Situated on a hilltop overlooking the crescent bay of San Juan del Sur is a towering statue of Jesus Christ. It is the second largest statue of Jesus in the world. The largest statue being Christ the Redeemer located in Rio de Janeiro,…Read More

Situated on a hilltop overlooking the crescent bay of San Juan del Sur is a towering statue of Jesus Christ. It is the second largest statue of Jesus in the world. The largest statue being Christ the Redeemer located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That statue rises 130 feet tall overlooking the city and it is important symbol of Catholicism. The statue serves the same purpose in San Juan del Sur.

We visited San Juan del Sur in June of 2009 and the statue was barely two months old. It was completed sometime in April set to debut for Easter. The statue is so new that most travel sites and books do not even mention it. I noticed it while I was lying on the beach, and it appeared to be a statue of Jesus, but I wasn’t sure. I asked the owner of the Hotel Casablanca, where we were staying, how you get up there. His directions were not the best, but we somehow figured it out anyway.

The main street in San Juan del Sur dead ends into a small estuary feeding into the ocean. In order to get up to the statue, you must head back into town as if you were driving back to the Pan-American Highway. Just as you pass the Pali grocery store, there will be a road on the left. This road will take you through a small neighborhood and eventually the road takes you up the steep hill to the top.

Located up the hill is the exclusive Pacific Marlin community. Homes here can reach into the million dollar range and some of Nicaragua’s most important figures own homes here. There are also a couple of resorts that are located within this community. Pacific Marlin has 24 hour security and is a gated community. The road leading to the top of the hill takes you through this gated community. Just tell the security officer that you are heading to the statue and he will open up the gate.

At the top of the hill, there will be a small area where you can pull over and park. From there, you must walk up a set of steep steps to the top. The day I went, the statue was not open, but I noticed a sign charging an admission of $1. There is a gate halfway up the stairs and although it was locked, you can still walk around the statue. As I walked around the cliff, I saw some of the best views of San Juan del Sur. The statue literally towers over the city watching over the surfers and fisherman in the water below. From this position, it offers beautiful views of the crescent shaped bay and provides a great place to watch the sun rise and set.

Any information that can be found on the statue advises using a four wheel drive vehicle. Although, a four wheel drive vehicle would be great, it is not a necessity. However, it should be noted that the drive to the top contains steep grades. Our rental vehicle, a Suzuki Alto, which was a manual 4-cylinder, seemed at times to barely make the climb. It eventually overheated and I had to nurse it back to the hotel so I could call the car rental agency to bring me a new vehicle. For all of the trouble that the drive gave me, it was well worth the trip.

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The mountains of Nicaragua, which offers some of the best views of the country and is a bird watchers paradise, is also the least visited by tourists. Tourism has yet to reach this part of the country. We ended up traveling to this…Read More

The mountains of Nicaragua, which offers some of the best views of the country and is a bird watchers paradise, is also the least visited by tourists. Tourism has yet to reach this part of the country. We ended up traveling to this region because we knew someone who lived there. Before we left on our trip, a co-worker of mine told me that his sister lives and owns a business in Jinotega, a mountain village north of Matagalpa. For months, we communicated by email and she assisted us by giving us suggestions as to where to eat, sleep, and sites to visit. We planned to drive up to Jinotega and it was going to be nice to have our own personal tour guide.

After we got checked in to the Selva Negra Mountain Resort, I called her to let her know that we heading up to Jinotega. The Selva Negra is about halfway between Matagalpa and Jinotega. She told me that it was going to be too difficult to give me directions and since she didn’t have a vehicle, she would have to meet us in town. We planned to meet at 4pm at the first speed bump leading into town. She informed me that it wouldn’t be hard to notice her, since she was a red-head, and how many of those could there be in this small town. After forty-five minutes, I was beginning to think that we were getting stood up. Eventually, she pulled up in a taxi and apologized for being late. In Jinotega, time is more of a concept and when you agree to meet someone at a certain time, don’t be surprised if it is an hour later. Part of the problem was that most of the taxis in Jinotega are shared, which means that the driver will pick up more passengers on the way to your destination to make more money. On our first encounter, she didn’t have money to pay the taxi driver, so she asked if I had any to give him. I gave him US $1 and he looked as though he just won the lottery. I found out that the fare was only ten cents.

