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>Circus is in town….
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 7 July 2011
The famous Torres Brothers circus is ‘in town’ in Las Flores, Masaya in Nicaragua. This might be a big boost for tourism in Nicaragua, or at least in the local community. ’Come on in and see what’s happening. Pay the price, get your tickets for the show….’ That would be C$10 ($0.45) a head and [...]
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Eskimo
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 5 July 2011
I zipped by Palí (a national supermarket chain in Nicaragua, partly owned by Wal-Mart) in Masaya, Nicaragua and got this guy on the way out: jumbo sugar cone, one scoop of Neapolitan ice cream and another scoop of mint with two cookie sticks. You can imagine that it was delicious!!!! Price: C$23 ($1.20) Pasé por [...]
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La Mexicana
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 5 July 2011
I had some great Mexican food two nights this past week in León, Nicaragua, a favorite of tourists in Nicaragua. The owner/cook is from Guadalajara, México. She knows her stuff – at least as fars as the chilaquiles y the salsas go. Wow! We liked it so much we ate there two nights in a [...]
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Pescamar
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 5 July 2011
I spent three days in Matagalpa, my old stomping grounds for 3+ years from 2000-2004, and a fairly common spot for Nicaraguan tourists. I had in mind ordering one of my favorites for the cool, rainy climate: shrimp soup. However, once inside the friendly confines, I decided to stretch my budget and go for the [...]
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Panchita the parakeet Panchita la chocoya
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 5 July 2011
Here’s Panchita the parakeet in the market in Tipitapa, Nicaragua. Aquí está Panchita la chocoya en el mercado de Tipitapa, Nicaragua.
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Update from the Field: Zulu Weddings, More Country-Specific Microfinance + Fighting Crime
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 4 July 2011
Compiled by Kathrin Gerner, KF15, Togo Learn about the tradition of Zulu weddings in South Africa. Find out how Kiva's partners adapt the concept of microfinance to fit their country's specific needs: from loans targeting borrowers affected by emigration in Ecuador, over a preference for group loans in El Salvador, to lending coupled with various training programs in Rwanda. Finish off your weekly reading by learning about crime-fighting Kivans in Nicaragua.
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Updates from the Field: Roads, Remittances + the “Little Paris” of Togo
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 27 June 2011
Last week our internationally-scattered Kiva Fellows introduced us to some of the men and women that compose the sixty countries in which Kiva works.
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>Haircut<…>Corte de pelo
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 12 June 2011
How much did you pay for your last haircut? I got mine cut today in Las Flores, Masaya, Nicaragua for C$20 (less than a buck). In the bigger cities, in a more conventional barber shop, you might pay C$25-50 (especially if you are a white foreigner). Overall, it’s definitely worth it to get your buzz [...]
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Chivos comiendo chicha
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 9 June 2011
These goats were going after the remnants of a local corn based drink called chicha – a favorite among the Nicaraguan population. Estos chivitos se volvieron loco yendo tras lo que quedaba de la masa de una bebida local llamada chicha – una favorita entre la gente de Nicaragua.
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>Cachito
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 31 May 2011
A nice example of a thorned plant in Nicaragua, fittingly name “cachito” (little horn).
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Update from the Field: Unsung Heroes, Community Alliances + and Mission Statements Made Reality
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 30 May 2011
Compiled by Kate Bennett, KF15, Ecuador This week in the field fellows across the world explore the factors that make microfinance and its successes a reality. In Kenya, we meet the actors who reach out to borrowers everyday, at any and all degrees of their own discomfort. In Nicaragua, we discover that high aspirations can [...]
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Update from the Field: Personal Connections, Supply and Demand + A Culinary Excursion
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 23 May 2011
Compiled by Kathrin Gerner, KF15, Togo As the 14th class passes the baton to the 15th class, the Kiva fellows are sharing their final thoughts and first impressions. Be inspired by the personal connections Kiva creates between lenders and borrowers in Nepal and Sierra Leone. Find out how a phenomenal harvest can prevent farmers in Nicaragua from repaying their loans. Discover the creative ways of assessing credit worthiness used in Uganda and around the globe. Sample local customs and cuisine, while reading about the Day of the Child in Mexico and taking a culinary excursion in Liberia.
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Traca-traca
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 22 May 2011
> Here is a pair of the famous ‘traca-traca’ toys, annually popular in Nicaragua during the months of April and May. You’ll here the loud clackety-clack almost where ever you go and where ever there are kids and young people. The pair cost C$8 ($0.38) and make about 10x as much noise. Aquí está un [...]
