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La Mariposa – Remedial Spanish

At La Mariposa it is not unusual to learn spanish, see a volcano, visit small towns, play with monkeys, march in Semana Santa processions and swim with the locals at the rec centre. A spanish language school/development project/animal refuge/home stay/volunteer placement/hotel, La Mariposa is located between La Conception and San Juan. Just outside of town, the location is a beautiful tropical garden with comfortable hotel rooms, cabana style accomodation and a communal dining area. You don’t have to wander very far in the garden to find a quiet corner and a hammock, a good vantage point for bird watching, including the fowl that make Mariposa their home. La Mariposa employs over 50 locals as teachers, cooks, drivers, guides, managers and maintenance staff. They are all long term employees and along with the teachers they are quite willing to speak in Spanish to benefit of the students.

Slow-Roasted Chicken

One of our afternoons was spent at a finca where we learned how to make empanadas from corn flour, water, salt, butter and eggs. Hand mixed in huge bowls the batter can be shaped around meat, cheese etc. to make empanadas or made in to rings, a type of donut, and then baked in huge outdoor wood burning ovens. The ovens made of adobe provide great heat and flavor from the wood smoke. In spite of the great heat produced by the thick-walled overns there was a hen and her chicks snuggled up to the wall of the oven the entire time we were there. Talk about slow roasted chicken!

Masaya and a Swim in a Volcano

In the larger city of Masaya we had a look at the Masaya Volcano and in town we visited a market but not the two museums we had hoped to see because they were closed for Semana Santa. But we did venture up Apopoyan for a swim in the crater lake.

Semana Santa – The Week of Saints

Semana Santa in the country is a succession of processions through the towns and unlike in the larger cities there is a huge number of people participating. The processions I saw in Granada were small in comparison to those of La Concepcion. It seemed like there was a procession every day that represented one or more of the stations of the cross, so there were lots of opportunities for boys to play Jesus and young girls to be one of the Mary’s or even an angel, but only after the crucification of course.

Years of perfecting the processional equipment has led to come interesting adaptations. On the day after the crucifixion for example young girls dressed as angels are hoisted high in kitchen chairs that have been lovingly decorated in family kitchens. Riding shotgun behind the clear plastic coffin of Jesus is a seat of honor which the sombre faced young ladies take very seriously. The coffin and crosses that accompany Jesus to the tomb are powered by a wheelbarrowed gas generator which was refilled with gas while on the move, the procession stops for no reason! The dirgey music supplied by a ragged ensemble of aging brass instruments was thankfully drowned out somewhat by the generator but still provided a mournful background to some very serious processions. There are also random processions with Judias (Hoodias) dressed in red carrying huge chains, faces painted white and accompanied by spear-bearing roman soldiers; they are seen roaming the streets, scaring everyone on their way to find and arrest Jesus.

I used to frequent a restaurant in my neighborhood that was owned by a Nicaraguan family and on their tables they had placemats that were photo collages of their country. It was then and there that I knew I had to see Nicaragua and now I am here and it has not disappointed.

I flew from Panama City, with a short stop in San Jose, Costa Rica and landed in Managua the capital of Nicaragua. I had read that the capital was not particularly appealing and is best seen as a short term destination and so I headed for Granada on Lake Nicaragua, the largest fresh water lake in central america. The Spaniards established a fort here in 1524 making it the oldest colonial city in the Americas.

Travelling on a budget, staying in 30-40 dollar a night hostales in Cuba and Colombia meant that I was ready for a treat. I booked myself into a lovely hotel in Granada directly across the street from a ragged looking old cathedral which made for a dramatic backdrop from the balcony of the hotel. A former private casa, the hotel has been restored and brought back to a beautiful state with a central garden and pool, the rooms were so freshly renovated I could smell the paint and the sheets and beds were luxurious after our nights in rough stays. It was a real treat and the hotel was having a half price sale and it was a central location so I could wander at will. I even found the local chocolate spa for a much needed clean up. Their pool was in a beautiful courtyard garden complete with ducks in the pool.

It was the start of Semana Santas (the week of Saints) celebrated all over Latin America and I was lucky to see several processions in which the saints of churches are paraded through the streets. On Sunday I saw a beautiful procession of people carrying palm fronds behind the statuary that is paraded through the streets on palanquins until they return to the churches from whence they came. Semana Santa is a huge holiday and schools are closed for the week and families take vacations and/or celebrate together with food, drink, dance, music and usually fireworks. Often small circuses come to the pueblos and there are no shortage of people wanting to participate in the processions.

Hearses are very ornate, high-sided, black carriages drawn by white horses and behind the hearse walks the mourners on their way from the church to the burial site. This particular hearse is empty and on the way back to the funeral home.

