"Some things change" (my plans), "and some things do not" (my lack of time). It's a strange series of events that sees me not staying in Nicaragua any longer - as I'd envisaged doing. Due to a mix of timings, border crossings, costs, cancellations and fate i end up catching 4 taxis, 3 flights, one boat and a 4am bus to my final destination; Utila, one of the Bay islands of Honduras. It took me 3 days to do it and came as a slight surprise.
I've spent just over 6 weeks in Nicaragua, long enough to have some sense of it. In a recent International survey it scored the worst of the Central American countries for how well it's set-up to take tourists. Its also the poorest of the mainland countries as regards to GDP, is racked with inflation, and like most of its neighbours, suffers from a lot of violence. I never felt i was in any personal danger, but i was often made uncomfortable (as always) by the freak/celebrity status a Cheles (white/European) like me can attract. Rubbish is everywhere - something else i can never get used to. The environment is not a real concern, the country is too poor for that. The diet is fairly bland with beans and rice 3 times a day and yet bizarrely the population suffers hugely from obesity. A saved up treat for the family is to go and visit Pizza Hut. Beggars are everywhere, and there are many westerners who seem to only be there to exploit a poorer, developing country that is co-incidentally dominated by religion. The state is tied to the church, and from my non-religious, European basis, i count that as a huge negative. That's quite a long list i guess, and yet i like Nicaragua - i recommend it as a place to visit. It's more interesting and raw, i think than Costa Rica. It also has some beautiful parks and volcanoes and i have a lot of good memories from my time there: An idyllic but intensive life at a Spanish school, asking for a little Thursday for breakfast instead of eggs, snoozing in a hammock, making my teacher laugh and eating the best homemade pizza in the world. Having a conversation in Spanish for the first time in my life and learning the definition of guapo (handsome - and those Nica girls must be blind). Meeting westerners who do care and really make a difference to their local communities.
Ill be back someday i think.
