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Adventures in Nicaragua
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Peace is still a recent phenomenon in Nicaragua, as is tourism. Granada on
lake Nicaragua has much of the colonial charm of Antigua, Guatemala with fewer
tourists. The Caribbean coast is very remote but quite scenic. Miskito towns dot
the northern coast. Creole villagers hunt turtles and gather shrimp in the
south. Bluefields is a colorful but crude gateway to the Corn Islands. Our documentaries, photos, and travel tips
give you all you need to discover Nicaragua by yourself.
Feature Story:
Surviving
Nicaragua, A Kayaker's Battlefield ! |
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Photos:
Nicaragua
CASKE Expedition |
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La Moskitia, "Mosquito Coast" in English, is one of the wildest and
most pristine jungles of Latin America.
Like its Honduran counterpart, this region is home to Garifuna, Pech and
Miskito peoples. However, the political situation may be more of a question. Little
information and infrastructure is available to tourists and outsiders. Ours was the
first North-South kayak crossing of Nicaragua's Caribbean coast.
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Until recently the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua was
unknown as a tourist destination. It shares much of the same history,
cultural diversity and environment with Honduras.
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Adventure Stories from:
Central American Sea Kayak and Jungle Expedition (CASKE
2000)
Journals &
Itinerary
Expedition Highlights from
Honduras:
Photos
Note: Long stretches of unsettled wilderness forced us to be
self-sufficient and on our guard. The challenges we faced in Nicaragua
tested our limits. It is hard to imagine how this crossing could have been
more difficult. However, we enjoyed meeting interesting people, including
the famous turtle hunters of Tasbapounie. Don't miss our paddling stories of
Nicaragua: Storms at sea, Armed Robbery, Malaria, Tropical Rain, we
experienced it all!
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Expedition |
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This Creole village is located on
the Caribbean coast between Bluefields and Puerto Cabezas. It lies on a
strip of land between the beach and the inner shores of a large lagoon 75 miles
north of Bluefields. We fell in love with it because of the hospitality of its
people. Their preparation of sea turtle, a main staple in
the spring and summer months, was both morbid and fascinating. Read "Missing
out on the Sea Turtle Feast".
People can visit Tasbapounie by
taking a speedboat from Bluefields. The boat only takes four or five hours via
interior canals and lagoons. Boats make the trip two or three times a week. There
is a modest Hospedaje in Tasbapounie. The family who owns it is very
friendly and the food is great (a rarity in La Moskitia). All the
villagers, descendents of Jamaican immigrants, speak perfect English,
their native Creole patois, and Spanish.
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Bluefields itself did not impress us, but it
is a good base from which to start trips to more remote and pristine places. In
Bluefields, cheap hotels abound, but conditions are abominable and we cannot recommend any.
Spend a little more and stay in Hotel Tia Irene. It has been
purchased by the Universidad Uraccan and offers various classes
and cultural/natural history tours. The new name is Casa de Uraccan.
We would like to inform people that the
Lonely Planet's highly-recommended trip down the river from Rama to Bluefields
is overrated. There are many
rivers offering much better scenery and cultural/natural points of interest than the
Rio Escondido. If you would like to know about the possibilities around
Bluefields we recommend you contact Nydia Taylor from the Casa de
Uraccan - Bluefields Bay Guest House and her associate Carol Bidon who owns a small eco-tour farm outside of town (Rio
Musilaina Farm). Nydia Taylor:
tiairene@ibw.com.ni
Click here for
recommended lodgings
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Granada is a quiet and scenic colonial town that
reminds me of Antigua, Guatemala but with a lot less tourism. We
loved the
architecture, tranquil atmosphere, safety and cleanliness
of Granada. Many guesthouses are spacious and comfortable and offer good food.
Some even offer internet access. Granada is also the best place to take
Ferry tours on Lake Nicaragua (the largest in Central America) or to go visit the country's
largest market in the neighboring town of Masaya.
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Outside of Granada on the way to Managua is the
biggest market in the country. Mountains of fruits, vegetables, and
flowers make the market come alive with color. The parking lot serves as
a bus terminal and it's busy all day long. We were unable to see
everything in over two hours of non-stop walking. The locals are
friendly and will offer you countless free samples to tempt you to buy
their wares. You can get a free meal if you walk around long enough.
People love cameras; you'll come away with great photos. It's an easy
bus ride from Granada or Managua.
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We paddled the Atlantic Coast from
Honduras to Costa Rica and do not recommend it to anybody. The Sea is very
rough, especially at river mouths. During the rainy season, the river
mouths churn with silty brown drainage and the current can prevent you
from entering.
The Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua is more dangerous than the Honduran side. We
were stopped by bandits armed with AK 47 assault rifles. People in the
towns wondered how we survived that section of coast. The southern
coast of
Nicaragua is also notorious for bandits and the entire region is heavily
infested with Malarial Mosquitoes.
We traveled briefly into the interior of the country and
traversed Lake Nicaragua. Numerous islands and safe water, people and
surroundings make it an interesting paddling destination. The Corn islands
out from Bluefields are relatively undiscovered and quite beautiful, and a
safe tourist destination.
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If you really have your heart set on paddling the coast, we recommend that you first read the stories "Surviving
Nicaragua" and "Malaria
Attack". They might change your mind.
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Read about:
Health and Tropical Diseases and
Malaria:
Malaria
Unlike guidebooks that try to offer a comprehensive list
of establishments, few of which the authors have ever visited, we only mention our favorite,
highly-recommended places.
Bluefields:
CASA DE URACCAN
BLUEFIELDS BAY GUEST HOUSE
(Listed in the Lonely Planet previously as Hotel Tia Irene)
Contact Nydia by email at tiairene@ibw.com.ni
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