I seem to have developed a pattern over the last week or so which requires me to plan an activity every second day and to do as little as possible on the alternating days.
Another lazy day has come and almost gone.
After my usual light breakfast of fresh fruit, coffee and somewhat dry raisin bread I set off in search of a barber to trim my scruffy looking beard. Half an hour and $2.50 later, I was in the central square watching as a large flock of tourists were herded into the Cathedral. Behind them a straggle of ceramics vendors and artistes followed in the hopes of making a sale. Outside of the Hotel Dario a small group that had been separated from the rest of the herd were negotiating the purchase of an oil on canvas that might have been kindly called “primitive” No doubt it is destined to hang in the dark corner of someone’s rec. room accompanied by an oft. told story about “ how we bargained the guy down to almost nothing”
By 7pm tonight a few stragglers were still wandering around aimlessly, perhaps looking for last minute souvenirs or maybe a bathroom before the bumpy ride back to San Juan del Sur. [where the cruise ships dock]
Tired of eating on the strip, I stopped in at Nuestro Mundo on the southeast corner of the park. The place was unusually busy due to a special promotion. Outside on the patio they were offering an all-inclusive fritanga (street grill) for $3.00 a plate. Included in the price was a choice of meat, fried bananas, rice and beans and tostones. While it smelled quite delicious, a quick glance showed that the meat was being cremated rather than grilled. [Fritanga is more of an art than a science- best left to the street vendors who do it on a permanent basis- as opposed to a restaurant doing it as a loss leader]
Opting not to risk my life for $3, I settled instead on a Nica style Nasi Goreng. That is an Indonesian dish featuring fried rice, a skewer of meat- typically pork or chicken, served with peanut sauce and topped with a fried egg.
Nuestro Mundo is a perfect place to “people watch” offering a great view of both the Cathedral and the central square. While I waited for my meal to arrive, a gang of marauding “musicians” (guitar, accordion, maracas and vocals) showed up to torture a captive audience of diners. A couple of semi-drunk males seated at one table were encouraging them, snapping photos and singing along. As they collected tips and drifted off to the next restaurant my food arrived. On a scale of 1 to 10, I gave it a 5.5 for effort and presentation but I might have to e-mail the cook my recipe for peanut sauce- Point # 1- it needs peanuts!!
Heading back to the hotel, I stopped for half an hour to enjoy a free concert of Nica folk music that was being presented at Casa de los Tres Mundos –a large old colonial house near the central square that promotes art and culture. A mostly local crowd of several hundred people was watching the show.
Further along on my travels back to the hotel I was stopped by an American tourist who had just arrived from Costa Rica. Turns out he was looking for hookers and a supply of either weed or coke- how did he know I was a pharmacist?!
Since he was at least as old as me, I was somewhat stunned by his requests. He was also totally clueless about where he was and referred to Managua as “some big city a bit north of here” [Didn’t even know what it was called] Changing the subject, I recommended a couple of restaurants and some sightseeing activities around town and bade him a (hopefully) last farewell. Only 4 more days till I “blow this popsicle stand” and head for Rio San Juan. Can’t hardly wait!
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