Blogs

Last night we got drunk enough to talk politics -- a former FSLN political officer and her husband who is MRS and a Sandinist and me. The rum was the right thing to bring, and they had other relatives circulating in and out. Today, they came over and drank coffee and watched SANDINO with me, and commented on the players and the parallel with Vietnam in one of the scenes. My Spanish got pushed a lot from yesterday's "It's rude to speak English in front of people who don't speak it" from someone who wasn't Argentinian and who was bilingual herself.

It's commonly enough said in Nicaragua. Buenos dias ¿Como amaneciste? [How ya doin'? (Literally, how'd you wake?)] And the stock reply: Bien, gracias a Dios.

An article "The Bribery Aisle: How Wal-Mart Got Its Way in Mexico" appeared in the NY Times Dec 18, 2012. It's chocked full of examples of grimy 'corruption'. Yet I still admire Wal-Mart's growth model & service to the people of Latin America. We're all too young to know what it took to build our birth country (whereever); most histories simply don't tell the whole story. Payoffs, bribes, are prevalent where laws &/or their enforcement are weak, if & only if someone with the wherewithall wants to get a job done, to build something, to accomplish anything of scale.

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/nacionales/272701-reservas-silvestres-pr...

Click on the map graphic to enlarge it.

Private Wildlife Reserves in Nicaragua rose to 62 in this 2012, equaling the number of reserves in state hands, according to the president of the Network of Private Reserves of Nicaragua, Freddy Cruz Cortés, who held that 48 of these territories in nature conservation , are catching 39,000 tons of carbon per year, which represents a major contribution to environmental preservation.

Hello Canada? Yes, thanks so much for your attention. COME TO NICARAGUA! And Air Canada Rouge, are you thinking about opening up a similar route to Managua? Please do, CANADIANS Welcome!

http://www.elportonverde.com/2012/12/20/new-low-cost-airline-announces-f...

I blogged this because to me it makes a lot of sense for INTUR and other tourism oriented outfits to encourage the Canadians to come to Nicaragua; one sure-fire way is to get new low-cost airlines to establish new routes.

Once again, a wacko in the US kills a bunch of kids in a school. It seems like it is starting to become the new American tradition. But, the responses are equally wacko. All over the spectrum but none actually make any sense.

They go from the ban all guns approach to the arm all teachers approach. The only thing I haven't heard suggested is that we stop searching school kids for weapons so that at least some of the students would be armed -- something I consider no dumber and clearly less expensive than all the serious ideas.

Apparently, you can't buy a 4G modem in Esteli. I'm not sure if that's because the service isn't available in Esteli (though I think it theoretically is) or because Claro has made a marketing decision based on product/service demand. They do sell 4G smart phone plans, though, so I'm thinking that 4G service would work fine here if I bought a 4G modem someplace else.

http://www.mitrab.gob.ni/bienvenido/documentos/comunicados/comunicado%20...

Government and Institutional Offices will be closed from the 24th of December to the 6th of January 2013 inclusive.

They will reopen on the 7th of January 2013.

Statutory Holidays (paid days off) or ‘Feriados Nacionales’ will be Christmas Day the 25th of December 2012 and the 1st day of January 2013.

Hello Not sure if this is the right place but I have a 2000 forerunner for sale just spent $600 dollars fixing the front end and the brakes it is a SR5 6 cylinder gas runs good burns no oil. I am asking $7900,00 reason fro selling I need a truck looking for a Tacoma , tundra .hilux or something the same I need to haul water.

http://www.nicaraguadispatch.com/news/2012/12/wyndham-nicklaus-say-adios...

Very good story by Tim Rogers...

"It is what it is"... and he describes it very well.

A definite work-in-progress, but this gives you some idea of the relative distances between sightseeing attractions, stores, restaurants, etc. and our location. Basically this shows how far we are from the hip and happenin' spots...

http://www.elportonverde.com/2012/12/10/guidebook-for-bb-farmstay-el-por...

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact.com/render?llr=oagniicab&v=001rj64Pj...

I don't know if the link will work so here is a cut and paste:

_______________________________________________

New Tax Rules Have Hidden Traps

Do you own a condo or timeshare outside the US? If so, you need to read on.

...which somehow doesn't surprise me that much and didn't surprise the neighbor for more than a second.

Decent article and even better discussion/comments about health care for expats in Nicaragua to be found on the Rewired and Retired in Nicaragua blog. Good to know some of the options that are out there, US plans that work here, discount schemes that the hospitals offer, and Nicaraguan and/or Central American insurance plans that expats can purchase.

http://retirenicaragua.wordpress.com/2012/09/29/health-care-for-expats-i...

Hoping to kick start the company with 100 bikes, and priced at $4000.00 apiece, they may make it. http://www.organictransit.com/