Nicaragua
We wrapped up our Mexico/Central American travels last month with our third and final stop in Nicaragua. Nicaragua has been under the rule of authoritarian leader Daniel Ortega for nearly twenty years and there have been numerous human rights abuses under his regime. When we had mentioned to folks in Guatemala that we were going to Nicaragua, several people were surprised and wondered why we would want to go to a country ruled by a dictator. I'm not sure this is fair to say, but from the moment that we arrived in the country, it did seem as though the people were not as happy, as free or as proud as the people in Guatemala. But this could also be because some friends had shared this observation and the Guatemalans seemed so upbeat. It was still interesting to experience a different way of life, but it wasn't quite as fulfilling for me as one of the main reasons that I travel is to connect with people, and overall the Nicaraguans didn't seem as open to conversation with foreigners.
In the conversations I did have with locals, I learned that baseball is one source of joy as the country is baseball obsessed. The sport is deeply woven into the nation’s culture and identity and has a long history dating back to the late 19th century from when Nicaraguans were returning from the United States. The country boasts a strong domestic league, the Liga Nicaragüense de Béisbol Profesional (LNBP), and has produced several Major League Baseball players, including Dennis Martínez, the first Nicaraguan to pitch a perfect game in the majors. Baseball serves not only as a pastime but also as a source of national pride, community spirit, and international recognition for the country.
We started our visit in the small surf town of San Juan del Sur on the Pacific Coast. It was nice to be at the beach for a couple days as we had been in the mountains our entire time in Guatemala. It was surprisingly windy there which we learned is typical during the winter months. I caught up with an old running friend from New Zealand who has lived just outside of town with his family for the past few years. He said that it's a nice place to live but that you really have to be creative to earn a living. Personally, I would have a hard time living in a country like Nicaragua where it seems like opportunities are limited.
After a couple days at the beach, we headed to Ometepe which is an island with two volcanos (Concepcion and Maderas) in Lake Nicaragua. The ferry ride was pretty rough getting there due to the high winds and choppy waters - our luggage got drenched due to these massive waves crashing onto the ferry. We stayed at a charming place that would be best described as a treehouse in the jungle. There wasn't a whole lot happening on Ometepe so it was a great place to relax, read books and recharge. We did see a handful of capybaras and monkeys.
Our final stop in Nicaragua was Granada, which has a rich colonial heritage similar to Antigua, Guatemala. The city had some beautiful and colorful buildings and was interesting to walk around but it paled in comparison to Antigua, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. One thing that we really missed once we left Guatemala was the strong influence of the Mayan culture - over 40% of Guatemalans are indigenous, which is the highest of any Central American country. It's difficult to go from Guatemala to Nicaragua and not notice that missing cultural piece. Part of it, I suspect, is also because Americans/Canadians have been traveling to Nicaragua for a lot longer now and the influence is quite noticeable. Reflecting back upon it, we're happy that we went to Nicaragua but are not likely to return.
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