A Family's Journey Way Off the Beaten Path: Managua, Nicaragua

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a little apprehensive about taking my two year old son to a third world country. It is hard enough getting around and communicating in another language by yourself and then when you take a toddler with you, it makes it that much more difficult. However, I was pleasantly surprised how easy the trip went although we did have the occasional hiccup. We planned ahead on some things and there were other things that we wished we had known before we went to Nicaragua. It is those things that we had to improvise and it became learning tools for us for when we plan our next trip.

With any trip, it all begins with packing your luggage. Since we didn’t have pay luggage fees since it was an international trip, we took the max amount of luggage, four bags. Since our two year old child still wore diapers, we had to pack smartly. Instead of bringing ten days of diapers with us, we brought enough just to get us to Nicaragua. Once we were in the country, we went to the nearest grocery store and bought diapers, baby wipes, etc. to last us on our trip. I was expecting to get some local generic brand, but was impressed to find Pampers at an even cheaper cost than in the US. By packing this way, it allowed us not to have to fill up a whole suitcase full of diapers and allowed us to have room in our luggage to bring back souvenirs.

We used the same concept for his food. Although he usually eats what we order at the restaurant, there are those times when we need a back up plan. We brought some pre-packaged meals for when our food choices does not suit him. We used the grocery store to stock up on fruits and snacks, since bananas are his favorite food for breakfast and cookies will always calm a crying baby. Nicaragua has some American fast food restaurants such as McDonalds for those times when only chicken nuggets and French fries will satisfy him. Nicaragua has a chain of restaurants located in most of the major cities called Tip Top. It is Nicaragua’s answer to KFC and Popeye’s. There are over 20 Tip Tops in the country (13 just in Managua) compared to only one McDonalds that I saw.

We brought our own car seat which was a good thing because I don’t think Nicaragua has many child safety laws. I noticed two people on a motorcycle with the baby wedged in between. I reserved my vehicle with Budget and I was never given the opportunity to reserve a car seat. Whether they don’t supply them or you have to call specifically to reserve one, I cannot say. The one thing we did not bring was a stroller since it would have to be checked thereby counting as one of our luggage items and also we didn’t think we would need it. We were wrong because I was tired of holding my son after the first day. Across the street from our hotel was a mall and we were hoping to find a baby store where we could purchase a cheap umbrella stroller. We found a thrift store that had used strollers for sale. We bought one for $15 and it was well worth the money. On our last night in Nicaragua, we left it at the hotel where it will probably be donated to the same thrift store we purchased it from.

One thing we did not plan for or I guess you can say we took for granted was the availability of milk. On our first night in Managua, we stopped in at a restaurant for dinner and we ordered a glass of milk for our son. The milk was served at room temperature and it didn’t taste like milk we were used to in the US. Believing that it was just a freak incident, the next day we ordered milk again this time specifically ordering it frio, or cold. They looked at us like we had two heads. We never found cold milk anywhere in Nicaragua, even in a convenience store. The only reason I can think of is that the milk is not pasteurized. So to prevent my son from dehydrating and to make sure he was getting some nutrients, we gave him a juice/water mixture. We were able to find Gatorade or the equivalent and mixed it with water, so he got some electrolytes and kept hydrated.

The only other issue we had was reserving a crib at the different hotels. We solved this problem by staying at American brand hotels (Crowne Plaza, Best Western), however, there were those that did not have cribs. The only hotel we encountered this problem was at the Hotel Casablanca in San Juan del Sur. We were told that no one had cribs anywhere in the town. I guess the beach is no place to bring a toddler.

Traveling internationally, especially to a third world country, with a child was a learning experience. It made us learn to be patient and when we encountered a problem, it forced us to find a solution.

