by Philip B. Hildebrand
The extreme northeastern corner of Nicaragua sits today as it has for millennia, a low, sandy finger of land pointing into the ocean whose waves beat incessantly upon it. This is the famous Cabo Gracias a Dios at the mouth of the Río Coco, Central America’s longest river (550 km) and nearby Cabo Viejo the adjacent town and lagoon. Virtually no tourists have ever been here and few likely ever will, for it is a dangerous place, difficult to reach and offering little to the normal visitor. Over the past decade, this historic locale has become a haven for heavily-armed international drug traffickers who do not take kindly to inquisitive outsiders. I knew I had to come here.
(more…)

by Donn Wilson
I recall a vivid image from my childhood of Native Indian Chief Seattle crying over a dump somewhere in New Jersey. “We don’t inherit the earth from our fathers,” he said. “We borrow it from our grandchildren.” At 12 years old it was a powerful statement, but in your mid-40’s with children of your own, the image can really grab you.

I wonder why I never really reacted to that call of conservation, protection, and recycling when I was younger. Sure, I did my bit like most everyone, but why didn’t I get as passionate then as I feel now? Lack of knowledge, lack of opportunity, or just plain apathy?
(more…)

by Robin Hooper
Living in a four-man tent on and off for four years, building a three-bedroom brick homestead without power tools, waiting all day for a work crew that doesn’t turn up… Sound simple to you? What motivates foreigners to leave behind the security of a job, home, family and friends to start anew in Nicaragua? To find out more, Waves Magazine spoke to two extranjera couples, now living on Ometepe Island, about leaving home, discovering a new one, and facing some of the realities of “getting things done” in Nicaragua.

Story by Justin Haring
Photos by Fidel Lopez
As if the pristine and deserted beaches of Nicaragua’s Pacific coast were not beautiful enough on the surface, many travelers are finding that the natural splendor of the terrestrial environment is reflected in the undersea realm as well. With both freshwater and ocean dive sites, western Nicaragua has a limited but interesting variety of locations, each offering an unique experience that is definitely worth checking out. Off the coast on the rocky seafloor, a diver can see a large variety of species, including puffer fish, yellow jackfish, eagle rays, and groupers. At different times of the year, sea turtles come to deposit their eggs on a beach and even dolphins and whales frequent the waters. In the freshwater lagoons, you can see the unique species of cichlid fish that have evolved in their particular isolated enclave. Like the Galapagos animal species discovered by Charles Darwin, they can only be seen here.
San Juan del Sur is the base for most diving trips in western Nicaragua. From there, you can get to all the great sites off the southwest coast and it’s only about an hour and a half drive to the closest volcanic crater lake, Laguna de Apoyo. You can also find guide, rent equipment, get certified, or even advance your current certification at either of the two full-service dive shops in town.

by Pat Werner
For many English speakers, the Spanish language of Nicaragua is a rich cacophony of a regional dialect that is little like textbook Spanish and quite different from Mexican Spanish; a dialect that contains many slang words common only to Nicaragua and unlike the slang of Costa Rica or Honduras. Even for some Spanish speakers, the arcane use of 17th century verb forms and pronouns can take a little getting used to.

What makes things more interesting is that imbedded in spoken Nicaraguan Spanish are words that are remnants from ancient languages spoken in Nicaragua when the Spaniards came barreling through western Nicaragua in the early 16th century. Words like caite, piche, and chompipe, for example, are not found in any dictionary of the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language, but they are alive and well used in Nicaragua.

by Jack Potter
Betting is in the blood in Nicaragua. Gambling opportunities abound here. At a baseball stadium, for example, fans in the stands will bet on games, innings, and even the outcome of the next pitch thrown.
For those wanting to bet at county fairs, there is a cornucopia of contraptions such as the Casa chica/grande Nicaraguan 18-space roulette, spinning wheels clicking around to bills pinned on with clothes pegs, and blocks of wood threaded with strings that have a prize or not at the end. Sometimes a monkey pulls the string or a parakeet pecks up a card from a box.
There’s always cards with different games, like desmoche with its flexible rules, while the red/black moon/halfmoon two-dice toss offers opportunities to bet on other people’s bets.