Future rock star/Estrella del rock del futuro

This guy really bends the notes on his six-string. He is definitely a future Nicaraguan rock star or a future country singer.

Este chavalo saca el son de su guitarra. Seguro es una estrella del futuro en Nicaragua, música rock o country....

Posted by Editorial Team on 8:59 p.m. in

Dress factory/Fábrica de vestidos

In the El Comején area, in the back woods of Masaya, you'll find locals working in this little dress factory. They make really nice typical dresses, mostly for little girls. The handiwork is beautiful and the creativity is impressive!

En la zona de El Comején, Masaya, hay una fábrica donde la gente local trabaja haciendo estos vestidos típicos. Mayormente fabrican vestidos para niñas pequeñas. Las obras son bien bonitas y la creatividad es impresionante!

Posted by Editorial Team on 8:37 p.m. in

Look at those mangos!!!/Clase de mangos!!!!

Out in El Comején, Masaya, in a place called La Puerta, Don José and his wife gifted these two mangos to me. I estimate that they weighed between 4 and 5 pounds a piece. Don José grafted a local tree with one from Diriamba. They called it a 'splinfer' mango. They are big!!!!

Pór allí en El Comején, Masaya, en un lugar llamado La Puerta, Don José y su esposa me regalaron estos dos mangos. Estimo que pesaban alrededor de 2 kg cada uno. Don José es experto en injertos y cruzó un palo local con uno de Diriamba que el llama 'splinfer'. ¡¡¡Clase de mangos!!!

Posted by Editorial Team on 6:40 a.m. in

Horse and bamboo/Caballo en el bambú

I found this friendly guy in El Comején, Masaya, just waiting for a hug.

Hallé este tipo amistoso en El Comején, Masaya, esperando un abrazo.

Posted by Editorial Team on 5:35 p.m. in

Sacuanjoche

Walking out in a field in El Comején, Masaya, I saw this beautiful sacuanjoche flower, a variety of Nicaraguan's national flower.  It's name comes from the Náhuatl (indigenous) language.  The flower blooms in this time of the year (April/May) and, different from other flowers, it spawns off the sacuanjoche tree.

While the sacuanjoche flower used as Nicaragua's national flower is a white one with a yellow center, it's flower cousin here leaves nothing to desire as far as beauty goes.

Caminando por el campo en El Comején, Masaya, vi esta flor sacuanjoche, una variedad de la flor nacional de Nicaragua.  Su nombre viene de la Náhuatl lengua.  Florece en esta época del año (Abríl/Mayo) y, diferente de otras flores, se produce de un árbol.

La típica sacuanjoche, usada como símbolo nacional de Nicaragua, es blanca con un centro amarillo.  Sin embargo, su prima flor allí arriba no deja nada que envidiar en cuanto a su belleza.

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:15 a.m. in

Food in the country/Comida en el campo

We are spending the week in El Comején, Masaya.  It's a bit off the map, so to speak...kind of like a week long camping trip.  What are we eating?  Well, the locals are very hospitable and have served up some excellent food.  For breakfast, we had scrambled eggs with green peppers, onions, tomato and lemon juice served with gallo pinto (rice and beans) and black coffee.  It was good!

For lunch, we had a seared and lightly breaded chicken breast, tostones (fried green plantains), salad, rice and beans.  'twas delicious too!  You can see why I can't lose wait, can't you?


Vamos a estar en El Comején, Masaya esta semana.  Está un poco retirado de la civilización, por así decirlo...como ir a acampar por la semana.  ¿Qué vamos a comer?  Bueno los lugareños son muy hospitalarios y nos han servido comida muy buena.  Para el desayuno, comimos huevos revueltos con chiltoma, cebolla, tomate y jugo de limón, servidos con gallo pinto y café negro.  Estuvo bueno!!!

En el almuerzo nos sirvieron pechuga de pollo, ligeramente empanizado, con tostones, ensalada, arroz y frijoles.  También estuvo rico.  Ya mirás porqué no bajo de peso, ¿verdad?

Posted by Editorial Team on 6:51 p.m. in

Out for a rida/A pasear....

This little boy and little girl from Caña de Castilla (at the base of the Mombacho volcano in the department of Granada, Nicaragua) found just the right spot to wait for a free ride.

Este niño y niña de Caña de Castilla (en las faldas del volcán Mombacho, departamento de Granada, Nicaragua) hallaron justamente el punto preciso donde esperar para que los llevara a pasear.

Posted by Editorial Team on 12:22 p.m. in

Chickens,pigs, etc./Gallinas, curruchos, etc.

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:31 a.m. in

Spanish 'Survivor' to be filmed in Nicaragua/'Sobrevivientes' de España a grabarse en Nicaragua

Note the following press release taken from http://www.24-7pressrelease.com:

WASHINGTON, DC, April 18, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Nicaragua has been chosen as the new location for Spain's version of the reality show Survivor (Supervivientes) Season 11, expected to air in May 2010. The Spanish television network, Telecinco, announced that the destination for this season will no longer be the Cochinos Keys in Honduras like the previous four seasons; instead, the participants will travel to Nicaragua's South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS, for its acronym in Spanish), specifically to Corn Island and the Pearl Keys.

