I know, I know...how mean does that sound? But honestly, I had an amazing time in Nicaragua. At the end of every day, I looked at Jess and we said, "God what a great day!" or "God, what an awesome meal". And then we would think about the day, or the meal, and realize that really, it wasn't anything spectacular. But it was really wonderful and satisfying!
So everyone wanted to know, "Why Nicaragua?". Or, conversely, I heard a lot of, "Hope you come back alive" or "You can borrow my Kevlar vest". As is usually the case, the more warnings I get from Americans, the country is that much nicer/safer/friendlier etc. And true to form, Nicaraguans welcomed us with open arms and were lovely and honest people.
Nicaragua is in Central America, with both a Pacific and Caribbean coast. Unfortunately it's the 2nd poorest country in the Western Hemisphere (after Haiti), partly due to the political strife that plagued it from the 70s until the late 80s. I guess you could say it all began in the early 1500s when Spain swept in and conquered the country. In 1821, Nicaragua won independence. Not surprisingly, after Nicaragua rejected the building of a canal through their country, and the US started to build the Panama Canal, we interjected ourselves into their politics. I won't go into their full history, but when a huge earthquake hit the capitol city of Managua in 1972, all of the incoming funds went to the friends and family of government officials. This of course ensured that all Nicaraguans backed the militant group of students called "Sandanistas". They of course inherited a cluster - a country where homelessness and poverty and illiteracy were prevalent. Not a recipe for success...and when Reagan again inserted the US into Nicaraguan politics by arming the Contras to overthrow the Sandanistas, another 10 years of blocked aid and lost crops and rampant death continued.
Enough of the politics of Nicaragua...just a little background for my legions of faithful readers (hi Mom! Hi Grammy! Hi Chuck and Bonnie!). So the net result of this turmoil is that Americans are fearful of traveling to Nicaragua, and Nicaragua doesn't have enough tourism to justify building the type of infrastructure that Americans would demand/enjoy. And while Costa Rica is a go-to destination for people wanting to zip line, see volcanos, experience hot springs, surf, visit a cloud forest, etc, I found it to be a country relatively void of culture. Whereas Nicaragua offers all of this, along with gorgeous architecture and friendly people.
Jess and I left early on Christmas morning. We had a relatively uneventful flight through Atlanta and got to Managua around 1 pm. You can always tell how developed a country is by it's immigration, I find. Well, let's just say that the immigration was such a cluster and there were so many people that there was a backup on the escalator and people who rode it down couldn't step off and therefore had to run backwards up the escalator. Phew. Once we got through, the last ones to do so (I pick the shittiest lines), Jess and I went to Budget Rent-A-Car. The line there was long and not moving quickly. So Jess scoped out Easy Budget Rant-A-Car (yes, the sign was misspelled) and 10 minutes later we had a Hyundai Accent at the curb :)
We asked the guy who turned over the keys which way to Granada (our first destination). His directions were vaguely to go to a bridge and curve left and continue straight and go to two rotundas...as in, not very specific. Well, Jess and I basically did a driving tour of Managua.
We wound our way through neighborhoods, stopping to ask men on bikes with ice cream carts, the mass quantity of people just loafing alongside the streets. Unemployment in Nicaragua is around 50% from what I've read, and from what I've seen, I believe it. We passed what can only be described as shantys, with corrugated tin roofs. There was the occasional cart being pulled by a horse. Families of four on a single motorcycle. Women walking alongside the road balancing baskets on their head. And most notably, retired school buses from the US apparently live out their golden years in Nicaragua. Naturally they hold about ten times the quantity of people that would be legally allowed in the US, but somehow all the chaos works.
Granada is a colonial style town in southwest Nicaragua. Our hotel was quite beautiful in fact, and close to the center and the main church. We had dinner (despite our fears that everything would be closed for Christmas, the town was super lively) and went to bed relatively early, so we could have an early start the next day.
The next day we headed to the indigenous market in the nearby town of Masaya. It was a cultural center even before the Spaniards invaded. Our guide book claimed that their mercado viejo (old market) has the best products in all of Central America.
Our favorite part of it was that people didn't harass you. You could casually stroll in the market and look at what interested you. We ended up buying a bunch of things....ummm, sorry friends, I somehow managed to shop just for myself! I got a gorgeous painting and some pottery and carvings.
From there, we headed to Volcan Masaya, an active volcano nearby. 
When I say active, I mean active. There is smoke and ash rising out of the volcano, and when you drive to the lip of it, you are instructed to back your car into a spot (in case it erupts and you need to flee). It was a pretty amazing sight although Jess likened our 20 minutes there to smoking six packs of sulfur flavored cigarettes. Yum.
