Our Man in Granada

Why Not Nicaragua?

This has been a little late in posting.

In truth I wanted to put some distance between me and Granada before I updated.

I’m referring, in most part, to time passing and the ability to put my experiences in context.  Then again if people don’t like what I have written then the geographic distance is no bad thing either.

Relax, I’m not going to slag anybody off.  Well not much anyway.

Gonna Miss Flora

Now this stuff is good.

I was never much of a spirits drinker before but Nicaragua's Flora De Cana is universally loved by locals and gringos alike. I've yet to meet anyone who doesn't smack their lips at the very mention of the stuff.

I've tried it numerous way.  Personally it works best for me with a splash of soda and a twist of lime but it's good with ginger ale too.  It's just so smooth - even neat it slips down without the slightest twinge.

This particular bottle is for Vladimir whose had the thankless task of attempting to teach us Spanish.  Ourwoman's good progress is testimony to his teaching ability, my slow progress is testimony to my linguistic failings.

So why are we giving him presents? Well the lessons come to an end tomorrow as we prepare to head off. 

Yes, we're cutting our Nica adventure short. More info soon.

Side note: If anyone is looking for a translator/guide/Spanish teacher then I can't praise Vladimir highly enough.  If you want his email address then drop me a line.

The Joy of Nica Buses

The absolute best part of travelling is having the time of your life in what might otherwise be described as hellish situations.

As an example, take a bus, fill it to overflowing with people, crank the music up so loud it's deafening, add in absolutely sweltering heat and what do you get?

For some reason, just sometimes, you get a mood of pure joy.  I call it the "if they could see me now" moment.

Suddenly I want everyone, who has ever met me, to be able to see me in these bizarre circumstances.  I want them to shake their heads and chuckle along with me.

I feel so out of place it's hilarious and I wonder just how did that bloke who wore a suit for his entire twenties get here?  All those colleagues, mostly still in suits, if only they could see me now.

For the record I love Nica buses.  Most of all I like their somewhat foreign urgency - they always seem to be pulling out of the bus station as I jump on with seconds to spare.  The conductor, all the time, advertising his bus's destination with an urgent "GranadaGranadaGRANADA!" cry.

While it's fair to say that, less than an hour after the film was taken, I was bored, sweaty and my head was throbbing, in that particular moment I was very very happy.

The best ever excuse for staying in bed in all day

The mosquitoes are getting worse.  Much worse.

I finally found and bought a mosquito net.

I tied it up over the bed.

Now it's the only completely mozzie free place in the house.

Never go back?

In 2002 I visited the island of Koh Chang in Thailand.

Though I was hardly a well traveled soul at the time, that shouldn't detract too much from the fact that I had never seen anywhere like it in my life.

Current Situation

I have a mosquito coil lit.

I have doused my ankles in OFF! (A great name but it seems one word short)

I have placed two large, industrial-sized fans around me to provide a windy force field.

There are more mosquitoes at night.   It is not yet 11am.

I am getting bitten a lot.

They were right.

Mosquitoes ARE worse in the wet season.

A Nica blogs round up from a very hot, smelly gringo

Lots of Nica blogs and links below.

First off I got linked here.   My limited Spanish isn't really up to it but with the help of Babel Fish it seems friendly and it appears to be from a site cataloging Nica Blogs.

I've added it to my Nica Blogs list, in the right hand column,  where it sits alongside my own collection of other people's work. 

The Rains Finally Came

Yes, after virtually pleading for rain in the post below, this evening they obligingly arrived.

It was too big, and too noisy to be a false alarm, surely. Notice how we lose street lighting after the first big flash of lightning in the film.

It really does look like they are finally here for good.  May they be last long enough to make Nicaragua green again and cool us all off, without scaring us with anything too extreme.

Settling in Nicaragua

Nicaragua, like it’s most famous dish Gallo Pinto, grows on you.

Vietnam was overwhelming from the moment you stepped off the plane. It remained that way until you were, well, overwhelmed

Nicaragua is different. While my relationship with it may be less romantic – it is more mature. Less whirlwind more solid. My standard of living has gone down but my quality of life has gone up. The further I get away from "civilisation" the more that happens.

Down there is me

I'm back.

In a new house, rather well appointed with fabulously fast wifi.

I'm rediscovering the fact that the internet is really quite good.

So I'm sitting here weighing up my options of what to write and how to bridge the gap in the information that occurred due to my loss of internet. More thinky stuff later.  This is just a catch up.