Before we took this trip to Nicaragua, I did my research reading everything from Frommers to internet blogs. A recurring theme was crime and being safe as it is with all Central America countries. Nicaragua claims to be the safest country in Central America. Although I couldn’t find any statistics to verify that, at no point during out trip did we feel threatened or afraid. Being a police officer in the states, I am trained to deal with a certain amount of stress as well as encountering a segment of the population that you would rather avoid. Nicaragua is by no means an exception; however, most of the people we encountered were very friendly even with the language barrier.

Policing in Nicaragua is a lot different than it is in the US. You don’t see police vehicles patrolling the roads on a regular basis. The only police vehicles I saw were Toyota trucks that are usually filled with police officers in the bed. Policing in the major towns is done purely by foot. The vehicles drop off the officers at intersections throughout the city. To make a traffic stop, the officers point at you and motion you to pull over. Instead of receiving a ticket and appearing in court, you pay the fine to the officer. If you are unable to pay the fine, your license is confiscated and you must pick it up at the local police department until you pay the fine.

On our second day in Nicaragua, we proceeded to leave Managua and travel up into the mountains. After getting caught in the market traffic, we eventually found our way back to the Pan-American Highway. I was stopped at the traffic light attempting to turn right. I made a right turn on red and I got no more than twenty feet before a police officer was pointing at me to pull over. He walked over to my vehicle and because of the language barrier it took a little time to figure out what I did wrong. Obviously, right turn on red is illegal in Nicaragua or it could be that I was an easy target. After presenting him my Indiana driver’s license, I asked him how much the fine was. He told me that it was 600 Cordobas or $30 US. I gave him 600 Cordobas and we were back on our way

Later that day when we got to our destination and made contact with a friend of ours who lived in the mountains, we discovered something very interesting. The fine should have been $10 instead of $30. I was told that because I was an American, I am viewed as having money. A police officer in Nicaragua makes about $120 a month so they make money anyway they can, even if that means preying on innocent American tourists.

On our last night in Managua, we were trying to get in those last minute sites that we didn’t do the first day we were here. We were trying to go the National Museum and as I approached the intersection, I noticed that I had a green light. I turned right and as I did I noticed a police officer waving me over. Once again, he wasn’t stopping me to say hello. It appears that this time, I made an improper lane change. Since I already been through this before and after ten days being away from home, I was getting a little irritable. I thought that I might get a warning. After all, I give plenty of warnings to people that I stop. I guess the only difference is I make a lot more money than they do.

He told me the fine was going to be $30. My wife, who has a temper, started yelling at the police officer about how we paid this fine before and found out later that the fine is supposed to be $10. She said we are not going to pay it. All I can think is that I am going to a Nicaraguan jail never to be heard from again. I don’t know if he understood anything my wife said, be he did understand a twenty dollar bill when he saw one. We gave him the twenty dollars and he was satisfied. He was nice enough to give us directions to the museum after he robbed us.

Although my two encounters with the police in Managua didn’t go very well, I had some great encounters with the police throughout the rest of the country. Checkpoints are very common in Nicaragua, especially on heavily traveled routes. Drug trafficking is still a big problem throughout Central America and Nicaragua tries to reduce the amount of drugs flowing into the country. It is a pretty painless experience at the checkpoints. The officers check your license and vehicle registration and then send you on your way. It is when they point at you individually when you need to start worrying.

Leave it to me to get to traffic tickets in a country where there are no traffic laws.

Managua is considered the economic, political, cultural, commercial, and industrial center of Nicaragua. I disagree that it is the cultural center of the country, reserving that status for cities such as Leon and Granada. Those cities alternated as the capital of Nicaragua until after years of wars it was agreed to settle the capital in the city of Managua. It is about halfway between both of these cities and it sits on the heavily polluted Lake Managua. Ever since Managua became the capital in 1852 it has steadily grown becoming the largest city in Nicaragua, both in terms of area and population. It is also the entry point for most visitors since Managua has the only international airport in the country.

