement. Later we headed to La Merced where we were allowed to go to the roof and also the bell tower to get a view of the city. We were literally on the edge of the bell tower with a metre to spare before you would have thrilling end. From there you could see all the colourful buildings with there internal courtyards and the surrounding volcanoes.

I found Granada to be a very picturesque city that was perfect for tourists. However, it seemed that the centre of town was more of a living museum rather than a gathering place for the people. You would have to go to the local market to find the locals going about their everyday life. With its narrow lanes, corrugated metal roofs held up by wooden poles, the market held all the necessities such as fruits, vegetables, fish and Leah’s favourite…mmm…meat (not).

Mombacho

The following day it was a stop at Cathy’s Waffle House and on to hike Volcano Mombacho. A massive off road passenger truck took us up a windy road and stopped off a coffee plantation where we tried the local brew…hmm…I don’t understand why you guys drink this stuff. After buying a pack of coffee for my mom (yeah, I am sweet) we got back in the truck and met up with our guide Alex at the rangers station. He would be the one leading us up and down the trail that must have been the inspiration for the Stairmaster. Talk about buns of steel at the end of 3 hours…and Alex wasn’t even breathing hard in his jeans and t-shirt. The gruelling hike would take us to see some wonderful views of the surrounding area including Granada and Volcano Lake. We also saw wildflowers, butterflies and smelled the rotten egg goodness coming from the volcano steam vents. We celebrated our accomplishment by going to a restaurant called Nectar and watching some kids break dance on the street.

Masaya

Our next destination was Masaya to check out a couple of cultural markets. The chicken bus…oh, wait you have not heard of these yet. Well, they are converted school buses that are now used as public transit. While not the most luxurious or fast way to travel, they are cheap, more comfortable than a Ghanaian tro tro, you get to rub shoulder to shoulder with the locals (literally) and of course they bring back memories of when you were a kid.

The bus stopped at the station, which was a large open dirt field. After talking to a few people we figured out where to head to get to the market. Masaya looked like a decent enough place but its narrow sidewalks and traffic did not allow for strolling; you had to keep on your toes or you might get hit by something. The market was surrounded by an old wall where you finally get a bit of peace from the chaos outside. The amount of souvenirs was mind boggling. I ended up buying some wine holder, cigars, and a belt. Then we headed back to the bus station where we found a more authentic market where they were making souvenirs. Back at Granada we went to a Café and watched a friendly drunk guy serenade the passer-bys.

Ometepe Island

The following day we went for breakfast at the Garden Café which ended up being Leah’s favourite restaurant. We chatted with a Canadian who was running his online business from Nicaragua while making American cash. Pretty nice idea. After we headed to Ometepe Island via the chicken bus and ferry.

On the ferry, we met a three fine people from Utah who were travelling around South and Central America. They called themselves the non-Mormon support group and we would later play cards and drink rum with them at the hostel. We headed to Charco Verde but were warned that it was not the most exciting place in the world by our friends…and they were right. The beach was not the nicest and there was really no hiking around. It also didn’t help when we were trying to sleep there were people outside our door partying, bugs bouncing off the wall, dogs barking and…and a rooster crowing?! Well, the next day we left right after breakfast for Santa Cruz and found the El Encanto hostel.

El Encanto was such a treasure. A dirt road led up a hill to the hostel which was situated on a small farm. The friendly owners were Helen from Australia and Carlos from El Salvador and they hooked us up with our own little cabin. They also had a fine restaurant with tasty meals. After having a bite we headed to the beach and had a nice warm swim. However, we did not choose the best spot to lay our towels as little spiders wrapped their cobwebs around us. In then evening we played cribbage and watched the sunset from the restaurant patio.

Volcano Maderas

The following day we decided to hike one of Ometepe’s two volcanoes called Maderas. We met our guide Felix who was about 40 years old, wore rubber boats and only spoke Spanish. Being young and fit and wearing our sporty clothes we thought we could easily keep up with this veteran. Well, Maderas proved to be one of the most difficult hikes we had ever done. The trail included very few switch backs, was not very well maintained and at times muddy. And Felix was always waiting for us. We would later learn that he hikes the volcano every day.

