Beginning the three-month journey to Central America - Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize - in that order. Temperature 5 degrees F in Philadelphia at 6:15 AM when I leave my house. I'm in six layers of clothing that I plan to shed along the way through Miami to Managua.
At the Philly airport - first glitch. I had three bags - one with educational supplies for my assignment in Managua; one for my own 3-month clothing supply; and one with my heavier clothes for the Guatemala assignment on a coffee plantation. I paid $60 online for my own bag and the school supplies, and thought I'd carry the farm bag (about 20 pounds of gigundo tote, ) and an oversized purse (about 10 pounds). But the weight proved too heavy so I decided to check the tote at the airport. $125 for a third bag!!! No way.
A struggle to walk because I had to carry the tote in my arms with the purse hanging on one shoulder. Walked about a quarter mile and found an abandoned luggage cart -Yay! - but couldn't take it past security. Collapsed into a chair at the gate.
Arrived Miami with only enough time to grab a fruit cup and head from C Concourse to D Concourse in the new, huge international terminal, still hauling the bags. Nobody told me it was a 2 mile hike! One mile into it I approached a USAIR employee to ask for a ride in one of their golf carts, but not his job. When I told him where I was going and why, he took the tote out of my arms and walked me to the gate, said "God bless you and your work," and walked away. God bless him.
Miami was unusually cold at 56 degrees, and planes are cold, so I took off only one layer there.
It's now 1PM, I'm starving. Had the fruit, and two peanut butter crackers since breakfast at 5:30 AM. Flight passes quickly, landing is soon, and I'm still wearing four layers too many. Into the plane bathroom, elbows banging the walls as I contort myself into a pretzel trying to shed the layers.
2:15PM. We land on time in Managua to a temperature of 93 degrees and high tropical humidity. Quickly through Customs. See my driver for the trip to Granada holding a sign with the hotel name. Leave the dreaded luggage, which is now four heavy pieces, with him. Now looking for Ed Dunworth of Hand in Hand Ministries who will take the school supplies and plantation tote with him while I go to Granada.
Finally on the road with Angel, the driver. A one hour trip. His minimal English, my minimal Spanish, and some Italian thrown in. A good ride.
Granada is the oldest completely authentic Spanish colonial town in Nicaragua, and the second oldest in Central America. A major draw for tourism and expats.
At the B&B the people are wonderful, I have a headache from hunger, but I drop onto the bed, and fall asleep at 4PM.
Awake at 6PM and am ready to eat the towels. Need a casual, close place. Owner suggests a local kiosk eatery in the Parque Central, the town center about six blocks away. Hotel clerk is finishing his shift and heading that way so he takes me right to it. I ask about a typical Nicaraguan dish. He suggests vigoron, and leaves me to it. Vigoron - a cabbage salad known as curtido (chopped cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and chili pepper marinated in vinegar and salt), boiled yuca, and chicharrones (fried pork with skin, or just the fried skin) wrapped in banana leaf. Often eaten without silverware. Vigoron is said to have been created by a past kiosk owner around 1950 in the same park. Nicaraguans love it. OK, not a favorite, but belly-growling hunger cannot be fussy. I'm thankful to have food.
Chance encounter with two expat busines owners, one Irish, one Dutch. Both lived in other Central American countries previously. Came to Granada and never left. Get a converesation going about why Nicaragua (the people), doing business here, the political situation (former Sandinista rebel leader against the Somoza dictatorship is the current president for the second time after being pushed out for reelction after the first time by Western countries. They like him.)
Gerry, the Irishman, bought a Colonial house four years ago and turned it into a guest house. (Great reviews on TripAdvisor. I checked later.) Offers to show it to me. I figure it might be the only time I get inside one. An amazing place. Colonial houses don't look like much from the outside, but the interiors can be jaw-dropping. Built around a small pool in the middle room after a large entry, open to the sky. I had seen some on HouseHunters International. Turns out one of those featured places sits a few feet off the main square. I recognized it immediately.
Walk back to the hotel and send a "thank you" heavenward for clean sheets, a bed, and air conditioning.
