Nicaraguan Beach - its all about the swell

Latin American pooch

doing something they are passionate about. This video is of Holly Beck, a pro surfer who’s house is next to the hotel they stayed and who surfs the same waves that hubby and friends caught near the hotel, set the stage for what they experience.

During their stay, he said they had no safety problems, but they also made no attempt to venture out of the compound at night. He said that given the extreme levels of poverty, being an obvious foreigner meant two things:

(Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere: 48% of the population in Nicaragua live below the poverty line, 80% of the population live with less than $2 per day, unemployment seems low at 3.9%, but consider a staggering underemployment of 47%. )

1. you probably had money if you were staying at the compound or hotel
2. most likely your Spanish was not up to snuff, so you could not offer a description of the mugger, making you an attractive target.

checking out the local hot spot

Those factors had proven too tempting for some people, and the warnings indicated that robberies were fairly common. Mr. Oyster said the people they encountered were some of the kindest, gentlest they met in all their travels. Warm and generous to a fault but, he said that knowing the desperate conditions that some people lived in might drive them to actions they might not otherwise have considered, they also took no chances. To me its like taking a vacation in Adel, Iowa versus Los Angeles, California. The expectation for safety are entirely different, it does not make one destination better than the other – just different, and if the traveler is prepared he can still enjoy the experience.

ready for action?

Between surfing sets, he and his friends walked to the neighboring village and watched the fishermen come in with their catch, and were very impressed with the fish market. As in other parts of the world, a popular way to catch fish was by throwing explosives into the water, and the resulting shock ways would kill or stun the fish sending them to the surface, making for a relatively easy way to garner a large catch. However, he saw evidence of people maimed by this method. This article in the San Francisco Chronicle provides more detail about the problems. Aside from killing entire schools of fish in one go, this practice destroys the coral reefs, and anything else nearby, and of course there is the physical danger to the fishermen as well.

When Mr. Oyster came home he raved, with several long, eloquent sentences describing the fish he had consumed at this hotel. He is usually very succinct when it comes to descriptions about food: “its good”, or “I give it a 10″ is about as much elaboration and can be expected. I’m the food lover in the family so for him to sing praises like this, I knew I had to sample this fish dish for myself. He said he closely studied the preparations so he could replicate the dish for me at home, and determined it was incredibly simple. but the results were like nothing else he had eaten.

He made what he thought was a pretty good replica, and I have to agree it was some tasty fish. The outside was fried, and as he promised, the skin was so crispy it could be eaten like a potato chip. The inside flesh was incredible light and flakey, with no overwhelming ginger taste, just lovely fresh fish. I give Mr. Oyster’s Chacletas Fish a 10!

Mr. Oyster’s Chacletas Fish

Mr Oyster's fish, before the frying

Ingredients

1 fresh fish – red snapper was what Mr. Oyster selected (gutted and cleaned by fish monger – you could do it yourself but they kindly performed this service for us)
1 bulb fresh ginger, minced ~ 1/3 to ½ c
salt to taste
enough vegetable oil to fry the fish

Directions

Mr. Oyster's fish - before being devoured

Mr. Oyster slit the sides of the fish, inserted the minced ginger and then dunked the entire fish into the hot oil for ~5-8 minutes. We ate fish meat and skin – it was crispy like potato chips, and I have to say it was not greasy and wonderfully refreshing. If I sound a bit incredulous, it is because its the first time my husband has ever fried anything, and I have to say he did a great job. Aesthetically, they may need some work, but I think they fit in with the experience that Mr. Oyster had in Nicaragua, simple food with a taste that exceeded expectations.

This year, he and his friends headed to Nicaragua and checked out some of the surf to be found there. Of course, I expected a detailed report on the food situation upon his return and he did not disappoint. He brought me back any culinary goodies that could fit in his surf bag so I sampled Nicaraguan chocolate and coffee. The year before he tried to bring back every hot sauce from El Salvador that he could find, but they only let him bring one bottle back, the rest stayed with the customs agents – lucky devils. Ah well.

The Chocolate:

chocolate goodies

The Nicaraguan chocolates we certainly enjoyed it, but they do not compare it to European chocolate or that we are accustomed to in the US. The percentage of butter fat was significantly less that what we are accustomed to in Europe and the US. It had a sandy, gritty texture as it melted on the tongue, not that smooth buttery feel that fills your mouth as a piece of Belgian chocolate melts on your tongue. I would not say it suffers in comparison to European style chocolates but it was obviously made using a different technique. Bittersweet chocolate was indeed bitter but not overwhelmingly so. I noted it also took significantly longer to melt on my tongue that the European varieties I am used to. The brand is El Castillo del Cacao and if you get the opportunity to try it. I suggest you do so.