Managua is far from having the historical charm and appeal that Leon and Granada has. One day in Managua is sufficient for seeing everything that Managua has to offer. Aside from the numerous lagoons scattered around the city, the historical center is located near the shore of Lake Managua. The Plaza of the Revolution is a large open paved area flanked on either side of the most important attractions in the city. The most famous landmark in Managua as well as throughout Nicaragua is the famous Managua Cathedral. The cathedral was built in 1920 where it survived the 1931 earthquake; however, the major earthquake of 1972 did irreparable damage. The cathedral was still open to the public until the early 90’s, when it was determined that it was structurally unsound. It is a famous landmark for the country and therefore it was never torn down. There has been talk as of recently to renovate the cathedral, however, budget problems has always been a hindrance.

On the south side of the plaza is the National Palace, a large structure that once housed the government offices of Nicaragua. Today, it serves as the National Archives, National Library, and the National Museum. The National Museum is open to the public and according to their website the entry fee is $2 US. However, when my family went to the Museum, the employee told us that it would $4. I assumed that was for all of us so when I gave him a $5 bill, he said it was four dollars for each of us. I then handed him a $10 bill and I was expecting my two dollars in change. When I asked him about the change, he told me that the other two dollars was for my son. I guess we make up prices as we go along. The museum displays many pre-Colombian artifacts discovered around the country. The most interesting part of the museum was the pictures showing the construction of the Managua cathedral dating back to 1920 and leading up to the destruction brought on by the 1972 earthquake. The National Palace was one of the few buildings that survived the earthquake.

Across the plaza from the National Palace is the La Casa de Los Pueblos or House of the People. The building serves as the equivalent to the White House of the United States. The President of Nicaragua, currently Daniel Ortega, resides here. A statue of Augusto Sandino, Nicaragua’s famous revolutionary hero, stands outside of the front entrance. The building is surrounded by steel gates and as far as I am aware of they do not offer tours.

On the other side of the plaza is Central Park. The highlight of the park is the tomb of Carlos Fonseca. He is the founder of the FSLN or better known as the Sandinistas. They make up the two major political parties, the other being the liberal party or PLC. His tomb is contained in a pool of water with an eternal flame. His gravesite is surrounded by alternating banners of Nicaragua’s colors, blue and white, and the FSLN colors, red and black.

Across from the tomb in Central Park stands a towering statue of Ruben Dario with an angel hovering over him. Ruben Dario was a famous Nicaraguan poet who is honored and revered all over the country. His portrait adorns the national currency and statues of him can be found all over. The large white structure behind the statue is the National Theater, renamed the Ruben Dario National Theater. Along with the National Palace, it survived the 1972 earthquake.

Although Managua has other museums and the National Baseball Stadium named after the first baseball player from Nicaragua to play in the majors, Dennis Martinez, Managua’s sites pale in comparison to the other great cities of Leon and Granada. Managua is good jumping off place, but spending less time here and more time throughout the rest of the country will allow you to experience the real Nicaragua.

As my son approached two years old we wanted to take an international trip while he could still fly for free. While most families would probably choose somewhere in Europe or Asia, we decided to veer way off the beaten path. We settled on Central America, more specifically Nicaragua. It was a head turner when we told our family and friends. Our parents were terrified of us taking their grandson to a third world country. Co-workers first response was to ask if this was a mission trip. When I explained that it was a vacation trip, they joked in jest about raising money for my ransom. It was interesting to note how many people thought that there was a war going on in Nicaragua. Try twenty years ago when something called Iran-Contra plagued the television every day. Nicaragua has significantly improved since then, but they still have a long way to go compared to their Central American neighbors.

We took off from Miami and landed at Managua International Airport. We traveled to Nicaragua during the height of the Swine Flu epidemic that was affecting the entire world. Every employee at the airport was wearing a face mask. We got stuck in a line as soon as we got off of the plane. The person in front of me informed that Nicaragua was trying to keep the Swine Flu out of the country since Costa Rica had already reported cases there. Everyone had to stand in front of these special thermal cameras that measured your body temperature. We were given the okay sign and we proceeded to Customs and Immigration. We encountered our first problem when we discovered that our son’s diaper bag was left on the plane. I found someone who spoke English and they helped me go back through the secured area and retrieve it. We were hoping that this was not a sign of things to come.

