Nicaragua Part 2

On March 16^th, we left the beautiful island of Ometepe. I was sad to leave such a beautiful place, but I was excited to explore the rest of the country. We first traveled to the city Managua, where we began our economics field experiment. We were researching how people of Nicaragua perceived climate change, and my group was focused on how people understood its causes and consequences. This experiment was also conducted in other cities throughout Nicaragua. We conducted a survey that collected anecdotal data to support the numerical data collected in previous summers. People’s answers varied greatly; some were more aware of current effects and were able to fully articulate their responses, whereas some had no idea what we were talking about. One of the fruit vendors on the street we asked (who interestingly enough was completely illiterate) had no idea what we meant by climate change. We had to try to explain (in Spanish, just to make it that much harder) what a climate was. It was a very interesting project, and I really enjoyed being able to talk to people about how they thought. It was also really interesting to see how (for the most part) they were much more willing to answer the surveys. When we conducted surveys for a different research project in Poas National Park in Costa Rica a few weeks prior, most people refused to answer the questions and were very rude about it. Our experience in Nicaragua was drastically different- even the people who said no were very nice about it.

For those who only want to read about the happy parts of my trip, please skip this paragraph. Rivas was completely different from Ometepe. We were warned ahead of time that the poverty in this city was going to be a lot more apparent, but I was not prepared for when I actually had to interact with the people. There were homeless people everywhere, ranging from the elderly to children. And these homeless were much more aggressive than those I have seen in any other city I’ve traveled to. Many would come up to our group asking for money, and continue to follow us for at least a block. The children were especially hard to ignore, because they would hang on to your clothes to get your attention. Apparently most children are instructed by their parents to beg like this. Many leave school at an early age or skip school to make money on the streets from tourists like us. The most upsetting thing of the entire trip (and for those who get upset by disturbing things please skip the rest of this paragraph) was a woman we passed on the side of the street. At first, she just looked like a normal woman with her child. But then she started saying “ladies. Please help me.” And then we saw her baby. He was obviously ill with a horrible disease that caused his head to swell to a tremendous size. I have never seen such an upsetting situation in my life. There was nothing we could do for this poor child or his mother. That feeling of helplessness stayed with me for the rest of the day, and came back with a vengeance during lunch. We went to a pizza place and sat outside by the street. There was a man who came up to our table before ordered asking if he could have some food. A policeman came and kicked him away. We felt so bad about sitting out and devouring our food when so many were clearly starving that we ended up giving away most of our pizzas. This was definitely the worst part of the trip.

A view of one of the markets

After we left Rivas, we went to Granada, which used to be the capital city of Nicaragua. Granada was absolutely beautiful, and had a very interesting history. There is not much of the original city left, as most of it was either burned down by William Walker (a former US Confederate soldier that tried to take over Costa Rica and successfully took over Nicaragua) or demolished. We got a brief tour of the city, and then were let loose to interview more people. We talked to one gentleman on a park bench who at first thought was a crazy man, but it turned out he was the most intelligent person we talked to. He was a former farmer who knew a great deal about climate change. He knew a lot about current impacts, and talked a lot about international agreements and organizations that were trying to help Nicaragua. He talked to us for over fifteen minutes. It was very interesting, and I was happy to find that I understood most of what he was saying. After we completed our surveys, we walked around the center park and explored the local market. We got to eat dinner on our own (the first time we have been allowed to do so on program time), and a few friends and I ate on a place on the main strip. The main strip is a strip of restaurants, bars, and tiny shops for pedestrians. We ate a three-hour meal on a table outside facing the strip, people watching and having a great time.

