Granada - the Colonial Jewell

(It's Tuesday, our third day in Nicaragua and our second full day in Granada.  Marci woke up feeling a little, how shall I say.... she has the green apple quick steps.  I am going to catch up on our blog as she rests in the bed).

We first arrived in Granada on Sunday afternoon (6/19/11).  As you recall, we took the (bullet) bus from Managua and were dropped off in the Parque Central.  This is at the steps of the gorgeous Catederal de Granada.  We caught the driver as he sped off with our bags (amazingly still strapped tight to the top of the roof).  I don't think he forgot - he just wanted to charge another round trip fare to get 'em back to us.  Okay - maybe just an honest mistake... :-)

We put our bags down, looked around the crowded park, and marveled at the beauty of this city.  No barbed wire, bustling activity, and smiling people.  This was the Nicaragua we'd read about!

I got the guide book out to begin navigation to a hostel Marci had found online.  It was going to cost $24 per night - a little steep....  Then we met Allan.  He came up with a big smile on his face and said he liked my hat (the green OR hat I wear backpacking).  I knew he was kidding me - but his English was great.  I will write much more about Allan in my next post - for now though, I will just describe those first few moments.

Allan asked us if we had a place to stay.  Being wise (first time) world travelers, we said, "Of course!".  Undaunted (Allan - I mean), he launched into a multitude of sales pitches about various hotels and hostels he could get for us cheap, "because I will tell them I am your friend". We decided to see what he could do.  He said he knew a place that charged $15 a night, but that he could get us for $10 a night (if we paid him a commission under the table- which I suspect the hotel also does as well).  Well, that sounded like our kind of deal.  We'd seen prices like this in the guide book, and it was far less than half of what we'd expected to pay.

Allan launched into a side street and we quickly lost our bearings as he headed into a rickety ten block structure made of wooden frames and covered with loosely bound corrugated steel.  After three turns Marci smelled a rat.  She is pretty good at this, and we were definitely not in Kansas anymore.  We sensed our new 'friend' was leading us into an ambush.  But just as Marci was about to declare a halt and retrace our way back to the parque - we emerged from the smell of rotting fruit and hanging meat at the Hospedaje San Jorge (St. George Hostel).  Allan greeting the desk clerk with a familiar wink and set into a Spansih negotiation for three nights lodging.

Sure enough, after a bit of wrangling, We paid 660 C$ (cordobas) for three nights ($24.67) and headed to our room (where we paid Allan 200C$ ($8.92) for his services.  Allan began to plan for the numerous days we would be spending together, but we told him we would find him in the parque later.  He left dissapointed.

Marci checking our our new digs

Our room has two double beds (with a mattress and sheet (1)).  There are two pillows on each bed, two threadbare towels, and a private bathroom with a shower.  There is cable tv (which we haven't tried yet - heck we don't watch English tv - why try it in Spanish?) and a door with a padlock (you get the 'only' key).  We promptly put our handy Samsonite TSA approved luggage lock on the INSIDE and locked ourselves in. 

Just outside our room - toward the communal kitchen

After we caught our breath and said twenty 'hail-mary's' celebrating the blessing of still being alive, we headed back to the parque cetral, cameras in tow, to get some lunch and take some pics!

We found a Mexican restaurant (and there is a BIG difference here) and had a full lunch for less than C$200 ($8.92).  Marci had three burritos and I had the "local plate" (rice, beans, pork and chili, and hand made tortillas).  We each had 2 beers (@ 50C$ ($.89) why not?).
I left a $5 tip (oops - way too much) and we headed to take some pics of the cathedral.  On the way, a horse carriage driver offered a 30 minute tour of Granda for C$200 (again, $8.92) and off we went.

Alpo and Gains Burger eating weeds

As Alpo and Gains Burgers took off (they weren't horse enough to be called Purina) Allan shouted after us that he had located some houses for us to buy.  (I guess I forgot to mention that I had told him in the market that we wanted to buy an expensive house in the hopes that he would think we were worth more alive than dead)

The tour was grand.  And when we returned to the parque central, guess who was there to greet us?  I have since dubbed him, 'The Prince of Granda'. But that is for another post.  After a great walking tour - we ate a local dinner and fell into bed at 8:00 PM and slept until 4:15 the next morning.  But that is getting ahead.....

Managua - keep on walking

(I am keeping a written journal so I can catch up when we don't have Internet)

Advertisement: Breakfast is included in the price of the hotel
Reality: Cornflakes, warm milk, and fruit salad (fresh) are what you're gonna get.  Eat up!

We worried about the water provided for Coffee (Marci brought Starbucks Via) but in the end, we wanted coffee more than we were scared of disease.  We drank....  The food was ok - if you like lots of watermelon seeds in your fruit salad.  The juice is fresh though - watermelon and guava were the choices.