She took us back to her restaurant located in town. Her story is very interesting. She grew up in Indiana and decided to move to Nicaragua with her boyfriend. At some point they split up and she almost left Nicaragua because the heat was so unbearable in Managua. She ended up in Jinotega and fell in love with the town and the climate and decided to stay. She opened up a restaurant serving Italian food, which didn’t last long. It must have been the red sauce. She then started serving hamburgers and the money that she made allowed her to stay in Jinotega. She also supplements her income by teaching English in town.

The restaurant doubles as her residence. It was interesting to find out how she came to acquire all of the tables and chairs and silverware considering that she is a broke college student living abroad. The answer lies with Coca-Cola. They supply, on loan, everything you need to start your business, as long as you serve their product. If the restaurant goes out of business, Coca-Cola takes back everything. It is Coca-Cola’s way of cornering the market, so to speak.

While she was escorting us around town, her only employee was running the restaurant. There are no set hours and it is very common throughout Jinotega to lose power for hours at a time. That definitely makes it hard to sell hamburgers. Although she doesn’t make a lot of money selling them, she makes enough to pay her rent, buy her supplies, pay her employee $1 a day, and she has a few dollars left for herself. It seems like a hard way to live, but she enjoys the adventure and independence.

I noticed on her wall some unusual artwork. I told her that I was looking for something unique and handmade to take back with me. She took us to this little shack where she introduced us to a middle aged gentleman. Inside this little building was his workshop and his residence. Covering the walls were paintings of all different shapes and sizes. His artwork is unique in that all of his paintings are painted on a piece of wood. The tree’s trunk is cut into thin sections where he paints different images mostly of Jinotega and the surrounding mountains. He offered us some of his artwork at a cheap price since he considered us friends. It was nice to bring something back from Nicaragua that we knew was handmade and not some cheap knockoff.

The one thing that I wish we did, but didn’t because of our two year old, was to hike to the top of Pena de la Cruz. It is a hill with a cross on top which is clearly visible during the day and it is lit up at night. A hike to the top gives panoramic views of Jinotega and the surrounding mountains. History has it that the cross was placed there by Agustin Morel of Santa Cruz, a friar, who hoped that it would ward off the torrential rains and floods that plagued the city. The cross is as an important symbol of their religion just as the San Juan Cathedral. Every year on May 3 the town hikes to the top of the hill in a show of celebration of their religion and their community.

If I hadn’t known someone in Jinotega, we would have definitely bypassed this region and probably spent more time elsewhere. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit here and what this area lacks in historical sites; it more than makes it up for it with its small town charm and beautiful panoramic vistas.




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The cathedrals in the mountain towns of Matagalpa, Jinotega, and Esteli may not be the largest, oldest, or most historically significant such as the National Cathedral in Managua or Leon’s cathedral, which is the biggest in all of Central America. However, these cathedrals contain…Read More

The cathedrals in the mountain towns of Matagalpa, Jinotega, and Esteli may not be the largest, oldest, or most historically significant such as the National Cathedral in Managua or Leon’s cathedral, which is the biggest in all of Central America. However, these cathedrals contain the most unique architecture of any building within the towns and their size in relation to the other buildings make it appear that they are larger than they are.

Matagalpa is Nicaragua’s fifth largest city and the most important in this mountainous region. The Cathedral of San Pedro is clearly the city’s most important landmark. The cathedral was built in 1874 and is the third largest in the country. It is located north of the Parque Morazan, the city park, and it is easily identifiable anywhere in the city. Cathedral of San Pedro is a large cathedral painted crisp white with two towering bell towers. To get a real sense of how imposing this cathedral is, it is best viewed from up above. The Matagalpa-Jinotega highway offers excellent views of the city from up in the mountains. Admission is free to visit the cathedral and it is open 5-8pm daily with mass every night at 6pm.

Located further up in the mountain from Matagalpa is the small village of Jinotega. Because of its remote location, it was a perfect haven for rebel troops. It was the most war-torn region in Nicaragua and has been for the past seventy years starting with the Sandino regime and then during the 1970’s when Nicaragua experienced a civil war against President Samoza. Although the war has been over for decades, the village continues to rebuild and grow. The San Juan Cathedral was originally built sometime in the early 1800’s, but was replaced by a new building in 1958. Located across the Parque Central, the cathedral is beautifully painted in white trimmed in yellow. The cathedral just recently experienced a total renovation. Admission is free to visit the cathedral.

