Take Me Out to the Ball Game

We knew baseball is the main sport in Nicaragua, however, our Lonely Planet book had indicated that the season would be complete when we were visiting. Lucky for us, it was wrong. We were in Granada bumming around on a Saturday afternoon when we found out there would be a baseball game that afternoon between Granada and Leon (archrivals in baseball as well as politics, attitude, etc, think Red Sox vs. Yankees, that type of rivalry). We couldn't pass up this opportunity.

We took our $1.00 cab ride to the ball park


Immediately people were wanting to sell us tickets. Kids were also in the stadium yelling down at us to come into the game. The excitement of the game on their face was contagious. We later found out that kids are let in free to games (they are supposed to be with an adult, but that rule is not enforced). We ignored those trying to sell us tickets and Ann worked her magic at the ticket booth, asking the lady what kind of seats were available. We had our choice betwee 30 Cordoba seats (roughly $1.50) and general admission, or the more expensive 50 Cordoba seats (approx. $2.50). Given those choices we went for the expensive seats. When we got into the stadium we were ushered into basically the best seats in the stadium. They were fenced off with an usher so that "common folk" could not take these seats. This area was probably 25% full and I imagine the locals sitting here were at least middle to upper class.



One of my favorite sights was the couple that rolled into seats near us with a cooler of ice, coke and a bottle of rum and just started mixing their drinks.


We enjoyed a couple of beers (they were expensive at the stadium, $1 as opposed to the normal $0.70). The concession stand was similar to what you might find at a high school football game. A few tables set up as counters with big tubs filled with ice and beer in them. Perfect.

Concessions

This was the kickin' sound system.

The game was enjoyable and the talent appeared to be pretty good. The star pitcher for Granada had reached AAA amateur ball in the majors.

Even Brett Favre was there.

In the 7th inning the bank of lights behind home plate went out. This caused quite a delay. But as things tended to work in Nicaragua misfortune quickly turned into good luck. Listening to a couple of local guys in front of us I knew that they spoke very good English so I thought I would strike up a conversation. The guys (like every Nica we met) were just great guys, very friendly. Both had basically been refugees in the U.S. during the war in the 80's when they were kids. They were educated attending college in the U.S. and then returned home in the 90's.

One of these men was a banker and the other Juan Carlos had a few business interests. He along with his brothers owns a night club in San Juan del Sur as well as a Subway restaurant there. They also own a coffee plantation, this revelation led to us talking for nearly 30 minutes.


These guys were so nice they bought us a beer and we got their email addresses.


Shortly thereafter the bank of lights was fixed and Granada won the game.


I can't remember if I mentioned earlier but Nicaragua has mandatory rolling blackouts, they typically last 4 hours or so. Due to the baseball game the blackout was delayed until the game was complete. But as soon as the game was over lights went off all throughout town.

Who is Out There?

A friend begins all of his blog entries with song lyrics. I can't steal his trademark, but if I could I would have titled this "hello, is there anybody out there."

Shortly after beginning this I discovered that there is a downfall to blogging as opposed to emailing friends. You aren't sure if anyone is ever reading the stuff. Not that I care really, except that when I talk to my friends and they say "how was your trip" or "do you have any pictures" I have to answer with "well they are on the blog."

Then there are my family members who apparantely thought that I only posted one blog. My sister said to me the other day, "oh there's more than one post." Um, yes, that is sort of the point.

So, now I have discovered google analytics it can track how many hits the page is getting and where from. I like this, it gives me a flavor of whether anyone is paying attention. But now I'm left with this question... WHO LIVES IN TONY WISCONSIN? Show yourself, leave me a comment or if you want to email me direct, that is fine too. I have friends in Eau Claire, but I didn't think Tony. Maybe I am wrong.

Regarding comments, if anyone has tried to comment and been frustrated that first you had to sign in to Google, I have removed that as a requirement. You can now comment directly without any sign in.

