Random Things I Love in Nicaragua #8: Non-Consumer Culture

The man in the photo is pushing a cart on wheels down the main road into San Juan del Sur. Stacked on his cart are wooden chairs that have had the weaving redone. I’m guessing he’s walking the cart rather than riding the bicycle that’s attached to the cart for better control of the unwieldy load. Nicaragua is not a consumer-oriented culture. Here things are repaired, reused, recycled. Here things are used up and then likely still repaired, reused, recycled. I have 18” worth of clothes hangers with clothes hanging on them in my closet, and one drawer, versus the …

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Random Things I Love in Nicaragua: #6 Permanent Summer

I see Facebook postings by friends in Colorado and Washington State showing luscious white snow against barren dark trees. I do not miss it. Not at all. Oh, I remember the squeak of snow underfoot when the temperatures dropped below Zero degrees F. I remember the stomping of my boots as I’d enter the door. The feel of my ungloved hands held up to the fire. I remember watching the snow flying up and out sideways from the snowblower John was pushing down our walkway. I remember it fondly from the 25 years we lived in the white stuff but …

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Random Things I Love in Nicaragua: #4 The Practicality of Solar Energy

Last year we hired Nicamisol, a company out of Managua, to install our home’s solar system. What a game changer! It is hot living by the beach in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Yesterday was one of the few days I can remember in almost 6 years of being here that I hiked the beach mid day and didn’t sweat at all. In other words, most days it’s so hot that I start sweating as soon as I walk out the door. Our house, a modern concrete/rebar structure with lots of glass facing west, was designed more for the views …

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A “Too-Hard” November: Nica Nugget #109

November was just too hard, bracketed early on as it was by two Category 4 hurricanes which slammed into the same place on the northeastern shore of Nicaragua. As if seven months of the coronavirus weren’t enough. And coming right after a rainy month of October already. On November 3, the first hurricane, Eta, hit the northeast coast, miles away from us down here in the southwestern corner of Nicaragua as we are. But it still brought 8 days of torrential rain to us. And cold. In anticipation, fishermen had pulled their boats out of San Juan Bay. Workers had …

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Digging For Clams: Nica Nugget #107

I’ve been walking laps on the beach at low tide lately with my friend, Maureen, and one or both of “my” dogs. Well, technically I’ve been walking laps on the southern end of the beach since the rains of late have bisected the beach in unequal halves. Maureen lives in town, which sits on the southern and longer (by 1,000 ft or so) continuous stretch of beach that makes up San Juan Bay, than the northern side of the bay where I live. Separating the two sides of the bay and bisecting the beach, is the river. I could walk …

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Independence Day 2020: Nica Nugget #105

This year, Independence Day celebrations in San Juan del Sur didn’t include the grand parade I shared with you in 2018, but it did bring more local tourists to town and the beach than I’ve seen here in years. It rained and was overcast. But that kept the temperature down and made it especially comfortable to walk on the beach and people watch. I love seeing families enjoying themselves on the beach. It’s free. It’s fun. It’s foolish. It’s seldom, if ever, I’ve seen an angry or annoyed or sad person at the beach. Everyone’s smiling or staring out over …

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Robbed While Sleeping: Nica Nugget #104

Tonight will be the one-week anniversary of the night we were robbed while sleeping. The thief broke in through our locked guest room window. And then walked through our living room and into our bedroom. While we were sleeping. The thief picked up John’s metal tool kit which was on a shelf by John’s head, along with two overnight bags. The thief also removed two purses of mine off of a hook. And picked up the laptop from on top of a table right by me. While we were sleeping. At 2 am John woke up and noticed that our …

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Barking at Vibrant, Incessant Life: Nica Nugget #103

Our backyard. It extends for miles and miles really if you count how far we can walk through the jungle on dirt once we leave our front door. This particular day I walk up the canyon by our house. Ruffo is with me and off the leash. He was so happy to go on a walk after days of John and I being sick. Immediately though he took off, crashing through the undergrowth and out of sight. Soon I heard his barking and then the screaming back by monkeys who I hadn’t yet seen. One monkey must’ve been caught off …

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