What should I NOT bring?
Submitted by kevins on Fri, 2009/02/06 - 00:16.
I'm putting together a packing list for my three-week trip to Ometepe. I would prefer to buy anything there that I can. Probably only in Rivas or on the island, though. I'm not looking to shop Managua or Granada on my way in, nor am I eager to prowl a dozen different stores to find everything.
Which of these are and are not readily available?
- Sunglasses
- Reading glasses
- Small flashlight (powered by AA batteries)
- Battery-powered Headlamp (LED?)
- Small Binoculars
- Non-deet bug spray or cream
- Facial tissues (like "Kleenex")
- Waterless (alcohol-based) hand cleaner
- Plain old fold-out hand-powered fan
- Clip-on small electric fan
- Ziploc bags (quart or larger)
- Plastic shoes for wading (size mens 10-11)
- Nail clippers
- Kids books (in Spanish)
- Small toy metal cars (similar to matchbox/hot wheels)
- Frisbee or other flying disk
I assume the following ARE readily available. Please let me know if I should bring them instead of planning to purchase them there:
- Sunblock
- Writing paper
- Note cards (approx 3x5)
- AA batteries
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Hand/face soap
- Shampoo
- Antiperspirant (clear dry)
- Cheapo rain poncho and/or umbrella
- Bath-sized and hand towels
Bring a PFD (aka life
Bring a PFD (aka life jacket)!
specially
if you are gonna ride the San Jorge-Moyogalpa ferry in the next couple of months :-O
Reading glasses
Going across on the ferry to Ometepe in December one of my lens fell out of my glasses into the water. I could not find reading glasses until I went to the pharmacy at the airport. They were c$8.
That's a buy
(or a typo). On the street here in Estelí they are usually about C$40. Easy to find all over town here but they tend to all get a new stock at the same time and then it dwindles. I recommend getting a spare pair when you see fresh stock.
Actually, a lot of things work like that here. For example, there will be no mosquito nets in town and then 10 vendors will have them.
Not readily available
Battery-powered Headlamp (LED?) Small Binoculars Waterless (alcohol-based) hand cleaner Ziploc bags (quart or larger) Frisbee or other flying disk
Pura Nica, Bobby
i'll agree con Bobby
but think you should bring los batteries and maybe a portable water filter. Often the batteries sold here are cheap Chinese, counterfeit or just old and weak... I bought a single double AA during a power outage in Moyogalpa once and my little flashlight killed it in 20 minutes..
Rechargeables are great if you can carry the charger... Solid waste is a big problem on the island.
There's no one stop shop anywhere but the mercado in Rivas is pretty good and should be able to fill your list...
“Sacred Cows make the best hamburger”
Abbie Hoffman
it seems silly
to not just bring all these little things with you. You could spend days looking for this stuff. Non-deet bug spray should be a real adventure, as every super and farmacia carries deet in 5% and up. Plastic toys might be the only thing on your list that will be easy to find where quality does not matter.
¨Pata de Perro¨
Silly, and not silly
Yes, in a way it's silly. But:
a) I would like to bring as few bags, and have them be as small, as possible; and
b) I wouldn't mind injecting a little cash into the economy down there
Thanks for the pragmatic perspective. I will keep it in mind as I pack.