About an hour away from Matagalpa is the town of Esteli. It is one of the fastest growing cities and is considered the cigar making capital of Nicaragua. Like Jinotega, it experienced a majority of the fighting during the 1970’s civil war. Esteli’s cathedral is located across from the Parque Central. The cathedral was originally built in 1823 and has been rebuilt several times over the decades. The cream colored cathedral is definitely Esteli’s most architecturally unique building. Admission is free, however, the hours vary.

These cathedrals offer great picture taking opportunities. However, be cognizant of the fact that these cathedrals are usually open to the public most of the day. Although services may not be going on at the time, it is not uncommon for people to drop in to pray or speak with the priest. Be respectful when visiting but also don’t hesitate to ask someone to explain the history of the church. You may be surprised at what you will learn.
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Granada is Nicaragua’s fourth largest city and perhaps it’s most treasured. The city was founded on December 8, 1524 by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, making it the oldest city in the Americas. The city still maintains that cultural and historical feel as evident…Read More

Granada is Nicaragua’s fourth largest city and perhaps it’s most treasured. The city was founded on December 8, 1524 by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, making it the oldest city in the Americas. The city still maintains that cultural and historical feel as evident by the numerous cathedrals that seem virtually untouched since their conception. Granada has been one of the most important cities in Nicaragua, historically and politically. For decades, Granada and Leon fought as to who would claim the title of Nicaragua’s most important city. Finally during the mid 1800’s, a compromise was reached relocating the capital in Managua.

Granada today is perhaps the top tourist destination in Nicaragua. It seemed as if there were more Europeans than Americans. Everywhere you look around the city center are people trying to capitalize on the tourism industry. The focal point of the city is Central Park. There are monuments, fountains, arts and craft vendors and refreshment stands all located under a tree lined canopy.

Towering over Central Park is one of Granada’s most recognized cathedrals, the Cathedral of Granada. It is brightly painted orange and it offers panoramic views of Granada from its bell towers. Surrounding the cathedral are numerous restaurants, internet cafes, and old style colonial homes.

Granada sits on the western edge of Lake Nicaragua or Lake Cocibolca as the locals call it. It is the 20th largest lake in the world and the only place where you will find freshwater sharks. These sharks can travel freely from the lake to the ocean using the rivers that flow out to the sea. Fishing for these creatures has been banned due to population decline. Within Lake Nicaragua is Isla de Ometepe, an island containing two active volcanoes. Isla de Ometepe is a frequent tourist destination as people like to hike to the top of the volcanoes. Although there is a ferry to the island from Granada, it is better to take the ferry from Rivas, which is about thirty minutes from Granada. The ferry from Rivas leaves everyday about every hour, while the ferry from Granada leaves only on Monday and Thursday usually at 2pm.

Looking over the city as a protector and sometimes destroyer is Volcano Mombacho. It is an active volcano; however, it hasn’t erupted since 1570. Tourists flock to the top of it by the few hiking trails which offers spectacular views of Lake Nicaragua and Granada itself. Volcano Mombacho was directly responsible for creating the Islets of Granada in Lake Nicaragua. The Islets are a group of over 360 islands which were formed when Volcano Mombacho blew its cone into the lake. To this day, residents will tell you that most of the islands are privately owned and some even have houses on them. Some of the islands have tourist facilities as Granada offers boat tours through the islands.

If you feel like fighting the crowds, take a walk down to the city market. It is chaotic and crowded and walking down here is like being in a night club. For tourists, it is advised not to buy anything here. Most everything that is sold in the market is cheap imitation American knock-offs. They sell everything from clothes to bootlegged DVD’s. It is on the same scale as an American flea market. But it is worth the experience to walk down here if just for a minute.