Upcoming blog teaser. We attended a pro baseball game in Granada, story and pics to follow in the coming days.

Chance Encounters, Amazing People

It's 7:00 on Saturday as I sit down to update. I've got my favorite coffee in Milwaukee ready to give me a jump start on this Saturday evening. If you live in the area make sure you check out Stone Creek Coffee. The coffee is great, the atmosphere of the shops is even better and the friendliness and attitude of the workers is top notch. Sip, ahhhh.

Back to Nicaragua...

While on Ometepe 2 significant events occurred that changed the course of our trip from a solo tourist expedition to a trip of deeper cultural understanding and meaning.

First, while visiting laguna de ojo I met and began chatting to two Americans who also happened to be there. They had offered to take a picture of Ann and I together. It turns out Sara and Melissa were from Chicago. They had traveled up from Panama to return to Granada, where they had both lived and worked for a period of time. Over the next few days we would quickly become friends and in turn meet some of their friends native to Nicaragua.

The second event is thanks to my wife’s Spanish abilities. We had arranged for transportation from our hotel on Ometepe to take us back to the ferry stop about 45 minutes away. Two middle age couples joined us on that trip. My wife struck up a conversation with one of the women, she was probably about 50. That woman asked how we were going to get from the ferry back to Granada. My wife explained that we would take the same route that we had on the way down. We would catch a van from the ferry stop to the city of Rivas, from there we would catch the collectivo bus (yellow school bus, think Romancing the Stone) from Rivas to the Granada bus station (not really a station more like a dirt pen inside of some fences) and then finally a taxi from the station to our hotel. While this trip had seemed like an adventure on the way to Ometepe, the novelty of that adventure had worn off for the trip back. Immediately this woman whom we had just met offered to drive Ann and I (with our luggage) back to Granada. This was an incredibly generous offer. We ended up spending the better part of the morning with this foursome. The two women, native Nicaraguans were best friends in college and each had significant roles in the war in the 80’s. One of them remains living in Managua with her husband a French expat. During the war she was a key liaison between media correspondents and troops. The other woman, now lives with her husband, a native Mexican, in Los Angeles. There she is a tenured professor at Loyola Marymount University. Her department is the masters degree program in educational administration with a specialty in educational anthropology. She and Ann really got to talking. During the war, this woman fought for the cause of human rights for both sides. Both of these women had some incredible experiences during the war only a few of which they were willing to share openly. We did learn that they had both seen heavy fighting, had both risked their lives and also had seen mass graves. I told them they should really write a book together or even go on a speaking circuit. They were amazingly interesting.

Their husbands were equally as friendly. Talking about Nicaragua, Mexico, France and the United States. These people were incredibly caring and friendly to offer us a ride. Little did we know that the benefit to us would be less in the ride and more so in the chance just to meet and converse with such amazing people.

A village

Concepcion Volcano on Ometepe Island

The next 3 pictures are in and around Masaya Volcano near dusk. This volcano you look down into, as opposed to having a cone you look up at. The local legend has it that you are looking down into Hell.

NY Times Nicaragua Article

I found this article yesterday about Nicaragua. This writer sums things up a lot better than I can.

Check it out you don't have to sign up or anything.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2006/12/17/travel/17Nicaragua.html?ref=travel&pagewanted=print

It's funny how you find things after you don't really need them anymore.

My new book arrived from Amazon yesterday. The Country Under My Skin, A Memoir of Love and War. It’s written by a Nicaraguan woman about the Somoza/Sandanista war in Nicaragua in the 1970’s.

Nicaragua has indeed crawled under my skin. The day we left there was already something tugging at me to come back. I often have this feeling when I return from a vacation. Usually after a few days I settle back into my routine and remind myself that I probably loved the vacation destination because it was just that, a vacation. Nicaragua is/was different.

