Where to Spend the Holidays in Nicaragua?

Wow ~ Gran Pacifica is really raising the bar for Nicaragua luxury and lifestyle operators. Their new website, La Vida Nica, showcases their professionalism in the vacation rental and concierge area. Check it out when planning your next trip to Nica.




In case you are still trying to come up with a New Year's plan, the crew at GP is also offering a holiday feast for "Año Viejo" on December 31st on the grounds of Gran Pacifica. With Waldorf Salad, Roast Lamb and plenty of champagne on the menu, this party is bound to become a welcome tradition for expats and locals alike in future years.

The party will take place at beachfront restaurant Tasca: http://www.tascaontheocean.com/

Buen provecho!

Peace, Love and the Economic Crisis: NiCaribbean Style

When most people think of "Nicaragua", visions of volcanos, wide open spaces, a tumultuous history and lots of farm animals probably come to mind. Perhaps travelers are also starting to become aware of historical sites such as Granada and León, and Pacific beach resort towns such as San Juan del Sur and Popoyo.

Despite Nicaragua's burst onto the scene as one of the top global travel destinations, the most well known locales are not always the most authentic. Although Nicaragua boasts a rich national history, there is one aspect of the country's geography that has been consistently separated from traditional Nicaragua and its Spanish influence. And with good reason. East of Managua, roads quickly become scarce and unmaintained. The over 500 kilometers of Caribbean Coastline which make up Nicaragua's Mosquito Indian Province are separated by the largest rainforest in the New World after the Amazon Basin. Sadly, the indigenous residents of these formerly Dutch and British colonies suffered the brunt of brutality during the country's civil war, but are a peaceful people who, while still struggling economically, have colorful customs and a unique culture compared to the rest of Nicaragua.

Regardless of the fact that we are in 2009, Caribbean Nicaragua is still largely unexplored and greatly inaccessible. The thick jungles and rivers of this area can only be accessed by foot or boat in many places. To reach the most populated provincial town of Bluefields in the southwest, the only way by land is through tedious hours on buses and boats... Luckily, today there are regional flights from Managua that convert this formerly 12 hour journey into a semi-luxurious 50 minutes of viewing Amazonian-like terrain below while sipping on Rojito soda, compliments of La Costeña operated by Taca Airlines.

Upon arrival to Bluefields, the next logical step is to connect through to Big Corn Island, just another puddle jump east into the clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Big and Little Corn Islands are the center of Caribbean Nicaragua tourism, although the footprint of the Gringo is still not so obvious. This is reflected in the low crime rate, low prices for food and hotels and low technology in getting from Big Corn to Little Corn (at least the boats have life jackets).



LOW VOLUME OF WESTERN TOURISTS + 2ND POOREST COUNTRY IN LATIN AMERICA = CHEAP TROPICAL VACATION



So let's say you make it from the US to Managua to a rogue Caribbean island all in one day, which is quite possible with the frequent flight table. What is there to do in the middle of nowhere, you might be wondering? Plenty, if world class fishing, diving, snorkeling, relaxing and feasting on fresh lobster appeals to you. Sound expensive? It's not, unless you're looking to actually BUY an island. In fact, Little Corn was recently ranked one of the best global travel destinations during the current economic crisis on MarkerMap.com.

I have traveled to Little Corn Island a few times now since living in Nicaragua, for work and play and I can never wait to go back. This past trip I stayed at a place called Farm, Peace & Love on the less traveled North side of the island. When I say "less traveled", I mean that most of the accommodations are located on the West side, although you can walk around the island in a matter of a couple hours. There are no cars on Little Corn. Although there are roads on Big Corn, I prefer to get from point A to point B in a golf cart. It's all a matter of personal preference. Anyway, if you like B&Bs, organic food, privacy and friendly hosts, FarmPeaceLove may be for you. (Disclaimer: Power is from a generator on Little Corn, so it is not reliable and cold water showers are the norm).

A few things I love about Little Corn Island:

~Crystal Clear and Calm Water

~Amazing Sunsets

~White Sand Beaches

~Huge Variety of Dive Spots
~Perfect for Snorkeling, or Fishing, or Reading, or doing Nothing...
~Hiking Around w/o Seeing Another Person

~Coconut Bread

~Cacao Bread
~Organic Coconut Oil

~Lobster for $12/plate
~No Cars (there is a sidewalk around the Town side)
~Nice People

~No Crime
~No Phone Reception (unless you really look hard for a signal)
~Perfect Place to Relax
~Ridiculously Perfect for a Honeymoon or Romantic Getaway
~Everyone Speaks English (for those of you still working on your Spanish)
~Huge Variety of Tropical Plants, Birds and Flowers


