Granada - a spookily chilled town

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M - I am not sure I can describe it accurately enough but there is something very relaxing about the old colonial town of Granada.

We arrived off the ferry from Ometempe at 5.30am on a Wednesday morning as the sun was rising. On the off chance we took a cab to a hotel we liked the look of on Tripavisor but as we expected it had not yet opened up for the day. For those that have read Kate’s blog, they really did squeeze three big ladies into the back of a very small car and at least two of them were sitting on Kate. As my dad would say, I don’t know what all the squealing was about, my seat in the front was very comfortable thank you very much! Anyway the hotel looked good from the outside so we went to plan B which was to walk to the main square and see if we could find anywhere to grab a coffee and kill time.

I had to laugh - within about 30 minutes we were reunited with the rest of the gringos from the overnight ferry who were all doing exactly the same thing. There we all were scattered around the park sitting on benches drinking coffee, taking photos and watching the local cleaning crew sweep the park/square clean of every scrap of litter and leaves that may have fallen in the night. One thing I have noticed so far on our trip through Central America is their attention to cleanliness. These people may not have many of the conveniences that we take as standard, i.e. a washing machine, consistent water and electric supply, but their turnout is always immaculate. Also in the cities there is a definite target on removing litter each morning even if the roads have huge pot holes and the sidewalks gaping holes where the drain covers are missing leaving holes large enough to fall into.

Anyway after a very tasty 7am breakfast we eventually checked into the hotel at around 9am. It was even better than it looked on Tripadvisor and soon we were ensconced by a lovely pool with our books. Little did I realize at that time that I would spend most of the next two days around the hotel due to my tummy problems. Unfortunately as a result of that we probably haven’t given the highlights of Granada enough time. However I have definitely gotten a very positive feel for the place, I can say is that it has very, very, chilled feel to it. Admittedly in the early hours of the morning many towns’ central squares are pretty quiet but on our return trips to Granada’s main square although the usual food and souvenir vendors and carriage rides were by then operating it never really got busy and was never hectic. The guide book rightly says take the time to stroll the side streets around the square. It is very relaxing, but unlike I, stick to the shade otherwise you could get overheated like I did!

In an earlier blog it probably came through that I was more than a little disappointed by the “old town” of Casa Viejo in Panama City. Granada really has an old colonial feel to it and although some parts of it are definitely geared to the tourist market the rest still has the same feel but just isn’t selling you something. It may be a different architecture but I felt it had a similar (but even more relaxed) feel to say walking around the old parts of Charleston South Carolina. If you aren’t shy to look through the entry ways of the houses, hotels and restaurants that you walk past you can see that they all have a cool looking tropical courtyard behind them. If I were coming to Central America on a quick trip/wanted an easy gateway to further exploration then this seems an ideal place to start as it is very gringo friendly but still has some local charm.

After a couple of days in Granada we caught a local bus to Managua. FYI, I have now ridden more buses in the last month that I have ridden in the rest of my life! We are only really stopping in Managua to facilitate our flights to the Corn Island as: there isn't anything much to do here apparently, it has a bad rap from some for crime and although you can get a bus and a ferry to the corn Islands it take a whole day and we haven't the time. So far all is good. We are staying at the La Pyramide. Yes it it is shaped like a pyramid but it has about 3,000 less rooms than the similar shaped better known one in Vegas. I can also report that the food is a much, much better and that our German Ex-pat host, Manfred, has lived up to all the great things said about him on Tripadvisor and has been invaluable re our logistics.

Off to the Caribbean tomorrow again tomorrow!

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Photos

Kate in the pool again shocker!
In her three years in Miami Kate only got in our pool twice!

This one needs a lick of paint
Interestingly the whole of the courtyard at the front of this church was marked out as a soccer pitch. A very savvy way to get the congregation when they are young.