Granda’s lake is huge and close to city are some islands you can visit by boat. Along the shores of the lake is a large park, dotted with restaurants, food vendors, picnic spots, nightclubs and beaches for the enjoyment of the Granadians. It is here that you can hire a boat to take you through the Islas for about $20 for two hours and well worth the expense. There are 350 little islands scattered in the lake, formed by the last eruption of Volcan Mambacho, over 10,000 years ago. The islands are rich in bird life and some have restuarants and hotels but most are privately owned and used as holdiay homes. We were particularly lucky on the day I chose to go because there was a floating procession for Semana Santa as we found ourselves in the midst of the throng.

My time in Panama was brief, only three nights but Tom and I managed to squeeze in quite a lot. Of course we visited the actual canal, and luckily when a cruise ship had just entered the Miraflores lock. So that was fun, although hard to see over the throng of tourists on the viewing platform waving at the throng of tourists on the Celebrity cruise ship who were waving back at them. The Museum of the canal is really worth taking in and in addition to describing the history, politics and engineering that went into the canal, there are some great displays, one of which is a simulation booth of a pilot house in a freighter and you get to steer the ship through the locks.

We covered some territory in Panama City as well seeing the Old Quarter with its many plazas, churches and museums. We also headed up above the city to a mirador where we could see the full length of Panama City with its impressive sky line filled with office towers (Trump) and some pretty interesting works of modern architecture. Sadly in between the signature towers of great wealth and where we were standing are pockets of poverty the appearance of which is accacerbated by the obvious disparities.

As recommended by all the guides, we took the train along the canal, across Panama, crossing from the Pacific to the Caribbean in just over an hour. Colon the terminus city for the train can be dangerous as there is great poverty and addiction in the downtown core of the city. Our taxi driver gave us a quick tour that provided us with a chance to see some of the highlights, really they were lowlights, of Colon before we hopped a bus to Portobello.

The local buses in Panama are old American school buses and each one is pimped up by the owners to reflect their personal style. The views along the bus route are beautiful and it was nice to the Caribbean side of Panama. We had lunch in Portobello and wandered the few blocks of the main square before heading back up the coast to spend the rest of the day at the beach. A national park with some private enterprise in the form of restaurantes and change rooms rim a beautiful little bay with the warmest water I have ever encountered. It was truly as warm as a bathtub.

We opted for the bus back to Panama City in order to see the road route and landed at the Terminale in Panama City that rivals some small airports in size. Connected to the bus terminale is a huge mall and again only reminded one of the poverty that we had seen in Colon and across the country only hours earlier. Since I had been to Costa Rica a couple of times, I decided to fly to Nicaragua and attend Spanish school while Tom saw more of Panama and Costa Rica.

Who knew there was a beautiful island 700kms off the coast of Cartagena that is a special zona for Colombia. Although it is closer to Nicaragua than anywhere else the inhabitants opted to remain with Colombia when given a choice. As a result it has become a duty free holiday haven for Colombians and so is the Hawaii of the Colombian people.

After rejecting the idea of sailing to Colon, Panama from Cartagena we opted to fly to the Isla San Andres, stay a few days and then fly on to Panama City. As we have wanted to do on this trip we stayed in a private home with private rooms for rent, giving us an opportunity to see how the locals live and to use our Spanish. Our first two nights were spent with an interesting woman, Vicentia, who spoke English, Creole and Spanish. At her home we met a woman and son travelling from southern Colombia, from a city close to the Amazon basin. She is a doctor and her eighteen year old son wants to be a veterinarian. It was fun getting to know them, but sadly she was robbed of some cash while at a resort so we took them out to dinner to cheer them up. Doctors don’t make much money in Columbia.

We moved to the casa of Joyce and Margie for the remaining four nights and although cheaper had a nicer setting and more security, than at Vicentias. Margie is the grandmother of the resident family and is very sociable. Our first night there she got out the wine and we all got to know each other. A young couple from Chile were the other guests and they joined in the fun. I managed to sneak off to bed at a reasonable hour, but poor Tom couldn’t escape until 1:00 AM.

Plenty to do and see on Isla San Andres and the cheapest way to see the island is to just get on the bus and ride it around the island. Some of the rickety buses cross over from one side of the island to the other climbing a steep hill before descending to the other side. The buses are generally packed and getting a seat can be a challenge but the views are spectacular and you get to rub shoulders with locals who for the most are decendants of African slaves, Spaniards and Indigenous people.

Just off shore are Cays, pronounced Kee’s by the locals and for a price you are taken in launches to these tiny islets where you snorkel and swim, enoy lunch and drinks, and lay about in the sun under palm trees. Although it is very crowded there always seems to be a palm tree with your name on it and soon you have staked out your patch of sand and shade.

The water is known as the 7 colored sea and although my unsophisticated eye failed to discern seven separate and different shades of blue, I can tell you that the azure water around Isla San Andres range from dark laurentian blues to sparkling emerald greens and every shade of blue in between. It is a paradise of white coral beaches, palms, botanicas, sugar shacks and perfect weather. Not too hot and often a gentle breeze to cool your brow. Inexpensive and undeveloped it has the old time charm that places in Mexio had in the 70’s. Although the cuisine is not highly sophisticated, hamburgers and hotdogs being the mainstay of most menus, we had some decent meals from street stalls.