And speaking of food- I have to say, meals were definitely my favorite times on this trip, especially dinners. We went to several amazing restaurants in Grandada. The second night in the city we went to Nectar, which was a delicious Mediterranean place where we ordered babaganoush, hummus, and I got beef with mushroom sauce, which was all to die for. The third night we went to El Tercer Ojo, which was very good.. The ambiance was really cool- it was semi indoors (walls with no roof), and I had delicious sushi, mussels, and chocolate-banana crepes. And while the food was good, eating it was pretty stressful because you had to be constantly aware of what you were eating. They cautioned us against ordering anything with raw fruits or veggies, and no water or ice. I ignored it for the most part, and was lucky. Other people… not so much. But I guess that’s the risk you take!

Cynthia, Lauren, me and Sarah in Nectar Restaurant.

The other days were spent doing more econ research in Masaya and Managua. We also visited a giant market that sold different trinkets. We got to visit the actual capital and see the national museum with traditional Nicaraguan art. I loved seeing the art, and wish they had more on display. Next to the museum was an old church that had an unsound infrastructure, that was absolutely beautiful. We hiked Masaya Volcano, which is one of the most active volcanoes in Nicaragua. It was only smoking on the day that we visited, and had apparently erupted about a year ago. There were two different craters- one active, and one not. 

According to our guide, this cross has been here since the Spanish colonization.

Fun fact- When the Spaniards first saw the volcano, they called it the opening to Hell.

The church next to the National Museum.

Another fun fact- this clock tower does not have the accurate time. The time seen here is the time an earthquake hit in the mid seventies, and the clock has not worked since.

           I have to say, my birthday day was my favorite part of the whole trip. We hiked Mombacho Volcano, and had an awesome time. The car ride up to where we were hiking was kind of rough. It was almost vertical, and I was in the back of a pickup truck with five other people (including Achim, who is one of my professors). The ride down was also fun- Achim had never heard of madlibs before (he’s originally from Germany and later moved to Costa Rica), and so we introduced the game to him. His reaction was hilarious. He is normally a fairly serious person, and I have never seen him laugh so hard.

My friend Hannah and me on Mombacho Volcano.

       After we got back from the hike that afternoon, a few of my friends surprised me with a chocolate cake (candles and all), a birthday card, and some presents. It was wonderful. My friend Sarah S. (there are four Sarahs in the program) and I went to the church steeple to watch the sunset. It was absolutely spectacular, with views on all four sides of the whole city. As we watched the sun set, a man was setting off some sort of explosives in honor of St. Michael, and a mass was going on beneath us. We visited a local bookstore, and then headed back to the hotel.

Sarah and me in the church.

One of the many beautiful buildings in Granada.

       We later went to dinner at the Garden Café, which was one of my favorite restaurant I have ever been to. I had hummus with veggies and some of the best pesto pasta I have ever had (it almost reminded me of Mom’s pesto). We had a nice leisurely dinner, and then headed out to meet up with the rest of the people from SFS. My friend Kait and I shared a birthday, so we celebrated after dinner by going to Reillys (an Irish pub- her choice, not mine. I would have picked something with a little more local flair). I got my first drink as a 21 year old, which honestly wasn’t very exciting (the drinking age is 18 in Costa Rica).  But it was fun to hang out with everyone and celebrate our last night in Nicaragua.

My friend Lauren and me.

Cate, Lauren, Sarah, Evin and me.

The strip at night.

We saw this sign of gas prices on the way out. It may look like a lot, but this is in Cordobas. It's about 24 Cordobas to every American dollar, so gas was actually a little over a dollar!

It was truly a wonderful trip, and I will definitely be going back there some day. Although we did have classes and work to do on this trip, it felt in many ways like a mini vacation from our normal chaotic schedule. And in some ways, I like Nicaragua more than Costa Rica. The people seem to have a lot more character, and less of a European influence. The Ticos seemed to have embraced the Spanish colonizers and absorbed them into their culture, which is definitely not the case in Nicaragua. They seem to have kept a stronger hold on their culture, which I really love. It will be interesting to see if they can keep their strong hold on traditions  as tourism increases, or if they succumb to the pressures of pleasing their new visitors. What a beautiful place.

And things are just getting better- this upcoming week is spring break!!