Nicaragua and the Power of Reputation

Say the word Nicaragua and mentioned that you have traveled there and the first response will be:  “Isn't it dangerous? What about the Sandinista and Contra war? Ah, the reputation continues. We all do it, we get an idea in our head and we are reluctant to ever change or to take the time to understand the situation from a new perspective or even find the truth. 

I first traveled to Nicaragua in February 2005; it now has been six trips over the past ten years for me.  On my first trip, everyone said I probably would never make it back alive….no kidding.  But I had done my research and I was an experienced traveler, so I had no concerns.  So what’s up with Nicaragua; a tropical paradise or a war torn country? 

Political History

First, let’s get the Iran-Contra incident out of the way because it is the most common question I hear.  The native people of Nicaragua were colonized by the Spanish, having been visited by Christopher Columbus in 1502. The beautiful and well preserved city of Granada, which now is a major tourist destination, is the oldest permanent settlement in the Americas having been founded in 1524.  In the year 1821 Nicaragua achieved its independence from the Spanish and life was good for a long time.  But in the early 1900s, economic problems created political turmoil and the United States sent help in the form of “boots on the ground” and U.S Marines occupied Nicaragua from 1912 to 1933.  The leader of the rebellion against the U.S. occupation was Augusto César Sandino (1895–1934), from who the Sandinistas get their name. In 1933 an agreement was met and a cease fire achieved, but in 1934 Augusto Sandino was assassinated by the Nicaraguan National Guard, which was the U.S. backed police force of the ruling Somoza family who ruled Nicaragua as a dictatorship from 1936 to 1979.

The beginning of the end of the Somoza dynasty started with a very powerful earthquake that hit the capitol city of Managua in 1972. Eighty percent of the city was leveled, leaving over 10,000 people dead. Millions of dollars in aid was sent, largely from the United States, but the Somoza family kept most of the money for themselves and spent little to help the Nicaragua people who had already been suffering under the Somoza regime for several generations.  This was the breaking point and thousands of young Nicaraguan men organized and fought to overthrow the government to achieve freedom and democracy. They became known as the Sandinistas.  In 1979, the Somoza family fled to Paraguay and "Tachito” Somoza was assassinated there in 1980. With the Somoza family gone, the Sandinistas were in power. 

Here is where the story of the “Contras” begins.  In opposition to the new Sandinista government the Contras were formed in 1979 with help from the CIA, which provided funding and training. The backlash the Nicaraguan people received from the Contras was severe and nearly 30,000 people were murdered in rural areas during the war.  In 1983 the United States Congress stopped U.S. funding of the Contras, but some within the U.S. military decided to proceed on their own by selling arms to Iran and using the money to continue to fund the Contras.  You know…like a bake sale for the military. It is now referred to as the Iran-Contra affair. In 1984 the Sandinistas won the general election and took power once again in Nicaragua.

I was in Nicaragua during the 2011 general election when President Daniel Ortega was re-elected for a second term in a landslide victory for the Sandinista party.  I can tell you that everyone was dancing in the streets and the party went on for days.  For those that do not like President Ortega, he is often referred to as a benevolent dictator, although every election meets international standards of fairness. 

Nature and Beauty

Nicaragua is nearly the size of the state of Washington and has a population of six million. It is the largest country in Central America and is bordered to the north by Honduras, to south by Costa Rica, to the east by the tranquil calm Caribbean seacoast and to the west by the strong waves of the Pacific Ocean.   One fifth of the country is designated as a protected national park or reserve and the whole country is located within the tropic zone. So if you love traveling amongst abundant pristine nature, Nicaragua is a wonderful option and has a lot to offer. For birders, there are over 700 different species of birds to find and observe. 

Western Nicaragua is located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and has forty volcanoes within in its borders, many of which are still active.  A visit to the top of the Mombacho Volcano offers great views of the Pacific lowlands and Lake Nicaragua. You can walk the trails at the edge of the crater and see and smell the beautiful tropical plants and flowers as hummingbirds zip past you.  Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America and is home to a population of fresh water “bull sharks” with lengths up to eight feet. I have gone swimming in the lake many times and I will admit it makes me a little nervous.  Along the west coast you will find migrating whales and if you time it right, you can watch thousands of Olive Ridley Turtles come ashore in mass to lay eggs. 

The rainforest of the Atlantic lowlands along the 120 mile long Rio San Juan River is spectacular.  Most of the Rio San Juan is the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.  There are no roads, only boats to get you up and down the river. In addition to an abundance of birds, amphibians and reptiles, you will find three species of monkeys.  In the Sabalos area, the Howler monkeys will sit in the trees above your jungle cabin and through the night they howl and call. It is an amazing experience to be awakened in the middle of the night to the songs of the midnight jungle. Any visit to the Atlantic lowlands should include a day or more at the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve.  The rainforest here is pristine and abundant with magnificent trees and a wide range of wildlife.  

The stunning central highlands of Nicaragua rise to elevations of 5,900 feet in the cloud forest, which is also the coffee growing region.  In some areas this is more of a deciduous dry forest with a thin understory.  The Peñas Blancas Massif is part of the huge Bosawas Biosphere Reserve and here the rainy season is longer and wetter and so you will find amazing waterfalls and tranquility.  This area has just recently opened up to tourism due to better road construction and there are already several eco-lodges and educational centers here. It is definitely worth a visit if you travel to Nicaragua. 

Culture

All my best memories of Nicaragua are of the people.  In the early days of my travels to Nicaragua, I knew very little Spanish and it was the local people who showed tremendous kindness in helping me as I traveled through the country.  The people I met were proud of their communities and eager to show me the beauty of their land.  They always fed me well and gave me great advice, although much communication was done via drawing pictures as I stumbled through my Spanish phrase book. 

The people of Nicaragua, also called “Nicas”, are a diverse group.  The population is a mix between Spanish and indigenous people.  Spanish is the main language, but there are four indigenous languages which are still spoken.  Along the Caribbean coast, many Afro-Nicaraguans speak English as their first language.  In the late 1800’s many immigrants from Germany and The Netherlands settled in Nicaragua.

Unlike most Latin America countries where soccer is the dominate sport, Nicaraguans love American-style baseball.  It is the country’s most popular sport and 12 major league baseball players in the U.S. have come from Nicaragua. 

Economy

Nicaragua’s main industry is agriculture with the main exports being coffee, bananas and sugar cane.  Logging is declining due to increased environmental concerns about destruction of the rain forests. Plans to construct a canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans are in motion with a Chinese company as the contractor.  It is very controversial; many are concerned about the environment and that the economic benefits are short sighted. 

Tourism has become the second largest industry and increases significantly every year.  The increase in tourism has also brought more foreign investment to the country. Last year about 60,000 U.S. citizens visited Nicaragua. When I travel to Nicaragua I rarely meet Americans, most of the foreigners I meet are Europeans and Canadians.  I think it is unfortunate, but for many Americans, Nicaragua still has a reputation of being a dangerous war torn place.  One thing I love about Nicaragua is that the tourist infrastructure is still developing.  You can visit Nicaragua and still feel the culture and its natural beauty.  So let it go and think again:  Nicaragua is a wonderful place to visit.

If you would like to visit Nicaragua and join a tour, considering traveling with me at Kaiyote Tours.  You can check out tours to Nicaragua at KaiyoteTours.com.