León or Granada? Pick a side. Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the prettiest of them all? Whoever keeps asking these questions must have alternative motives. (Like bringing tourists into town?) For there is no contest. None. At least not regarding colonial architecture, preservation, restoration, maintenance, charm, beauty, cleanness and…
Don’t let the (often) humble exterior of typical colonial houses fool you. Only one chance to make a first impression does not apply here. What you see is what you get does not apply here either. For the real secrets of these amazing structures are hiding behind their walls. Colonial houses are not only architectural…
Masaya a.k.a. “The Cradle of Nicaraguan Folklore“, “The heart of Nicaraguan handicrafts“, “The National Artisan Market“, ‘a must-visit handicraft market” is only 14 km from Granada, and as a matter of course, a perfect day trip destination. 14 kilometers is also short enough for a test ride on a chicken bus which…
10 a.m. Rainy and chilly morning, feels like 17 C even though the AccuWeather tells me it is 27 C. Firecrackers already going off. Vendors doing their morning rounds walking up and down the streets yelling from the top of their lungs bananas, galo pinto, underpants, or whatever else they have…
San Juan del Sur, the hottest spot in the country, the best surfing paradise in Latin America, a funky beach town with magical sunsets, a fishing village turned A Tourism City of Nicaragua. So true. But San Juan del Sur is also a typical 100% backpackers destination. Well, maybe 99%.…
A beach, a beach, my kingdom for a beach. 5 a.m. pick up doesn’t sound like much fun and it isn’t. But this is the time, Caribe Shuttle leaves San Jose for Nicaragua. I missed the beaches in Panama. I missed the beaches in Costa Rica (the nice ones) so…
Sightseeing time. My first in Costa Rica. Destination? The famous Monteverde Cloud Forest where I was promised a hike in the clouds, a walk on suspended bridges above the forest canopy .. and maybe, maybe (if I wanted) a return form the forest zip-lining. WOW. Monteverde has it all, best…
If you ever thought, as I did, that two teeny tiny (in size and population) neighboring Central American countries sharing culture, geography, history, nature, roots, colonization, language and much more, the characteristics that (at least on the paper) appear to be identical or at least very similar… you’d be wrong. So, so…
Bridge club? Embroidery class? Painting class? Babysitting grandchildren? No? How about a round of golf on Saturday? Tennis? Sunday roast? Still no? Park bench in a sunny spot then? No, no, no, thank you very much, but no. Those times are long gone. Another century, another time, another life, another…
November 2017 in Escazu, Costa Rica Living abroad or traveling the world can be (and always is) not only educational but also a life-changing experience. The more we open our mind, and other senses, the more open we will be to accepting new things or different cultures. The more accepting…