The Pearl Keys consist of 18 little islands located on the Caribbean Coast, 35 km from the coast of Pearl Lagoon, where the seventh season of the Italian version of Survivor (L'Isola dei Famosi) is currently being filmed.

The show consists of filming the daily lives of famous contestants who will compete to survive in Nicaragua's Pearl Keys for almost 3 months without food or shelter. Contestants will be challenged twice a week and will be able to win prizes and become the leaders of the island. The winner of the competition will receive a prize of EUR200,000.

The show will have a positive impact on Nicaragua's tourism sector and its economy by drawing the attention of the European audience. Statistics from the Nicaraguan Tourism Board (INTUR, for its acronym in Spanish) show that Europe is the fastest growing source market when it comes to tourists visiting Nicaragua, with a 23.5 percent increase in 2009 when compared to 2008.

PRONicaragua is the official Investment Promotion Agency of Nicaragua, established in 2002. It is a non-profit, public-private institution whose mission is to generate economic growth and job creation in Nicaragua by attracting high-quality foreign direct investment. The agency provides complimentary support services to qualified investors seeking investment opportunities in our country. For further information, please contact us at (505) 2270-6400 of visit our website: www.pronicaragua.org

Posted by Editorial Team on 6:34 a.m. in

Snack/Merienda

This has been a tradition of mine here in Nicaragua for about 15 years now. The only thing that has changed is the price. Pretend it's about 10:30 a.m. and the sun is beating down. Now, note the Pepsi and Coca-Cola in a 16 oz. glass bottle. Then, we have the famous 'tortillitas', jalapeno flavored corn chips in two different varieties. It's a nice snack for two and pretty cheap too:

Pepsi - C$7 ($0.35)
Coca-cola C$8 ($0.40)
Tortillitas C$2 ($0.10) x 2
Total = C$19 ($0.95)

Esta ha sido una tradición mía aquí en Nicaragua por casi 15 años. Lo único que ha cambiado es el precio. Hacete que son las 10:30 a.m. y el sol está pegando duro. Ahora, notá la Pepsi y la Coca-cola en botellas de vidrio de 16 oz. Luego, tenemos las 'tortillitas', con sabor a jalapeño en dos variedades distintas. Es una buena merienda para dos y bastante económica también:

Pepsi - C$7 ($0.35)
Coca-cola C$8 ($0.40)
Tortillitas C$2 ($0.10) x 2
Total = C$19 ($0.95)

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:37 p.m. in

The Garden Café in Granada, Nicaragua

We ate in The Garden Café in Granada, Nicaragua. It's a nice idea and a well planned out. The owner, Xiomara Díaz, attends customers and speaks fluent Spanish and English. There is a nice open air garden, as the restaurant's name suggests. They also have free wi-fi. The menú is varied and includes a lot of vegetarian items as well. Smoothies are available as well as a good variety of local drinks. Purified water is also freely available in the seating area.

We ate a couple of the wraps on the menú (each cost C$85 ($4.25): the pollo picante (chicken) and the Chepe (turkey). My pollo picante wrap was pretty plain. The chicken was kind of dry and it consisted of more lettuce than anything else (I am not vegetarian. Show me the meat!). The Chepe wrap was a little better (according to my wife). The potato salad was good.

For dessert, the brownie (C$20 or $1.00) was excellent!!!

On a scale of 1 to 10, The Garden Café gets a 6 in my book. Why? Although it has good service and a nice atmosphere, the food was fairly plain. Also, as is the case in many restaurants, the final price increases by 25% after a 15% sales tax and 10% tip is automatically added to the bill. We paid C$287 total ($14.35) for what you see in the picture. Not really worth it, if you ask me. On the positive side, I would recommend this place for nice desserts and natural fruit drinks.

Comimos en The Garden Café en Granada, Nicaragua. Nació de una buena idea y es un negocio bien pensado. La dueña, Xiomara Díaz, atiende a los clientes y habla inglés y español con fluidez. Hay un jardín al aire libre, como indica el nombre. También tienen wi-fi. El menú es variado e incluye muchas comida vegetarianas. Hay smoothies y una buena variedad de bebidas locales. Agua purificada también está disponible en la área de comida.

Probamos unos 'wraps' (cada uno cuesta C$85 ($4.25): el pollo picante y el Chepe (pavo). El pollo picante era sin novedad. El pollo era sequito y llevaba más lechuga que otra cosa (no soy vegetariano - quiero carne!!!) El wrap Chepe estuvo bueno (según mi esposa). La ensalada de papas estaba rica.

Para postre comimos un brownie (C$20 o $1.00). Estuvo bien rico!!!!

En escala de 1 a 10, The Garden Café recibe un 6. ¿Por qué? Mientras está bonito el lugar y hay buen servicio, la comida era bastante simple. También, como hacen en otros lugares, el precio final aumenta por 25% (15% IVA y 10% propina). Pagamos C$287 ($14.35) por lo que ves en las fotos. No valió la pena, si me preguntas. Por otro lado, recomiendo este lugar por los postres y las bebidas naturales.


