by Zac Clemens

If you have never been to Ometepe, you should go because it unique; there is nowhere like it anywhere else on earth. If you have been, you should go back, to see what is new.

If your past visit to the island includes bad memories of a bumpy, dusty bus ride, then for at least half the distance of the island that problem is solved. A new brick road connects the towns of Moyogalpa and Atlagracia. For at least half the island, what was a kidney jarring, slow ride is now a scenic pleasure drive.

Two majestic volcanoes, Maderas and Concepcion, and their surrounding plains connected through a small strip of land constitute this 276 square kilometer figure eight-shaped island. Concepción  rises 4,430 feet above sea level and Maderas is at 3,833 feet. Ometepe is currently growing as a tourist destination for both local and international tourists. They are attracted its beautiful landscapes, the two volcanoes, a rich archeological background, relaxing beaches and its numerous natural reserves and forests that enjoy a high biodiversity.

 by Jerry Lawright

Initially, after Latin American independence from Spain in the 1820’s, U.S. policy towards its neighbors to the south was one of noninvolvement, guided by the Monroe Doctrine. This simply stated opposition to any foreign powers’ ambitions to re-colonize Latin America; the real clout behind it was Britain’s’ Royal Navy and that country’s desire to keep Spain or any other perpetual enemy from regaining a foothold in the Americas.

The United States itself had little interest in interaction with Latin countries for the first thirty years of their independence. In the 1850’s that would change. The history of Nicaragua and the United States intertwined for the next hundred and fifty years. While at times this association has involved armed conflict, at most others it was largely economic. The era around the turn of the last century embodied that, and the term first coined by President William Taft- Dollar Diplomacy – was heard.

by Justin Haring

Every year between July and January, the sun-soaked southwestern coasts of Nicaragua are invaded by fleets of sea-weary travelers. Crawling languidly from the frothy surf, they perform a ritual that has been repeated since prehistoric times and is now the last hope for the survival of a dying species. If you come to Nicaragua during this period, you have a rare opportunity to witness one of nature’s most awe-inspiring miracles of life: the spawning and hatching of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle.

On a stretch of beach about 20 km south of San Juan del Sur, thousands of turtles return from open waters to the same beach where they hatched. Here they deposit the eggs that will produce their armored progeny, handing them over to the cold bosom of evolution already equipped with all they will ever need for survival: a hard shell and a thick skin. And in 50 days, in a shallow hole on the beach of Nicaragua’s La Flor wildlife reserve, a tiny turtle is born. If it is lucky it will make its way out of its hole that very night, into the humid, salty air and into the arms of the only mother it will ever know, the great Pacific Ocean.

by Greg Bowles

A journey into the region where Sustainable Harvest International of Nicaragua works has a heart of darkness aspect. The goal: to bring forth a certain sort of light in the form of teaching about sustainable agriculture and promoting reforestation in an area hard hit by rampant slash-and-burn practices.

Just to reach the work area takes the better part of a day, first by boat leaving the Atlantic Coast city of Bluefields onto open ocean before turning into the mouth of the Kukra River. At that point, the jungle overgrowth becomes a long hallway along which the boat navigates inland, the sun occasionally blotted out by a canopy of leaves closing the sky overhead. My wife, Mercedes and I accompanied the SHI staff on a trip to understand both the work SHI does and the conditions of that work.

by Alfred Thorsberg

In 1961, my grandfather Johan Thorsberg traveled from Sweden to Nicaragua to write an article on the archeological discoveries made on Zapatera Island. Grandfather, born and raised on one of the Baltic islands off Stockholm, was an avid sport fisherman. So, with his mission completed on Zapatera he took a few days off to explore the Isletas of Granada.

Armed with his rod and reel, he heads out early in the morning in a hired rowboat, a fellow named Chepe at the oars. As the rowboat slides soundlessly through the narrow pathways between the lush islands, Chepe points at a shaded shore with a rocky bottom.

by Mike Newton

Insurance talk? It is a dry subject, one that will make most want to reach for a pillow. However in a country where “lead floats and cork sinks,” this seemingly mundane subject can present surprises and in insurance, surprise is usually a dirty word. Although the nuances and peculiarities of Nicaraguan insurance are not as straightforward as one would hope; some basic knowledge will help you get on the right path. When shopping for insurance for your family, Nicaraguan home or car, it is wise to keep in mind that many of the rules are not the same as at home. Knowing where some of the pitfalls are and how to avoid them is the focus of this article

by Mike Sabine

Managua-based artist Reynaldo Bosque Estrada is noted for his wide array of styles, themes and techniques. They range from still life to abstract, traditional Nicaraguan street scenes to playful sensuality. Some of his work could be described as a mix of all the above.

Bosque, age 27, works in oil, acrylic, pastel, on canvas, or pencil and paper. He also specializes in family and individual portraits. 

His work is on display in Managua at the Codice, Pleyades and Epickentrol galleries.  Internationally, his paintings are exhibited in Miami at Artnica, Dossier in Los Angeles and Berheim in Panama. Bosque has sold over 600 works.

by Nick Cooke

Bolaños and chain?

President Enrique Bolaños is facing charges of using illicit funds in the campaign that ran him into office in 2002 on the PLC (Liberal) ticket. On winning, he turned on his party faithful and began proceedings against corrupt members of the former administration. In order to try the nation’s leader, he must be stripped of his presidential immunity from prosecution and only the National Assembly can do that.

Baring its teeth in an unusual display of concern over corruption, the Sandinista Party is threatening to throw in its lot with the Liberals in a parliamentary vote to pave the way to trial. Yet, as with everything political here, there’s a multiplicity of options. (more…)