Juanno's blog

Condensed from the UNESCO Press Release:

The decision to include the new sites was taken during the 22nd session of the International Coordination Council, which took place from 31 May to 4 June at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris.

Biosphere Reserves are areas designated under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Program to serve as places to test different approaches to integrated management of terrestrial, freshwater, coastal and marine resources and biodiversity. Biosphere Reserves are thus sites for experimenting with and learning about sustainable development.

The question has been asked for a long time, “Why is the annual INTUR (Government Tourism Dept.) budget so low?” That question has now been answered because starting as soon as a few months time, that budget (currently US $1.8 million) will increase to US $4.8 Million, an increase of 166.6%.

Last week, Deputy Ramón Macías (President of the National Tourism Commission) said that the National Assembly (Parliament) approved the reform of the General Tourism Law that will move Nicaragua off of the bottom of the regional tourism spending league.

Our ever changing recipe (depending on what we have) for one of my favorite sopas was vastly improved the other day with the addition of some crumbled "Smoked Cuajada". This stuff has a very strong smokey flavor and is very dry after 3 days wrapped in a banana leaf over the fire.

Could be good crumbled over a salad too.

(Ever since nicareal said that the flavor of the pre-cooked beans we were buying from a lady up the road was fine pieces of carbon or soot, we got the bean cooker out again!!)

The US Department of State has set a new rate for certain nonimmigrant visa applications (Machine-Readable Visa, MRV and Border Crossing Card, BCC fees). Fees are tiered depending on the type of visa category being applied for. The new fees will go into effect on June 4, 2010. The Department of State says it is required to recover (as far as possible) the cost of processing nonimmigrant visas through the collection of application fees. The old $131 fee was set on January 1, 2008 and no longer covers the cost of processing the nonimmigrant visas.

Does anyone know the names of the types of potatoes grown in Nicaragua (Pentland Crown, Yukon Gold - I wish!! etc.) Where would one purchase seed potatoes or do they just let them go to seed? Has anyone tried growing potatoes in a barrel here? I am thinking it could be too warm above ground. This is more of a community experiment inquiry.

One hundred investors from the United States, Central America, Mexico and Asia could participate in the second Nicaraguan Chamber of Commerce (CACONIC) Trade Fair to be held from the 26th to the 28th of August at the Crowne Plaza Convention Center in Managua.

Eduardo Báez of Libros Para Niños (Books for Children) passed away last weekend of a massive heart attack at age 57. Báez was a dear friend and mentor of Jane Mirandette and of the library she built here in San Juan del Sur. Carol Rea of ‘Puedo Leer Libraries’ in Granada said of Eduardo Báez; "He was a larger than life person who was so passionate about putting books in the hands of children. He and his organization 'Libros Para Niños' set up reading corners all over Nicaragua. They held reading festivals and published books written by Nicaraguans”.

Barceló, Spain and Nicaragua working on a plan to boost Tourism in Nicaragua

The benefits of naturally produced gas for household use are economic and environmental, however a program in Rivas to encourage the use of biodigesters (using pig and cattle manure) has been slow in starting because women there believe that the gas gives off a different and bad smell and taints the food.

Anyone with any previous experience with this issue of the bad smell. Is it true, can it be changed?

News Release - April 22, 2010

Canadian Mining Executive Invests in Untapped Resource $250,000 donation – compassionate capital benefiting thousands of small-business entrepreneurs.

“Entrepreneurship in the developing world is an undiscovered goldmine,” remarked Ian Telfer, chair of Goldcorp Inc.