During my first trip to Little Corn I tried to do some sort of activity every day and dive multiple times, but on my last trip I felt content simply strolling around the coquina sand beaches, reading and swimming in the clear, blue water. The Corn Islands are not for surfers, but I think surfers can still appreciate the beauty of this place and it's great to recuperate from a long surf trip on the Pacific side. They are also not really a place for night life and partying, although Big Corn offers substantially more ambiance (Arenas Beach is a good pick for this with a more lively and all-inclusive feel, complete with shipwreck beach bar). Despite the Hostel subculture on Little Corn and Big Corn's annual Carnaval, life on the islands is quiet and relaxed. Hopefully visitors in the future will respect that as much as people do now.

REAL ESTATE IN THE CORN ISLANDS


Land is still quite undervalued in the Corn Islands, and free, clean and clear property is available through the right contacts. In contrast to the rest of the country, this market is still fairly under-explored and has untapped potential, but some sustainable development is currently in planning phases on Big Corn. It's actually quite amazing to be able to buy ocean view or beach front property here that is at a fraction of a fraction of the cost of The Bahamas, British Virgin Islands and even Roatan in Honduras, which has undergone triple digit price increases in the past few years.Please contact me with any specific questions on buying property in this province.

While the Corn Islands are only a very small speck in the Atlantic Province of Nicaragua, they are a must-visit for anyone who wants to see a different side of the country's culture.

For more info on travel and accommodations to the Corn Islands, please see this helpful website: http://www.bigcornisland.com/.

So is the market down now in Nicaragua?...

...No, it's not. As the mass economic hysteria continues in the US of A (you would think this was our country's 1st period in history of slow market growth!?), life as usual continues in tranquilo countries like Nicaragua.

In what may seem like and ironical twist, we have seen business actually increase noticeably in recent weeks. Why-you might ask?

The answer is simple (here it is from an ethnocentric perspective): When the market is good, people have extra cash and confidence to "take risk" and invest overseas. When the market is bad, smart investors continue to invest overseas and people who are now scared to invest domestically look for more tangible investment opportunities in growing markets.

The bonus: Now you can do the same, even if you're cash strapped. Marketwatch.com today overviews a few new programs to encourage lending in Central American, developing countries.

I'm a very patriotic person, but I also can't help but find some amusement in the fact that it may be easier for one of us "gringos" to get a loan in Latin America than it is in the US right now.

Instead of expending negative energy complaining about your fund manager who just flew the coop making off with the last 10 years of your bond earnings, maybe look south of the border to make up some of that lost ROI?

You could be staring at a palm tree instead of a red balance sheet...

Nicaragua Top 5 Real Estate Markets in Latin America

Well, well, well. And where is Costa Rica on this list? ;)

"Nicaragua appears to be an investor's dream, offering an ideal retirement and vacation destination for millions of people, especially Americans and Europeans."

Click here for the low down!- http://www.nuwireinvestor.com/articles/top-five-latin-american-real-estate-markets-51342.aspx

¿Where does the time go?

People frequently ask , “What do you do all day, living in Central America? Don’t you ever get bored?!” These queries are understandable from newcomers; it is common for most people to have a travel experience in Central America that consists of an all-inclusive resort or a trip from the vacation rental to the local pulperia to refill the stock of margarita mix in the fridge. Fortunately, when one decides to make the transition from tourist to ex-pat in Central America, s/he can expect to develop new interests, meet new people and even revisit old hobbies. In essence, create a new life experience in a foreign country.

In an effort to bring insight to a potential future ex-pat’s lifestyle ideal, the following is an example of how his/her day might go:

5:15am-Why am I awake at 5:15am? Is my clock right? Does it always get light this early? Note to self, drink more Chilean Malbec tonight.
5:30am-Cup or organic coffee (or green smoothie), perhaps and select one of the following options:
• Check surf
• Bust out fishing rod
• Yoga on ocean view patio
• Run on beachhttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
• Horseback riding on beach (if low-mid tide)
• Collect seashells
• Make business phone call to Japan
• Go back to sleep

8am-By this time unless the waves are epic or the fishing is good, you will probably be making your way back home for breakfast. Say, a fresh tropical fruit plate or scrambled eggs with gallo pinto and toast (fresh baked bread, of course).

