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Author Topic: Wild Dogs of Nicaragua (and Coffee Tourism)  (Read 3118 times)
Randall Wood
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« on: June 26, 2006, 02:29:34 PM »

Here's a link to an interesting Nicaragua travelogue by Shawna Kenney, author of I was a Teenage Dominitrix.  It's called The Wild Dogs of Nicaragua.  Here's a bit of it for flavor's sake:
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It’s 11 pm and as soon as my face hits air, my neck-hairs curl and sweat forms in a pool in the center of my back. Under my breath I breathe “whew, it’s hot,” and a woman behind me says, “Get ready for the daytime, because this is NOTHING!” Patty is inside, waving at me maniacally from behind uzi-armed guards and a glass wall. After customs we hug and jump up and down while people in the airport stare. Her hair is long, black and shiny as always, and her skin is pale. Her big smile overwhelms her thinning but still beautiful face. The once-voluptuous figure is almost gone. She is dressed to the tee, as always, but the skinny legs sticking out from her patterned black dress make me cry, so I look away. She drives us back to her house aggressively, not stopping at red lights.

An interesting read.  Check it at http://www.undergroundvoices.com/UVNicaragua.htm.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2006, 12:49:47 PM by Joshua Berman » Logged

Dorothy Pintar
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« Reply #1 on: July 27, 2006, 06:19:01 PM »

I totally enjoyed reading that someone else fell in love with the spirit of the people of Nicaragua.  Despite incredible unfortunate circumstances in their past,  they are eager to learn, teach, forgive and love.  My sojourn to Ometepe will stay with me for the rest of my life as I remember swimming in the bathtub warm water of Lago Nicaragua and meeting backpackers from all over the world on the balcony of Finca Magdalena.  I try to bring home to Illinois a little of the peace that I soak in from their simple lifestyle but my hurry up schedule makes everything Nicaragua seem like a very good dream.
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Dan Kelperale
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« Reply #2 on: July 29, 2006, 06:59:21 AM »

Ometepe's a fantastic place, a real gem on earth (if you can deal with the infrequent transportation).  Actually, maybe the transportation keeps it that way.  A guy I met on my last trip was going to Ometepe because of a sister city relationship his town, Bainbridge Washington, has with Ometepe.  If you enjoyed Ometepe you might enjoy reading their site:

http://www.bosia.org/index.html

More importantly, they also sell Ometepe coffee, which is very good.
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Dorothy Pintar
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« Reply #3 on: July 29, 2006, 09:35:46 PM »

When we were at Finca Magdalena we bought 4 lbs of their organic shade grown coffee beans and get regular shipments of regular Nicaraguan in 10 lb bags.  Each morning I sip the coffee and dream that I am sitting on the balcony of Hotel Istiam again.  The transportation was interesting because the ladies in the overcrowded van got the seats and the men just hang on somewhere. On our trip down we blew a tire and had to sit for all of ten minutes on a tree stump while it was replaced.  Talk about teamwork they must blow a tire everyday!  We could see and hear the howler monkeys close by.  The roads really aren't passable during the rainy season (winter) but we made it and many others do too every day.  I would rather  have the bumpy roads than the  Interstates here that take you nowhere...quickly.
Thanks for the web link I enjoyed it and may order some coffee if I run out between visits.
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el_diablo
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« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2006, 07:24:14 AM »

Coffee harvest's comin' up. Can you still participate in the harvest at Magdalena?

Or anywhere else for that matter?
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Randall Wood
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« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2006, 01:46:46 AM »

Typically, yes, you can participate in the coffee harvest in Nicaragua, and Ometepe is a good place to do so.  But this year they've had a bad coffee harvest due to adverse weather conditions.

You will have a little better luck in Matagalpa this year, or for the adventurous, San Sebastian de Yalí.  Unfortunately, Ometepe doesn't have much to pick.
« Last Edit: December 10, 2006, 12:03:51 PM by Randall Wood » Logged

Joshua Berman
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« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2006, 12:49:11 PM »

CECOCAFEN in Matagalpa has created one of the best examples of cafe-turismo/community-based tourism that I have seen in all my travels. Here's another travelogue from someone who's done it:
http://www.counterculturecoffee.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=231&Itemid=49

The report also references Finca Esperanza Verde, an award-winning sustainable tourism effort on a beautiful piece of Matagalpa mountain:
http://www.fincaesperanzaverde.org/

I reported about other cafe-turismo opportunities here:
http://gotonicaragua.com/content/view/35/53/

Read more about CECOCAFEN here:
http://www.equalexchange.com/nicaragua

 
« Last Edit: December 09, 2006, 01:01:01 PM by Joshua Berman » Logged
FEV
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« Reply #7 on: December 15, 2006, 04:43:26 PM »

If you are looking to get off the gringo trail and have an interest in good Nica food, coffee and birds - head for San Ramon, Matagalpa. There you can stay in the Guest Houses of San Ramon (families who take in travelers, info at the Finca Eperanzza Verde office 1.5 blocks east of the Catholic Church). The harvest this year is starting in December and is normal after last year's gigantic, high quality harvest.
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