hello.
yesterday saw me flying over volcanic lagoons and winding rivers leading into blue lakes.
green and blue as far as the eye can see. i rode in the little plane with my nose pressed against the glass for the last 30 minutes of our flight. snap snap snap went my iphone.
we flew through a dense cloud canopy that kept breaking apart then reforming. dazzling me with scene after scene of enormous lakes and craters. sunlit coastlines.
at last we landed in the small airport in managua. i stepped off the plane and into the land of tropical heat and warm breezes. customs & immigration were easy. i plunked down 10 buckeroos for a tourist card and picked up my battered suitcase which has seen better days. then i stepped outside the airport to wait for my ride. thick stands of banana trees and coconut palms waved to me. the air felt moist. i was excited.
who’s that in the tight superman t-shirt, shorts, and ray bans? must be julio my ride!
away we went in his air- conditioned car through the nicaraguan countryside. we stopped once for a herd of horned cows to cross the road. men on horses herding them into a green field. i saw so many people on horseback and horses in fields. even wooden horse carts with men holding reins. unlike in guatemala, i didn’t see any pigs with rope leashes or animals tethered to fences.
we passed all manner of small colored houses and shacks too. everything was clean. nicaragua is the poorest country in central america with over 40% of its 5 million people living on less than $1/day. life here in granada is different than life in rural nicaragua where poverty is much much worse.
julio gave me the cliff-notes version of nicaraguan dictators, revolutions, political parties, sandinistas, contras, banana wars, corruption, and bribes. i will suffice it to say nicaragua is currently safer to travel to than either mexico or guatemala and MUCH safer than el salvador or honduras. since i don’t plan to travel on rural roads after dark or resist robbery attempts i feel very safe. as according to the UN doing either of those things can lead to a poor outcome.
about an hour later julio pulled up to the charming little place i’ve rented till the end of the month. will provide link once i get home.
as soon as he left i baptized myself in the plunge pool. ice cold. instant refreshment.
i read somewhere that granada is like antigua guatemala was 20 years ago. many fewer expats and tourists in general than other latin american destinations on the more popular travel radar. still everything is relative, right? antigua might seem off the beaten track compared to say, san miguel de allende. all i know is i love pretty colonial towns and i intend to see as many as i can, while i can.
as the sun was setting late yesterday afternoon, i ventured forth for some grub. julio had taken me to a grocery store on my way to the casa, but i wanted to hit the streets and get my bearings.
i spotted the quaint little la hacienda with it’s delectable menu of steaks, rice, beans, salad, tacos so i took a seat on the terrace and ordered something.
fajitas as it turns out. extremely agreeable.
mojito: way too strong for my delicate constitution. i ordered a tropical punch.
cool and luscious. alcohol free. i think…
i wandered home under a beautiful sky filled with clouds the color of my drink.
i’m off to make a NICA LIBRE with my newly purchased bottle of flor de caña rum. take a nap. take a dip. wander out for dinner somewhere this evening. write in my travel journal. stare into space. the air feels wonderful inside the house with the ceiling fans whirling.
hope you’re well. hope you’re happy. tinkering away at something that brings you pleasure.
love from nicaragua.
hasta luego!
I have had to put aside my blog love each evening for various reasons, but it’s the day after Christmas. As I was considering what to look at I suddenly remembered ….” Mary Ann’s TRIP “. So I hopped right in to your adventure, and as usual, after only your first posts, I want to go to Nicaragua! It happens every time! Thank you so much for sharing the world with us as you do, Mary Ann! I love your trips! Now I must catch up; I’m a few days behind. ENJOY each moment, as you do so deliciously! Be safe too!
