Nicaragua Totally Rocks. Here’s Why.

Nicaragua is the place to be, for so many reasons. The lakes and volcanoes, the chocolate and cigar factories, the beaches and mountains. The coffee plantations and the deliciousness that is the coffee that comes from those plantations. Still, there are even better reasons to check out this joint, like:

1. Dudes who can dance. And aren’t afraid to do it. And the dudes here, they can totally dance. They can bust out the dance moves on command – anytime, anywhere. On the dance floor, in the streets, in an aerobics class. Doesn’t matter. They’re on it and they’re sizzling hot.
2. Old tour guides who hike you through the woods, float you down the river, and take you cliff jumping. All sans any safety equipment. So you’ve got hiking shoes and a life jacket on. He’s got a pair of Keds and a pack of cigarettes. No life jacket, no swimming suit, no fear. Just some smokes and himself. Half a pack of cigarettes and three hours later, you’re tired, and he’s like, “Yeah, so? Another day in the neighborhood, yo!”
3. Plantain chips. Seriously. They are the best chips ever. And they might even be nutritious, being made from plantains and all. Available on random street corners throughout Nicaragua.
4. Cyclo-hiking, a unique combination of riding a road bike off road and then having to hike it up and over the rockiest portions. Sure, the locals are like, “Why are you taking a road bike into the hills like that?” And you’re like, “It’s what I got. So I guess I gotta roll with it.” And they’re like, “Okay, happy travels.” And off you both go.
5. Hitching rides in the backs of pick-up trucks. It’s pouring; you’re wet; and the distance between the waterfall you’re at and the road you need to reach is about 3 km. Some truck rolls by and offers you and your friends a lift in the back of it. Sweet!
6. Cakes made with Oreo cookies. And cheese. And cream. Served up with a smile at local bakeries you didn’t even know existed until last night. I mean, really. Oreo cookie cakes? That’s some immensely delicious noshing right there.
7. Speaking the old pre-school level español and being understood. Cuz the people here do want to talk to you and make such the effort to figure out what you’re saying. Plus, if you get enough of the language down, there are some pretty fun and funny folk running around.
8. Going to a quiet, fairly tame tourist sort of area, deciding that it’s boring, and going bushwhacking there instead. With a friend of a friend you’ve never met before. Cutting some new trails, hanging off the edges of cliffs and otherwise bonding with both the mountain and your new buddy. He rocks and so do the trails that you blazed. (And so, of course, do the cool animals all around!)
9. Buses that roll away from the bus stop, but slow down enough to allow the last straggler a running jump to get on through the back door. With the assistance of the bus attendant back there who flings it open and extends a helping hand to pull you in. You’re in; you’re on your way; and the bus didn’t even have to stop completely to make that happen. What more could you ask for?

But, really, the best reason to come to Nicaragua is cuz, well, it’s Nicaragua. The last frontier of Central America. And you don’t want to miss that.

© 2010 Sasha A. Rae. All Rights Reserved.

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Cheers and happy travels. I’ll see you on the road.

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Photo Credits:

Cookies: Torben Bjørn Hansen/Flickr via Creative Commons
Countryside: Craig Cloutier/Flickr via Creative Commons