What's special about Nicaragua

I was wondering why you didn't go to the Caribbean then?

I did go to the caribean- I went to Cuba!

But I didn't enjoy Cuba. Too many hustlers on the street. I was constantly harassed. Everyone is always trying to be your "friend," and there are the comments by men to single women walking alone. Even in the museums, the security people would ask me if I had gum or pens to give them. At one museum, one of the guards asked me if I would give her the jean jacket I was wearing. The poverty is heartbreaking. I never experienced this type of hustling in Mexico or Guatemala.

And it was sad to see a beautiful city in ruins. The restaurant, cafes, etc are not "real" in the sense Cubans cannot afford them. They were for tourist for the most part. And food was terrible.

The beaches were great though!

We love Cuba. People are friendly. Yes, some have become used to tourists giving them stuff. But they are not that poor. The poorest people in Guatemala and Nicaragua are much poorer than the poorest people in Cuba. Don't forget that Cuba provides everyone with food (not much, but enough to survive on). Housing, electricity and water are cheap to almost free. And there is free health care and education.
The problem is that tourists think the Cubans are very poor and that they can't get certain things (and there are of course shortages now and then) and so they give gifts to the hotel workers and the kids and the guides and to everyone they meet. The result is that especially in places heavily visited by tourists you get asked for stuff. There are long discussions about whether we do them any real favours when we hand out dollar store gifts and give them our clothes...

We liked the food. It is not special but we like rice, beans, plantains, onions, peppers, garlic, chicken and pork. I also liked their cheese, fish and all kinds of fruit I had never tasted before.

The beaches can be great but I also liked Santiago de Cuba (although hectic and polluted) and especially Trinidad (beautiful colonial city). We often rent a scooter or car and go exploring. As soon as we go off the beaten path we are not asked for stuff any more. There is some great hiking as well. And the music... amazing.

By the way in Nicaragua if you are a young woman there will be catcalling or kissy-kissy noises from some men.

I spent a week in Santa Ana El Salvador. Casa Verde was the best hostel I have stayed in anywhere in the world. People here were so friendly. By the third time I walked past the young fellow on the corner selling shoes he would greet me, as did the three men with big guns standing guard outside what I think was a cooking school. I went to two performances at the restored National Theater, and often just spent time sitting on a bench in the park area of the main square. Loved riding the local buses. I do not speak Spanish, but people on the buses always made some attempt to communicate, and it was amazing how much we managed. I went to El Tunco, its just a little surfing town, beaches not great, but again, pleasant people. Thinking about it now, the people were the reason I enjoyed it so much.

It sounds like you spent your time in Costa Rica on the Pacific Coast when you wanted Caribbean beaches. Then you go to Cuba and expect the Capitol city, Havana to be relaxed and clean. Almost all of the capitol cities in developing countries are not places where I would want to spend very much time. This is a fact that most people know about. It sounds like you are placing the blame elsewhere for your own poor planning.

You don't go to Costa Rica for culture, you go for nature, wildlife, bio diversity, National Parks and great beaches. Not to say there is not indigenous peoples and areas to explore, its just not on most visitors radar. The Pacific coast overall is developed and geared to travelers/tourist, sun seekers, adventure seekers and surfers.

The Caribe side offers a more authentic opportunity to immerse in a afro culture, though in Tortuguero the majority of the residents are actually Nica's. But its still a interesting afro community that is tight knit and rich in traditions.

The indigenous indians of various tribes live throughout the caribe slopes of Chirppo and La Amistad NP. Even when rafting the Rio Pacaure, it can afford one a possible sighting of these reclusive indians living off the land, wearing loin cloth and carrying spears for food gathering..

Nicaragua on the otherhand is the opposite, its not the beast beaches and the parks not super well managed or tourist friendly like CR, but the culture is more traditional for sure, as CR is rather liberal in comparison, especially when you consider the religion, gay life and the flirtatious nature ingrained in the society. Nicaragua is rustic, in a good way.

Nica's are not like smile and say hello, as CR, they are humble, hard working and keep to themselves, but are wonderful people that are the salt of the earth IMO.

Nature wise, I have not done enough there to compare to CR, but if I could go tomorrow for 10 days, my focus would be the Rio San Juan/El Casstillo areas, and also Corn Islands...itching to check out that coast.

The other area that is off the beaten path and I hear great things about is the north, and Estelli area...time is most peoples enemy for getting up and around here...

Nicaragua is great, not as rich culturally as Guatemala, but its not fair to compare them either. If you have 2 weeks, Nicaragua would be a good time of non stop fun IMO.

Thank you for all the kind and helpful replies.

Nicaragua here I come ...! :-)

Good and be sure to skip El Salvador, anyone who has been to Cuba and describe it as you do, we don't need here in beautiful El Salvador!

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