Advertisement
Published: June 12th 2006
Edit Blog Post
The View From Here
This is the view of Managua´s sky-line from the top of a monument on the lakefront. As you can see, the city looks tiny due to the tree cover. And the only skyscraper is the Central Bank: buildings more than 1 story high are a rarity. I have just reterned from a week long vactaion in Managua (as Juliana´s sister was visiting from the US, so she took the week off to spend time with her-- and I came along). I feel bad about the time away from the job, and spent the first 5 days feeling guilty and restless (I have realised that "relaxation" is something very trying for me, and I get very stressed-out when my time is not constantly occupied!). Juliana was kind enough to take me around the city on one of the days (a welcome escape from the house, and endless hours of Spanish soaps "novelas" that I only partially understand), and I managed to find
any excuse to go to "El Oriental". This time I even braved taking PICTURES! Yes, caution was thrown to the wind as I--incredibly self-conciously-- asked various vendors at different markets if I could take their photo. So you´re in for a treat (if I can get them to load, that is). Although I was only able to take 2 pics at the entrance to "El Oriental", as Raúl warned me that ladrones (thieves) "will be drawn like flies" if I tried to take pics inside the
Vegetable stalls in Mercado "Mayoreo"
This should really have gone in my blog about markets! But, better late than never.... market.
But I wanted to tell u about my trip to downtown Managua. Managua is located in a valley on the shore of Lake Managua, the 2nd largest body of fresh water in Central America (the other being lake Nicaragua, also--obviously-in Nicaragua). Yet you would never know that Mnagaua was on a lake-- you can´t see it, and nobody ever mentions it. Visiting the lakefront is like entering the part of the city that time forgot (or perhaps only government funding forgot it). Downtown Managua is a very stange, even CREEPY place, being totally desterted and seemingly devoid of life. To understand this, a brief history o the city is necessary.
Managua was completely destroyed by a giant earthquake in 1972, which literally flattened the entire city. But, being during the era of civil war, much of the international funds sent to assist in the disaster and reconstruction were spent by the Samosa Dictatorship (US-backed) on repelling the rebels. . As a result of this wastage of funds (combined with political corruption-- as much of the $$ was reportedly pocketed by various officials, and remains mysteriously "unaccounted
Street vendors in the Deserted Downtown
These 2 street vendor kids were literally the ONLY people we saw in this section of the lakefront. Their shabbiness looked out-of-place against the elaborate modern architectiure of the newly reconstructed Government buildings. One of them gave me a rose made of dried palm-leaf for free, and told me a poem (in a rehearsed monotone)in Spanish. "You speak English?" he askes, "You bu-tee-fool", he tells me. I felt depressed. for"), much of the city was left in rubble. Consequently, people began to re-build OUTSIDE what was the original city core, leaving the lake-front a desolate waste-land that is only now being re-constructed.
Since the bloodless transition from Socialism to Liberalism in 1996, various (Liberal) governments have tried to re-vitalize Managua as a tourist detsination. The government buildings along the lakeshore have been re-built using modern architecture, and many trees planted. Buildings such as the (one and only) National Theatre, and the monuments to Reuban Diario (world famous Spanish poet, from Nicaragua) and Carlos Fonseca (instigator of the 1979 Sandinista Revolution) have been re-furbished. Yet, despite this, the shore remains an eerie place that nobody ever seems to visit. And amidst the vibrantly painted new buildings stand toppled buildings in various states of decay, a remaining a legacy of the quake. When we were there, the Central Plaza was literally DESERTED. It was freaky. Juliana tells me that the only time people come there is when there is a pro-Sandinista rally-- at which times the Plaza is FULL-- but other than that its pretty-much abandoned. It is a very, very odd place to visist: a tourist visiting there would
Crumbling Cathederal: Legacy of the 1972 Earthquake
As I mentioned, many things were just never re-built after the quake-- or even torn down. Note the collapsed cross on the left tower. This is probably one of the biggest buildings in the entire city (all houses are strictly one-story, and apartment buildings as we know them do not exist: fear of another quake, perhaps?). That is liekly why it was never torn down. get NO sense whatsoever of the bustling city life that lies out of sight, just beyond the first mountain-ridge.
Looking at Managua from the top of a big monument on the lake front(some kind of modern-looking concert hall), it seemed very small. Not like photos of other Latin American cities, with barrios stretching as far as the eye can see and shacks clinging on to every inch of arable land along dangerous mountain inclines. I commented on this to Juliana, who laughed: "O no!", she said, "The city DOES spread for miles up those mountains--you just can´t see it under all those trees". I realised that the mountains that appear to be just fam land and trees
are in fact barrios and neighbourhoods. I suddenly took in a fact that I had until then overlooked: Managua must be the most densely-vegetated city in the world! Practically every house and shack has its own tree growing out front, with Mango trees providing shade to front yards and palm trees peeking out from being big gated walls. THAT´S why it looked so small: you literally can´t see the houses for the trees! A veritable urban forest. And it´s a good thing,
An attempt at making Downtown Attractive...
Such monuments are meant to attract tourists to Managua´s lakeshore, but they have ended up lookining shabby and have fallen into disrepair and disuse. too: the pollution and heat would be simply UNBEARABLE if it wasn´t for the oxygen provided by the abundant trees. Here is one prime example of "under-development" that shames our so-called "developed" cities. We should take a page from their book (or a leaf from their tree, so to speak!). Check out the pics!
Seeta
Advertisement
Tot: 0.071s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 8; qc: 23; dbt: 0.0237s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Some guy from Germany
non-member comment
Very interesting report!
Hi there! I just wanted to drop you a note that someone out on the web has found and read your very interesting Article about Managua. I was looking for some Information on Nicaragua and Managua, since I plan to visit one ore more central american countries sometime in the future, and yours was one of the pages that Google came up with. And it made me even more curious about Nicaragua. Thanks for this nice article!