People ask me “why travel to Nicaragua?” Darren and I have been travelling once every year, if not twice for the past 5 years. We alternate between Central America and Asia. This is the last country in CA that we had left to visit. We have not been to Honduras or El Salvador but these are not (as) safe for tourists. Our last trip was to Cambodia. So Nicaragua it was.

                                                

I became anxious and excited as our plane landed on the runway in Nicaragua. We arrived in Managua airport on October 6^th being met by the wall of heat and humidity. It certainly takes awhile to be accustomed to feeling like you’re covered in sticky glue all the time. My skin immediately hydrates in the humidity and all my winter dry skin is gone. Darren negotiated a cab for the hour long ride into Granada. Our bags were thrown in the car and away we went for another adventure. The taxi barrelled down the highway occasionally honking at kids, animals, or cars, to move out of the way. Our taxi wasn’t air conditioned unless you count the open windows. It didn’t feel hot while the car was moving although the temperature was around 35 degrees.

It wasn’t long before we’d reached the city and the hunt was on for the hostel I’d given the driver. I had tried unsuccessfully a couple of times to contact the hostel before we left home. I figured we’d find it when we arrived but the driver, speaking no English, was obviously not able to find the hostel. He was driving around and around the same city blocks. That’s when we really felt the now 40 degree temperature. I gave him the card from the hostel which was in Spanish as well, and he called them. No answer. That’s when Darren tapped him on the shoulder to drop us off in the Central Park.

Granada is a “living, breathing museum to the opulence of the old Spanish Empire. Among its highlights are a luminous cathedral, which stands in front of one of the country’s most vibrant squares, and it’s pretty cobbled streets, which run down to the dark shores of  Lago de Nicaragua. Granada is a delightful surprise in contrast to the mediocre shabbiness of Managua;history clings to every chunky terra-cotta tile covering this town’s multicoloured one-story cottages and town houses.” Frommer’s 2010

             

We travel light but carrying or pulling anything in that heat is a chore. We immediately stood out as tourists, or targets, and tried not to look too lost. A young girl came up to us right away and started chatting in limited English. We sat down with her in the park and I pointed to a few hotel names on our map and communicated what range we were willing to pay. We started to walk together and it wasn’t long before she stopped and showed us a hotel. She went inside and asked if there was a vacancy and how much it cost. I went in to look at a room, which was very nice. We booked in at Casa San Martin, which is an early 1900’s restored colonial home. We were lucky and got the lovely main suite which included AC and a TV.

That is one of the appeals I love about travelling. I find as we step out of our comfort zone we become vulnerable in a new environment. In all my travels I've found that this allows me to show a blanket trust in other humans and I've never been dissapointed.

                        

The next day we took a horse drawn carriage ride through the old city that included commentary from our driver about the history of Nicaragua. The streets are cobblestone so the clip clop from the horses is heard day and night.

                  

 

We spent the evening on our street which comes alive with people.They daytime is so extemely hot and the evening is refreshing in contrast. It is still hot but more comfortable.  All the restaurants spill out into the street where diners are entertained by a variety of street performers. A mariachi band for hire wanders along waiting for a nod from a diner for them to play a “romantico” ballad, while a group of teenagers with a ghetto blaster wait till it’s their turn to entertain the crowd with an amazing break dancing performance. Of course the hat always comes around for some monetary appreciation. We found a friend we’d made earlier in the day playing guitar with another guy playing bongo drums and singing. They called us over and we spent the rest of the evening singing, dancing, and drinking with our new friends.

The following day started with a bike ride to the lake where we boarded a small boat with a tour guide. We spent the next 3 hours on Lago Nicaragua witnessing the many flooded  houses, yards, docks, etc from the massive rain Nicaragua received the previous few weeks. The lake had risen 2 meters and will take around 6 years to restore to its previous condition. Effects of global warming and climate change perhaps?

            

After a few more days in Granada we took another taxi back to Managua and boarded a 12 passenger prop plane for Big Corn Island on the east coast of Nicaragua on the Caribbean coast. I’ve done a lot of flying but I will confess that I was a bit uncomfortable in this small plane. We had seats in the back of the plane and when I looked forward I felt a little claustrophobic so when my eyes were open I would only look out the windows on either side. As we flew over the jungles in central Nicaragua I thought to myself, damn, why hadn't I paid more attention to those survivor shows so I'd know what to do in case we crashed in the jungle.