The pace of life is what I miss. Things are crazy and hectic. Street signs are rarely obeyed. Cars, bikes, buses and horses are all jockeying for position on the road. Music is blaring loudly from shops and advertising vans. Vendors at markets are trying to sell their wares. Security guards with machine guns protect banks. It’s discovering the layer beneath this one that is so enchanting. Somewhere underneath yet within all this chaos lies a different world.

I’ve heard professional athletes comment on what it’s like to be “in the zone.” They say that everything slows down that the ball or bat or rim or defender becomes crystal clear amid the chaos of the game. That’s what Nicaragua is like.

Beneath that chaotic top layer I began to notice things:
*People working 12-16 hour days happier than most people I know.
*People, in poverty by our standards, smiling and waving as they daily sweep bugs and standing water from the dirt floor of their house.
*People in the service industry (waiters, cooks, hotel receptionists, bartenders), truly wanting to help customers and feeling good about it.
*People driving pickup trucks stopping along the road to pick up travelers, who then gladly accepted the ride and stood in the back.
*People you’ve just met telling you, “you are my friend, next time you come you can stay at my house,”

We left these things and landed at Atlanta airport to switch planes. Here is some re-verse culture shock I/we dealt with in Atlanta.
*A skycap attempting to push an elderly woman in a wheel chair not really caring where she was going while he talked on his cell phone.
*Cashiers at Atlanta Bread Company yelling orders to customers.
*Co-workers at Atlanta Bread Company unwilling to help each other.
*Constant media barrage from TV’s.

*And, our misfortune at sitting down across from a racist redneck. His true colors were not apparent until he spoke. He was reacting to an announcement that went something like “attention all passengers of flight 792, unfortunately, we have had to change gates for that flight.” This announcement was spoken by a Jamaican with a perfectly understandable “ya man” accent. The red neck looks right at Ann and I to offer his opinion (as if we had asked for it.) He says “I can’t believe it (I’m thinking he’s upset about the gate change), doesn’t anyone speak English here anymore.” This a-hole is exactly what gives us good Americans a bad name.

No amount of vacation could heal the damage done at the Atlanta airport.

All of todays pics were taken in or around Granada.

COLD WAR KIDS - WE USED TO VACATION

Nicaragua Part 3

"Two weeks paid vacation, won't heal the damage done, I need another one."

At some point these postings, especially as they pertain to Nica. are going to turn more introspective. These lyrics by Cold War Kids, a great band to check out by the way, are a hint of the future. But it's too late for anything very deep tonight.

In case you don't know the Cold War Kids, you can check out this song We Used to Vacation... either right above or below this post. I couldn't figure out how to imbed in the post. If anyone knows, please clue me in. I'm a newbie.

Do yourself a favor, check out the song you've wasted 5 minutes in worse ways, besides you are probably at work now anyway.

So maybe today just some basics about the trip.

Why did we choose Nicaragua? Well, we traveled to Costa Rica in 2002 for our honeymoon. We both really liked Costa Rica. Shortly after returning I read an article about traveling to Nicaragua. The article said things like, explore places that wouldn't be legal in the U.S. (i.e. live volcanoes, etc) and it's what Costa Rica was 15 years ago. Additionally, my wife is fluent in Spanish, so we're comfortable traveling to Latin and/or South America.

Don't worry there was a 2.5 foot wall keeping us from falling in. These pics don't do justice it was dusk. Just google volcan masaya.

Is it safe? Nica is either the safest or second safest (depending on the source) country in central america. Not so safe right now is El Salvadore (due mostly to gangs) and Guatamala. My wife is also not real keen on Mexico City.

It felt safe here.

This is laguna de apoyo. A lake formed in an ancient crater. It is over 200m deep of very clean water. No motorized boats allowed. Hot springs of 45C feed it. The water all around stays at about 85 F.

These guys weren't too scary either.

This was a little scary. We went soaring over a coffee plantation.

All the time I was in Kentucky I never met anyone named Jethro. We go to Nicaragua and hire a tour guide who's name was.... Jethro. He's the one in the Brewers t-shirt. A gift from me.

