Granada

Trip Start Jan 16, 2008

Trip End Apr 19, 2008

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Where I stayed

Amigos Bed & Breakfast

Flag of Nicaragua Granada, Nicaragua
Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Made it to Granada in record time today - left the hotel just after 7 this morning to catch a bus to get us to the 9am boat, aiming for the 11:30 bus from Rivas to Granada. Didn't happen like that. Instead, the bus got us to the dock in time for the 8am boat, which got us to San Jorge where a collective taxi took us to the bus terminal in Rivas where a friendly chap whistled down the bus heading in the general direction of Granada which had just left. Then when we were 20km from Granada our bus took a different route from normal so that he could flag down the local bus which was heading to Granada and got us on it.

So, bus, boat, taxi, bus, bus. Total elapsed time 4 hours, total cost US$11. Not bad.

We like Nicaragua. It's the asianest of the countries we've been to this trip, and we mean that in a good way

558. Granada Cathedral

. The people are really genuinely friendly and helpful and open. Quite like Cambodia really. It feels safe.

Only downside is that they don't seem to realise what a wonderful country they have. People throw plastic bags and bottles out the window of the bus; don't bother going 20m to throw a biscuit wrapper in the bin, just drop it on the ground instead. Still, 20 years ago they were in the middle of a civil war/revolution, so I guess these things take time. Here in Granada we can already see signs that things are changing - the rotarians have sponsored garbage bins all over town, the Spanish government is currently sponsoring renovation of one of the main streets here, restoring all the facades and everything and 10 years ago, the Swedish government sponsored the restoration of a wonderful old church (Iglesia de San Francisco) and attached Convent which is now a museum. It's nice to see that our tax money is doing some good ;)

With all these foreign interests fixing up at least this town, I really hope that the people start to take pride in what they have and start to keep it clean. There are recent signs in key places challenging folk to do just that, so it looks like the education process has started.

Nicaragua really is a wonderful country, definitely our favorite for this trip and we've already decided that we'll be back :)

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