9am-Unless the waves are going off, at this time you will be getting into your main activity of the day. This can be any of the following options (including but not limited to):
• Go to work (that would be me)
o Put out fires, make phohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifne calls, check e-mail, run to nearest civilized town for some sort of meeting or errands
• Check on construction, like my friend Holly Beck
• If you have a house, do some gardening or planting
• Hang out in pool at the Marina
• Read a book
• Test out machete technique on unsuspecting tropical plants
• Head to nearest civilized town for grocery shopping, bank, yadda yadda yadda and maybe pizza or Subway

Noon-Even if the waves are still firing, by this time people are starting to drop like flies. The rest of us are still out and about but thinking about lunch, at least by 1pm.



2pm-It’s hot at 2pm. Hopefully you’re somewhere with a/c (doubtful) or an ocean breeze and a beer (probable). Also a good time for a dip in the ocean or nap in the hammock. For me, if it’s a day at the office I usually have an appointment with clients from

3-6pm. If not, I could be anywhere from the border of Honduras to the border of Costa Rica to an island in the Caribbean, you know, scouting out property.



5:30-Sunset. What, sunset already? Yes, sunset. Daylight savings time is an invention of the US. Again, I can’t stress enough how important it is to have beer in hand and be strategically positioned with view of and breeze off the ocean. Only not for the heat this time… mosquitoes…

7pm-After some good conversation with whomever you were watching the sunset with, it’s dinnertime! A possible menu could be the following:
• Fish you caught in the morning (snook, mahi, snapper or corvina, likely)
• Fish that the guy who took you surfing in the boat caught (see above)
• Ceviche or cocktail of shrimp or clams
• The chicken that either a) you almost hit driving this morning or b) woke you up with its squawking
• BBQ Peliguey, a cross between a sheep and a goat (don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it)
• Any of the above accompanied by rice, beans, salad, vegetables, fried plantains and some salsa picante. And beer.
• If you’re a veg, replace the fauna with a soup, salad or stir-fry prepared with any selection of the plethora of fresh veggies available in the area. Buen provecho!

After dinner-When you live in Central America, it takes longer than 30 minutes to eat dinner, because we are not rushed and enjoy our meals here. By now it’s probably close to 9pm. Or if you are my French neighbors, you start eating after 9pm. The following are some standard options:
• Switch from beer to Flor de Caña, chilled, with lime (get ready for karaoke of Red Red Wine later)
• Continue chatting with friends and/or listening to music
• Leisurely read a book or magazine
• Call it a night and sleep (or other)


See!? Time flies when you’re having fun. Of course, other life responsibilities will get in the way of having a perfect day every day, but just by rotating the above activities you will wish the days were longer.

Organic Farms & the Nica Interior

Going 3 years traveling in, about or around Nicaragua, most of my time has been spent surfing, walking coastal farms or searching for beach side property. I’ve scoured out practically every surfable wave between Gran Pacifica + Jiquilillo over the past 6 months. I also love my beachfront rancho-style hideaway. But living in Nica, part of the job and responsibility of being a foreigner here is learning about the different people, culture + attributes of other regions of the country besides San Juan del Sur, Popoyo + the Northern Coastline. So over the weekend, on a whim at 4am, Shan and I decided to visit the more temperate climate of the mountainous agricultural dept of Estelí.

The fresh air, green valleys and mountains were reminiscent of Costa Rica. All types of produce and coffee is grown here. The trip from Chinandega/ Acerradores was a solid 5 hours, with each roadway an education into a different etapa of Nicaragua history. But, the destination well worth it. So what if the tobacco factory where Cuban puros are hard rolled was closed, and we had to switch hotels after checking into a place with not-so-hospitable hospitality. We now know where to go/where not to go, and were at least able to buy 3 lunches for ourselves + trusty driver for $4 including fresh pineapple juice, plus purchase hand carved marble earrings for $1/ each.






The highlight of our night in Estelí were the delectable margaritas at Café Vuela Vuela dowtown. I was also super excited to visit an organic farm and do some Swiss goat cheese tasting (Who knew!) in the farming cooperative and protected land of La Garnacha. Shannon made fun of me because organic celery and bok choy excite me. There was also a beautiful “mirador” where you can see lake Managua, Volcán Mombacho, Cerro Negro + San Cristobal all from one look-out.







We were a little bummed that with all the fertile land sprawling the countryside, the 22 people on 140 manzanas at La Garnacha are the only ones we have heard of besides hear near Ometepe who take advantage of the ability to farm organically. We bought a few plant to add to the ever–growing garden at our new Century 21 Marina office on 5 acres of land, while the coop also gave seeds for veggies and pine trees to my driver. His family has always been agricultural but hopefully now Osmar will bring back some of the education he got at the farm to the locals in his own community of Acerradores “Poco a Poco”, hopefully we foreigners can make a different here and share new, more advanced ways of doing old tasks.