Fighting Darth Vader

Brodie meets his match at Disney.....

I'll Be Back Soon Folks...

Just a brief hiatus, celebrating the passage of time in a timeless place....Nicaragua. I'll be back soon, with a vengence... like MacArthur with fresh stories of 4-year old Nica parties, blind bluesmen, and maybe even a movie review or two.

Until then, I'll be basking in the sun on the shores of Coco Beach for the long weekend with some friends.

Fodor's Travel Guide....Nica-Style

Well, it's been awhile since I've had the time to post something significant around here. Indeed, I'll be hard pressed to top my last submission... It has been a joy to hear from all well-wishers, friends, and family. Catching up with all of you alone is a tall task. On top of all of this, we had company the last week. Seems that Mike was brave enough to journey to Nica-land.

Actually, it's not all that bad. He pointed out to me that my blogs often take on a somewhat negative tone, or mood, when describing the country in which we live. Hey folks, it's not that bad! I guess sarcasm doesn't translate all that well thru cyberspace. So, in an effort to remain more true to the esprit de corps of the upbeat Atkinson clan, I will attempt to be more positive. There, I said it.

So, in this spirit, I'll fill you in on some of the wonderful things that Nicaragua has to offer, geographical beauty....Shortly before his arrival, Mike made a rough outline of the things he'd like to accomplish during his brief visit. His list included: seeing monkeys, volcanoes, bat caves, beaches, attend a baseball game, and to hit a wiffle ball over our house (courtesy of my pitching of course). Let me just say that he was successful on all but one count.....He never saw the baseball game. (he managed to pick one of seemingly four weeks out of the whole year when there is no organized baseball!).

If you ever make it to Nicaragua, you must make all attempts to flee Managua immediately, if not sooner, and head straight to one of two locations....
Pochomil Pochomil and Mombacho National Park Mombacho

Well, we visited both. First, the beach...Really not anything special as far as beaches go, Pochomil is a popular destination with those looking to escape Managua. About 45 minutes away from the capital, it offers world-class resorts (Montelimar), as well as day-use proletariat facilities. As you might have suspected, we opted for the latter. Folks, it's just more interesting, viewing the world through an unfiltered lens. One of my travel mottos is, 'see what they don't want you to see.....' And that we did. Where else can you buy lobster tail, bull shark jaws, and a slush puppy, all in the same place. I must say, though, the place is a shell of its former self. Tourism has really tapered off here in the past few months. It makes me wonder how profound the Sandinistan turnover will be, in relation to foreign travel. We'll have to wait and see. For us, that meant more unspoiled beach for us, but it also meant more uninvited hawkers as well. So it goes....

As for Mombacho, we got to go up the steepest hill I've ever seen in my life. It reminded me of the Swiss incline trains that you see in the Alps, except Nicas run this thing (ok ok, I'll stop). Anyway, we got up the mountain without a hitch (sorry) and hiked a 'clouded rain forest', seeing a couple of monkeys, vines, and other accoutrements of jungle life. All in all, a well-run, interesting place to visit, only an 45 minutes west of Managua. 5 RR pts. out of 5. Most importantly, the climate is about 20 degrees cooler up there....a nice respite from the searing heat of Managua.

On to bat caves..... a couple of days later, we also went to Masaya Volcano, where a Spanish settler mistakenly (I think) claimed that he found the gates of hell. (depends on your perspective I guess) On the other side of the rim, we ventured into a volcanic cave, armed with flashlights, helmets, and a knowledgeable (and friendly) guide. He pointed out sacrificial sites, bats, and ....ahem, bat dung. So, we saw a lot of Nicaragua, all within an hour of the airport. Bats, bull sharks, and baseball.....This place actually makes for a good 'long weekend' getaway (just so long as you getaway in the end)

Oh yeah, Mike hit one over the house....I hung a breaking ball that never broke, and KABLAMMO! I hurt my neck, looking for it in the hot Nica sun.

Monkeys and Volcanic Lakes...

Well, we just got back from our weekend adventure to one of Nicaragua's most pristine areas, Lake Apoyo, the largest volcanic lake in Central America. Nestled between dingy Managua and picturesque Granada, Lake Apoyo is set high in the foothills of the mountain range that divides the Nicaraguan capitals, new and old. With warm turquoise blue water, surrounding hardwood forests, and a healthy tourist infrastructure, I almost forgot completely about Managua for a day or so.

We stayed at the resort, Hotel Narome, ............. taking advantage of the close proximity to the lake and hiking trails, hoping to catch a glimpse of the two species of monkeys that make their home there. Feeling like monkeys ourselves, we spent the first couple hours at the pool, gorging ourselves on fruit and watching the odd mixture of gringos and Nicas, interacting at this scenic hideaway. Much to our dismay, there was a large wedding taking place (which the management failed to mention when booking the room) that absorbed much of the attention of the wait staff. Therefore, our endeavor to lounge like bloated monkeys was made somewhat more difficult.

Fortunately, Apoyo offers a respite from the heat of the lower lying areas of Nicaragua. So, I actually felt a sub 80 degree breeze for the first time in over 6 months! At any rate, the food and atmosphere were unremarkable, but pleasant. Of course, for Brodie, all of this was a grand adventure, and he was tuckered out early in the evening, which gave Kim and I a rare opportunity to play Scrabble (which I lost, due in part to being stuck with the Q late in the game) At any rate, it was fun, reminiscent of our honeymoon in Spain, when we were 'gaming junkies'.

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of the short trip to Apoyo was the morning hike. Following a hearty American breakfast, we ventured up into the foothills, searching for the two species of monkeys found in the area, the howler monkey and some other non-descript white monkey that resembles a little squirrel. Following a surprisingly well-marked trail, we heeded the warnings at the trailhead, in the form of encyclopedic details of the indigenous reptiles, amphibians, and mammals that call Apoyo home. After a brief study of jaguars, coral snakes, boa constrictors, monkeys, and whatnot, we set off on the trail. Although the hike itself proved to be uneventful, the journey itself was peaceful and interesting, a metaphor of life at times I guess. More importantly, Brodie completed his first hike with us, in what I hope to be many, many more. He absolutely loved it. The sense of adventure brought about by wilderness hiking was not lost on him, and he was truly impressed.

After our hike, we settled down, returning to the pool for a brief period, before returning back to the grind of Managua. Before our return, I was summoned to represent my country in a fun, yet competitive game of pool volleyball. All the gringos were to battle the Nicas, with the losers dancing poolside to the latest steamy Latin beats....how humiliating! Luckily, our team looked like we'd just returned from going mountain biking, while the Nica side looked like they'd come out of a Ryan's Steakhouse feed. So...in the end, I made my country proud, although I was forced to watch obese Nica men without shirts, dancing like Beyonce. Oh well, a small price to pay for serving U.S. diplomacy.

Welcome To My Blog...

I have no idea what I'm doing, so bear with me...The photo you see here was taken on the Mosquito Coast in Nicaragua a couple of days ago. I look like the guy from the Merck feel good commercial, but in reality, I'm sweating my arse off, wondering when I'm going to be able to get a beer. You see, my wife investigates Nicaraguan fishing vessels, part-time at least, on behalf of Uncle Sam. So, I thought I'd partake in a little maritime, marital scrutiny on the lazy side of the Gulf of Mexico...