Originally we had planned on staying in Managua overnight and heading to Granada.  Then we read the guide book and decided there were a few things we'd like to see.  So, we locked our things in our room (check out was 1:00 PM), grabbed our camelbacks (filled with bottled water) and set out into the mean streets of Managua.

The first thing you will notice (after you get over the fact that it is 90* and 95% humidity) is that there is concertina wire along the tops of all the fences and properties.  Oh well, the people seem friendly.  We walked on.

The map showed us to be about two blocks from a major street - and we found it quickly (Monumental).  It is small by US standards (Think Yale street in Denver) but large for here.  We walked about a mile, before stopping to ask a locksmith (cerrajero) if we were where we thought we were.  He was kind enough to confirm our location, and then (perhaps) more kind to mimic street robbers with knives taking my camera.  Hmmm, maybe just a bad neighborhood?  Undaunted - We turned east toward the Cathedral.

About five or six blocks east we heard the familiar Spanish accent from an illegal US immigrant with about six months at a Taco Bell (well, maybe McDonalds - he was pretty good).  He was a security guard (there a LOTS of them here) with a revolver (circa 1922) and a desire to talk to anyone from the US.

We asked if it was safe where we were walking.  He said he thought it was, but that this was his first day (besides - he was packing warmth (it wasn't powerful enough to be called heat)).  He said we should walk with him and ask his boss.

Down the street to El Jefe.  He was standing with two other 'gentlemen' and was none to pleased that junior security guard boy was disturbing his peace on a quiet Sunday morning (apparently, the new guy hadn't read the orientation manual).  When our amigo nuevo explained that we wanted to walk to the Old Cathedral - the boss frowned, the guy on a motorcycle with mirrored glasses held back a smirk, and the fat guy in the street busted up laughing.  After an invective string of Spanish - our friend said it wasn't really safe for people who look like us (gringos) to go there.  In fact, maybe we should walk back - or better yet, catch a cab (we would have figured this was some scam that the two professions had cooked up to make more money - but from the look on his face it seemed as if he was worried about having to write all the reports about the two dead gringos who'd passed his post before meeting their untimely death).

We hoofed it back to the hotel - packed our stuff - and took a taxi to the bus station.  The bus was nice - a little too nice for the price of an hours ride (.70 per person US) - but sure enough, we paid $2.50 (our luggage counted as another passenger) we took off to Granada.

I'M JUST ASKING....  I have no idea why people pay $50 for a total of 6 hours in line and 8 minutes of thrill at Elitches.  Here, you can get an entire HOUR for $1.25 - and it includes the joy of your neighbor's knee up your ass and the fear that your luggage was thrown from the top of the bus at the last 65 kmh turn, or the one before that, or.....

The adventure begins

We woke up at 4:15 a.m. on Saturday (June 18).  Jeremiah (and the girls) dropped us off at DIA and headed for Golden.  Marci and I headed for Miami.

We landed in Miami at 1:30 (EST) and had a five hour layover. Most people read books, take a nap, make phone calls, or goof around on their computers.  We, being undaunted travelers, explored Miami International.  FUN THINGS TO DO ON A LONG LAYOVER: find the Johnny Walker double black sample booth.  Show your ID and International ticket and imbibe.  Go to the next sample booth.  After two hours and a shift change, REPEAT!

Our Nicaraguan flight crew was late getting in from Cancun, so we got to Managua International at a little after 8:30 PM.  Customs was easy ($20 US to enter the country) and off to get our bags.  I exchanged US for NIC Cordobas and Marci waited for the backpacks.  A note on money exchange... the Money Exchange booth at DIA doesn't carry Cordobas.  No big deal.  The booth in Miami does - BUT DON'T DO IT!  They gave 17 Cordobas for $1.  However, the exchange rate is 22.4C for $1 (we checked ahead of time).  And not only that, they charge 1.5% (with a minimum of $7.50) service fee (to rip you off).  In Managua's airport, we got 20.57C for every $1 US and NO FEE!  (the hotel gives the actual rate).

We were worried that our pre-arranged ride wouldn't be there (since the flight was so late).  It was quite a relief to see Antonio (our driver) holding a sign with Marci's name on it.  Then the adventure REALLY started.

Antonio "drove" (think NASCAR) through the "peaceful" (think 200 pre-preschoolers with new tricycles) Managua streets about 10 km to our hotel (think VERY NICE AND SAFE).  It was $15 for the taxi and $64 for the room.  A little steep, I know, but it is private, has its own bath and air-conditioner, AND there is breakfast in the morning.

We ate at the hotel restaurant (we were the only diners and I think that Antonio drove to the market to get the Augacate (avocado) for the cook).  Dinner was great!  I had steak, rice, french fries and salad.  Marci had the same with chicken.  Along with four beers and a tip - the tab came to 627.20 C ($28).  The beer are only $1.50!!!

I think we're gonna like this country.