There is no airport that services Granada, so everyone must fly into Managua. Although you can take a taxi or bus, I prefer to rely on my own transportation. Car rental prices are very cheap in Nicaragua. Although everything in Granada is pretty much in walking distance or a cheap taxi ride, a vehicle comes in handy if you want to take day trips to the beach or venture outside the city. Most of the streets in Granada are one-way since the roads were built before the invention of motor vehicles. A great way to see the sites of Granada is by horse carriage and they can be rented by the hour or half-hour. Hop on one at Central Park and enjoy the historical sights and sounds of America’s oldest city
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Since driving in Granada is not necessary and a taxi ride is not practical unless you just want to go from Point A to Point B, try a carriage ride instead. Surrounding Central Park on all sides are horse carriages and their operators vying…Read More

Since driving in Granada is not necessary and a taxi ride is not practical unless you just want to go from Point A to Point B, try a carriage ride instead. Surrounding Central Park on all sides are horse carriages and their operators vying your money. Carriage rides can last from 30 minutes to an hour. They can be shorter or longer than that depending on where you want to go and what you want to see. The price is always negotiable. We took a quick twenty minute carriage ride for about ten dollars including the tip.

We started down Calle la Calzada, a cobblestone street with restaurants and old colonial homes on either side. There are plans to make the street a pedestrian only street. We took a ride down to the edge of Lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is the 20th largest lake in the world and is also home to the only freshwater shark in the world. We stopped for a minute to take a few pictures of the lake and he offered us the chance to take a tour of the Islets of Granada, but since we had our son with us, we passed on the opportunity.

On the way back up Calle la Calzada, we stopped to admire some of the different statues dedicated to Nicaragua’s famous citizens. There was a statue dedicated to Francisco Cordoba, the founder of Nicaragua and whose name is used for the currency. We stopped at one statue that our driver seemed particularly proud of and that was of Emiliano Chamorro. I actually had to look him up online and discovered that he was the 55th and 59th president of Nicaragua. He was most remembered in Nicaragua for his work in signing a treaty with the US to build a canal linking the two oceans. However, Panama will forever hold that distinction.

Our next stop was at one of the six major cathedrals in Granada, Iglesia de Guadalupe which was originally built as a fort in 1626. From the outside, it appears that it is an abandoned church. The white walls have since turned black and it appears as if it has gone through years of neglect. However, one step inside this church and you realize that it is an active church serving an active congregation. The interior of the church has gone through a massive renovation. The interior is beautifully painted yellow with shiny waxed floors and high arched ceilings. I was told there are no plans to renovate the outside.

We traveled back to Central Park to go into town right around rush hour. Everywhere you look, horse carriages and vehicles clog the roads. Traffic can get very congested at rush hour which is another good reason to walk instead of drive. We rode by some other cathedrals such as the Antiguo Convento San Francisco which looks as if it was just built, however it is the oldest cathedral in Central America built in 1585. The exterior is painted a beautiful mixture of white and blue and there is a museum inside displaying a vast collection of Pre-Colombian artifacts. Another cathedral is the Xalteva Cathedral elegantly painted in a peach color a few blocks away.

Our last stop was at Dona-Elba Cigars, a half block from the Xalteva Church. Here they have a large selection of different cigars to suit anyone’s taste. The highlight of my visit here was seeing the cigars made in front of you. The cigars were made in two person teams. One person would flatten the tobacco while the other person would roll it and cut it. Although Esteli is regarded as the cigar capital of Nicaragua, this is an excellent place to pick up cigars if a trip to Esteli is not possible. I left with over thirty cigars as well as a pack of cigars that are soaked in Flora de Cana rum.

We ended out trip back in Central Park. We thanked our driver for the excellent tour and walked back to the hotel. Carriage rides might sound touristy and cliché, but it is an excellent way to see Granada.
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If you were wondering where you can get black pottery, hand-woven hammocks, world class cigars, and any other souvenir that you can think of, then Masaya is the place to go. Masaya is Nicaragua’s capital of shopping. Masaya is located about 55 miles…Read More

If you were wondering where you can get black pottery, hand-woven hammocks, world class cigars, and any other souvenir that you can think of, then Masaya is the place to go. Masaya is Nicaragua’s capital of shopping. Masaya is located about 55 miles from Granada as well as Managua making this an excellent day trip from either city. Located in the center of the city is the Mercado Viejo or the Old Market. Nicaraguans refer to it as the Mercado Nacional de Artesania.

The market occupies one city block within Masaya and it is easily identifiable by the Gothic looking structure. The building looks more like a fortress than anything. It was originally built in 1891 and after it was destroyed in the revolution it was restored in 1997. The market literally contains hundreds of vendors who try to sell their handiwork. Within the walls of this sprawling market, you will find cafés, ATMs, and the tourist office.