We cleared immigration and paid our $5 tourist fee and proceeded to get our bags. There are only two carousels and it was crowded and hectic. We found two of our bags, but after thirty minutes, we were still two short. We found them eventually stacked against the wall. If you don’t get them when they are on the carousel, baggage handlers will take them off and stack them against the wall. After all the bags were accounted for, we went to the Budget car rental desk where we were taken to our small compact Suzuki Alto. Before we left, I asked for directions to the Crowne Plaza. He told me to go straight on the main road in front of the airport until I reached the statue. To explain the statue he was talking about, he started pointing into the air as if he was firing a weapon. Not really understanding what he was talking about, I said thank you and went on our way.

After a few miles on the road, we started getting into the city and the statue that he was talking about came into focus. It was some soldier looking figure holding an assault rifle into the air with the initials FNT written on it. I turned left and a few blocks away, we found the Crowne Plaza. This statue became one of our landmarks as we drove around the city. Managua, like most cities in Nicaragua, does not have street names. Most locals give directions based on landmarks that may or may not be there anymore. Although we had a map of the city which has street names on it, it does you no good because there aren’t any names on the streets. We picked our own landmarks to use as well as the many roundabouts in the city.

We checked into the hotel and had a crib delivered to the room for our son. After we began to unpack, we noticed that it was about 5 and we needed to eat dinner so we can get back to the hotel before dark. We drove a few blocks away and found a restaurant across from the MetroCentro, one of the malls in Managua. We were the only ones in the restaurant and I soon realized that it looks like they were tying to close, but they served us anyway. It was Sunday and it was also Mother’s Day which makes sense because of everyone was in the street trying to sell roses as you stopped at an intersection. We brought some food for our son to eat, but seeing how he hadn’t had any milk since Miami, we ordered a glass. The milk was served at room temperature and our son wouldn’t touch it. He had to settle for water. This was not a one time occurrence. We discovered milk is not the same in Nicaragua as it is in the US. It does not taste the same nor can you find anyone that serves it cold, restaurant or a convenience store. We ended up giving our son juice the entire time we were in the country. Milk probably never tasted as good as it did when we landed in Miami.

We left the restaurant and walked to the car parked across the street. A security guard was there letting me know that he watched it for me. I didn’t quite understand until a few days later. If you park somewhere in Nicaragua, people will offer to watch your vehicle. Of course, this service is not free and they expect some type of tip. I just thanked the security officer and we sped away back to the hotel. We spent more time at the restaurant than we should have and it was dark by the time we headed back to the hotel. Let the adventure begin. Only a few blocks away, but it seemed like a world away when we got lost. I pulled into a Shell station and asked someone if they could tell me how to get to the Crowne Plaza. I showed them my map that I was given by the car rental company. Like I said before, the map I had looked foreign to them and they proceeded to tell me to take a few blocks here and then turn toward the lake. I gave up and tried driving by my instincts hoping that will get me there. After second guessing each other, we finally found the hotel and a sense of relief came over us. We got back to the room, put our son to sleep, and prepared for the next day’s adventure, whatever that might be.

These are some tips to hopefully make a visit to Managua a little more enjoyable and a little less stressful.

1. Managua is a city with no street names. We found plenty of maps of the city, some better than others. The city has plenty of statues and monuments scattered about. When you are confident you know where you are on the map, write down a description of the statue on the map. That way if you get lost, you can located your own landmarks and get to where you are going from there.