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Volcano El Hoyo Trek – Video Ep. 16
Blog: Two Backpackers - 21 May 2011
While visiting León, Nicaragua we decide to visit the Los Maribios volcano chain again for another adventure. We booked a 2-day hike with Quetzaltrekkers to the mysterious El Hoyo, the “Hole.” The trek includes another attempt to descend Volcano Cerro Negro at high speeds, a grueling 1 hour climb into the volcanic complex known as [...]
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>Armadillo
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 16 May 2011
>The armadillo has quite a few names in Nicaragua: armado, armadillo, canchuncho, cuzuco and pitero. Whatever you call it, it’s good for lunch in Caña de Castilla, Granada, Nicaragua. El armadillo tiene varios nombres en Nicaragua: armado, armadillo, canchuncho, cuzuco y pitero. Llámese como se se llame, hace un buen almuerzo en Caña de Castilla, Granada, Nicaragua.
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The Long Journey – From Granada to Roatan via Managua
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 11 May 2011
We knew this trip was never going to be too much fun as we would be traversing the width of the continent, but thanks to the Tica Bus, it could have been a lot worse. We were starting from Granada which isn’t the jumping off point for the Tica bus, so in the afternoon we [...]
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Kiva Farmers: A Tale of Irony and Woe in Nicaragua
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 8 May 2011
It has been a phenomenal summer harvest here in Estelí, Nicaragua. Everywhere you look; there are fields filled with onions, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and cabbage, thanks to just the right amount of rainfall and sunshine, and access to financing through micro-credit. With loans from Kiva, borrowers bought plants, fertilizer, pesticide, gasoline for irrigation [...]
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>Mango
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 7 May 2011
>Mango season in Nicaragua is well under way and almost on it’s way out. They are available year round but especially in March and April. The sweet, stenchy things are starting to pile up. However, I found a small one and was really impressed with it’s color and appearance. La temporada de mangos en Nicaragua [...]
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Microlending Behind the Scenes: How MFIs Judge Credit Worthiness
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 5 May 2011
By Nila Uthayakumar, KF14, Uganda, With the help of several other Fellows in the field I’ve met all kinds of borrowers. From age 16 to 76; from orphans to a former beauty queen; from potato sellers to auto parts saleswomen to motorcycle transportation tycoons. I’ve met them in urban slums, in villages, in homes, on [...]
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Volcano Boarding in León – Video Ep. 15
Blog: Two Backpackers - 5 May 2011
After crossing 2 borders to get across Honduras, we entered Nicaragua for the first time and traveled to the city of León. There is a lot of outdoor adventure to be had in León, especially the adrenaline rush of volcano boarding down Cerro Negro, the black volcanic hill. You can book this adventure tour through [...]
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>Old Coke bottle
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 5 May 2011
> I had a nice icey Coca-Cola at Jimmy Three Fingers in Granada, Nicaragua. As you will notice, Nicaragua still has the old glass coke bottles. Who knows when this one was made…but I definitely prefer Coke, Pepsi or whatever from a glass bottle than a can. It just tastes better! Me bebí una Coca-Cola [...]
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>Carrot and orange juice<<<>>>Fresco de zanahoria con naranja
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 5 May 2011
>Nicaragua is a land of many natural fruit and vegetable drinks. One excellent combination is carrot and orange juice. Here’s how you can make it: Clean, peel and blend 1 lb. of carrots in a quart of water. Strain the juice.Add 1 cup of lemon juice. Add sugar to taste. Add ice. Drink and enjoy!!! [...]
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Social Work in Granada – Carita Feliz and MI Museo
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 3 May 2011
One of our days in Granada saw us lucky enough to get a great behind-the-scenes look at a wonderful charitable organisation. The mission of Carita Feliz (Happy Face) is, where possible, to deliver whatever services there is most demand for in the local community. The centre is based around education but this is not its [...]
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Looking for a Revolution
Blog: A Traveler's Library - 27 April 2011
Destination: Nicaragua and El Salvador Book: Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War (NEW February 2011) by Deb Olin Unferth In 1987, a seventeen-year-old college girl follows her adored boyfriend, George, into war–if only they could find the war–or if anybody wanted their help. I generally shy away from memoirs [...]This content is a post from: A Traveler's Library To comment on this post or search for related information, click on the link to A Traveler's Library.
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Masaya Volcano, Nicaragua
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 25 April 2011
We decided to head out of the city and adventure to the Masaya Volcano and the town of the same name. The first step was getting a local minibus heading to Managua that would drop us at the entrance to the volcano. This was a fairly simple yet entertaining task, given that the bus that [...]