Do people travel there? We weren't sure. Once we got there we realized there were a fair number of tourists, more than we expected actually. However, our home base Granada, only has about 100,000 people with a fairly small downtown so travelers really stick out. At first this was dissapointing. As time went on we grew to enjoy this, it was easy to have conversations with other travelers. Most of the travelers we met were European or Canadian with a few Americans sprinkled in.

NIcaragua Part 2

Sorry about my lengthly diatribe in the first post. I actually wrote 5 pages in a journal about that hike the day after we comleted it. I wanted to remember every painful second. If you want the whole thing give me a shout.

In this post I'll try and stick to the original plan. Pictures with brief explanations.

The view from our cabana at Villa Paraiso, on Isla de Ometepe.

There were cows being led on the beach one morning.

We took horses through a banana plantation to an awesome swimming hole the day after the hike. The water was warm, clean and clear. We ended up first meeting Sara and Melissa here, two women from Chicago that would become great friends.

I really didn't enjoy my first 2-3 days in Nicaragua. In fact I was wondering whether I would rather have been elsewhere. But somewhere between the swimming hole and this scene on the beach on our way back to the hotel, Nicaragua got under my skin and my love affair began.

This picture was taken from the ferry as looking back at Concepcion Volanoe as we were leaving Ometepe to return to Granada.

Nicaragua Part 1

In order to best share pictures of Nicaragua that actually mean something I thought perhaps a blog would be better than just having you sign into flicker or snapfish or whatever you use. If you want more photos just let me know and I'll give you the site for that.

I plan on posting more on Nicaragua. The intent of this post is to simply scratch the surface of the trip and allow you to see pictures. Future posts, when I have more energy, will tell you what the pictures can't convey.

To bring everyone up to speed. Ann and I recently spent 8 days in Nicaragua. We just returned on August 15. Yes it is very safe, the people are extraordinary, we weren't the only tourists there and it is pretty inexpensive (except for the flight.)

We spent the bulk of our time in Granada (5 nights). Here's more information and a map. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada,_Nicaragua

We also spent three nights on La Isla de Ometepe. An island in the middle of lake nicaragua, the 20th largest lake in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nicaragua The island is bordered my Concepcion Volcano on one end and Maderas Volcano on the other. Concepcion is still active. The only way to arrive at Ometepe is via ferry which travels from the mainland several times a day. The length of trip varies depending on where you depart from. Our trip was about an hour.

This is the ferry we took and the view of the island from the mainland.

While on the island, we took a ridiculous hike up Maderas Volcano. We had to be careful about our hiking because I recenly hurt my knee. It remains unstable so I was very concerned. Our guidebook described the hike as tested and approved by overweight chain smokers. We figured we were safe. WE WERE WRONG.

Here's pictures of our ordeal (is it un pc to say Mein Kumpf because that's how it felt). 5 hour climb, 3.5 hours back down, we covered 1.4 Km up in roughly a total 5 km hike. That meant we went up 1 meter for roughly every two steps forward.

This was our "trail." We had to hire a guide as recommended by our book so we didn't get lost and die.

So instead of dying I just wanted to die.

2 km into the hike was a great view of the other volcanoe across the island.

The hike "finished" at this lake at the top of the volcanoe. The lake formed out of a crater created when the volcanoe exploded.

After we saw this we had to turn around and start back down the mountain. I seriously did not know how I was going to make it back down. My knee was in pain and my other leg started to cramp from overcompensating.

With 2 Km left it started to downpour. As hard of rain as I have seen in my life. The kind that fills the gutters in the streets. Except coming down the mountain there were no gutters. Instead our trail was the gutter. Our trail went from being muddy to being a river 6" deep that looked like melted milk chocolate flowing. We had to walk right through it or we would have been trapped on the mountain in the dark.

This is how we looked when we finished.