Our Man in Granada

Walker on You Tube

Whoo hoo. It appears that the 1987 film "Walker" is being cut up and posted to YouTube.

If you didn't know, it's the story of William Walker, the American mercenary who attempted to conquer Nicaragua in the 19th Century.

Directed by the incredibly cool, if inconsistent, Alex Cox, it includes the legendary Joe Strummer. among its cast. Plus it was filmed on location, right here in Granada, Nicaragua.  Or so it says.

We've this man to thank for uploading them.  Part one is above - click the previous link to see the rest.  It looks like all the movie is either already there or in the process of being uploaded.

If you want to see it don't hang around.  These things aren't always allowed to stay up very long.

Love the tagline: " Before Rambo... Before Oliver North..."

Foot Soldiers

Funny.  Somebody just told me that early Peace Corps volunteers were banned from wearing Birkenstocks.

The reason given was the fear of locals thinking they were just yet more lefty teachers, like the ones who came to help out following the revolution.  These were apparently known as "the sandalistas".

Is this true?  I don't know.  I really hope so.

The Lingo

If someone tells you to learn Spanish before you travel in Central America then listen up.

I was told that on my first visit.  I did a week in school in Antigua, Guatemala then promptly forgot it all when I met a fluent speaker and we toured together.  She did language, I looked after the finances and worked out transport logistics.

If it's possible to just about get by on a trip, it is impossible to be an independent,expat, non-Spanish speaker.  As I write I have just returned from the ATM.  I gave up - unlike Vietnam the instructions are in one language only.

My mobile phone, bought with the assistance of a Spanish speaking friend, lies unused because I can't work out how to put credit on it. 

Go to a restaurant, even one aimed at tourists and the chances are the menus are only in Spanish and the waiters do not speak English.

In so many ways it is actually quite refreshing.  It's no bad thing that the onus is on the gringos to conform to the local language.

But I'm embarrassed already to be continually asking people to help out, make calls for me and generally spoon feed me. 

I'd planned to stall the Spanish lessons until my girlfriend arrives in a little under a month so we can learn together at a cheaper rate.  I may have to have a rethink.

One thing is certain - not speaking Spanish in this town is very very uncool.

Not making the effort to learn is deemed most shameful of all.

I shall be aiming to put that right very soon.

Pinter on Nicaragua and the Sandinistas

Okay, hardly new, but interesting none the less.  I'm trying to educate myself about the history this country, you're welcome to come along for the ride.

In 2005 when playwright Harold Pinter received his Nobel Prize for literature he delivered this speech - including a large section on the Sandinistas.

It includes this snippet outlining the Sandinistas achievements:

"The death penalty was abolished. Hundreds of thousands of poverty-stricken peasants were brought back from the dead. Over 100,000 families were given title to land. Two thousand schools were built. A quite remarkable literacy campaign reduced illiteracy in the country to less than one seventh. Free education was established and a free health service. Infant mortality was reduced by a third. Polio was eradicated."

Downpour in Granada

Pic just taken out of my window.

I got all excited for a second but they tell me it's still too early for this to be the start of the rainy season. 

It's subsiding a bit now but there is still quite a wind blowing and either the roof is creaking or that's thunder I can hear.

Whatever, it's the first rain I have seen in the couple of weeks I have been here.  It's already feeling fresher. It smells good too.

Five reasons why I blog

Having had the baton passed to me, I realised what a tough question this is to answer and there are way more than five reasons but I did my best to answer it as honestly as I could.

This is my response:

All is not what it appears

If you've been  reading this blog from the outset, or ever got bored enough to wade through the archives, you may have read a post on "Gay Rights in Nicaragua"

I wrote it, before I arrived here, as the result of being shocked to find out that homosexuality is still illegal in Nicaragua.

Illegal it may be, but the law is widely unenforced.  In fact, I hear that homosexuality, in Granada at least, is very accepted. 

Big Link Thursday

Traffic today on this blog today has been far more Hanoi than Granada. Comparatively speaking of course.

Hot on the heels of the Pieman's Noodlepie nod is a link back from an article I wrote for Brave New Traveler.  Entitled "10 Reasons why Volunteering is Better than Traveling", it argues for less hammocking and more helping.

Expect more from me on the, really rather good, BNT site soon.

Elsewhere Gadling has made my melon shot "Photo of the Day" - I'm honoured, although several hours after I have tried to correct them, via their comments box, they still maintain I am in Grenada.  Apologies if you read this after they put it right.

Finally, let us spread the link love that is coming my way.  Congratulations to Timen who is heading to my old stomping ground, Vietnam, to work for four months.  Maaaan, you'll never want to leave.  Read what Patty has to say on the subject of saying goodbye.  My own over emotional leaving is here.

Timen, life here in Nicaragua is very good but I envy you setting off on your new adventure.  Vietnam wears down most foreigners eventually but nothing can beat those first few months there.  What an adventure.  What an experience.  Good luck to you. I haven't been reading your blog long but I like your style.

A beer and a fight

In honour of  "scoff and swill" specialist, the Pieman, linking this blog I thought I'd better post something relevant.

So whose up for a beer?  Check out the commercial above.  The beer looks cold and refreshing.  The scenes of Nicaragua look just beautiful - waterfalls, hammocks, horse drawn carriages and err.... cock fighting.

Yes.  It appears there is no stigma attached here.  Even the breweries want their customers to sup their cervezas and watch a couple of our feathered friends claw each other to death.

Something tells me it won't play well overseas.

Nicaragua needs water

Several Nicas and Gringos have already told me: "Granada is not Nicaragua".

It's true.

While I'm picking up my perfectly washed and folded laundry and having daily showers, out in the countryside life isn't so easy.