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Published: February 20th 2010
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Overlooking the city
We climbed the bell tower of one church for a view. this one is looking West toward the Pacific. Every 90 days, the government of Costa Rica says you must leave the country for 72 hours if you not a citizen or a resident of the country. There are three ways to accomplish this, but we will save that for another episode. There are obvious reasons why this is a pain in the rear to us, but they are really minor and you can't argue with City Hall. The real burn is that for 72 hours, all of the money you would normally spend in what we like to call our "Other Home Country" goes to yet another country. That is, with the exception of the departure tax that everyone pays when they leave Costa Rica regardless of citizenship. They say it goes to pay for the improvements at the airport and other "Things". We haven't seen too many of the "Other Things" so far. What about improvements at the border crossings? Have they forgotten how to improve this? Where must the money be going? I keep wondering.
Last year, Laura and I took flight to a small island, San Andres, off the coast of Nicaragua. It is, however, owned by the Columbians. There is some dispute over this
as it is nowhere near Columbia. Never-the-less...You get on a plane, arrive and go through customs. Most of us have done this at one time or another in our lives. Not a big thing. Return and repeat the process on the other end. Facil...(easy) The down side to this is that it is not cheap and regardless of where you go in Central America, (exception of Nicaragua and Panama), you will most likely have to fly to get there. When compounded with accomodations and meals for three days, not to mention the knick-knacks you may pick up along the way, we are talking about a few bucks, all of which could have been spent at home. I don't think the Costa Rican government gets this...
Laura and I decided to make good use of our vehicle, save a few bucks, and travel to a country we had not visited yet. "How about Nicaragua?", I say. "We can drive, have our own transportation when we get there, and save all of that airfare and still have a good time." "Ok", she says. "Where"? Well, at this point we checked with our good friend and, oh yes, travel agent, Maaike (convenient).
The bell tower
One of the 14 churches to be found in Granada. "Granada is a very nice place to visit", she says! "Ok", we say, "what do we need to do to get started?"
The first thing is to visit your lawyer and pay for the certificate that allows you to leave the country with your vehicle. At this point, I became a little un-settled because every time you need to accomplish ANYTHING, it means a trip to the attorney and "mucho plata". No problem. The certificate is to certify that your vehicle is registered in the country you are departing, has insurance, and is in your name with no liens. Cost ...$68. So far so good. Off we go. 5-6 hours and we should be in Granada basking by the pool and enjoying the fresh air of Lake Nicagaura. The premise behind this is not just to save a few bucks, but to see and experience the natural beauty and all that Central America has to offer. The drive is easy and we make it to Liberia in northern Costa Rica in just 2.5 hours. Liberia has the only other international airport in Costa Rica. Northern Costa Rica is very hot and dry however, and not nearly as colorful as
Busy Street
Streets in the shopping district are very narrow and crowded. Many shops tucked right next to each other which ususally stick out into the street. the South Central coast. Lunch time, so we stop for some Church's Chicken... In Central America? After lunch, a long leisurely drive to the border. We know we are getting close as there are very few cars on the road either going in our direction or coming back. It seems a little suspicious, but we keep trekking on. We pass volcanos and fields with papayas and bananas, which look like they could be any mountains or farm in any part of the U.S., with the exception of the crops, that is.
In the distance, I can see what appears to be the back end of a big semi-truck stopped in the middle of the road. We ease up upon it and realize it is one of at least 50-60 trucks parked and waiting to cross the border. . . I peer around and as far as the eye can see, is one semi after another. Naturally, I stopped, thinking we must be at the back end of the line for the border crossing. We wait for about 3 minutes with the engine running and no movement. I open the door and peer around to see what might be happening.....
Chicken anyone?
No refrigeration here. No government regulations either, I suspect... Nothing. Meanwhile, Laura and I are discussing the situation. I see the driver of the truck we are behind waving to me, so I decide to see what's up. With my Spanish (which is getting better, by the way) I ask what's going on. He tells me that I need to go around. Go around? on a 2 lane road?.... This means driving on the wrong side of the road for who knows how long and to what end. Ok, here we go...After a mile and a half of semi-trucks parked and waiting to cross into Nicaragua, we finally come to a crossing. (A side note to all these trucks waiting their turn to cross over.....as we passed them, we noticed that many of them had hammocks strung underneath. Drivers had been sleeping there for 2-3 days waiting to get across the border). We make the first crossing, and are immediately mobbed by young teens and older men (like vultures) wanting money to help us get accross the border. Very suspicious, I push them away from the car and proceed very slowly to the next crossing. We show our passports and are told that we have to go back to
You want it, you can find it.
Anything and everything from clothing to cigars are sold in the open market. where we encounted the group of would-be "helpers". Of course, each one had his hand out waiting to see how much money he could get from the Gringos.
The guard indicates that there is a very responsible person who speaks English and will assist us. Of course!. Ok, Charlie, what do we need to do? This is where it starts... I left Laura with the car....always keep an eye on your car, especially once you have had your computer stolen.....remember that story? Ok, water under the bridge.
One hour later, having changed currency at least three times to accomodate all of the people expecting money, we pay Charlie $10 for his services. Now we have paid the Costa Rican govt. money, the Nicaraguan govt. money, purchased new car insurance for a three day trip, given the Department of Tourism $5, Gosh, what have I missed? Finally, in the car and on our way over the border, but wait, don't forget to give the guys two dollars ( $1 for each of us to proceed the final 10 feet!!), cause if you don't, the cop runs along-side the car with the guys, with his hands out also, and you
One fish, Two fish, Red fish, Blue fish
Every type of fish is available Every type of smell is available...at no extra charge. have little choice but to pay. What a hassle!! But the alternative would have been to wait in line with the Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, and other foreigners who chose not to pay for "services" for at least 6 hours....At Least!!
The next three days were spent enjoying Granada. A very old, very quaint town. It is located only 50 miles south of Managua. Since it is on the lake, it is a travel destination for many Nicaraguans. The lake is the biggest in Central America, but so polluted that it is extremely ugly. Doesn't seem to stop the local people from swimming in all the grey water (and possibly another color) excreted by the towns/villages bordering it. We found very nice restaurants, hotels and churches. In fact, there are 14 churches in Granada. I have only included pictures of a few. The architecture is a nice contrast as are the vibrant colors of the homes, businesses, and other buildings. Granada was once the Capital of Nicaragua, and the cemetery contains the remains of presidents clear up to 1955, when the capital changed locations. We also enjoyed the Arts Festival while there, and a relaxing ride in a horse-drawn carriage
Paco Paco
Our buggy driver. Gave us a great tour of the city. learned lots of history in an hour for $15 and a tip. with our driver, Paco Paco as the locals call him.....very jolly and full of knowledge about the city.
Except for the return trip over the border, which was an exact duplicate of the first trip, we had a very enjoyable time. A little stressful and most likely it will be our first and last time to drive over, but a good experience all the same.
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Steve
non-member comment
Quite an experience
Sounds like a good time had by all!!!!!!!!