Rivas And Hacienda Amayo, Nicaragua
Nicaraguan history has been marked by a long succession of tragic events caused both by political violence and natural disasters. In 1989 the country ended its ten year civil war between the Sandinistas and the Contras and entered into a period of democracy and peace which has endured to the present. Although it still faces challenges which have deep historical roots, Nicaraguans are doing their best in creating the conditions for a better life for the new generations. The stagnation in which the country fell during the long years of civil strife actually preserved traditional customs and a way of life which has vanished from neighboring countries. And that is probably the most charming aspect of this unique country which we visited for just a day.
This morning we landed in the port of San Juan del Sur where we met our Nicaraguan guides who took us to the city of Rivas with its quaint streets lined by mango trees and centennial tiled roofed homes. The church towers were evidently the tallest buildings in town. Horse carts, manpowered tricycles, street vendors and numerous pedestrians moved back and forth filling the day with noise, movement, and the colors and scents of the fruits and products they transported to and from the market. We stopped in the city’s small museum where school children gave us a presentation of their traditional dances. Then we took a pepano tour which took us into the marketplace and into the church. By noon we went to Hacienda Amayo where we sampled the local cuisine and enjoyed the hospitality for which Nicaraguans are well known. Then we participated in a baseball match with the Rivas minor league team. Pete scored the first home run of the day which boosted the morale of our improvised team. Even though we lost, we did not feel defeated since we gave the best of us.
After the game we picked up our stuff and prepared to leave. One final surprise was the piñata which our hosts had prepared for the kids. We came back to the ship before sunset and some of us chose to go and explore the town of San Juan del Sur. The sunset in this magical bay was the grand finale of an intense day.
Nicaraguan history has been marked by a long succession of tragic events caused both by political violence and natural disasters. In 1989 the country ended its ten year civil war between the Sandinistas and the Contras and entered into a period of democracy and peace which has endured to the present. Although it still faces challenges which have deep historical roots, Nicaraguans are doing their best in creating the conditions for a better life for the new generations. The stagnation in which the country fell during the long years of civil strife actually preserved traditional customs and a way of life which has vanished from neighboring countries. And that is probably the most charming aspect of this unique country which we visited for just a day.
This morning we landed in the port of San Juan del Sur where we met our Nicaraguan guides who took us to the city of Rivas with its quaint streets lined by mango trees and centennial tiled roofed homes. The church towers were evidently the tallest buildings in town. Horse carts, manpowered tricycles, street vendors and numerous pedestrians moved back and forth filling the day with noise, movement, and the colors and scents of the fruits and products they transported to and from the market. We stopped in the city’s small museum where school children gave us a presentation of their traditional dances. Then we took a pepano tour which took us into the marketplace and into the church. By noon we went to Hacienda Amayo where we sampled the local cuisine and enjoyed the hospitality for which Nicaraguans are well known. Then we participated in a baseball match with the Rivas minor league team. Pete scored the first home run of the day which boosted the morale of our improvised team. Even though we lost, we did not feel defeated since we gave the best of us.
After the game we picked up our stuff and prepared to leave. One final surprise was the piñata which our hosts had prepared for the kids. We came back to the ship before sunset and some of us chose to go and explore the town of San Juan del Sur. The sunset in this magical bay was the grand finale of an intense day.
