Ometepe, Nicaragua

I am on the island of Ometepe.  It is an island on Lake Nicaragua and I took a ferry to get here.  There are just 2 towns on the island and I am in Altagracia.  It has a pop. of 18,000 and is known for its pre-Columbian stone idols and its petroglyphs.

The Jaguar

It is very pretty here and there is an abundance of flowers.

I don't know the name of this tree but the pods are at least a foot long.  Central park is flowered and clean.

It is very hot and humid here. I can take the mornings and evenings, but prefer to be indoors in the heat of the day. Even the locals disappear during the hot hours. I am staying at an average hotel and it is $15/night.  Of course my potion is $7.50.  We have a fan in our room which helps.

There are people from all over the world here...mostly young travellers.  Across from me in the lobby is a young man from England and two young men from Quebec. A woman from Spain and her daughter from Italy just left.

I am not blogging as much this year as internet connections are not the best and because it just gets tiresome after awhile. I do like to keep people informed though and will add details to my blog when home with a better connection.

Granada, Nicaragua

This is our 3rd day in Granada.  Granada is a beautiful city of about 200,000 people.  The first thing we noticed was how flat it is compared to Guatemala. It is also a lot hotter and much more humid.  The evenings are balmy.  Today the high will be 32C.

The streets are wide and well maintained. The buildings are colourful.  Yesterday we took a horse and carriage ride through the city.

I always have problems with the currency conversion.

$1 U.S. = 26.49 Cordobas.  I use my phone calculator a lot.A beer is 30 cordobas or about $1.13. A nice meal can be purchased for about 110 Cordoba or about $4.50.

I haven't done any shopping yet.  I promised to get some Nicaraguan products for some special people back home.

San Pedro

This week-end we went across the lake for a night in San Pedro. Like all towns around here it is very hilly.  We spent the afternoon walking the streets and taking in the sights. There were many Canadians there, mostly young people.

They have a beautiful Catholic church.

catholic church

You could take stairs to the top and have a spectacular view of the lake, but there was a service in progress so we only went part way up.  Contrast this with the photo of the Mayan home below.

Yes, from behind this tin we could hear a family.  For the most part the indigenous people of this area are fairly poor.  This home was one of the worst.  However, most live in substandard and crowded conditions.

The people work very hard.  I was at a boat dock and noticed about ten one hundred pound  bags of cement on the dock.  Three small women came and each loaded a hundred pound bag on her back. They wear a forehead band with cords to hold the weight.  They bend forward and off they go.  They had to carry these bags up a steep hill! One bag would do me in!

A 24 year old woman came into the clinic the other day and wanted a pregnancy test.  She had a ten month old baby on her back and was hoping she was not pregnant again as she already has six children!  The test was positive.

Life is difficult for many in this region.

We've Moved

We have moved to the country.  We are in a small house about a 20 min. walk from Pana.  The rent is the same as our hotel room was, but we have a kitchen and it is so quiet here.
The view of the lake is spectacular!

Our View

Our House

The sign at the top is in the free clinic where I work 5 mornings a week.  It is about a 40 min. walk from home.  It is downhill most of the way to town but, of course, uphill most of the way home!

Internet service is not great here.

American Thanksgiving

On Thursday a group of us went to a village along the lake.  At Santa Cruz we were at a restaurant/hotel that sold tickets for a Thanksgiving dinner and it was delicious. The meal cost about $15 and the room cost $13.  We had to take a boat both there and back.

It has been very windy lately and the lake was pretty choppy.  A cold front has moved in and temps are lower than usual but still pleasant. Here if it falls below 20C we feel chilly.

I see it is cold in Alberta and am thankful I am able to escape that bitter cold. Keep warm and safe.

Incident

Yesterday afternoon while we were visiting friends in the country there was an incident in Pana. We received various reports by phone and today it was in the paper.  Apparently two men in a half ton kidnapped two children. They then sped through the street by the market and hit seven people.  The locals apprehended the men, over turned their truck and lit it on fire.  The police arrived in full gear and got the two men.  The locals pelted the police.  Our landlord said that the locals know these men will be out of jail quickly and do it again, so they prefer to handle these things on their own.  Anyway, the police used tear gas to quell the mobs.

By the time we arrived home it was over with.  In case it was on the news there know that I am fine.  It is very rare for this to happen here.

Free Clinic

Today I began work at the free clinic doing data entry while the doctor examines the patient. The doctor is very patient with me.  It was an interesting morning. Few of the patients are literate and many do not understand instruction for taking meds.  Many children die from pneumonia. The Dr. gives out a lot of donated vitamins and antibiotics.

Panajachel is a beautiful area.

You can see from the photo how lush it is here.  I like the people of Pana.  They always make eye contact when they greet you and return your smile.

The streets get busy at times and one must be careful when crossing the road.  There are a lot of tuc-tucs and motor bikes. The sidewalks change every couple of steps so you need to watch your feet when you walk.  Last year I cut my toe on a sign so this year I am a lot more careful.

I am almost out of Hot Wheels.  I wish I had more.  The children are so excited to get one.

We are invited to a gathering later today so our afternoon will be full.