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>Holy week gas prices—-Precios de combustible en semana santa
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 22 April 2011
> Gas is sky high again. Here’s a shot from last night (April 20th) in Granada, Nicaragua. This is the Petronic station but Shell and Esso have the same prices. Petro, gasoline, diesel – it’s all expensive right now. This is price per liter (* 3.78 for gallon prices = C$118.92/gallon). There’s a money conversion [...]
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Granada, Nicaragua
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 21 April 2011
Granada is somewhere that gets under your skin. It is a multicoloured historic city that is large enough to ensure that you won’t get bored but small enough that you can still get a good feel by walking around. The first thing that struck me is that although it screams “colonial” at you there is [...]
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San Juan del Sur to Ometepe and the Islands themselves – Part 2
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 20 April 2011
Our next destination on the island was Merida. All the travellers we spoke to about Ometepe recommended heading to Merida and this time advice was spot on. Hacienda Merida is a lovely spot with a friendly atmosphere. After a long hot and very bouncy ride over we took the opportunity to dive into the lake. [...]
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San Juan del Sur to Ometepe and the Islands themselves – Part 1
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 18 April 2011
Ometepe means “between two hills” in Nahautl, the indigenous language of Nicaragua. It is an island full of forests, archaeological treasures, mangroves, wildlife and culture so we certainly had no opportunity to be bored. When we looked at the distances on a map it was a relatively short journey from San Juan del Sur to [...]
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Update from the Field: Trash, Delicious Treats + Community Outreach
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 18 April 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa Let’s take a moment to vicariously consume baked goods in Colombia, coffee in Nicaragua, tomatoes in Ukraine, and a traditional meal in Nepal.
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Nicaraguan Coffee Odyssey – Lend To Growers Now!
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 13 April 2011
The coffee harvest takes place from December to February each year, but the coffee growers are applying for Kiva loans now, to cover the cost of fertilizer, salaries for workers, and other supplies. As a Kiva Fellow with MiCredito in Esteli, Nicaragua, I decided to learn as much as I could about coffee. To do [...]
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San Juan del Sur – We got stuck…
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 11 April 2011
San Juan del Sur is somewhere we planned to stop for a few nights and ended up staying nearly a week, and I still can’t quite put my finger on why. It might have been the relief to be out of the very expensive but lovely Costa Rica, it could be that we both love [...]
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Photo of the Day: Sunset Over Los Maribios Volcano Chain
Blog: Two Backpackers - 8 April 2011
Check out Volcano Boarding in Leon Nicaragua. This photo was taken from Volcano El Hoyo looking out at Los Maribios volcano chain in Nicaragua during our 2-day trek booked out of León with Quetzaltrekkers. As you head towards León it is impossible to miss the view of the perfectly shaped Volcán Momotombo. Rising 1297 meters [...]
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Photo of the Day: Sunset Over Los Maribios Volcano Chain
Blog: Two Backpackers - 8 April 2011
Check out Volcano Boarding in Leon Nicaragua. This photo was taken from Volcano El Hoyo looking out at Los Maribios volcano chain in Nicaragua during our 2-day trek booked out of León with Quetzaltrekkers. As you head towards León it is impossible to miss the view of the perfectly shaped Volcán Momotombo. Rising 1297 meters [...]
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Playa Maderas – Nicaraguan Beach Life
Blog: Viva Latin America! - 6 April 2011
Playa Maderas was our first stop in San Juan del Sur. It is about 10km from the main town and although we opted to stay there overnight it is a great option as a day trip. It costs US$15 by taxi and there is also a shuttle that runs from town three times a day. [...]
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Update from the Field: April Fools, Terrible Coffee + Getting Attached
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 4 April 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa We hope you enjoyed our April Fools post on Friday! While we were entertaining ourselves pulling it all together, we also found the time to attend to some serious matters: coffee in Colombia is no joke (in a bad way), some borrowers are easier to locate than others, and oftentimes Fellows must say goodbye to people and places before they’re ready to.
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Special Update from the Field: Beaches, Safaris + Cambodian Glamour Shots
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 1 April 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa Kiva Fellows are nothing if not creative. We’ve gone to elaborate lengths to convince you that it can be hard to visit borrowers and that when we’re not trekking for miles, we’re doing elaborate calculations or dealing with databases and reporting. In truth, it’s all a front for an extended holiday from our regular lives. You thought our recent Carnival coverage represented a change of pace? Think again!
