Background: The Pacific Coast of Nicaragua was settled as a Spanish colony from Panama in the early 16th century. Independence from Spain was declared in 1821 and the country became an independent republic in 1838. Britain occupied the Caribbean Coast in the first half of the 19th century, but gradually ceded control of the region in subsequent decades. Violent opposition to governmental manipulation and corruption spread to all classes by 1978 and resulted in a short-lived civil war that brought the Marxist Sandinista guerrillas to power in 1979. Nicaraguan aid to leftist rebels in El Salvador caused the US to sponsor anti-Sandinista contra guerrillas through much of the 1980s. Free elections in 1990, 1996, and again in 2001 saw the Sandinistas defeated. The country has slowly rebuilt its economy during the 1990s, but was hard hit by Hurricane Mitch in 1998.
May 11th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe Hola todos.
Saludos de Ometepe Island, Nicaragua! Hopefully (soon) to be in the new and revised list of the 7 Wonders of the World. Post your vote on www.laisladeometepe.com
Many changes have bee ... [full story]
May 3rd 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe » Santo Domingo isla de ometepe, island constituated of two active volcanoes that have joined. a little piece of paradise, very relaxed, very calm, hammock life! a little too calm for natasha. we stayed in a farm, wh ... 33 photos[full story]
March 24th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe » Merida Idag maatte vi nok en gang staa opp klokken 6 for aa starte den 12 timers lange reisedagen vi hadde i moete! Idag skulle vi inn i Nicaragua, Central Amerikas stoerste og nest fattigste land! Landet sl ... 36 photos[full story]
April 16th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe It's been a really long time since I have written. It has also been a really long time since I have seen home, or so it seems. I miss my family, the familiar and comforting friends, the Minneapolis sk ... [full story]
April 14th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe » Merida Tras Costa Rica, continuamos nuestro viaje centroamericano por Nicaragua. Un país donde mis padres (de Iván) y mi hermana vivieron 3 años a finales de los años 70.
Un país muy presente desde mi inf ... 50 photos[full story]
April 13th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe It would be fair to intepret the relative lack of entries to a general slackening of adventure and pace on the trip. This is not entirely fair. Yes the high speed chase, blackmarket car deal portion ... [full story]
April 3rd 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe The following day we left Granada, first by bus for a very squished and hot ride to Rivas, followed by a further short bus to the ferry port at San Juan on Lake Nicaragua. We hid away in the aircondit ... 7 photos[full story]
April 8th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe There had been much drinking since the 20 km walk to the beach and it was time to do something active. This involved a hike up the 1,400 meter (4,575 ft) Maderas Volcano. It had rained the nigh ... [full story]
March 26th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe Me encanta de este lugar... tranlslation= I am enchanted by this place. It´s been a while, and in a lot of ways I feel far away from being able to convey experience, the past 2 weeks has felt like a ... [full story]
March 16th 2008Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Isla de Ometepe
After crossing the thinnest section of Nicaragua, from San Juan del Sur to San Jorge, we leaped onto a 40-foot boat and lugged off into choppy afternoon waters with our gaze steadily fixed on the ... 19 photos[full story]
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