Blogs from Capital Region, Nicaragua, Central America Caribbean - page 15

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2 Sept 2008 Tuesday 22:00 PCT - Peace Corps Trainee = what I am until Nov 21st when I am sworn in as a…. PCV - Peace Corps Volunteer = what I will be from 21 Nov 2008 until Nov 2010, when I will then become… RPCV - Returned Peace Corps Volunteer = I will be for the rest of my life... Ag/Aggie - Rural Development Agricultural Extensionist = my job Nica48 - 48th class of PCT’s sent to Nica since 1991 Okay, so we’re not in Nica yet… I feel like this entry is going to be full of ellipses… as so much is as yet unknown… Actually, that’s not true. I know a helluva lot more NOW than I did two days ago! I’ve been at my PCT Staging in DC for the past ... read more
fun in DC airport
we wear our sunglasses ...in the morning
touring managua


Lago de Apoyo is about an hour from Granada on the bus, there are a couple of places to stay. I stayed at the Monkey Hut. This is an incredible crater lake that allows for fantasic swimming and kayaking and lots of chill time. However if you attempt the hike to the lookout, be prepared. Information is scarce but it is a fairly easy climb depending on the weather. Mud was a huge problem and some of the people we left with turned back...not before delaying us for ages. Allegedly it should take approximately 3 hours return. This was not the case, lack of signs and a town to negotiate made our journey closer to 5 hours. stupidly we underestimated the trek and didn´t take enough water or money. The lookout costs a dollar to ... read more


Managua is well worth the stopover, especially if you stay at the Managua Backpackers Inn, Chaman 75 Varsul sur, colonial Los Robles. Near Metrocentro. This incredibly chilled place is a joint effort run by some great people. Manager David and owner Dan and all the people working there are wonderfully friendly and helpful. The place is immaculately clean and there is a fantasticly equipped kitchen, great outdoor area and a pool! It is just like a home and all the people staying there ending up staying for longer. The nightlife here is ridiculous and everynight there is a party to go to, where you will be escorted by the hosts. It seems that there is a ladies night at a different place every night. Guys pay about $5 and girls dont pay a penny! Free drinks ... read more
Managua
Managua
Managua


Managua, 17 marzo 1990, nighttime. 25 th. febr. 1990 we had eleccions in Nigaragua that were won by Violeta Chamorro. The Sandanistas lost, they had been in control since the 19978/1979 revolution, overthrowing the american backed dictatorship of the infamous Somosa family. The border official told me this morning in impeccable english wearing a clean blue uniform. I've to change 60 american greenbuck at the official exchange rate, America might be the number one enemy but their money rules here in Nigaragua. The currency is called Cordoba and the devaluation is so enormous they don't bother printing new money, they just stamp a 5000 cordoba bill with a 100.000 stamp. I looked at the useless pile of tatty cordoba bills in my hands while the border official continued his tirade against the Sandanista bandits - his ... read more


Leon, 18 marzo 1990. Managua was not really a city I liked. Lazy overweighed americanos discussing politics they know nothing about, unpaved potholed roads full with filth and garbage, rusty overcrowded busses, beggars at every street corner aggresively demanding baksheesh "no me gusta esas malditas Cordobas, gringo, quiero dolares y nada mas"!, and more of the sasme shit The american economic bloqeo has turned Nicaragua into an impoverished third world country, torn apart by internal strive and powerful foreign powers. An overcrowded old american yellow american schoolbus got me to Leon where I found a simple room for a mere 100.000 Cordoba at hospitaje Carmen. The only other guest at the hospitaje is an english bloke who told me he works in Israel and that he is a member of the world wide organisation called Alcoholics ... read more


Managua, nightime. Managua seems very spread out - I arrived after darkness had settled on this city - and has got a feeling of absolute Urban Decay. Dusty unpaved streets, streetlights that have no light bulbs and a depresed population, not all that uncomon in this part of the world though. Most of the hotels in what seems to be the tourist district of Managua, wanted me to pay the room rate in american dollars. Now I'm low on this american currency so I got myself a room with a local family, the room is all the way in the back of the house so I'll have to cross the family's living-room and therefore their privacy in order to get there. At least I can pay for the room in Cordobas. Most of the restaurants and ... read more


Today I am back in Managua after two days of travel. I left Cahuita early on Thursday on a bus headed for Managua. About half way there our bus broke down so we waited on the side of the road to try and catch a ride on the buses passing by. Each bus was only able to take a few people but by the third bus we were all on our way to San Jose again! The rest of the ride was a rather uneventful journey standing in the isle of a bus named Marcopolo. My traveling seems to go much like a game of marcopolo. I call out and I cet responses in all directions, which are both helpful and confusing. However, in the end I always seem to make it to my destination even ... read more


Day 233 cont: One night in Managua Back in Managua, I found my luggage and undertook the challenging task of negotiating a fair price for a taxi to a hostel. Arriving just before dark, I checked into my dingy lodgings right next to the bus terminal, and went to confirm my bus for the next day. Short of cash, I needed to visit the ATM two blocks away. This proved to be something of a mission as the hostel owner insisted it was too dangerous to walk and that I should take a taxi and get it to wait for me. There followed another round of negotiations as I tried to arrange a fair price for travelling only two blocks! Getting another taxi to a restaurant in the expat area, I had some food and wine ... read more


We arrived into Managua on tuesday afternoon and were picked up by the El Porvinir staff. We spent the first few days touring around Managua a bit and learning more about the history anf the culture. Jimmy, who is one of the trip coordinators with El Porvinir and also our translator, is like an incyclopedia. He is very knowledgeable and it was great to be able to have him around to give us his perspective. We also started to get to know each other better as a group. But the really great part was leaving on Wednesday afternoon for the small city of Terrabona. ... read more
Crater
Fall of  Somosa
Sandino


Nur eine knappe Busstunde von Granada entfernt. Dort sind die beiden Vulkane Nindirí und Volcan Masaya mit ihren fünf Kratern. Da am Mittwoch wegen Lehrerfortbildung die Schule ausfiel, machten wir uns bei bestem Wetter auf den Weg. Die 1,5 Stunden Aufstieg bei feuchter Tropenhitze haben sich absolut gelohnt. Der aktive Krater spuckt bestaendig Rauch aus. Da die Vulkane mitten auf dem platten Land stehen hat man einen fantastischen Rundumblick. Die Bilder sagen alles.... read more
Krater 1
Krater 2
Was'n Blick




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