From Over-Rated to Under-Developed

Zoë has already shared with you everything there is to say about Costa Rica, a country that I find looms a bit too large on the horizon of US tourists. Yes, it’s beautiful. Yes, the people are wonderfully welcoming. Yes, the infrastructure of Costa Rican tourism, particularly that of ecotourism, is impressively well-developed. Yes, it’s a country that you have to admire for abolishing its military and dedicating those resources to education and health care. But I don’t know if it’s as interesting as some other countries in Latin America, or even in Central America (my apologies, Michael G!). It’s not more beautiful than other places in Central America, and it doesn’t have the rich indigenous culture of Guatemala. Nonetheless, it provided a much-needed break from the hectic pace established by Peru and our Peru-to-Costa-Rica run. Getting to Machu Picchu and back was exhausting for all involved, and instead of rest, we were all met with three intensive days of academic work which included the 2nd of two papers for the controversial core course.

Now we’re docked in Corinto, Nicaragua, and people are heading out for various adventures. I’m very happy we’ve come here, precisely because Nicaragua is nowhere near as well-developed for tourism as is Costa Rica, and is therefore little-visited. Electricity is not reliable. Many roads are unpaved. Buses are rickety and dangerous. Streets in most towns are unnamed, and houses unnumbered. Daniel Ortega, the leader of the Sandinista party (FSLN) is president and is engaging in controversial reforms. Some students are setting off for beaches and surfing trips, utterly wasting, in my mind, the opportunity they have here, but many have plans to see Nicaragua’s two colonial cities, León and Granada, and should come away with some insight into Central American life outside the tourist bubble.

My novel course is headed to Leon in two days to meet Sergio Ramírez, a former vice-president of Nicaragua (under the Sandinista regime of the 80’s) and author of a novel we’ve just read, Margarita está linda la mar. The novel deals with the fame and death of Rubén Darío and the assassination of Tacho Somoza. A good book, but one that’s turned out to be beyond the level of even my best students. Nonetheless, everyone is looking forward to the visit with Sergio. We’ll be seeing León through his eyes, then having lunch at a restaurant in an indigenous neighborhood.

We’re spending today on the ship, and perhaps in the port, a town of only 20,000 people. I have grading to do, and Zoë did not want to do anything too involved before she and the Kid set off tomorrow for a three-day trip to the Domitilia Wildlife Refuge and the city of Granada. I’ll be on my own tomorrow and on the 9th, the day after the visit with the novelist, and am unsure of what I’ll do. Whatever it is, it’ll probably be quiet, removed from the S@S crowd, and, hopefully, immersed in something quintessentially Nicaraguan. I don’t think that “something” will be Flor the Caña rum, but I’ve promised my mother a bottle, so a shopping trip will definitely be in order.

Loyal respondents:

• Kassia, glad to see your priorities are in order!
• Marcela, have you tried Charlie Vergo's Rendevous? Best ribs on earth.
• Leslie, I don't mean my prior comment to imply an opinion about KC BBQ, which I have never tried. Sorry to hear about the navel ring! My watch, btw, is at the bottom of a river in CR. I'm down a pair of glasses (Peru), a watch (CR), and a pocketknife (Ecuador).
  
• Mami - ¡Que disfrutes de NJ!
• Susan - He takes after his dad ;-)

Oh, an addendum. I can't believe I forgot the following Boat Person:

• The Extra-Blonde Blonde: Are we supposed to believe they're real?!!?