Calle Libertad,
Del Parque Central,
1 cuadra al Este
Granada

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:17 p.m. in

House in Granada/Casa en Granada

I saw this house in Granada, Nicaragua and really liked the simple, typical design. Nice huh?

Vi esta casa en Granada, Nicaragua y me gustó el diseño sencillo y típico. Bonito ¿verdad?

Posted by Editorial Team on 6:13 a.m. in

My breakfast/mi desayuno

I ate a fairly typical Nicaraguan breakfast today: lightly fried tortilla, fresh sweet cream, gallo pinto (rice and beans) with crumbled white cheese on top and two cups of café con leche (milk, instante coffee and suger). Yummy!!!!

Hoy comí un desayuno bastante típico: tortilla ligeramente frita, crema, gallo pinto y queso seco con dos tazas de café con leche. Umm!!!!

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:05 a.m. in

I gwant a Pepsi pleese/Yo querer una Pepsí

As the beverage companies fall on hard times, others find good uses for their signs. This is one of the newest promotions a local bottler in Nicaragua is using to promote their product and give a little something back to the community.

Mientras caigan las ventas de bebidas, otros hallan como sacar provecho de sus rotulos. Aquí se mira una de las más nuevas promociones de una botelladoar de Nicaragua. Se logra dos propósitos: promover su producto y dar algo a la comunidad.

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:33 p.m. in

The Garage/El Garaje

We went to eat at lunch at a nice little place in Granada, Nicaragua called El Garaje.  It's located at 512 Calle Corral.  It's quite a quaint little place with an eclectic fare of food.  The menu is varied and changes, to some degree, daily.  There are quite a few tasty vegetarian options.  Paul Aquin appears to be the entrepreneur of this nice little place.  There in the pictures you'll see: seared tuna (C$115 - $5.75), veggie wrap (C$115 - $5.75) and a chipotle corn and bean burrito (C$100 - $5.00).  On a scale of 1 to 10, it's an 8!!!

Fuimos a almorzar  a un lugar que se llama El Garaje, en Granada, Nicaragua.  Su dirección es: 512 Calle Corral.  Es un lugar bien bonito con una variedad eclectica de comida.  El menú es variado y cambia, hasta cierto grado, diario.  Hay opciones sabrosas para vegetarianos también.  El dueño y chef es Paul Acquin.  En las fotos te presento: atún a la plancha (C$115 - $5.75), un wrap de verduras (C$115 - $5.75) y un burrito de chipotle, frijól y maíz (C$100 - $5.00).  En una escala de 1 a 10, le doy ¡¡¡un 8!!!

Here's our friends David Craigshead with Bob and Glynis Goddard, hailing from the U.K.

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:22 p.m. in

Cold croc-kin it in Nicaragua

I saw this young man with a stately pair of orange crocs on. I asked him where he got them. He told me of a place in the Granada, Nicaragua market. How much? C$60 ($3.00). Do I see an eBay enterprise coming here?

Vi a un jóven con este par de zapatos Crocs. Le pregunté dónde los había conseguido. Me dijo que en el mercado de Granada, Nicaragua. ¿Cuánto? C$60 ($3.00). Espera que chequea en eBay...¡a negociar!

Posted by Editorial Team on 3:39 p.m. in

Tour of duty/Estar de misión

Just sit back there soldier. We are on duty. No lip. no nothing. You need to go to the bathroom? You better speak up, son. We are not stoppin' til we get to Nam. Vietnam, Nicaragua that is. As you can see, on the way to Waslala and a looooonnnngggg ways from Puerto Cabezas still. This is the road from Matagalpa to La Dalia to El Cua to San José de Bocay. Buckle up soldier and zip it!

Quieta soldado. Estamos en misión. Callate. No digas nada. ¿Tenés que ir al baño? No te calles soldado. No vamos a parar hasta que lleguemos a 'nam. Vietnam, Nicaragua ¿oiste? Como podés ver, vamos por el camino a Waslala pero falta muuuuuchoooo para llegar a Puerto Cabezas. Este es el camino que va de Matagalpa a La Dalia a El Cua hasta San José de Bocay. ¡Abrochate soldado y callate!

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:38 p.m. in

Out for a walk/Cuando estoy en el campo....

Posted by Editorial Team on 7:55 p.m. in

Triplets/Trillizos

I came across these three little girls from El Fortín, Nicaragua (close to Granada). There names are: María Guadalupe, María Auxiliadora and María de los Ángeles. Their mother told me that there are many twins that have been born in the area, for some strange reason. "No. It's God's blessing" she told me.

Encontré a estas pequeñas niñas trillizas en El Fortín, Nicaragua (cerca de Granada). Se llaman: María Guadalupe, María Auxiliadora y María de los Ángeles. Por alguna razón extraña, hay muchos gemelos también que han nacido en la zone. ¿Extraño? "No. Bendición de Dios" me dijo.

Posted by Editorial Team on 9:54 a.m. in