Our trip to the Old Market wasn’t a pleasurable experience as we had expected it to be. As we approached the Old Market, I started looking for a place to park. Since there isn’t a parking lot, you must find a spot on the side of the street surrounding the market or adjacent to it. I noticed people wearing light blue polo shirts walking around the outside of the building. As I started to park my vehicle, I noticed one of those subjects running up to me in my rearview mirror. I pulled off and started circling the block. As I drove off, I still noticed him running after my vehicle and then he stopped as he realized that he couldn’t catch me. I circled the block and parked on the other side. Once again, I was met by someone wearing those light blue polo shirts. Looking closely at his shirt, they worked for the Nicaraguan Tourism Department or what I liked to refer to them as, Men in Blue.

I was immediately greeted by two of them as we exited our vehicle, basically crowding me as I tried to get my child out of the backseat. I was also greeted by someone who obviously did not work for the tourism department. He wanted to wash my vehicle and watch it while we shopped. Once again, everybody wants money for doing something. I sternly but politely said no and we went inside to shop. Those two individuals with the blue shirts followed us around the entire time. They tried to point out items that they thought we would like to purchase. I started to get a little irritated, because there is nothing I hate more than shopping and having someone looking over my shoulder. At first, I thought they were supposed to follow you around. But as we went from store to store, I noticed other people browsing without having someone following them. Seeing how they were with us for about twenty minutes, I didn’t bother to tell them to leave. I just tried to ignore them.

After about an hour of browsing, we stepped into the café for a quick beer and a chance to escape the Men in Blue. Once we were done, we went to those stores where we wanted to buy our souvenirs, hurrying to get out of there and get back to Granada. I noticed that my vehicle’s windshield wipers were flipped up and the vehicle had been wiped down clean. That individual came running over to me expecting a tip, of course. The Men in Blue wanted one too. I handed the car wash guy a 100 Cordoba bill or one US dollar. They didn’t appear too happy and it sounded as if they were each expecting $5. I refuse to pay for a car wash that I didn’t want nor to two individuals that wouldn’t let me shop in peace.

The market is a great place to get everything Nicaraguan; however, the shopping experience would have been better without the Nicaraguan tourism board following us around.
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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…Read More

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.
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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…Read More

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.
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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…Read More

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.
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My third trip to Nicaragua was in May/June 2008. In Nicaragua, I've mainly stayed in Managua, the capital, but have traveled to Granada, Leon, San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Masaya, and a couple small towns (Diria for one). From Managua you can do…Read More

My third trip to Nicaragua was in May/June 2008. In Nicaragua, I've mainly stayed in Managua, the capital, but have traveled to Granada, Leon, San Juan del Sur, Rivas, Masaya, and a couple small towns (Diria for one). From Managua you can do day trips to many other locales. Go to the Masaya artisan market in the small town of Masaya, visit a volcano or two (Mombacho and Momotombo), and spend at least a day at the beach (San Juan del Sur, Pochomil, or Montelimar). Pochomil Beach is a more typical Nica beach, although Montelimar has the all inclusive Barcelos resort and San Juan del Sur has a lot of luxury hotels and is popular with tourists. I would suggest taking more than a day to visit Montelimar and San Juan, especially San Juan, which is quite a drive from the capital. If you go to Pochomil, go to Bar Jessenia. There you can get a lobster dinner for like $6.

If you're interested in zip lining, I think the best place to do that is at the Mombacho Volcano. It’s quite safe, costs about $11, and you can have a guide with you the entire time. I would also suggest visiting a small Nicaraguan town, such as Diriamo or Diria (I have family in Diria!). Diria has a lovely little church, Iglesia de San Pedro, in the central square. El Boquete is the name of an area of restaurant/bars that line the top of Laguna de Apoyo and you can easily get to el Boquete from Diria. The bars have a great view above the lagoon. Laguna de Apoyo is gorgeous lakeside as well. There are a couple of resorts around the lagoon, but Norome Villas is about the easiest to get to and they have a restaurant with great ceviche. And try or buy some Flor de Cana, it's a very smooth rum and there is a distillery in Chichigalpa. If you like coffee you should check out the Matagalpa region. Selva Negra is a coffee plantation with a lovely hotel.Close