Monday, March 30, 2015

Granada, Nicargua

We are now officially in Central America in the country of Nicaragua...




We stayed our last night in Mexico at an AirBnB in Cancun with a lovely lady named Consuelo who was very welcoming to us. Her apartment was beautiful, located in a Condo development. We went out to dinner to one of her favourite restaurants where I had one of the most delicious salads ever. 

Here is Consuelo...




And her beautiful apartment...



We flew from Cancun, Mexico down to Panama City which is the hub for Central America and then flew back up to Managua, Nicaragua. We flew with COPA Airlines which is a part of the Star Alliance and had a good experience. We are always impressed when an airline actually feeds you a meal for free!

When we arrived in Managua which is the capital city of Nicaragua with a population of approximately 2 million we were met by a driver who brought us about an hour to the smaller city of Granada.

We had an interesting experience going through Customs as I hadn't  realized we had to pay 10USD each for a tourist tax as in most countries this is included in your airline ticket. We had no American money, they wouldn't take a credit card so we managed to scrounge up enough Mexican pesos and Canadian change from our backpacks to equal the amount needed.

By this time we were the last people in customs and when we got through to claim our luggage I knew right away that mine had been tampered with because my luggage strap was missing. We never lock our luggage as we figure it is a signal that there is actually something in there worth stealing, so were surprised when we checked in our carry on in Cancun that they secured the bags with tie tabs...well the tie tabs were gone as well. However, a quick check revealed that my spare glasses were missing from the front pocket, but then when I was leaving Arrivals a young man called out to me..."Lady, Lady is this yours and here were my glasses." Weird!!

We are staying for a week in Granada as we are well into Slow Travel, getting too old to be on the move every few days!
We are staying at Casa Silas, a BnB, owned by Rob and Claudia. it is located near Centro and is a peaceful oasis in the city.



Granada is the sixth largest city in Nicaragua with a population of approximately 120,000. It has always been one of the countries most important city and has a rich colonial heritage which can be seen in its architecture.

Here is a building owned by the Pellas family who are known as the Rockerfellers of Nicaragua....



Some other buildings around the city...


A streetscape of typical Nica houses.

Many of the houses had beautiful flowers




And the grander houses have inside courtyards that look quite beautiful as well.



Our first day we took a horse and buggy ride around town to get a feel for the place and hopefully be able to find our way around...



As we drove around we saw many people driving their horses and carts through the streets, they were using them for work.






Some of the oxen were taking a break under the trees....




There were many people selling things on the street...



Cotton candy outside the church...


Many women with baskets of food on their heads...



and how about some balloons for your fiesta?



There are also many beautiful parks around the city where everyone comes to relax and enjoy the shade of the trees...


There is also a park with faces of some of the most famous poets where an International Festival of Poets is held every year. In fact Nicaragua is often called " The Land of the Poets."





















This lady is selling naranja jugo.

And of course every park has its share of lovers....


Granada is on a large lake so it has a nice lakefront malecon...













Beautiful gardens...

And a statue of Cordoba, the founder of Granada who named it after the same town in Spain. The currency of Nicaragua is also named after him...the cordoba. Right now we get approximately 25 cordobas for one dollar.


This is a pretty and lively city with lots of tourists who are either backpackers or white haired travellers. There is one street, Calle Caldeza which is behind the main cathedral and is pedestrian only lined with bars and cafes.











Here it is the first night we were here. There were many street performers that night including large puppets that we have seen in other parts of Mexico.


And flame throwers as well...


There were also lots of vendors working the street who latched on to Don and followed him everywhere...















And of course he got him!

Finally we stopped by the local Cemetery which was worth a visit. It is well kept with large monuments owned by the wealthy families. They even have their own caretakers...






Tombs with the volcano in the background.

Our guide also showed us the wall of graves for the heros of the Revolution...


The red and black marks indicate these soldiers were fighting for the Sandinistas. Nicaragua has been through a recent Civil War which has left the country scarred in many ways.

Our first impressions of Nicaragua are definitely favourable ones. The people are lovely and so is the town of Granada. 




















Tombs with Mocambo Volcano in the

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Isla Mujeres...an island paradise


We left Progreso early on Tuesday morning to catch the ADO bus from Merida to Cancun.The bus is quite comfortable and 4 hours later we arrived in Cancun. Took a taxi to the ferry and set off for Isla Mujeres. The island is about 13 km from Cancun and takes about 25 minutes by ferry from dock to dock.


















Waiting for the ferry...

Since we didn't decide to come to Isla until a few weeks ago it was difficult to find accommodation, but we are pleased with a little unit about 15 minutes from the main section of the island.


Outside Luna d' Miel on our first night sporting my travelling haircut!


Walked into town for supper at a restaurant called Olivia's which was recommended by Lori, a frequent visitor to Isla Mujeres. We managed to snag the last table without reservations and enjoyed one of the best meals in a long time... starting with Greek tapas and then Moroccan chicken done two ways. A little pricey but well worth it!


Olives, feta cheese, roasted peppers, freshly baked bread...yummy!

Some sights along the way...


Beautifully painted murals











Brightly coloured handmade toys


One of Don's friends from La Terminal!
















Cute little houses!

The next day we had the whole day to explore so like many others we decided to rent a golf cart and drive around the island. Isla Mujeres is some 7 kms long and 650 meters wide with a population of around 13,000 but receives many visitors each year including many day trippers from Cancun.
















Speedy Gonzalez... not!

On the other hand...


On one end of the island is Punto Sur which is a rocky outcrop with great views and a small park...


And like everywhere rows of parked golf carts...


And on the opposite end is Playa Norte which was voted one of the top ten beaches in the world last year. It was very clean with sand like fine sugar and not too crowded.



In between these two points there is a small town with ordinary people going about their everyday business which in Mexico often means selling something...
















Used clothes for sale

Fresh coconut....










This little family was setting up shop for the day selling crafts made from shells...


                                It was also wash day

The island also has many beautiful casas which we assumed were vacation properties....









However very close by we saw people living in these homes and wondered how much longer they would be there, quite a contrast!


When we travel we often visit the local churches and Iglesia Guadeloupe has to be one of the nicest we have seen anywhere with beautiful stained glass...


And the best view ever....


Speaking of views they are everywhere on this island with the most beautiful blues..





There were so many large boats and yachts everywhere we looked, this one was small. If we had more time we would have taken one of the boat cruises that seemed to be very popular here.


There was so much we didn't get a chance to see in such a short time but we think we will be back another time for a longer stay when we pass through this way again. It would be a great place for a wonderful family holiday.

When we are in Progreso we don't feel like we are on holidays but this place has a definite holiday feel. So many places to eat, to shop and to play and also if you like just relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery that Mexico has to offer.

Finally our Isla Mujeres selfie...


Now on to Nicaragua....