When I say active, I mean active. There is smoke and ash rising out of the volcano, and when you drive to the lip of it, you are instructed to back your car into a spot (in case it erupts and you need to flee). It was a pretty amazing sight although Jess likened our 20 minutes there to smoking six packs of sulfur flavored cigarettes. Yum.
From the volcano, we headed to Catalina, a very small town with a gorgeous view of the lagoon and the volcano.
Jess went about 20 feet away to take a picture and when she turned around she didn't see me.
That would be because I was immediately adopted by a Nicaraguan family! I met aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews, sons and daughters...I was offered some sort of beverage that was undoubtedly made with the Nicaraguan water I was trying to avoid, but when in Rome...
We spent a really lovely afternoon talking with our new friends, exchanged Facebook information, and then Jess and I returned to Granada for dinner. We met the cutest 11 year old boy who works on the streets selling gum and cigarettes. His name was Gustavo.
The following day we did a little tour of the city and then hit the road to head to Leon. Remember when we asked for directions 17 times on our way to Granada? Well the return trip took all of 40 minutes since by then we had figured out the right road ha ha.
Leon was my favorite city that we visited in Nicaragua. It's a very progressive city, filled with students, art galleries, churches, and great bars and restaurants (well, mediocre but very satisfying bars and restaurants). The oldest church in Central American is in Leon, the Basilica de la Asuncion.
Also, there is a gorgeous yellow Mexican style baroque church from 1786 called Iglesia de la Recoleccion.
Jess and I managed to find the local people's market (that's what I always call those street side markets that sell kid's underwear, buckets, bootleg CDs, etc.). It was SO hot in Leon (95 degrees at least) that we hung out in the shade of the central park.
That night Jess and I went out for a nice dinner and then went to see some live music. The band was awesome, and we followed the Nicaraguan tradition of drinking their rum, Flor de Cana. They bring you a bottle, a mixer, a box of ice, and two glasses. Rum is cheaper than bottled water btw. Well after a few drinks Jess decided that one of the waiters looked like the Nicaraguan version of Vince Vaughn. You be the judge of that...
The following day was our "beach day". We headed out of town and picked up two hitchhikers (backpackers) who needed to go to the beach too. We dropped them off at a hostel with hammocks and all I could think was that I am definitely too old to stay in places that are $4 a night! Our hotel had recommended we go to Playa Roca in Las Penitas. We imagined renting a chair and umbrella, swimming in the gentle water, eating fresh fish tacos. Instead, we laid on hard brown sand, hurt our feet walking over rocks into strong waves, and ate some sort of greasy chicken and potatoes for lunch. However, typical for this trip, at the end of the day we were blissfully happy! There is something about the vibe of Nicaragua, and having spent a day getting tan and salty that does a body good. The beach was not crowded at all, and the Nicaraguans were all swimming in their clothes, so pale Emily and Jess really stuck out!
On our way back to Leon for dinner we stopped for gas. $50 later (for a Hyundai Accent!) I realized why so few people have cars, and why there are 27 people in every pickup truck, and why a horse and cart is still a viable transportation option. How can someone who earns $3 a day afford gas?
After our day at the beach, we thought we would treat ourselves to a really nice deal. Our guidebook recommended a restaurant called La Mediterranea. Strangely, the review read, "Date night?...". I am not sure who is going on dates in Nicaragua with Lonely Planet as their guide, but regardless we went. It was so funny. The waiters could not have been more disorganized. We joked that they were all impostors off the street who came in to randomly wait on tables. The food wasn't good. And we got a piece of chocolate cake to share that was probably six years old. When the waiter came over we told him it wasn't good at all. He took it away and brought it back in a bag and told us the chef said it is good, and we should take it and have it for breakfast tomorrow! I guess the concept of "taking it off the bill" is uniquely American :) We laughed so hard at the idea that the cake would be better after six years and one day ;)
Our last full day was spent in Matagalpa, an urban yet remote town in the coffee-growing region of Nicaragua. Everyone told us it was "muy frio" (cold) there. We were so excited to actually not be sweaty for a day and maybe even have good hair. Um, it was 85. It did cool down at night. Our day in Matagalpa was pretty relaxing and we just walked around the city and went to the Castillo de Cacao (Chocolate Castle). Sadly production was shut down for the holidays but we did bring some bars back for gifts. I apologize in advance, because it is likely mediocre ;)
Overall, it was an awesome trip. Everyday was strangely satisfying, and it was a good mix of adventure and relaxation. I came back ready for 2012! Happy New Year everyone!
