ambercurtis
1/7/2016 19:53 EST
OK. I am trying to trim this down. My top needs: A nice, clean one-bedroom house with an outdoor space for under $450. I have a cat. I need hi-speed internet and access to coffeehouses; I'm a writer. I'm 53 but I would like to explore the hiking and organic farming in this area. I would like to be able to take one week vacations to beaches, too, especially when friends visit. I like organic vegetables. I can trade English/Spanish lessons. I just want a walk-around town with some expats and some intellectuals/artists to hang out with. This is my last post if I don't hear anything real. Otherwise, I guess I'll have to go to Panama, which really isn't my scene. I like privacy, respect, and art. Also, I'm a big fan of music, mostly folk music but also classical and so forth.. Amber
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atz111
1/7/2016 20:41 EST
-House...OK
-Internet..OK..not streaming fast but good for browsing and email and manuscripts.
-Coffeehouses...you keep saying that. Do you mean like simple cafes whereto can get a cup of coffee...or do you mean places where the intelligence come to palaver. The former..a few. The latter...nope not by a country mile.
-Great hiking and farms
-Beaches 1.5 hours away
-You will likely get what are called organic...but not certified by anyone except the guy who sells you them
-intellectuals/artists to hang out with...nope, not a chance in hell
-music...bring your CDs
uhhh...you are moving into a relatively rural setting and not a fully developed art colony...nice places ...both.... but just by what you ask about you will not last long
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iguanalover
1/7/2016 20:50 EST
Nicaragua is the kind of place where you have to be prepared to be very flexible and find your niche. The most successful, ie happy expats, are pretty mellow and have few demands. If you are willing to take your time and be open to new experiences you can make a nice life. The organic veggie scene is hit or miss. If you haven't gardened in the tropics, you could be in for some surprises.
My suggestion is that you come down and take a good look around for yourself.
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elduendegrande
1/8/2016 11:42 EST
I would expect Chile would be more to your liking. You want to live in an expat/ artist niche which largely doesn't exist in Nic. Come down and check out Granada and SJDS and maybe Leon and you may find your niche in miniature.
If you MASTER Spanish you might slowly, eventually, painfully, tap into Nic. intellectual circles but you will be the rare exception. Most expats, including myself, speak advanced Baby Talk Spanish.
Ditto on the fiesbuuk groups, they seem like an upbeat bunch of newbies around which you can form a social group.
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ambercurtis
1/8/2016 21:15 EST
Thank you. Chile is too far for me! I would go back to San Cristobal de las Casas in Mexico but it's not the same anymore and Mexico itself is changed significantly.
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richardsteebird
1/10/2016 03:09 EST
We have a fantastic coffeehouse in Jinotepe where you can get espressos, lattes, iced coffees, frappes, etc. I don't know about the intellectuals/artist scene but if you go to facebook you can join our Jinotepe Expat group and post on there if there are some in the area someone in the group will probably know. They have monthly dinner get togethers at local restaurants. On facebook there are also other groups for Granada, Leon (much hotter but you might find artists, etc.), San Juan Del Sur, Esteli, etc. that you can join and ask questions. I think if you make a trip to Nicaragua and travel around and ask questions of expats in each area you will find your niche/small group of people that you feel comfortable with. My husband and I are ministers and have Crossroads Fellowship Bible Institute in Jinotepe at Agrimersa 75 varas abajo. if you make it to Jinotepe drop by for a visit and we can introduce you to some other expats here many are missionaries and some are also pensionados like us. We moved here 2 years ago and have no plans of moving anywhere. Good luck in your pursuit.
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dalepues
1/12/2016 10:57 EST
A nice, clean......yes, of course, that's what we all want. Sadly, non-existent. You will have to accept what ever is available and make it nice and clean. Intellectuals? There aren't any. Well, that's not entirely true. There are two intellectuals. They occasionally post here, but you'll have to be very observant to find them out. Matagalpa is a cluttered town situated in a bowl. The weather is generally cool. It has one good restaurant, La Casa Grande, and a fair pizza place near Guanuca; also a nice little hotel, La Profe, spotless, inexpensive, convenient. Jinotepe (or Diriamba) would be my choice. Cool weather, Panamerican passes through; an hour to Sandino Airport; close to the Pacific Ocean, maybe an hour if you're a careful driver (cows and horses loiter the highway) where Casares has a fisherman's co-op so you can buy fresh seafood. Also Playa Hermosa, beautiful beach, is close by. You might try the Tortuga Verde for accommodation in Diriamba.
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ambercurtis
1/12/2016 20:05 EST
Thank you. I'm watching the FB posts and talking privately with some people. This trip is at least six months away. I appreciate everyone's input and help.
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ambercurtis
1/12/2016 20:08 EST
Thanks for the information, Dalepues. I'm taking all this on board and feeling foolish but not deterred.
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novato1953
1/13/2016 13:02 EST
San Cristobal de las Casas was one-of-a-kind. There simply is no place in Nicaragua with the same altitude nor attitude, nor with such large numbers of Mixtecas and Zapotecas. And of course, many folks believe there is absolutely no place on the planet that's ever as good as it used to be. If your heart is set on Nicaragua and your Spanish is limited so what you really want is a lot of choices in English speakers you can meet and get to know, you can probably most easily choose between some carefully-selected parts of Managua, San Juan del Sur, Granada, Leon, Esteli or Matagalpa. These places are all significantly different, except they have sizeable expat populations and an infrastructure somewhat tailored to serve them, e.g., coffee shops and Sinsa stores. But it's a small country and checking those towns out could be done in short order. The internet is just fine until it's not, and how good it is when it's good at all seems to depend mostly on your specific location and maybe your birth sign. Electricity delivery is sometimes the same way. In fact, before you leave go visit an ecclesiastical supply store for a few of those massive, slow-burning beeswax candles the size of 155-mm shells. You'll be glad later.
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ambercurtis
1/13/2016 15:03 EST
Novato, Thanks for the response. Yeah. I'm from Seattle and it's not the same as the good old days either. It's hard to find a dive-y place for an old-fashioned hangover breakfast, nevermind an affordable apartment. Things change. I accept that; I don't have to like it!
I notice you post on Ecuador and Colombia too. Do you just move around a lot? Or do you prefer one country to another? My heart isn't set on anything except going south, and every day I get new information so my thinking evolves. I've been looking at Quito and Cuenca. They seem to have cheaper and nicer apartments. I'm just wondering if they get enough sun for my liking.
I am working on my Spanish and will continue to do so. I'm not looking to replicate my life here but rather have an adventure where I can afford to live on my small income.
Thanks again.
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novato1953
1/13/2016 16:47 EST
ambercurtis
You're right, I've been able to move between those three countries and the US the past few years. I'm in Nicaragua now. If you want to know about those other places, I'd be happy to help you however I can. Since this is the Nicaragua forum, however, I think it would be more polite to the other users to send me a private message in regards to places that are not named Nicaragua.
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