Entries in September 2008
Adios, Nicaragua
Written by Kyle and Bessie on Saturday, September 27, 2008 in Nicaragua
Tags: adios,2 perspectives
Feelin' normal
I'll have to admit that before deciding to travel to Nicaragua the only thing that I knew about it was from Beavis' alter ego Cornholio (from the intellectually stimulating show "Beavis and Butthead") who hailed from Nicaragua. And, yes, I will have to admit after seeing or hearing the word "Nicaragua" every day for 3 weeks, I still thought to myself "I need TP for my bunghole!" What Beavis and Butthead failed to tell me (because everyone knows they taught me sooo much), was that Nicaragua is the best country in Central America hands down. I guess that would be hard to slip that fact into the middle of constant penis and fart jokes. In any case, why do I think Nicaragua is the best Central American country? Let me count the ways.Tags: adios,2 perspectives
Feelin' normal
1. Culture
3 Working Kids in Nicargua
The first night in Nicaragua, we were at dinner at one of the street-side tables that appear along the colorful buildings in colonial Granada, Nicaragua. A hearty entrée of rice, beans, chicken, and salad goes for $2 and it was our first encounter with $.85 beers. (Kyle was of course elated.) It's a budget traveler's dream, and it's also scenic. We enjoyed our dinner as a plethora of street entertainers worked for change. It was your typical repertoire of swinging balls of gasoline lit with fire and kids selling chiclets, but a saw one act that stood out.
3 boys around 8 years old came with a unique act. One child spoke in long prose telling a tale, another banged loudly on a small drum between the other's sentences, and a third hid within the long dress of an 8 ft tall "woman" up on a wood stick with a mask for a face. The three children together told the woman's dramatic story that had something to do with her having a child, in which the boy inside the costume laid the woman on the ground and he dramatically popped out. The crowd loved it.
Bad Tourism, Good Tourism
Written by Kyle on Friday, September 26, 2008 in Nicaragua
Tags: travel philosophy
Feelin' thoughtful
Nothing much to report on our travels in the past days, mostly because we have been resting off Bessie's stomach illness (although, I'm sure she might have some fun descriptions of riding in long buses and slow ferries while trying to keep her bowels in check). So, with the non-travel time, we have been able to catch-up on some cnn watching and internet time. Tags: travel philosophy
Feelin' thoughtful
In that time, I found an interesting Washington Post article called Don't Go There which, unlike most happy-go-lucky travel articles, tells of the side effects of globalized travel. The executive summary is basically this: travel, when done wrong, puts undue stress on resources and actually has negative effects on the local environment and its people. Unfortunately, I could not agree more with this sentiment.
My Favorite City in Central America
The top two contenders are Granada & León, Nicaragua's two nicest cities with friendly locals, charming colonial streets, and flair just waiting to be discovered. The two cities also have a long running rivalry, each at some point claiming economic and political superiority.
Leon's Best and Wierdest Tourist Attractions
The Wierd
Atom