Following posts will be briefer, but today was packed with action that I wanted to share.
At the Philly airport - first glitch. I had three bags - one with educational supplies for my assignment in Managua; one for my own 3-month clothing supply; and one with my heavier clothes for the Guatemala assignment on a coffee plantation. I paid $60 online for my own bag and the school supplies, and thought I'd carry the farm bag (about 20 pounds of gigundo tote, ) and an oversized purse (about 10 pounds). But the weight proved too heavy so I decided to check the tote at the airport. $125 for a third bag!!! No way.
A struggle to walk because I had to carry the tote in my arms with the purse hanging on one shoulder. Walked about a quarter mile and found an abandoned luggage cart -Yay! - but couldn't take it past security. Collapsed into a chair at the gate.
Arrived Miami with only enough time to grab a fruit cup and head from C Concourse to D Concourse in the new, huge international terminal, still hauling the bags. Nobody told me it was a 2 mile hike! One mile into it I approached a USAIR employee to ask for a ride in one of their golf carts, but not his job. When I told him where I was going and why, he took the tote out of my arms and walked me to the gate, said "God bless you and your work," and walked away. God bless him.
Miami was unusually cold at 56 degrees, and planes are cold, so I took off only one layer there.
It's now 1PM, I'm starving. Had the fruit, and two peanut butter crackers since breakfast at 5:30 AM. Flight passes quickly, landing is soon, and I'm still wearing four layers too many. Into the plane bathroom, elbows banging the walls as I contort myself into a pretzel trying to shed the layers.
2:15PM. We land on time in Managua to a temperature of 93 degrees and high tropical humidity. Quickly through Customs. See my driver for the trip to Granada holding a sign with the hotel name. Leave the dreaded luggage, which is now four heavy pieces, with him. Now looking for Ed Dunworth of Hand in Hand Ministries who will take the school supplies and plantation tote with him while I go to Granada.
Finally on the road with Angel, the driver. A one hour trip. His minimal English, my minimal Spanish, and some Italian thrown in. A good ride.
Granada is the oldest completely authentic Spanish colonial town in Nicaragua, and the second oldest in Central America. A major draw for tourism and expats.
At the B&B the people are wonderful, I have a headache from hunger, but I drop onto the bed, and fall asleep at 4PM.
Awake at 6PM and am ready to eat the towels. Need a casual, close place. Owner suggests a local kiosk eatery in the Parque Central, the town center about six blocks away. Hotel clerk is finishing his shift and heading that way so he takes me right to it. I ask about a typical Nicaraguan dish. He suggests vigoron, and leaves me to it. Vigoron - a cabbage salad known as curtido (chopped cabbage, tomatoes, onions, and chili pepper marinated in vinegar and salt), boiled yuca, and chicharrones (fried pork with skin, or just the fried skin) wrapped in banana leaf. Often eaten without silverware. Vigoron is said to have been created by a past kiosk owner around 1950 in the same park. Nicaraguans love it. OK, not a favorite, but belly-growling hunger cannot be fussy. I'm thankful to have food.
Chance encounter with two expat busines owners, one Irish, one Dutch. Both lived in other Central American countries previously. Came to Granada and never left. Get a converesation going about why Nicaragua (the people), doing business here, the political situation (former Sandinista rebel leader against the Somoza dictatorship is the current president for the second time after being pushed out for reelction after the first time by Western countries. They like him.)
Gerry, the Irishman, bought a Colonial house four years ago and turned it into a guest house. (Great reviews on TripAdvisor. I checked later.) Offers to show it to me. I figure it might be the only time I get inside one. An amazing place. Colonial houses don't look like much from the outside, but the interiors can be jaw-dropping. Built around a small pool in the middle room after a large entry, open to the sky. I had seen some on HouseHunters International. Turns out one of those featured places sits a few feet off the main square. I recognized it immediately.
Walk back to the hotel and send a "thank you" heavenward for clean sheets, a bed, and air conditioning.
Following posts will be briefer, but today was packed with action that I wanted to share.
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