The Coffee:

Nicaraguan coffee

Ah, this coffee was good, but it had a slightly bitter, caramel taste that I am not accustomed to. It grew on me as the days went by. Like the chocolate it was just different, and having been so used to my French roast coffee, it took at least three mornings for me to fully appreciate my bounty, and by I could see the bottom of the bag which made me savor the remaining beans even more.

At the end of the day, I envied Mr. Oyster and his friends their spectacular adventure and I may just have to tag along on future trips, but I have to say half the fun for me was listening to my hubby and learn about the culture from his experiences.

a good place to stay

a view from the cab in Managua

Geography of Nicaragua
Nicaragua’s size is comparable to that of Greece, with nearly 20% of the territory is designated as protected areas like national parks, nature reserves, and biological reserves. The country is bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Nicaragua has three distinct geographical regions: the Pacific Lowlands, the Amerrique Mountains (North-Central Highlands), and the Mosquito Coast (Atlantic Lowlands).

volcano

Pacific lowlands

Turtles are common on the beaches of Nicaragua when on a yearly basis they collectively arrive to lay their eggs. They are protected by the Nicaraguan government in National Parks.

Located in the west of the country, these lowlands consist of a hot, fertile plain. Punctuating this plain are several large volcanoes of the Cordillera Los Maribios mountain range, including Mombacho just outside Granada, and Momotombo near León. The lowland area runs from the Gulf of Fonseca to Nicaragua’s Pacific border with Costa Rica south of Lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is the largest freshwater lake in Central America (20th largest in the world), and is home to the world’s only freshwater sharks (Nicaraguan shark).

Nicaragua is known as the land of lakes and volcanoes. In addition to its beach and resort communities, the Pacific Lowlands is also the repository for much of Nicaragua’s Spanish colonial heritage. Cities such as León and Granada abound in colonial architecture and artifacts; Granada, founded in 1524, is the oldest colonial city in the Americas.

North-Central Highlands

This is an upland region away from the Pacific coast, with a cooler climate than the Pacific Lowlands. About a quarter of the country’s agriculture takes place in this region, with coffee grown on the higher slopes. Oaks, pines, moss, ferns and orchids are abundant in the cloud forests of the region.

Bird life in the forests of the central region includes Resplendent Quetzal, goldfinches, hummingbirds, jays and toucanets.

Atlantic lowlands

traffic jam

This large rainforest region, irrigated by several large rivers and very sparsely populated. The Rio Coco, Central America’s largest river, forms the border with Honduras. Nicaragua’s tropical east coast differs from the rest of the country. The climate is predominantly tropical, with high temperature and high humidity. Around the area’s principal city of Bluefields, English is widely spoken along with the official Spanish. The population more closely resembles that found in many typical Caribbean ports than the rest of Nicaragua.

The origin of the name “Nicaragua” is unclear; one theory is that it was coined by Spanish colonists based upon the name of the local chief at that time, Nicarao; another is that it may have meant “surrounded by water” in an indigenous language (this could also refer to its two large freshwater lakes, Lake Nicaragua and Lake Managua, or to the fact that it is bounded by oceans).

The Spanish conquest

tree top delights

In 1502, Christopher Columbus, the first European known to have reached what is now Nicaragua as he sailed south along the Central America isthmus. On his fourth voyage, Columbus explored the Mosquito Coast of eastern Nicaragua. The first attempt to conquer what is now known as Nicaragua was by Gil González Dávila,[8] whose Central American exploits began with his arrival in Panama in January 1520. In 1524, the first Spanish permanent settlements were founded. Conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba founded two of Nicaragua’s principal towns in 1524: Granada on Lake Nicaragua was the first settlement and León east of Lake Managua followed. Córdoba soon found it necessary to prepare defenses for the cities and go on the offensive against incursions by the other conquistadores.

By 1570, the area of Nicaragua was divided into administrative “parties” with León as the capital. In 1610, the Momotombo volcano erupted, destroying the capital. It was rebuilt northwest of what is now known as the Ruins of Old León. Nicaragua became a part of the Mexican Empire and then gained its independence as a part of the United Provinces of Central America in 1821 and as an independent republic in its own right in 1838. The Mosquito Coast based on the Caribbean coast was claimed by the United Kingdom and its predecessors as a protectorate from 1655 to 1850; this was delegated to Honduras in 1859 and transferred to Nicaragua in 1860.