Nevertheless, our efforts were rewarded. We walked through the jungle and saw a hummingbird’s nest, some beautiful views, and hieroglyphs. After four hours we reached the volcano’s crater where there was a lake. On the way back we saw some howler monkeys whose calls rumbled through the trees. Felix amused us by calling them tigers. At the end of eight hours a coke never tasted so refreshing.

Eye of the Water

Next day we rented a couple of bikes and rode along the beach to a place called 'the Eye of the Water'. A smart entrepreneur went and damned up a spring and created a very pleasant swimming pool. Surrounded by jungle it was very refreshing place to cool off. I made one impressive splat on the water as I swung off a rope. Leah was very amused. On the way back we rode past a bunch of the locals who were playing soccer on the beach.

Leon

After leaving Ometepe, and another stop in Granada, Leon was the next destination. In some ways it had a similar feel and character as Granada; big churches, public squares, internal courtyards, nice restaurants, markets, etc. However, the city felt more alive and engaging than Granada. As you walked around the streets you saw many murals depicting the history of the revolution along with a good dose of anti-American graffiti. Nicaraguans would frequent the same bars and restaurants as the tourists. The central square had live entertainment in the evening and much of the crowd were locals. They also had a few universities. No wonder this place was the political, artistic and academic hub of Nicaragua.

The first day we went and got ourselves familiar with Leon. We checked out the central square and visited the biggest church in Central America. The roof provided a great view of the city. Then we headed to Prison 21 which was a prison during the Somoza dictatorship. It is now a memorial to the political prisoners and a Traditions and Legends museum. The place has a bit of a dual personality; there were murals depicting how prisoners were tortured and then there were really amateur mannequins presenting the myths and legends of Nicaragua.

Later, we went for some food at a pub called the Shark Pit and happened to notice a Flames jersey hanging on the wall. In the evening we saw the new Indiana Jones; Harrison Ford is still Indy but otherwise a disappointment.

We stayed our first evening in Leon at Bigfoot Hostel. This was one of the sketchiest hostels I have every stayed in. Our room had a vault like door, no windows, a mattress on the floor, a small wood bench and all illuminated by a dull incandescent light bulb. They must have used this room for a torture scene in a movie. The washrooms were not much better. I was thinking that maybe we were spoiled in Granada.

Next day however, we went across the street and miraculously found a room at Via Via. This place was easily as nice as Oasis Hostel in Granada and even had a restaurant, bar, pool table and foosball. The tour guide office, run by a couple from Netherlands, offered us lots of good advice.

We continued our tour of Leon. Our first stop was the Casa de Cultura which was a centre that supported the arts in Leon. There were some Nicaraguan paintings, sculptures, and school children practicing traditional dance. Next was the Leon Art Gallery which was had many outstanding paintings from Nicaraguan artists. Easily as good as any other art gallery I have seen.

We took a break and had some tasty licuados (smoothies) before meeting up with Harry, our Dutch tour guide, who gave us a history tour of Leon. Harry and his wife were an interesting couple. They had been volunteering in a slum in Guatemala on and off for a year. After things got a little tense with the gangs they moved on to Nicaragua and helped Via Via set up a tour office. They focus of their tours is on meeting the locals and learning the culture.

We first checked out the oldest church in Leon. After we went to see a former fort/prison used during the Somoza era. Situated on a hill, we could see a wonderful view of Leon. The site is now falling into disrepair but it is hoped that it will one day be a tourist site. However, in the opposite direction we saw a very sad sight where some people were scouring a landfill for what they could use or sell. There is thought about moving the dump to another spot however, it is not understood how this will affect the people living in the area.

In the evening we went to a café/bar. There was some great live music and the owner was the singer. It was another place where there was a great mix of both locals and tourists.

