Selva Negra

This is Selva Negra where we stayed for two nights (Tuesday & Wednesday). See the entry earlier today about what it was like. This is the place in the rain forest, which is also a working coffee plantation.

El Chile

This is Francisca and her son who hosted our lunch at her home in El Chile. The second photo is in her grandmother´s house, showing the small alter. The third photo is the kitchen, which is separate because its fueled by an open fire.

Esteli

Its noon, and we have just checked into our hotel in Esteli. I have been unsuccessful at getting my email, so if you have tried to communicate, it´ll have to wait until our return on December 8th.

The trip has gotten better because of our tour guide, Juan, from Matagalpa Tours (subcontracted to Va Pues Tours). Yesterday probably the highlight for us was lunch hosted by Francisco, a campesina and her grandmother, and seven year old son. They live in mud and bamboo structures: one for the grandparents, one for Francisco and her son, and a separate one for cooking. There is no electricity or plumbing, and chickens run in and out; as well as a scrawny dog and cat. In the grandparents home was a small alter with a statue of the Virgin Mary on it. I'll post a photo if I have the opportunity. We were served tortillas, rice, tomatoes, and beans. Francisca feels we have bigger problems than she, implying she is spared the stress of industrialized life.

We spent two nights in Hotel Selva Negra, 9 km from Matagalpa. It is in the rain forest, and we could regularly hear a troupe of howler monkeys. We also saw parrots fly over, and my flashlight fell on a possum at night. The squirrels have unusually long tails, and there are numerous butterflies. The main building and restaurant is on a small lake populated by a gaggle of very noisy geese who strut between the tables.

Selva Negra was established by a German family three generations ago, and is a working coffee plantation. The cottages for guests are nestled among the rain forest, which grows over the roof. Our cottage reminded Judy of a dungeon, brick with so little light she read at night with a flashlight. For me it reminded me of those motels which haven´t been updated since the forties. Its walls were covered with old calendar photos, and the place smelled of a mixture of Lysol and mildew. The food was awful, unless you ordered sausage and sauerkraut, but the place was so remote you had to eat at their restaurant.

In addition to our lunch with Francisca, we went to a weaver´s home in a small place called El Chile. The road to get there was gravel, pot holes, and if wet, would be 4-wheel drive. Marta is a woman from Argentina, who married a man from Belgium. She obviously is well educated and well traveled. Yet she has been in this remote village for 25 years, and said its a life she prefers to the urban lifestyle. She taught the local women how to use a loom, and they produce purses, place mats, blankets, etc.

Pictured here is Marta and the women in her weaver's collective.


Juan then took us to the top of a mountain in El Chile, which we weren´t prepared for, as it was a trail best navigated with a walking stick and machete, neither of which we had with us. Worst of all it was so steep Judy didn´t make it to the top, and I fell three times. When we got back down we were both soaking wet. We were enticed up there for the view, but it was a hike that took a toll on both of us.

Matalgalpa

This is the process of drying coffee beans. They are spread out on plastic sheets, and then raked until dry. The coffee harvest is currently in progress. The day after this photo was taken we were taken through a processing plant where the coffee beans are separated from their husks, go through several washings, and a fermenting process before they are put in 150 pound bags and trucked to these fields to dry, after which they are roasted. You ought to see these guys hefting those bags! Coffee is the biggest export, and during harvest season people from all over the country come for the jobs, which I read pay about $2.50 a day. No gym membership needed here. The biggest customer for their coffee is the USA, and we were told by Juan that the country was very concerned that the re-election of Daniel Ortega would jeopardize that trade, as well as the help they need from other countries. Their own national debt rose so high that the country couldn´t even pay the interest ... and that was before Hurricane Mitch killed 6,000 people and left thousands homeless. The country still has not fully recovered.

Granada Waiting for the Virgin Mary

You would think these are young people from Denver, but it is in Granada. They were celebrating the Virgin Mary being moved from one church to the Granada Cathedral again last night, along with thousands of others who walked down to be blessed and then walked back as the statue was brought up the street accompanied by a small band. Again last night is was promised at 7pm, and it was after nine when they finally passed us. However, on this night we were waiting in a high end restaurant.

Granada

This is Patio Del Malinche, our hotel in Granada. The hotel pleasant is enough, currently populated by German guests. It has good showers and air conditioning, and a small pool. The breakfast is full of many different fruits. Lydia, the manager has been quite helpful in arranging tours, and helping us navigate around the city. She also selected two restaurants that were described in the Lonely Planet as "the best in the city". I have, however, had to start on cipro -- due to Montezuma's revenge.











This is a photo of the waiters at the Mona Lisa Cafe (pizza & pasta). Note the "after" (a week in the USA) image of Mona Lisa with blonde hair and a boob job!

With the dollar I gave this gentleman for his photo he promptly left his stand of nachos and sauces and got a dinner for himself on a palm leaf : beans, rice, fried bananas for less than half of the dollar.
Horses are everywhere in Nicaragua, although most of them are very small and skinny and often have open sores where their harness fits. They are used for carriages to take the tourists around the city, but also used to haul carts, more often than trucks.
Thusfar we are underwhelmed by Nicaragua. The people are very poor, and the infrastucture is lacking -- for example even main roads are full of potholes. They say they haven't discovered tourism, but the cost of tourist activities is relatively high -- higher than Guatemala. We originally signed up for a horseback tour, but declined when it turned out to be $100. For half that price we went to the mouth of the Masaya Volcano, which was steaming sulfur fumes. The driver then took us to the Masala Market, which was specifically for tourists followed by a lunch in an area specifically for tourists.

The town square has loud masses at the Granada Cathedral, with amplified services and lots of people and singing. Last night we gave up waiting for the parade of the "blessed virgin", a festival that started at an indeterminate time. The square was full of young people (we see very few people over 40 years old). They were cruising, and preening for each other. After waiting for the parade for three hours we gave up and went back to the hotel.

The next morning I got up early and went to the local market as they were setting up. It wasn't a colorful market, and I didn't stay long. Tomorrow we leave Granada with a driver and a guide, headed for the mountain country, hopefully for a better impression of the country.

Arrived Safely

We arrived safely in Managua, and were quickly picked up by the hotel shuttle for the short trip from the airport to the Best Western Las Mercedes Hotel. Its $96 per night, and the room is very basic and somewhat rundown. But we are only here overnight and then a shuttle service picks us up in the morning to head to Granada. It does have free Internet, but getting used to their keyboard is an adjustement!

I have been reading a book on Nicaragua published by In Focus by Hazel Plunket, and she is very ominous:

"An estimated 75% of the population are now unable to adequately feed or clothe themselves and 60% are out of work. Cuts in spending on health and education, the removal of food susidies and the loss of agricultural credit have combined to worsen the situation of the majority. In an attmept to make ends meet women, men and children have taken to the streets, where they sell any assortment of goods. The compeitition is fierce and the returns miniscule. In desparation, others have turned to crime and prositution, which are invariably more lucrative. Before 1990, Managua was safe to wander in, but it is now becoming increasingly dangerous and attacks on foreigners have become commonplace."

On the other hand, the Lonely Planet describes Nicaragua as the safest country in the Western Hemisphere, second only to Canada. It also says its the second poorest, second only to Haiti. We should be fine: we´re leaving Managua tomorrow (the dangerous capitol), and most of the trip will have a guide-driver-translator with us.