Back in Gringo Glulch- Granada

9pm Thursday night

  With a rather full day of activity behind me, I enjoyed a long walk back to the hotel this evening after dinner at El Mason. Located a good 1.5km from the hotel, the walk back allowed me to absorb some of the street activity at both city parks as well as the km of “main street” that separated them. Up in the hills, the lights in the barrios looked like stars, making a very beautiful nightscape- a far contrast to the daytime when the shacks and shanties are revealed in all their “glory”

 Along the street the fruit vendors had packed and gone home, replaced by food vendors grilling meats over homemade barbecues cut from split oil drums. A few shops, mostly clothing were open, the boom of auto tuned digital music mixes blasting from their doors to let people know they were still in business.

 In the cathedral a packed house was listening to a sermon on what sounded to me like respect for women. [Nicaragua and Matagalpa in particular seems to have some issues with spousal abuse]

  A couple of streets over a basketball game was in full swing at a small “stadium” and judging by the crowd noise, anyone who wasn’t in church or wandering through the parks was watching the game.

  Staying in bed this morning till the ungodly hour of 7:45, I enjoyed a light breakfast before touring the town to see any churches and museums I might have missed.

  The Coffee Museum, open 8 to 5 was closed every time I walked by. The Carlos Fonseca Museum (and also his place of birth) was open. A small, home with brick floors, adobe walls and tile roof, it traced his life from birth through to the founding of the FSLN (Sandanistas) to his death [of wounds following an ambush by opposition forces in 1976. The museum featured some photos from the era of street fighting in the various towns as Samoza attempted to put down the revolt. Some towns were actually “carpet bombed” by his air force in an attempt to crush the rebellion. [The US military had also done the same in Ocotal in 1933 so it wasn’t a totally unfamiliar experience for the people]

 Following this brief history lesson, I attempted to hike up to one of the miradors (scenic lookouts) that surround the city. After wandering through one of the western barrios and climbing several hundred feet on fairly decent concrete pathways, I found myself slipping and sliding on narrow rocky paths for some distance before I abandoned my quest and returned to the city centre.

 Like most of the hills surrounding the city, they are dotted with small homes of rather poor construction. Adobe or walls of salvaged wood seem to be the norm with the odd tile roof, but more typically, corrugated steel. As I travelled uphill I found myself to be the centre of attention as kids chased me to “take my photo” Unlike Guatemala and Mexico where money seems to be a prerequisite, these kids wanted nothing more than to be the subject in someone’s camera lens.

  At one point I found myself in the middle of an impromptu soccer game with a dozen kids (ages about 8 to 14) trying out their, TV learned, English slang on me. Once they saw the camera they hammed it up while I snapped a few shots before heading back downhill still laughing at their attempts to make fun of me.

 Lunch was a pizza at El Mason while I chatted with an American “ They call me Gringo Mike” who had lived in Matagalpa for 3 years. Originally from Washington State he had, in his words, visited over 80 countries and considered Nicaragua to be one of the best he had seen.

 With lunch stretching out to a rare dos cervesas, I was more than ready for a siesta when I returned to my room.

  Apart from a quick visit to the cathedral to grab some interior shots (missed on my last visit) the afternoon was largely “wasted” as I enjoyed the (soon to be abandoned) pleasure of being busy doing nothing!!

  With most of my “stuff” packed for the return journey to Granada, I guess I will wake up tomorrow when ever my body tells me to. And after that, who knows.

5pm Granada.

    Four hours of bus then taxi then bus again found me back in Gringo Gulch by 1:20pm. By the time the bus had descended into the flatlands north of the city the temperature was already into the low 30’s with a good dose of humidity to boot.The ride across Managua was the slightly more expensive than the express bus from Matagalpa into Managua $3.00 vs $3.50 but I made it to the bus station just in time to catch an express to Granada. Unfortunately, when I arrived there wasn’t a room available at Bohemian Paradise for either Friday or Sunday so I went in search of other digs. After getting quotes of $75 a night (after discount at Casa San Francisco and $60 ( including breakfast) I settled on La Dulce Mar ( with swimming pool) for $35. While it is on the Calzada, the rooms are far enough back that I shouldn’t have to listen to the street noise unless I decide to be a part of it.

 With little planned for the next couple of days, I am close to concluding this blog, except for a final summary which I will tack on once I get it finished.

 Next week it is back to the harsh land of reality, bills and SNOW-OHHHHH NOOOOO!!!!!!!!