Great times in Nicaragua

A couple of you asked me how our trip went and I thought I would share my response with everyone:

We Just came back from Nicaragua, were there Nov. 3rd thru the 10th and had a great time, hoping to make it a yearly thing specially if the airline fares during the off season stay so affordable. My wife and I both loved it, of course after 27 years of not leaving the US except for a couple of trips to the Caribbean some of the poverty was disconcerting specially the little kids asking for money and peddling in the streets, although we needed to see that, and we are looking to find ways to help, don't know how yet but any way...., The cities are dirty and disorganized, definitely the Beauty in Nicaragua lies in its people, its history, and nature.

We stayed in Managua at great little hotel called Hotel Casa Naranja, a little pricey $90.00 a night, but the staff and service are excellent, they have a generator, but it was only needed one night out the four that we stayed there. Also for those who need it, the staff is multilingual. They arranged for us a car and driver. The driver (Don Manuel has several cars and drivers some multilingual) is actually a tour guide, which worked out great (actually a lawyer by profession, his parents were small farmers), at $70.00 per day including gas and up to 10 hours, it’s not inexpensive. You can probably get a better rate but the Hotel referral was important to me since they do the billing and handle any complaints, there were none, he was very good. Don Manuel can be contacted at touristselserv@yahoo.com or thru the hotel (www.hotelcasanaranja.com).

If I would have rented a fully insured car w/o a driver it would have been about $330.00 per week. The mandatory insurance only covers damage to others, in fact, if you rent a fully insured car the insurance costs more than the car rental. We did not need the car for the full week so it worked out well for us. We also spent three days at Montelimar, thoroughly enjoyed it, again it was the off season, Don Manuel made the reservations for us and got us a rate of $120.00 per couple per night, the price in expedia.com would have been $150.00, if I had made the reservations online from he U.S. But you have to be careful, he normally would have charged a commission, that’s how things work in Nicaragua, he didn't with us. I understand that the price at Montelimar nearly doubles during the peak of the season.

Here are the highlights of our trip:

Saturday: arrived at noon, very nice airport experience (better than Miami), picked up my aunt and cousin in Altamira, Lunch Cocina de Doña Aide near Carretera Masaya (very good), then we did a tour of Managua, the old City Center including the Museo de la Cultura, Loma de Tiscapa, the New Cathedral, the Malls ( Metro Centro near new city center, Galeria Mall, Plaza Inter Mall, if you are home sick, in the malls you will feel almost back in the US although the food court at Metro Centro has no equal) Dinner (Pollos Camperos fast food, very good, Carretera Masaya)

Sunday: Volcan Masaya Park (had been there as a kid) very good, Masaya Market, very safe, clean, organized, and they had live Marimba Music and kid Dancers on a stage (very good) the city itself is dirty. Nicaragua's best assets are its people, the merchants at this market are friendly and courteous...also I felt very safe...you have to haggle... but you know this. Then, Mirador de Catarina, great view, we had lunch there (very good), a Marimba group played for us, 2 songs for $C50.00 less than 3 dollars, they were very good musicians. Catarina is a nice little town. Back to Managua to change and head to El Teatro Ruben Dario to watch A Dance show, the theatre is as beautiful as I remember it, and the dancers were great, specially the belly dancers, it turned to be a cornucopia of dances. Specially enjoyed the little kids. Dinner Pollo Tip Top, knew it well , they have been around forever.

Monday: Granada, Isletas boat tour including monkey island, the white face monkeys came on board to eat cookies, they are used to humans, this is great specially if you have kids, great views of the islands and Mombacho, after, we went to the city, City Center, Cultural Institute (a fine arts center can't recall the exact name, they train kids in music, painting etc.) as we walked around a 10 year old kid was practicing a piano piece…made the hairs on the back of by neck stand up, really great. Also saw the restored convent, the cathedral of course, the old train station, and we had a Vigoron at El Saguan again a guitar duo came and played, very very good singer and guitar players, and I keep saying it, but it really made our trip an unbelievable experience, everyone without exception was sincerely friendly and open. Headed back to Managua to visit an uncle had dinner with him at "El Eskimo" this is a first class restaurant located at the Eskimo factory near the old Intercontinental Hotel now Crown Plaza, excellent food and service, operating from the same location for over 40 years according to my uncle.

We spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at Montelimar, what a great place to relax after three very busy days, Great Service, again the people make this place special, everyone without exception from the grounds keepers, the cleaning ladies, waitresses, the Show Dancers, was very personable.

The beach, the pool, the food, the nightly shows, the disco and the Flor de Caña. I changed the name of the drink from Cuba Libre or Mentirita as we call it in the U.S. to Nica Libre, by the end of the week I had all the waitresses calling it Nica Libre. Specially enjoyed the nightly shows.

Friday: Mombacho tour (really great), then to Wembe in Managua to buy an amaca (great market, very good selection and prices) followed by a Nacatamal lunch at my aunts in Altamira and at night the Pièce de résistance, la Casa de Los Mejia Godoy (great show) as one on Carlos Mejia songs says “in an instant I felt the thoughts of my entire childhood pass as I trembled” terrible paraphrase but you know what I mean.

Saturday fly back home, see you next year, next time we’ll take it easy and visit more family.

And to answer all the questions, we didn’t get sick, the key was I think bottled water, cerveza toña, and FDC. And my wife loved it.

The picture is a view of the Cathedral from the old convent.