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Leaving Isla San Andres is hard to do, we will miss the beaches crowded with holidaying Colombians, the gentle islanders and the peace that comes from relaxing without the constant harangue of touts selling jewellery, drinks, massages, hats, and various souvenirs that we have encountered elsewhere. If you’d Like to go we found out that there are flights from Montreal.

Naked Babes Share a Windshield with the Virgin Mary

Seven days from Bogata and some spectacular scenery later we arrived at the Caribbean city of Cartegena having spent a night in Bucamaranga and a couple of unmemorable nights in Santa Marta. For these longer hauls we were on larger buses, the cockpits of which were decked out in velveteen drapes, swags, matching bolsters for the stick shift and assorted decorations including the Virgin and/or naked babes bouncing from springs stuck to the windshield. We had great views as we were able to sit in the front two seats of the bus and the spare driver let us climb down beside his jump seat to take pictures out the window when the views were jaw dropping. In Columbia two drivers share the job, one sleeps or visits the other and both talk with abandon on their cell phones, at the wheel or not. We wound our way up and down through the beautiful Andes and followed the narrow twisting road through passes, across plateaus and up and down and finally we were back at sea level and on the last leg to Cartegena.

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GNCartagena is the jewel of the Colombian Caribbean. A beautiful modern and historical city it is a travellers delight. With narrow streets crowded with locals, tourists, vendors, taxis, horse and carriages and a multitude of colonial architecture it offers a banquet of things to do and see. She is a beautiful old gal with a sordid past that involved pirates, legends of gold, spaniards and indigenous people, canons and forts, wealth and loss. In spite of its past, Cartagena is relatively safe, common sense prevailing, and there are many nooks and crannies to explore. A wanderer’s paradise!

Ten Hints that You Might Be Staying in a Brothel

Arriving by bus we took a taxi to the main square, you guessed it Plaza Bolivar, and Tom searched out a hotel while I guarded the luggage in a restaurant. After settling in we noticed that only some of the guests actually stay the night at the Arthur Hotel. Most people come and on more of a short term basis. The staff was genial and good humored, laughing at our antics, including the manager and especially the muchachas who did the cleaning. We had great rooms with adjoining balconies which were accessed through tall narrow louvered doors. This was our first encounter with the legendary Colombian bathroom that doubles as the shower stall. From our balcony we had many hours of entertainment watching the comings and goings on the street below…card games, vendor disputes and brightly costumed fruit sellers and all accompanied by the clip clop of the horses and carriages that tour through the old town.

The comings and goings at the Arthur resulted in the following musing:

Top Ten Hints That You May be Staying in a Brothel!

1. There are no blankets on the beds, only sheets.
2. The washer and dryer are in the hall and go 24×7
3. No one stays overnight except you
4. The neighbors look askance as you come and go
5. The girl on the street corner knows how to rouse the night watch when you’re out late and the main door is locked
6. There is no wifii, facebookpage, web-site or email address for the hotel
7. Cash only, rates not posted, but very reasonable when revealed
8. Hourly rates available
9. The same mujer’s are seen but never the same hombres
10. There is a discussion in the hallway before the mujer leads her “hombre” into her room

House of ill repute it might have been but the staff was kind, honest and helpful and kept the place spotless and in good repair. Tom and I loved staying there and we each went about our days exploring Cartagena, meeting early in the evening for dinner or heading to the beaches together for a swim and a sunbathe. We stayed in the old part of Cartagena, exploring the new city and another older neighborhood called Getsemani. Like Havana, Cartagena is alive and vibrant from sun up until late into the evening. We had the good fortune to be there for the 55th aniversary of the largest film festival in the Americas. It featured a great program using the beautiful old theatres as venues.

Everything happens on the streets in Cartagena. Card games, vendors, cars, horse and carriages and a river of people share the narrow lanes between the old buildings.

Fruit sellers dressed in traditional creole costume were waiting in the small plaza near our hotel to serve us a fresh bowl of fruit everymorning and just a few steps away, a coffee vendor would pour us a heavily sugared cup to start the day.

Not far from a square we frequented we got to know some of the vendors and servers and they were warm, friendly and helpful like the staff at our hotel. The day we departed in a taxi for the airport we felt like celebreties as street vendors, hotel staff and restaurant servers gathered around our taxi, waving goodbye and wishing us a speedy return to Cartegena.

Leaving Bogata by bus was very smooth. We started at the terminale which offers riders a variety of bus companies to chose from. Not all companies go to all parts of Colombia and some of the buses are just large vans while other companies run the larger luxury type buses complete with movies and comfortable seats. Sadly for my friend Tom our first bus that would take us to Villa de Layva wanted for leg-room to accomodate his six foot plus frame.

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