Travel Blog » Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua

Links: Nicaragua Travel Blogs (all) | Nicaragua Travel Photos | Nicaragua Travel Forum | Nicaragua Facts | Map of Nicaragua

Nicaragua Travel Blogs

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.

Nicaragua

Map of Nicaragua

Nicaragua's Flag

Recommended Books:

Hostels in Nicaragua
Latest Nicaragua Blog Entries
Nicaragua Photos

By DareToDream
July 25th 2006

Leon Nicaragua

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Leon

Auberge de l´Iguane
C´est quand meme bien pour 5$ par personne par jour. On a acces a la cuisine, il y a une machine a laver sur place.

Journee relaxe; lecture, musique, lavage, Internet. Superbe petit auberge; deux cours interieures, Gabriel peut pratiquer ses arts martiaux tranquille. Grande chambre, 3 lits, 15 dollars par nuit. J.P. [View Full Entry]

By DareToDream
July 25th 2006

Demain la plage

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Leon

Coquillage
Une petite sculture de coquillage.

Demain nous irons a la plage, a 45 minutes de Leon, apres demain on va regarder pour un volcan dans les parages. Hier on a rencontré des Israeliens a l´auberge. En fait depuis le debut du voyage nous n´avons recontré que tres peu de touristes: 2 europeens au Mexique, 2 Britaniques a la frontiere du el salvador et Honduras, 4 Israeliens hier, 2 américaines hiers, une famille d´américain au Guatémala, 3 Francais au Guatémala, je crois que c´est tout. C´est peu en bientòt 1 mois. Ca doit pas etre la saison ou bien on est hors sentiers communs. Je dois dire [View Full Entry]

By THANNATOZnLILEOYTIS
July 24th 2006

Esteli, Nicaragua

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua

Our Route Through Nicaragua
(subject to change)

Bienvenido a Nicaragua Nicaragua's days of armed conflict are long over. Many travelers are surprised to learn that the largest country in Central America is also one of the safest. But size and security have little to do with Nicaragua's many charms. Colonial cities, mountain villages, pristine islands and jungle hamlets form the backdrop to Nicaragua's natural and cultural wonders. These riches can be experienced in many forms, from kayaking the smooth surface of Central America's largest lake to soaking up rays on a deserted [View Full Entry]

Old Movie Theater-esque Building in Estelí

By pandora
July 23rd 2006

Nica Spanish

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Granada

The fallen
This is a poster in Esteli honoring some of those that died in the revolution and contra war.

I have begun to learn some of the eccentricities (sp¿) of Nica spanish. Chele and Chela is the same as Gringo and Gringa. Instead of saying De Nada for your welcome, people say A La Orden or Suya. Also, these crazy Nica´s drop s´s. I am understanding more and more even if my ability to speak still sucks. ANYWAY Just got back from Esteli. We were in Ocotal and Condega yesterday, which was pretty amazing. We talked to a TON of people about various issues: the revolution, the contra war, the upcoming election, the sandanistas in general, womens rights and issues [View Full Entry]

By pandora
July 19th 2006

In Esteli, Granada

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua

The internet is crap in Esteli. I have already wasted 18 minutes on a shitty connection. So this will be brief. Esteli is in the northern part of Nica. There were a lot of sandanistas here compared to Granada. Granada is more conservative (in our terminology - liberal in theirs, its complicated). Esteli is poorer and definately not as hip. But it is very interesting. The streets are lined with black and red sandanista flags. We stopped in the FSLN (Sandanista Frente) headquarters yesterday and got some of the black and red flags. they were gratis - free. today is the [View Full Entry]

By pandora
July 16th 2006

I am sunburned

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Granada

View from the road
Laguna del Apoyo

I forgot that the stuff I am taking for malaria makes you more sensitive to the sun - and I am already pretty sensitive. So I am burnt :) We spent most of yesterday at Laguna del Apoyo which was amazing. There will be pictures to follow. We saw more monkeys, but a different kind. And they were loud and scary. The water was pretty clear and salty. In contrast to the last few days, today will be all about schoolwork. Bummer. Ya know, I thought I would feel more wordy. But um... It just seems like a chore now. So [View Full Entry]

By Hayley
July 15th 2006

Nicaragua

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua

Isla Ometepe

We arrived in Nicaragua the same time as the rain. We were soaked by the time we crossed the border and got into the taxi to San Juan Del Sur.. we had a lovely taxi driver who told us that the country was safe for us and has no problems.... San Juan, a lovely beach place on the pacific coast, was very lovely. We took time to chill out a little, and eat very cheap lobster, watching the sunset over the pacific. The beach was very deserted with a lots of waves and a few surfers. Next we went to Granada, [View Full Entry]

By pandora
July 14th 2006

First day in Granada

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Granada

I am here! I don´t have any pictures to post right now cause i left my camera in la casa! pero, todo es bien. Everything is great so far. Granada seems much safer than places I traveled in Honduras. It is a cute colonial town. Not too big either, only 180,000 people here. My day in a nutshell: did a walking tour of the town down to Lago Nicaragua, got in a truck and drove to a boat dock area and got on a little boat and rode out to las isletas. Apparently there are over 400 islands in Lake Nicaragua. [View Full Entry]

By pandora
July 14th 2006

Why are Central American doors so difficult to unlock¿

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Granada

Gerry, Brittany, and Me
On the way up Mombacho we stopped at a little coffee finca/shop and took many pictures.

My compañera and I can´t get into our ´house´because we apparently are too dumb to figure out how to unlock the door. Just got back from Mombacho! The cloud forest was so cool! We did a walking tour, some other members of the group did a canopy tour - which I would also love to do, but it was $30. It was all cloudy and foggy and a bit chilly-er. The volcano is only at 4000 feet or so. The tour guide said that it gets cold up on the volcano sometimes - all the way down to 60 degrees farenheit. [View Full Entry]

By Seeta
July 13th 2006

Unprocessed food stuffs: mysteries revealed!

Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua » Nueva Ginea

papaya
These papaya are growing right in the middle of URACCAN´s campus. The gardener let us take 2 home: one of which I ate (delicious!) the other we made papaya and mango jam with.

Something that has been an ongoing preoccupation/interest to me is the FOOD here. Or, more precisely, the UNPROCESSED food-stuffs. I mean, we never get to see what our food looks like before it arrives pre-packaged on our grocery store shelves: pre-cooked beans, corn, and peas are to us available in tins, ready-to-eat; vanilla comes in liquid-form in a pretty little bottle, ready to be used in various baking recipies; our coffee is already roasted and ground; our rice shucked and bagged-- even "instant" if we so desire. But what did these products look like BEFORE all of the processing, I hav [View Full Entry]

Links: Nicaragua Travel Blogs (all) | Nicaragua Travel Photos | Nicaragua Travel Forum | Nicaragua Facts | Map of Nicaragua

Travel Blog » Central America Caribbean » Nicaragua