Economy

Nicaragua is primarily agrarian; with agriculture exports accounting for 60% of its total exports. In addition, Nicaragua’s Flor de Caña rum is among the best in Latin America, as is its beef. Nicaragua’s agrarian economy has historically been based on the export of cash crops such as bananas, coffee, sugar, beef and tobacco. Nicaragua also depends heavily on remittances from Nicaraguans living abroad.

Tourism in Nicaragua is the second largest industry in the nation, and over just the last 7 years tourism has grown by 70% nationwide. The increase and growth led to the income from tourism to rise more than 300% over a period of 10 years. The growth in tourism has also positively affected the agricultural, commercial, and finance industries, as well as the construction industry. Despite the positive growth throughout the last decade, Nicaragua remains the least visited nation in the region, probably do to residual negative connotation of drugs and violence. Every year about 60,000 US citizens visit Nicaragua, primarily business people, tourists, and those visiting relatives. The majority of tourists that visit Nicaragua are from the US, Latin America, and Europe, and according to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua, the colonial city of Granada is favored by the tourists. Also, the cities of León, Masaya, Rivas and the likes of San Juan del Sur, San Juan River, Ometepe, Mombacho Volcano, the Corn Islands, and others are main tourist attractions, with ecotourism and surfing gaining interest.

Culture of Nicaragua

walking along the road

Nicaraguan culture has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by European culture but does not exclude Amerindian sounds and flavors. Nicaraguan culture can further be defined in several distinct strands. The Pacific coast has strong folklore, music and religious traditions, deeply influenced by Europeans. It was colonized by Spain and shares a similar culture to other Spanish-speaking Latin American countries. The Caribbean coast of the country, on the other hand, was once a British protectorate. English is still predominant in this region and spoken along with Spanish and indigenous languages. Its culture is similar to former British Caribbean colonies such as Jamaica, Belize, and The Cayman Islands. The indigenous groups that were present in the Pacific coast have largely been assimilated, however, the indigenous people of the Caribbean coast have maintained a distinct identity.

Nicaraguan music is a mixture of indigenous and European, especially Spanish, influences. Musical instruments include the marimba are common across Central America. The marimba of Nicaragua is often accompanied by a bass fiddle, guitar and guitarrilla (a small guitar like a mandolin). This music is played at social functions as background music. The Caribbean coast of Nicaragua is known for a lively, sensual form of dance music called Palo de Mayo which is very popular throughout the country.

Central American Spanish is spoken by about 90% of the country’s population. In Nicaragua the Voseo form is common, as also in Argentina, Uruguay, Honduras, and coastal Colombia. In the Caribbean coast many Afro-Nicaraguans and creoles speak English and creole English as their first language , but as second language they speak Spanish. Also in the Caribbean coast, many Indigenous people speak their native languages. In addition, many ethnic groups, including Chinese, Arabic, German and Italians living in Nicaragua have maintained their ancestral languages, while also speaking Spanish or English.

Cuisine

time to eat?

The Cuisine of Nicaragua is a mixture of criollo food and dishes of pre-Columbian origin. The Spaniards found that the Creole people had incorporated local foods available in the area into their cuisine. Traditional cuisine changes from the Pacific as the traveler migrates to the Caribbean coast; while the Pacific coast’s main staple revolves around local fruits and corn, the Caribbean coast cuisine uses seafood and coconut.

As in many other Latin American countries, corn is a main staple. Corn is used in many of the popular dishes including nacatamal and indio viejo. Corn is also an ingredient for drinks such as pinolillo and chicha as well as sweets and desserts. In addition to corn, rice and beans are frequently consumed.

Gallo pinto, Nicaragua’s national dish, is made with white rice and red beans that are cooked separately and then fried together. The dish has several variations including the addition of coconut oil and/or grated coconut on the Caribbean coast. Most Nicaraguans start their day with Gallo pinto.

Many of Nicaragua’s dishes include indigenous fruits and vegetables such as jocote, mango, papaya, tamarind, pipian, banana, avocado, yuca, and herbs such as cilantro, oregano and achiote.

Nicaraguans also eat guinea pigs and tapirs, iguanas and turtle eggs.

paradise

Tags: chocolate, coffee, fish, Nicaragua, surfing