2. Nicaragua’s currency is the Cordoba. At the time of this visit, 20 Cords (as they are called), equals $1 US. It is a good idea to carry small bills. Many places are unable to make change for the 500 Cordoba, which is $25 US. Most places accept US currency, but your change will be in Cordobas.

3. Begging on street corners or selling everything from papayas to candy is common. Poverty is still heavily prevalent in Nicaragua. Be prepared for people to come up to your car and try to sell you items. Just be stern and say no. Most people will move on. Whenever you park your car anywhere where there is no security, don’t be alarmed when someone asks you if they can watch your car. At the beginning I allowed it and usually gave them about fifty cents. Eventually, I just started saying no.

The Crowne Plaza in Managua is as unique as the city itself. It is an iconic landmark that is easily identifiable by its pyramid design. The hotel invokes images of the many Mayan pyramids that dot the Central American landscape. The hotel is centrally located and only a few blocks from Lake Managua and the famous Managua Cathedral. Although Managua doesn’t really have street names and directions are normally given by landmarks that may or may not be there, it is fairly easy to find. Upon leaving the airport, you will head west on the Pan-American Highway. There will be a statue of a soldier holding an assault rifle in the air, which soon became our personal landmark. After turning left onto Avenida Bolivar, you will go two blocks and after passing the roundabout, the Crowne Plaza will be on the left.

The hotel has security officers who patrol the parking lot 24 hours a day. The parking lot is not big and they will meet you at the entrance to assist you in parking your vehicle. The hotel lobby is beautifully decorated with marble floors and we were greeted by a wonderful hotel staff. On the first floor, there is a business center, a restaurant, and a casino.

The rooms were average in size with the bathroom being very small. The rooms were equipped with the basic amenities along with a refrigerator. Since we were traveling with a child, the crib made the room even smaller.

The hotel is only a few blocks away from the historical center of Managua. Sites of interest are the National Museum, the Cathedral of Managua, and the Ruben Dario National Theater and many others. Lake Managua is less than four blocks, however, the lake is heavily polluted and it is not advised to go swimming. About a mile to the west is the National Baseball Stadium named after Dennis Martinez, the first Nicaraguan to play in the Majors.

Across from the hotel is the Plaza Inter, one of the many malls in Managua. The top floor has a food court. This came in handy at night when it was too late to drive somewhere. There is a cinema in the mall and the stores are scattered over three floors.

The rooms averaged about $100 and it was a lot less expensive than the Intercontinental Hotel. The Holiday Inn Select was about the same price but it is located near the business district of Managua. The hotel was a great choice for the price and location.

On our last night in Managua, we settled into the Best Western Las Mercedes. The Best Western sits directly across from the Managua International Airport. Although, you can walk across the street to the airport, it is advised to just take the free shuttle. Depending on the time of day, traffic can be very heavy and if you decide to walk across, you must cross four lanes of traffic. This is the closest hotel to the airport as the others are located in the city center.

The Best Western Las Mercedes has a unique layout with all of the rooms on one floor and separated by corridors. The hotel has 174 rooms with air conditioning, cable T.V., telephone, and hot water. The rooms are fairly basic in size and even with a baby crib there was still room to move around. The bathrooms here are actually a lot more spacious than most hotels. It is about twice the size of the bathroom at the Crowne Plaza.

The Best Western has a large outside pool located right next to the restaurant, the La Pergola. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor seating. The menu is fairly American with some Nicaraguan dishes. Prices are comparable to many restaurants in the US. Sandwiches range from $6-9 and entrees from $11-20. The hotel also offers room service. If you are looking for somewhere to quench your thirst, try the Bar Tanhinos by the pool which is open until midnight.

There is a business center in the lobby of the hotel that contains two computers with free internet access. There is a gift shop located on the premises which contains many arts and crafts made in Nicaragua. Prices may be a little higher than in the city, but still a lot cheaper than anything in the airport.

The hotel offers foreign currency exchange as well as a bilingual staff. Recreational activities include volleyball, tennis, and racquetball