by Carl Slugger

The traveler experiencing Nicaraguan culture encounters endless paradoxes. The cathedral dominates every town square, but the disco a block away features dance styles based on stimulated sex, for example. Or the keen Latin sense of honor in nations governed by systems of chicanery. Nicas are a laid back, take come-what-may people-who produce prize fighters who can take your head off.

If you’re familiar with baseball, take in a Nicaraguan game to experience one more paradox. A game that was called the leisure pastime, Nica style. Try Masayas’ Estadio Roberto Clemente, a brick and masonry piece of nostalgia reminiscent of the old style American stadiums Wrigley Field or Fenway Park, set on the rim of Laguna Masaya with a sweeping view of the lake. The stadium is divided into three sections. The center section, behind home plate, is the most expensive (less than $2). The right field line bench seating is for the fans of the home team, left for visitors. Each of the sections is divided by fences and barbed-wire to prevent clashes between opposing fans. In some parks the visitor’s bus is in a fenced-off area. In the past, fans have overturned and burned buses if the home team lost the game.