Brian (Four Days in Granada)

[January 13-14-15: Nicaragua]
[yes, I am going back in time trying to get caught up on the blog]

I was hot. I’d ridden through some invisible curtain and the temps soared while the humidity rose. Dang, it’s just plain UNCOMFORTABLE in a full-on riding suit.

So I was irritable, my memory wasn’t helping me to find the really cool place Karina and I had found two years ago, and I was just going to leave Granada and go out to the Monkey Hut on Laguna de Apoyo. I stopped and asked the guard at the Western union office how to get to the Laguna, and was headed out of town. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a hostel that looked like I could enter with the bike.

As I backpaddled the bike the wrong way down the narrow one-way street, a fellow came out of the hostel and asked if he could help. I asked the price, (dorm=FIVE dollars!) amenities (free coffee and WiFi and use of kitchen) and my #1 question??? Secure parking for the bike? (YES!)

The folks were friendly,  the Wifi signal was pretty strong, there was a super restaurant right next door, and for four days I kept saying “one more day”. Every night I would tell them I was leaving in the morning and every morning I would tell them I was staying another night. Part of my thinking was that I’d just had parts shipped to me in Panama and now I had to take my time getting there, so I’d relax a bit and catch up on the blogs.

Granada is Nicaragua’s 4th largest city, but even saying so it “seems” a manageable size to me. Seems quite small , actually.

When I arrived at the Viajero Clandestino (clandestine traveler) this cute kid, Brian, 8 years old, was recharging his ample batteries for more visit with the tourists (his mother is one of the cooks in the restaurant attached to the hostel)

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Che, the national hero.

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Breakfast my first morning. Rice, scrambled eggs, and fried bananas. YUM!

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The next dayBrian kept hanging around and asking me questions and I w as trying to work. I finally told him that if he left me alone I’d ask hs Mom if he could go with me when I took some pictures around town.

A TOUR OF GRANADA

Here’s Brian posing with the Bocadito on the corner–the hostel is just down the street on the right, the green building.

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The church in the earlier post–again I chose not to pay the $2 to climb the belfrey.

There were kids playing soccer in the courtyard of the church, and riding skateboards. The church is at the crossroads of two neighborhoods t seems, so there is lots of traffic and lots of people hanging about.

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Donuts, Nicaraguan style.

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City street scene.

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Street scene.

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The cathedral of Granada, just off the main park.

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One of the most popular ways to see the city.

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The Parque Central.

SA_Trip_NICARAGUA 043Statue in the center of the park.

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Brian seemed enchanted by fountains.  Since he is a poor Nicaraguan boy, there are many places such as the nice hotels where they have lovely fountains and gardens…I entered some so he could see the fountains.

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The main pedestrian area, where all the foreigners hang out. I do not care for crowds of gringos so I just walked through.

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Dog in a windowsill.

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My tourguide / companion

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Brian wanted to see this fountain again now that it was lit up

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Dinner. Yum.SA_Trip_NICARAGUA 047

The next  day I asked Brian’s Mom if I could give him a gift. I do not carry much, but the nice owner of the saloon in Honduras had given me this hat…brian was ENORMOUSLY pleased and proud of himself.

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He brought his brother  byt to show me / the hat off

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The next day a picture of the market as I walked to 25 stores looking for a Nicaragua sticker for my bike

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Dinner! YUM!

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