Antigua, Guatemala ranks up there with Guanajunto, Mexico as the loveliest towns Iīve visited yet. While traveling from the bay Islands I met my good friend Merrel from Holland, who was traveling to Antigua as well. Shes 18 and before University is traveling central America alone...truely remarkable person. She had spent a few months learning spanish in Antigua and a a base of good friend already there. It was nice to be included during the Holidays w/ her freinds...it made it easier to be away from home. In one word the holidays in Guatemala can be summarized w/ "BOOM"!!! Firecrackers everywhere....kids as small as two amd adults as old as 80 lighting them off all over town. I felt like I was in Bagdad a few years back. You would turn a corner and 10 bottle rockets were flying your way. Antigua is surrounded by 3 volcanos...the most active is Fuego which I saw erupt two times in one day truely phenominal. On new years there was a hugh block party w/ street theater, musicans and charactor acting of Spanards, Bulls and monkeys ....all people dressed in these ornate costumes...the Matadore would wave at the bulls who would charge forward w/ there real horns and miss the Matadore and then turn on the playful monkey and gore the bajesus out of the guy....the must had been freinds because you could see the bull enjoying killing his monkey buddy....strange customs but fun all the same. My host family in Antigua was fantastic w7 three beautiful children 7 Josaline, 4 Jason Alexander and 2 Roberto Carlos. The parents Velma and Luis made me feel right at home. We had traditional Guatemaltecan fair every day and to my suprise I enjoyed it alot.
I left Guatemala on the second of January for the beach town of La Libertad ( Punta Rocca) El Salvador. The people on the bus trip were great but when I arrived in Punta Rocca I knew there was a different feel to the town...a bit edgey. El Salvador has been cruched by povery....in the bars there are gun man w/ shotgun to protect you but as soon as you hit the street youīre on your own. It turns out that alot of Salvadorian gang members from LA were extridited back home and some how found there way to my little beach town. My welcone to town when I got off the bus was in perfect english " Wecome to my country White Boy" ... I respectfully answered "Thank you, I think Iīll enjoy it". I also came to find out that the hotel that I was staying at ahd a history of being robbed. Wheather it was true or all rumors, I could diffinately feel a coldness there I hadīnt felt any where else on my travels. I did however, get up on the surf board for the first time in Punto Rocca. Itīs becomeing a popular surf destination , the best that El Salvador has to offer. I did meet some good folks in town and in the water surfing beside me. I regret that I didīnt have enough time to see more of country and get a more positive spin from it. I unfortuneately was pressed for time and happened to choose the wrong town to stay in.
After my sleepless nights in El Salvador expecting for people to barge through my week little hotel room door, I was glad to be off to Nicaragua. I made it accross the Honduras border but was too late to make it to Nicaragua, so I was forced to stay the night in a small Hondurian town, Jicaro Galan, which only had one hotel....$35.00 exreamly expensive but it was only one night and after Punta Rocca...I deserved it. $35.00 in Honduras is the Taj Majal....I canīt wait for a good nights sleep....Midway though the night I got up to use the rest room and something caught my eye...something was moving accoss the floor it was about three inches long...maybe just one of those big ole cockroaches they have down here...no problem....then it came accross the light...for the love of God I was shareing my Expensive room w/ a SCORPION.....after flying on my bed I tryed to find the sucker, but couldīnt.. now I was freaking....either he or I was going and since I couldīnt find him it must be me. I proceded to look up the spanish word for scorpion so I could tranlate it to the front desk. The night attendent said it was a common occurance and after we both failed to find it... he moved me into the next room..so much for a good nights sleep.
Itīs 1/7/03 and Iīve been in Leon, Nicarugua for two days. Leon was the Sandinistaīs strong hold in the most recent war. Extreamly liberal city and the home to Central Americas most famous Auther Ruben Dario. Itīs chack full of history w/ murrals on the walls that remind me of West Belfast. Many of the murrals depicting the evil US and the CIA as the central means for supporting the Somoza family. The town is quite peaseful now and the people are welcomeing. I went to a local pool hall yesturday and was greeted w/ stares then friendly smiles that warmed over to an invitation to play. I played for two hours and all the old timers where trying to help me out to beat the young local guys it was great fun. Iīll be off to the capital city of Managua tomarrow.
Managua is an interesting city...having been one of the starlights of central america cities it was utterly destroyed by an earthquake in the 70s...the rebuilding process has been slow and far more modern, yet the people that i met have far more charm then the city could ever have..before or after the devestation. I spent a night at the Manague Boers baseball game...the went big and bought the most expensive seats in the house, behind home plate...it set me back a $1.60... w/ 12o/z bottles of beer for $.60 cents.. ome of the San Fransico Giants ( Marvin....something ) was playing his off season for the boers..he had just come back and there was a great woopla around it. also in the croud was Lopez Gomez a 19 year old Nicaraguan who just signed a 2 million dollar contract w/ the Braves...I got a photo w/ him...his reputation is that he those a 98MPH fastball...all the old timers around me were eager to inform me of the many great Nicaraguan Major leagers..and I was just as eager to listen....the stadium in Managua is named after Dennis Martinez.
The highlight of my Managuan Experience was spending time w/ my new friends Fernando his wife Lori amd there little baby boy Fernadito....they showed me managua w/ the enthusiasum of the Tourist Board. I was shown great hospitality...unmatched on my travels....Fernandos historical information gave me a understanding the confict and stugles of the past several decades. He interduced me to a variety of Nicaraguan Cuisines and w/ his brother ( Gabreal...host of E entertainment TV Latino..wild on )and cuisins a bit of the night life in which Gabreal interviewed me in a bar for his upcomeing speacial on Nicaragua.....by the way all the drinks were on the E channel....what more could an Irish/ American traveler ask for?Fernando and his family were gracios enough the spend an other day w/ me and drove me to my next destiation Granade....the colonial spendor of Nicaragua. But along the way....we stoped at Markets and Volcanos.....great people!!! I hope I can recipricate the hospitality someday!! Traveling to me is all about the people you meet and these folks were spectacular. I wish I had more time in Graneda..but I was short on time and was off to Isle de Ometepe in the heart of Lake Nicaragua...the only fresh water lake in the world known to have fresh water sharks ( which grow to 3 meters long). Ometepe...in there Indian language means Island of two Volcanos ...Conception which is the perfect elementry drawing of a cone Volcano....and the second which is not active..with a lack that fills its crater. I chose to hike this particular one. Its a 7 hour hike stright up through a cloud forest....tretourous rocks and roots all covered in mud making every step a potential back braking fall....no ones comes through it w/o head to toe in Mud. The climb was exhausting but interesting w/ howler monkey screaming over head...and the jungle thickness all around. The isle of Ometepe has beautiful beaches and topography. On ward to Costa Rica.