The next morning we ended up getting a surprise. Typically the rain in Nicaragua came either early in the morning or in the early evening. However, this day was a lot different; it would not stop. We eventually heard from Harry that a tropical storm was heading our direction. By the end of the morning it was just pouring down and we decided to stay put and enjoy a cigar while watching the storm.

After finishing our stogy, we eventually decided to go and check things out. Most of the shops were closed in the street but hey, why don’t we check out the Sandinista museum?! Funny enough it was open and we were welcomed inside by some Sandinista party members. The museum was held in a grand building that was a former headquarters for the Somoza government. The exhibits were held in one room and while there was an abundant amount of information, it primarily consisted of newspaper clippings and photo copies taped onto construction paper; it looked like something from a high school project. A Sandinista gave us a tour and Leah showed off her Spanish skills by translating what he was saying. The guide stated that they wanted to make this a proper museum but helping the people must come first. Got to respect that. After, they took us to the roof of the building where we could see the rain and wind blowing off the neighbouring buildings.

On our return, we stocked up at the local super market as we weren’t sure what the next day would bring. We ended up finding that we were not the only ones as locals were doing the same. The highlight of our purchases was Leah picking up a Jesus candle to keep us through the night. Soaking wet, we headed back to the hostel and changed into dry clothes. Later in the evening I would join our fellow hostellers for a few beers by candle light. It almost felt like WWII with our meager provisions and the pounding of rain outside.

Poneloya

Well, we survived the night and the next day was a sunny one. Unfortunately, the volcano boarding trip (yes, like snowboarding but down the shale of a volcano) we had reserved was canceled due to muddy roads. Instead we went to the pacific coast for some swimming. After listening to some sweet 80s tunes on the bus (seemed that everyone still had their old cassette players) we arrived at the beach. Poneloya looked like it got the brunt of the wind and rain with roofs torn off and trees uprooted. However, the restaurant we stopped at looked untouched. We took a walk along the beach and enjoyed the crashing of the waves. However, swimming was little bit dangerous as you were slammed down by the crashing water.

Cockfighting (yeah, you heard me)

I had seen the advertisement for cockfighting and jokingly suggested it to Leah. She of course dismissed it right away. But our trustworthy guide, Harry, would later convince us by saying “you get the meet the family who runs the place, checkout the farm, see the roasters, and eat some local foods”. We were like 'awesome, let’s do it!'

We arrived at “the farm” which is more in the suburbs of Leon then out in the country. There were a few trees, bare dirt, a shack, and a small ring with stands. We were given the local rum (cough, cough, hard stuff), soft tacos, and coke. The owner came by and spoke to us and yes we saw the roosters. Then we got to see the fights…

So, this is not your typical boxing match. In a boxing match you win by knock or by score. Not here…you win, and only win, if the opposing roaster dies. Kind of sick really but when you are poor and do not have much money, a rooster fight is cheap entertainment.

At first it is interesting to watch the whole process. For example, the roasters have a claw on the back of their leg to fight with. The owners cut it off and replace it with a small blade. Also, there is a swing rooster that they show the two fighters to get them riled up. Then they put the roosters next to each other and off they go. The crowd would like be any crowd watching a hockey fight or ultimate fighting. The difference though is that something dies at the end.

After feeling disturbed enough, we sat and chatted with other travelers and then made it back to our hostel.

Final Night

To recover from our shock, Leah and I ended up going to a fabulous restaurant with wine, an entrée and desert. It was a great way to end the trip.

To the Airport!

I got dropped off at the bus station in Managua and went to find a taxi. I had previously asked Harry how much I should expect to pay to get to the airport. If you are a total tourist, no more than $5 he said. Fine, I offer the driver $5 (my bartering skills are not so good in Spanish) and off we go. He ends up picking up 2 other people along the way! And then charges me $6! I sucked it up knowing that in Canada it would have been a $40 cab ride. Love how Nicaragua keeps you on your toes.