Hola Nicaragua

I had to leave the country once more for three days and decided this time to visit Nicaragua. I am truly exhausted these last few months and really did not want to go. I expected it to be quite poor (which it was) and not much fun since I had no energy or money to really enjoy myself. Well all this changed instantly when I got my first look at Granada, quite possibly the most beautiful city I have seen thus far. A fellow teacher at Intercultua joined me for what will probably go down as one of my best three day trips ever. So many stories to share in so little time spent in one place. I have included many pictures because every entry deserves as many pictures as I could possibly provide. Just a little history on Nicaragua before you move on to the fun stuff. Basically it has been torn apart by wars and corruption and has only been on the road towards stability in the last 15 years. This is quite different from Costa Rica’s history. Nicaraguans are trying hard to create a stable government, but the people have justifiably lost faith in their government. Overall they are wonderful people rich in culture. I strongly recommend a visit, but would suggest traveling with someone who speaks fluent Spanish.

Baseball Country

I had no idea that baseball dominated this country. It seemed everywhere we went baseball was being played. I had the joy of going to see a local game, and believe me when I say that it was crazy in there. These people are nuts for baseball. What was cool about the game is that I did not see any other tourists there. These are the moments I travel for!

The Islands and Leo

I had the good fortune of running into some locals who knew a Family that offered tours in Granada. I jumped on the opportunity to see what it was like for a day to be a local. Leo and his family live on one of over 380 Islands next to Granada. He taught and showed me how quickly his home is being invaded by foreigners who have bought the Islands from locals who had no idea what real value they held. He was very insightful and explained to me the difficult situation Nicaragua finds itself in today. With over 20% of its population without schooling it leaves it with a lot of work to do. Leo was amazing throughout the entire day and I promised him I would return to visit him and his family. I really try my best to find locals when traveling; being it really gives me an idea of how things really are in their country. One of the highlights was when Leo climbed a Palm tree to get us some Coconuts. As you can tell by the pictures it was no easy feat!