A Series of Fortunate and Unfortunate Events (Part 1)

We just arrived back to where we have a regular source of internet access and so for the next few days we will be filling you all in on what we have been up to.


This is Cassie helping to make nacatamales (the Nica version of a tamal)

In our last few weeks in San Juan Del Sur we experienced some rather sobering realities. We were told by our professors at school that we should go and check out Pelican Eyes Hotel which sits atop the lush hills of San Juan Del Sur’s southern parts. One night another American student wanted to go and visit their famous happy hour. We asked our 19 year old friend Carlos, whose family we are staying with, if he also wanted to come. When we headed out for the hotel we saw that Miguelito, Carlos’ 7 year old brother, was also making his way with us. Cass and I love this kid so we were happy that they were coming along. The other American student was explicit with his instructions to Carlos that his brother “better know how to behave himself.” Really? Sure the little guy can be pretty rambunctious, but this guy was being an over-concerned ass.

However, when we arrived at Pelican Eyes, Miguelito, who had never been there before, became startlingly shy and uncomfortable. We began to realize that this Hotel was full of only white people. There were about 150 people there and Carlos and Miguelito were the only Nicaraguans who were not working. We kept thinking that this kid was getting an early lesson about the disparities in life—that he will never have the opportunities or privilege of these people. He sat there taking it all in, but maybe he was just thinking about the 2 huge orange-Fanta’s he had taken down in record time.

We wanted some explanations on how Carlos was feeling but all he told us was that this Hotel was “good, man” because it only employed Nicaraguans and that nearly 500 people were able to support their families on the great wage they received here.

This is just one of the contradictory facts of life in Nicaragua that Cass and I face on a continuous basis. We are aware that this town is loosing its indigenous Nicaraguan roots as tourism is pushing the once vast fishing trade to near extinction. Sure tourism is great now, but soon the Nicaraguans are not going to be able to afford the price of property in the city as expatriates come and sweep up all the land. Westerners with hopes of striking it rich are making tons of investments along the coasts of Nicaragua with the expectation that Nicaragua is going to become the next Costa Rica. I guess we’ll see in the coming years.

Cass and I can’t help but recognize these injustices, and yet we are also part of it. We are here to learn their culture and hopefully provide income to those who need it. But we are perpetuating the business of tourism that might eventually push all the Nicaraguans with homes to move to the outskirts of the town.

All this to say, we have decided to try our hardest to support Nicaraguan businesses and frequent places that are popular amongst the people of Nicaragua. Consequently, our next visit was to a place called Lago Azul on Saturday Karaoke night, a favorite we are told by Nicaraguans, especially the Granja family, who joined us that night. Here is a video.