Nica Adventures
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5 AM Musical Birthday Greeting
I woke at 5 am this morning to the sounds of a musical birthday greeting being offered to one of our neighbours featuring traditional Nicaraguan music with an accordion, guitar, guitarilla, etc and about 4 singing men. Apologies for the sound quality - if you crank your volume, you’ll be able to hear it.
This is one of the charms of living in this country. Enjoy the sites and sounds of Granada in the morning!
Here’s their version of our traditional birthday greeting: -
”Experienced a midnight musical telegram - Nicaragua-style. Apparently it was someone’s birthday up the street from us - the entire neighbourhood was treated to a pretty good marching band’s musical repertoire from about 12 am to 12:30 am, with a grand “Happy Birthday” finale. Wouldn’t pink flamingos on the lawn have been quieter?
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Apiary Tour (Buzzzz)
Took a tour of a local apiary (bee farm) to see how it’s done in this country. Looks much the same as the techniques used by my Dad many years ago, just a bit rustier.
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A Room with a View?
On a clear day, we can see Mount Mombacho from our back windows. It’s quite a lovely site… until you look down into the arroyo, which resembles a heavy traffic dirt valley more than a stream. And as you can see, it’s also one of the locals’ favourite dump spots for trash and garbage. So it’s a room with a mixed view.
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Back in Granada, Nicaragua - this time at Casa Alma.
Here’s a little video of our new house in Granada. The garden is the highlight of the house, though the makeshift super-king-sized bed is also something special. It’s about a 5 minute walk from the Central Park, which makes it very convenient for Jeffrey to go to work and us to get around, too. Come and visit anytime - we’ve got lots of beds and baths! Directions to this house are by way of the nearby bridge - Puente Papacu, media cuadra al oeste, which is somewhere around to here. [BTW, if you need a property manager to find you a great place in Granada, we highly recommend GPS.]
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Sailing trip with the San Juan del Sur Sea Scouts
We spent a lovely day last Saturday sailing with the Exploradores Marinos (Sea Scouts) - a group of young Nicaraguans who are being taught the finer points of sailing with captain Ralph Hewitt. Ralph regailed us with tales of San Juan del Sur history while we enjoyed the sea spray and the sunshine.
We ended up at Playa Blanca, an absolutely pristine white sand beach with no one else around. Though the water was cold, the swimming and snorkeling were a highlight. To and from the beach, Ralph gave us a few pointers on sailing, even letting us (wo)man the captain’s chair for a bit.
Not only does Ralph offer these free sailing lessons to the young people, they use the proceeds from tourists like us to put the kids through English courses and fund their university education. They’re a great bunch of people!
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This is the road to Bayview. I just love the unique character of the trees. Reminds me of Africa.
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Some amazing sailing cruise ships have been visiting the harbour in San Juan del Sur. We’re dreaming of a future vacation aboard one of these beauties.