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>Pizza León
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 28 February 2011
>I hate to exaggerate but I ate the best pizza in León, Nicaragua last night and the night before. You probably won’t believe where I bought it at. It’s in Central Park, right next to the church. It’s called Pizza León. Not much on looks but the goods are good! You can get a slice [...]
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Update from the Field: Videos, Epic Commutes + Going Beyond Microfinance
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 28 February 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa Another week, another incredible range of dispatches from around the world.
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>Pepsi/Peksi
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 27 February 2011
> Here are some different presentations of Pepsi in Nicaragua. Interestingly, Pepsi is locally bottled and made with cane sugar (not corn syrup, like in the USA). If you ask for a Pepsi, you might be misunderstood. Get it right the first time and just say: “Peksi”. BTW that little bottle (6 oz.) costs C$4 [...]
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Nicaragua in Pictures: Gorgeous Granada
Blog: Itinerant Londoner - 21 February 2011
A photo post about my backpacking trip to the beautiful colonial city of Granada, Nicaragua. Stunning churches, colourful buildings, crumbling ruins all overlooked by the dramatic silhouette of the Mombacho volcano. Continue reading →
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Last Week in the Field: “Christmas”, Trekking, Adversity + Good Company
Blog: Kiva Stories from the Field - 21 February 2011
Compiled by Alexis Ditkowsky, KF14, South Africa Members of the 14th class of Kiva Fellows have officially hit their stride. While we never know where the next dispatch will come from or what interesting topics the Fellows will cover next, we always know we'll be transported, entertained, and edified.
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>Racoons/Mapaches
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 19 February 2011
> I met these critters in El Realejo, Chinandega, Nicaragua. They are super tame and affectionate. Conocí a estos animalitos en El Realejo, Chinandega, Nicaragua. Son bien mansitos y cariñosos. Nicaragua tourism, turismo Nicaragua
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Leon, Nicaragua Wishes You Were Here
Blog: Suzy Guese - 18 February 2011
This week’s Wish You Were Here post comes from The Globetrottergirls. The Globetrottergirls are German-American couple Dani and Jessica who balance a digital nomad lifestyle of full-time work and travel. In April 2010 the girls traded their London apartment to travel the world indefinitely and work from a hammock as often as possible. Be sure [...]
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>Flayers Hamburgers
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 16 February 2011
> If you want absolutely the best burger in Nicaragua, go to Flayers on the highway between Managua and Masaya. That is a ton of meat for C$69.50 ($3.16) and ice cold beers and cokes. You can’t beat it! Si querés la mejor hamburguesa de Nicaragua, andate a Flayers, carretera entre Managua [...]
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>La Casona Coffee Shop
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 15 February 2011
> I had a few moments to spend in La Casona Coffee Shop in San Marcos, Carazo, Nicaragua. The sign said “where cool people hang out”, I heard my calling and took a seat. I had some really good coffee – a double espresso with milk (macchiato) and a great piece of chocolate cake. [...]
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How to get up Volcanoes the easy way
Blog: Itinerant Londoner - 14 February 2011
Always fancied seeing a volcano up close but don’t fancy the sound of a strenuous two-day hike? Or scared of risking injury by having to slide back down on a plank of wood? Well don’t worry – Nicaragua have a … Continue reading →
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Little Corn Island
Blog: Itinerant Londoner - 7 February 2011
I may have been slightly disappointed by the volcano boarding on Cerro Negro, but as it turned out there’s a far better (and cheaper) way to get a huge adrenaline kick in Nicaragua – by visiting Little Corn Island, a … Continue reading →
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>Café en Masaya, Nicaragua
Blog: Nicaragua Tourist - 5 February 2011
> As could be expected from an excellent coffee producing country like Nicaragua, there are some nice little coffee shops scattered around the country. In Masaya, we found this one called “El Esfuerzo”. Check out the nice selection of pastries and the coffee machine that served up a strong macchiato (C$15 or $0.75). Como es [...]
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Nicaragua, Good Times For Backpackers
Blog: Backpacker Bucks - 2 February 2011
Nicaragua is a little bit of the wild west smack dab in the middle of Central America. An up and comer on the backpacker circuit and very budget friendly.
