About Salsera

Currently Lives:

Citizen of:

Advice for New Expats

* Get as much information as possible before moving (via internete: forums, social networks, private mail and Skype contacts etc) * Learn the language * Get rid of all things you do not really need

I would love to live in...

in Cuba

Favorite Cuisine:

I eat everything, but prefer vegetables and seafood

Favorite Movie:

Mississippi Burning

Favorite Sports Team:

Sports: Ballroom and Latin Dancing

Some Forum Posts:

Nicaragua: Leon Night Life:

There are some places with life music or concerts: La Olla Quemada (on Thursdays Latin dance night: Salsa and Bachata), on other days they have various live bands. Imbir restaurant: Rather the soft background music with guitar and vocals. Sometimes really good bands in El Padrino. There is a Municipal theatre where they have especially ballet (contemporary) shows from time to time, mostly on Thursdays. During the touristic season there are folkloric concerts and dances on a stage near the Cathedral on Saturdays. The Expat Lunch is once a month in different restaurants, next Saturday at the beach in Poneloya. Normally some informative guests are also invited, such a lawyer, someone from migration, representatives of a new internet provider etc. Check out the FB groups "The Leon List" and "Expats in Leon" for up-to-date info.

Nicaragua: Donating Tablets:

This might be considered corruption.

Nicaragua: Wanting to visit Nicaragua to learn if Expat is for us:

If a chicken bus is too much adventure for you: There are various other bus solutions, even with AC, especially from town to town. I hope I may mention a company without being accused of unilateral promotion... TIERRA tours take you from Granada to Managua to Leon and probably other cities, incl. your travel luggage - which is important. Their prices are moderate and they have AC. They have offices in various towns where you can book in advance. Another one is NICA bus - very comfi, with a toilet and AC. I used it once to go to Costa Rica. And there are others. The micro buses - for ex. between Leon and Managua - cost only 53CS, but do not offer much space for big luggage. They may have AC or not. The chicken buses have windows (I prefer this to AC!). Anyway: If you want to avoid the heat in a bus, do not take a window seat where you are grilled by the sun - or get informed on which side the sun will be during your travel. Enjoy your prospection tour!

Nicaragua: Remote Jobs:

There were a few offers in the Expat groups on FB. Join "Expats in Nicaragua", "Expats in Managua", in Granada, Leon and so on.

Nicaragua: Salsa Dancing Immersion:

This is NOT Cuba... I have been dancing many years and was expecting sth like clubs, where you can be a permanent member and - at a certain time - feel like a part of it. There are some dancing schools and discotheques in Managua, Leon and also Matagalpa. The schools offer Cuban (Rueda) and Linea, in general each 2x a week for 1:30h. In Leon is a disco named La Olla Quemada who offer a Latin dance night every Thursday. But at 10pm a lot of tourists and non-dancers (of course foreigners) invade the dancefloor, hopping wildly around with a drink and a cigarette in their hand. In Managua there is a Salsa night in Fandangop disco on Saturdays and several schools where you can inscribe for beginners or intermediate courses, also Bachata and Kizomba.

Nicaragua: Solar in Nicaragua:

I find the price of the public electricity does not make it not worth while to change for solar in town. Power breakdowns are not so frequent (at least here in Leon) that you would need to compensate with solar. A voltage stabilizer or a charger/battery combo are sufficient. And if you use AC frequentl,y, it will certainly not be cheaper with solar! Only recommendable for off-grid, but depends much of the region. Even here in Leon the sky is often covered or cloudy, especially now in the rainy season between July and October. Here in Leon is a company called ENICALSA who sell a lot, you find their website on Google.

Nicaragua: Living in Leon:

I live in Leon since April last year, and I love it. It is most of the time VERY hot, but having lived in Africa for 11 years, I do not mind - you can arrange yourself with that by adapting your way of life. I like the old colonial buildings (not so refurbished as is in Granada which is for me like a puppet museum, but often rather "original". I like the spirit of revolution - paintings and traces of that time everywhere in town. I like its size which permits do do everything walking or with a bicycle and the rest with a taxi. If you do not have a car, it takes about 1 hour to the beaches, which are rather "rough", but not crowded. Rough means more for surfers than for swimmers. There is a lot of garbage, and this requires a ton of environmental education. I founded an environmental network in April - RED VERDE LEON - and we are also working on that. Tomorrow we will participate in a "Jornada de Limpieza" organized by the Instituto de Desarrollo (INDE), Rome was not built in one day... you have to be very patient... But it is always difficult to explain a location to someone - this is very personal. Come and see and make your own opinion!

Nicaragua: Nicaragua Turning to Dictatorship Again?:

I can only confirm what Iguanalover writes. Where is a REAL democracy nowadays? Most countries are dictated by money - by the transnationals, the financial mafia - these are powerful enough to provoke financial crisis and even wars. So what? And: Please, dear USA - do not try to import your type of Freedom and Democracy here anymore... It only leaves a trace of blood, death and destruction. Nicaragua works quite well.

Nicaragua: "Travel Alert for U.S. Citizens Residing in or Traveling to Nicaragua":

This is a reaction of the US to the expulsion of 3 US citizens about 2 weeks ago. One was a professor at the US School of War (or so) who wanted to carry out a study financed b y the US Institute of War on the status of the canal project in a region governed by the contras during the war. A very bad idea! The other two came to advise companies who want to export Nica products to the USA and were working - if I get that right - in the customs area (which is under the authority of a Nicaraguan ministry). So probably also no very good idea. I think in the USA Nicaraguan consultants and professors of this type would also not be very welcome. You may think about Daniel Ortega what you want, but after all that happened in Venezuela, Argentina, Brasil and - under preparation - Bolivia (and what happened many years before in Chile), I understand that he might be extremely on his guard - especially in a slightly critical election year.

Nicaragua: Income:

There is a new type of visa for which you have to place a deposit on a savings account at the bank (and not touch it for the duration of the visa). I do not remember how it is called. You could ask for such a one until you can apply for a pensioner s visa.

Date Joined:

1/8/2014

Total Posts:

196

Posts/Day:

0.17