For the last month of my trip I have been traveling through Nicaragua. Although I traveled through Nicaragua in 2007, I did not retain that it was so well known for cigars, baseball, and rum. I also had selective amnesia for how incredibly hot it is. Like extra-terrestrial hot, hot, hot. Sticky, sweaty, inescapable hot. In reality, it isn't much hotter than Texas I think it's just that air-conditioning is also very uncommon. So one necessary thing: the do-rag. Women & men often have bandanas or handkerchiefs that serve many purposes but mainly wiping of sweat & fanning themselves.
As I have traveled from north to south you almost always see kids playing catch with gloves and pop up games with both real and makeshift fields. Above is an example of of a makeshift game almost every sunset on Ometepe Island.
Here is the rough map of my trip: starting in Managua & doing a big boomerang back.
In each little cubby, a man was partnered with a women. The men were rolling all the cigars but the women were finishing them off with a bit of glue and doing the more intricate, detail-oriented tasks with the cigars.
After the men rolled them they stacked them in these cases and then cranked this machine with a lot of pressure to help seal the cigar.
Obviously this sign had little importance in the factory. One "perk" to the job is you could smoke the cigars for free while working.
This is how the women would finish off the cigars.
When we saw him he was about to replant an orchid plant. He walked us through a lot of his carvings and explained what they meant. Many sculptures were stories from the bible. He doesn't use pictures, they are just in his mind.
We were on a cliff with a small walking path so taking pictures were challenging and they will never do his work justice.
This sign has the date that he started carving in 1988. He has filled 18 journals with signatures from people all over the world coming to visit him. He only speaks Spanish and is such a jolly, lovely man. If you are ever in Northern Nicaragua, I would highly recommend paying him a visit.
rice farming
Look closely at the momma monkey on the bottom left. She is carrying her baby on her back. Click here for monkey videos.
If you haven't figure out already here is your warning: this entry is random.
As I have traveled from north to south you almost always see kids playing catch with gloves and pop up games with both real and makeshift fields. Above is an example of of a makeshift game almost every sunset on Ometepe Island.
Here is the rough map of my trip: starting in Managua & doing a big boomerang back.
Cigar factory tour
Before this tour, I guess I thought of a cigar as a big cigarette. False. It is just a bunch of rolled up leaves surrounded by another rolled up leaf.
Here is a washing and drying station.
In each little cubby, a man was partnered with a women. The men were rolling all the cigars but the women were finishing them off with a bit of glue and doing the more intricate, detail-oriented tasks with the cigars.
After the men rolled them they stacked them in these cases and then cranked this machine with a lot of pressure to help seal the cigar.
Obviously this sign had little importance in the factory. One "perk" to the job is you could smoke the cigars for free while working.
This is how the women would finish off the cigars.
Alberto the Cave Artist
Esteli, Nicaragua has a lot of attractions. Noticeably "cooler" weather, national parks, waterfalls, cigar factories, and beautiful canyons. While I was researching about Nicaragua I encountered a few blogs mentioning Alberto the cave artist. It was definitely an off the grid experience. Legend has it, that he was an alcoholic after his wife & child died. He had a really intense dream about carving one night and knew it was a message from God. Whenever he was craving alcohol he instead started carving the stone around his house. He will not take any money, but occasionally sells products (he sold us some honey while we were there.)
I met some lovely french girls who were keen for this adventure. We had to catch the only bus 6:30 a.m. to take us to his small village. Then we started hiking & asking random people where Alberto lives.
When we saw him he was about to replant an orchid plant. He walked us through a lot of his carvings and explained what they meant. Many sculptures were stories from the bible. He doesn't use pictures, they are just in his mind.
We were on a cliff with a small walking path so taking pictures were challenging and they will never do his work justice.
This sign has the date that he started carving in 1988. He has filled 18 journals with signatures from people all over the world coming to visit him. He only speaks Spanish and is such a jolly, lovely man. If you are ever in Northern Nicaragua, I would highly recommend paying him a visit.
Lovely Leon
Over the years I have been to a lot of Cathedrals, but the Cathedral in Leon was different. The rooftop reminded me of a cross between a mosque and some of Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona.
Post Card Pics
rice farming
Look closely at the momma monkey on the bottom left. She is carrying her baby on her back. Click here for monkey videos.
