A Visit to Nicaragua! by DL Larson

I always thought Nicaragua as a third world country and nothing much more than that. I was overwhelmed with surprise and frustration on my trip there. The poverty is evident, but so is the beautiful landscape. Water is plentiful, so is vegetation, thus my frustration at the filth. But the next corner is breathtaking and I wonder how I could be in the same country. The following are just a few wonderful things my husband and I saw.

Nicaragua has many resources, one of them clean water! They are in the midst of selling water to Mexico and possibly California. We visited many beautiful lakes like the one above that has dozens and dozens of islands that are inhabited by the wealthy. We put-putted around the islands and took in the tranquil beauty of the place. Then shortly after, we climbed in our tour bus and drove through the debris-filled streets of filth. If I was an official in Nicaragua, I would ban plastic. We drove by a beautiful lake on the edge of a town where a city park nestled around the lake. I would never walk its beach for the garbage strew around. From the street to the lake there was not a clear path to walk. It was disheartening to see. I will spare you those pictures and move on to more of the wonder of the country.

This is an old world hotel where we had a delightful and tasty lunch. Where I'm standing is in the middle of the building. The fountain and foliage were as tranquil as a spa. Outside, street urchins tossed us figurines made from palm leaves through the open windows. The waiter shooed them away a few times.

After lunch we visited an active volcano. We were outside the city of Granada. Nicaragua has many volcanoes and the one we visited is considered active. There is a sign to park vehicles facing the exit in case the wind changes. The sulfur can overpower a person within in seconds. But from the viewpoint where we were, the wind is constantly blowing and we could not smell the odor, but we felt the heat rising up from below.

The last picture I will show you is a volcano lake. At night lights from the city on the far side of the lake shines through the night sky and from beyond that the active volcano we had visited.

Our guide was very proud of his country and I hope the pictures I have shared give you a glimpse of the beauty of Nicaragua. Despite the hordes of street children and litter everywhere, there is great hope this country will emerge into a thriving and flourishing country one day soon.

Til next time ~

DL Larson
www.DLLARSON.com