Oh Mary Ann, you are my absolute hero and I am living vicariously through you right now as I am trying to get the nerve up to start traveling by myself, after losing my husband of 25 years. We traveled all the time and I miss it so much – but you have inspired me to be brave and get back out there. Thanks for giving me something to dream about and look forward to! I have always admired and loved your travel posts, but they are even more meaningful to me now as I picture myself doing what YOU do. I can do this, right? Have a glorious time – anxiously awaiting every dispatch! xo Lorraine
oh yes lorraine you CAN and WILL put your traveling shoes on and begin your solo ventures. it will be much different than travel with your dear husband, but you will adjust. you will have moments of loneliness at first, but sooner than you think your solo travels will feel normal. and very very good. the sooner you begin the sooner you will get to this place. i always find a special place to stay in a beautiful location. this can be done for cheaper than you think! you can also stay in nice hotels if you want some company or even an airbnb private room in someone’s home. i like solitude, but if you don’t THAT’S OKAY!!! you’ll find a way of travel and adventure that feels comfortable and makes you happy. we’re all rooting for you. xo
Love the new adventure you are taking us on! Be safe and enjoy (I have no doubt you will do both!)
absolutamente!
Thanks for bringing us along! Looking forward to seeing more of the town, and more of your house!
Thanks for sharing your lovely photos!
my pleasure to share my trip and it’s a good way to document everything.
Always love seeing new areas through your journals, prose and photos! I can’t believe that I forgot that you were in Nicaragua and bothered you this evening. Thank you so much for helping me.
Can’t wait to see the next installment! You live life so gloriously.
maggie it’s because of you good peeps who take my classes that i’m able to have these glorious adventures. happy to help
Thank you again for taking me along, I love our trips.
I live vicariously through yours and Michele U’s trips.
You both really know how to live.
Have a wonderful time & thanks again for letting me (all of us really) feel what you see! ;o)
thanks jacki. i enjoy especially enjoy the comments from everyone when i’m traveling alone. glad you’re tagging along 🙂
I love that first photo from the plane. Soooo pretty! And i sorta drooled on my Ipad when i saw that steak yumminess. I hope you are nice and relaxed, sipping on something refreshing and letting your mind go wherever it wants to go. I can’t wait to see some Sketchbookery from there! Warm sounds so pleasant right now, as we dipped into the teens for a couple of nights and not above freezing during the day either. Now it is a balmy 38ish. Tomorrow it is supposed to be very windy with gusts up to 60. Woohoo! Batten down the Christmas wreaths!
Nothing interesting going on here, I am afraid. Well except some idiot neighbor had a pair of peacocks and decided that they wanted to be free, so she turned them loose! In the middle of freezing temps! Whata bonehead! A neighbor and I tried to round them up, but when we got close they flew into the tops of the highest fir trees. Who knew??? I had no idea they could fly so well. So, I am just here, worrying about peacocks. Yes, I put some food and unfrozen water out for them, but I doubt they will make it through the winter. As my brother says, “They have Braille for the blind, but nothing for the stupid”. I concur.
Hey, I was wondering how you decide where your next vacation will be? Do you have a numbered list in order of preference, or do you spin a globe, close your eyes and stop it with your finger? Inquiring minds want to know. Well…my inquiring mind. Loveyameanitbye!
i too would be worried sick about those peacocks..
when i was in guatemala last year i did a bit of research on other colonial cities in central america. thusly i find myself here in nicaragua a little over a year later. i am not a list keeper by nature, it’s more like random things i see or read. i do have a mental list of places that keep popping up…right now that includes granada spain, morelia mexico, hills & dales of england, and ecuador.
Damp, chilly hugs back to you from the Pacific Northwest. I drooled with envy (and some glee) over your luscious photos of warm, tropical Nicaragua. Since I can’t be there I am delighted you are! Have the most festive of Christmas celebrations. Will you go to Midnight Mass? That might be quite interesting….whatever you do, please keep sharing the adventures with your Faithful Readers.
XO
mass. hmmmm…. hadn’t considered that, but maybe i should. just maybe!
Hi Mary Ann–It’s so good to hear about your adventures. Have a delightful time in Nicaragua. Also, Merry Christmas or whatever you celebrate, and a healthy and prosperous 2017! –Deb
thanks deb 🙂
And so it begins, my trip to nicaragua through your eyes and words. It is always a pleasure to accompany you to places I can only dream of. Cannot wait until tomorrow’s experiences. Be well MaryAnn,
Big sigh. I feel like I’m there with you, your descriptions are so good (“clouds the color of my drink”).
Have a glorious time. Thank you for bringing us along.
xo always
i think you and katie would be fine traveling companions xoxo