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Nicaragua: Beef:
If people are thinking about buying a quarter or a 1/2, or any larger chunk of meat keep in mind how hot it is here and how difficult it is to cut up warm meat.. Ideal might be to have a freezer large enough to put the 1/4s in when you butcher or get them home. You want them firm or almost frozen. Then take them out and cut and wrap them quickly before the heat and flies take their toll.
Nicaragua: Managua Fumigation:
In Granada they spray now and then and use (I'm told) diesel as it's cheaper than poison and it can be sprayed well with those machines they use. It seems to work very well too but hard to say if it's easier on the environment or not.
Nicaragua: Sad Story:
He played a big role in his own demise should the current theory be correct. My fellow Canadian old man may have been a nice guy but no one is stupid enough (in a country where the national sport is screwing gringos out of cash) to think a 23 year old woman wants anything to do with old gringo men other than for money. Therefor he was also taking advantage of her as much as she was guilty of same. That's a dangerous game to play in a place where people are starving and have lost hope.
Nicaragua: Voluntary Work:
granadastreetkids.com is a great project in my opinion. They work with kids who are drifting in to street life. Education, respect and a skill that can be used to support the family are the goals. Also, they will let you stay and eat there for free and there is no cost to be part of the program as a volunteer.
Nicaragua: Seeking Work:
Trouble is, if they get caught working without proper permission it means deportation and maybe even a few days in a Nica jail, I imagine And we all have heard what a nice place that is! I think folks who come to Nica to work without proper paperwork are crazy. There are plenty of people around who aren't working and if I was a local and under employed / unemployed and I saw you working without proper residency, I'd turn you in too.
Nicaragua: Money exchange (Canadians):
At 79 cents for 1 US dollar, and about 21 Cordoba for one Canadian dollar, it's not as attractive as it was for me to stay in Nicaragua.
Any Canadians on here? How many Cordoba are you getting for say, $100 Canadian from the bank machine these days?
What is the best deal? To withdraw in US and exchange to Cordoba or to withdraw in cordoba?
Nicaragua: Spending the Fall in Granada:
Hi Matt: I spent a month at El Carmen Guesthouse in central Granada and loved it. The couple who own it speak English / Spanish and other languages. He was an IT Tech before he moved to Nicaragua, so his high speed internet set-up is excellent. They have a small, safe and secure place and one of the little apartments has air conditioning. You don't really need it because they supply fans and roof fans, and that does the trick, but they do have one place with air. They are really good folks and they have a little bar there and laundry service too. Very close to downtown and everything else, but far enough away to be quiet. Also, and this was important to me, it's secure. They live on site and it has a high wall with razor wire around it and they take security of their guests very seriously. Check out their website and email or call Arnold or Donnaly if interested. I ended up renting an apartment for the 5 months after I spent a month with Arnold and Donnaly so I could save a bit of money. I'm retired and don't make as much as I did. But I would much rather have paid the $150 a month I saved by getting an apartment, and had the better security, more friendly, more services etc. I had at El Carmen. There is a good Spanish language school about two blocks away, and some of the money they make goes toward charity, if I recall. But I could not see me sitting in a classroom so I hired a very poor family to teach me Spanish. I took a taxi to their place and would spend about 3 hours a day 4 or 5 days a week. THAT was the highlight of my trip. They are such a great family and I love them dearly. They accepted me into their home and treated me like a king. It was very informal and each of the 4 children would have conversations with me in Spanish. I would be issued a number of words to learn each day and often these were words that had come up in our conversations that I did not understand. This is a very poor family so I felt better about the money going to them rather than a tourist related classroom type business. And I had way more fun and got to experience the real culture etc. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn Spanish / Nica culture. Will send some pics to anyone interested in trying it. Check out Guesthouse El Carmen website, Matt, if interested in staying there. Good luck and have a great trip. Also, I can recommend a good, safe taxi driver who speaks fairly good English. I would call his cell and he wold come get me. He is honest and prompt and doesn't drive like he's on crack like some of them do.
Nicaragua: Spending A Month In Granada:
I just spent 6 months in Granada and am not there right now. But I can tell you that it seems gay friendly to me. I'm not gay but before I retired I got a chance to work in a program for a year that served gay men only, so I have a bit of a trained eye if you know what I mean. I don't think it's as safe as places with large gay populations in the USA and Canada, but it seems like a pretty open minded city as far as Central America goes. If you're coming here to party, understand that most places that rent by the month tend to take a dim view of bringing in guests. But many of us (expats) prefer those places because they are quiet and safe. If you tell me what you're looking for in a place to live/work, I can make a few suggestions. Good luck
Nicaragua: Entering Nicaragua:
Tell you what, cowboy. I'll do it for $100 up front. I'll be back in Granada soon and you can Western Union me. Then I'll sell you to a corrupt Immigration cop who will show up in the agreed upon spot instead of me, and bust you guys and hold you in some rat-hole jail somewhere until they bleed you and your family back home of all the cash they can squeeze out of you.
Nicaragua: Should there be a Safety Concerns for a single mom?:
Hi Jane: I'm not a very experienced Granada guy, but I've been here for 6 months. I think it's pretty safe if you're careful and take precautions. Don't trust anyone. I can't stress this enough. Cover all the bases and keep your things locked up at all times. Most of the people here live in poverty and it'll probably break your heart to see it. Does me, but you still have to keep your guard up. I suggest you only live in a place with very good security. That means walls, bars and locks. I hired a family (I've become very close to over the months) to teach me Spanish. I couldn't see me lining the pockets of some company that paid their people nothing. I decided to hire my own non professional who could actually really benefit from the money. I've had an outstanding experience doing it that way. I pay them to teach me and the whole family joins in, and not only do I learn the language, but I get to see how they live and learn some of the culture of this great country. And, most importantly for me, my dollars are going to actually help a very poor family. So take a taxi to their house 5 days a week and I spend about 3 or 4 hours a day there just hanging out with the family. They give me assignments to learn words and come and talk with me in Spanish. I get to watch them and eat with them and take part in whatever is going on. I can sit outside in a comfortable rocking chair and enjoy the cool breeze, and someone will come up to me and start talking in Spanish. I may have to use my cell phone Google translate to understand, but that is, in my opinion, the best way to learn for me. Plus, it's much more fun than hanging out in a formal class. And my dollars go to help a very poor family who could not afford to feed their children every day. I'm going back to Canada for a while soon, so if you want to take my spot, let me know and I'll ask that question, or just put you in touch. Rick
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