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Nicaragua: internet:
I work on line too.
Here it is in a nutshell: If you are in a major urban area you can get a cable internet from Claro which is unlimited.
Otherwise,, Claro and MoviStar piggyback internet over their phone signals,, but charge for the data. It gets expensive.
IBW is another option if you can't get either signal. They are unlimited,, but the service is "shared", and the speed will slow to a crawl. Lousy customer service,, like like rugs,, but if that is your only option???
I had them for a short,, miserable, time
MoviStar only requires a passport to sign up,, Claro still insists on a cedula so you need a straw man to initiate service.
Unless you are REALLY in the boonies,, you will find internet. Won't be like home,, NIcaragua is woefully under served in terms of bandwidth.
Nicaragua: How's the night life in Managua??:
I heard Hooters was going to open, or has opened, in MGA.
That is going to be worth the trip.
Nicaragua: León - buying furniture:
Yes,, there are some bargains here in furniture.
Ii suggest to anyone moving to Leon to go on The Real Nicaragua and contact Daddy-Yo.
He has been there for 11 years,, living very close to the center with his Nicaraguan wife and family. He's a fount of local knowledge.
Nicaragua: Leon Apartment rentals:
Go to the TRN site and send a PM to Daddy-Yo
He's rented an apartment very close to the center for $200 ,month for 11 years. 2BR One Bath.
Unfurnished, pay your own electricity.
There is one across from him available now.
Teacher from Oregon is renting in the same complex,, paying $400 month furnished.
Another TRN poster drlemcor has good luck finding over capacity hostal rooms and making the owner an offer for a prepaid month. I just met him in Leon yesterday and we were talking about short term rentals..
I'm looking for something for three months during the winter to get out of the rain and cold on the farm. You can always depend on Leon to be hot.
Furnished is always tough to find here,, but if you are here for six months what are you going to do??
Nicaragua: CAR RENTAL:
OK,, I don't agree with everthing ATZ says, but his info is without BS and to the point.
I've driven here 6 years,, everything from rentals to the Ford F150 I'm driving now.
This is NOT that bad a place to drive. I've driven in worse. Managua is challenging because there is little signage. But getting to the major points you want like the embassy, PriceSmart, Migration,, is just not that difficult.
The rest of the country,, except for the odd challenging road,, is much more relaxed.
I always rented from Budget at the airport,, but as ATZ says you will always get a better deal away from the airport. That is especially true in the US with all the airport taxes attached to a car rental.
It does take some getting used to,, but that comes quickly. It's different,, but Nicaragua is different.
$20 is way too much to gift a transito. If you give this kind of money you are spoiling it for the rest of us. As far as 2-3 weeks to get your license back??? If you are in an urban area you can find a bank,, pay the fine and immediately go back to the officer and retrieve you license.
Even if he is lax in getting the license out of his pocket and into the system,, you have 30 days to drive on the ticket with the receipt for the fine attached.
The transito guys will ask for the moon, but will accept 100 or 200 cords. Once you begin to bargain you have the upper hand. They DON'T want to write you a ticket, puts no money in their pockets,, and certainly don't want you complaining about the EXCESSIVE bribe you had to pay.
Drivers are a good idea if you can find a good and reliable one with a decent vehicle and AC. And a price you can live with. Driving does keep you from seeing much of the country,, as you DO need to pay close attention to what is going on.
Good luck,,, enjoy life here,, it's a good life. If you are afraid of your own shadow it will show and mark you as a victim.
Nicaragua: Importing Personal Belongings:
If you drive down (easy drive) things like clothes,, food items,, books,, hand tools, are ignored. You can stuff a lot of stuff into a vehicle, and it all adds up if you buy it here,, especially with Nicaragua's 15% sales tax.
Anything you can reasonably claim that you are going to be using on the trip,, even VERY large quantities of food for example, is ignored. A couple of laptops would fly,, larger computer would be looked at. That cement mixer in the back of your truck . . . . well, you may dance better than I do.
Tell them you are on your way to Panama :)
Power tools,, large tv screens,, appliances, big generators,, are obviously beyond the needs of a tourist, and will be questioned.
I've never had problems in Mexico,, but CA you can also use a customs broker to list your goods and pass you through. We're talking lots of stuff.
You can look in the forum of TRN , Nicaragua Scrapbook,,and see some of the truck loads I've brought down. At this point you are no longer a tourist,,
Downside: You have to transit the country within 24 hours, without fail if you use the transit procedure for your stuff.. Mechanical breakdowns have to be documented by a police report. Fine in El Salvador,, for example,, is $1700 for missing that 24 hour window.
Good luck and Bienvenidos!
Nicaragua: let's not spoil Nicaragua:
You may find what you are looking in the north,, including north beaches north of Corinto. Still cheap.
Estelí, Matagalpa, Jinotega,, and many of the smaller cities of the north are still reasonable
But,, remember what you describe as spoiling is the Nica's prosperity finally coming to fruition.
The country is still a third of Costa Rica costs.
The key: get in while you can. Staying costs are very little. Much of what kills retirees in the US,, such as property taxes,, are extremely low here. I pay more in diesel to drive to Telpaneca to pay my fincq taxes, than I pay in taxes.
This new found prosperity serves us all.
Nicaragua: Need assistance filing documents in Managua:
I have a similar issue with a US born son of a Nicaraguan mother who is illegally in the US.
I have his birth certificate and US Passport but don't know the procedure for getting him Nicaraguan-ized. He was a year old on the 8th of January.
I understand that the process starts at the US Embassy?
He is physically in Nicaragua at the moment and I have the necessary custodianship documents from his mother to advocate in his behalf.
The plan was to bring him back to the US at some point for language and school. So, there is no urgency but I understand that these things can take time.
I go to Managua from time to time,, I'm doing my residency at the moment.
Email me at NetLinkDigital@hotmail.com
John
Nicaragua: Ortega Sworn in for the Third Time:
DumLuk speaks the truth.
It's sad, but we are enjoying a window of tranquility and prosperity.
This is a Nicaraguan problem,, not an expat problem. Unless Nicaragua goes south, like Venezuela, there will be little apparent change for us.
This is an expat forum,, I suppose we are entitled to discuss how we feel about Nicaragua. I am careful not to go down this road with Nicaraguans, however. For one thing,, there are ears everywhere, like Cuba and Venezuela. For another,, it's not our business, and they are more cognizant of what is happening than we give them credit for..
For the moment the US is ignoring Nicaragua,, working with Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and there is some progress there.
Nicaragua: Wanting to visit Nicaragua to learn if Expat is for us:
I would rent a car.
Get a Toyota Yaris,, it's a goat, goes anywhere.
Use Budget at the airport,, you can reserve and nail down pricing on-line. You leave the lot, turn right on the Carretera Norte to go north to Estelí, and Leon, or left to go to Granada, or SJdS. No need to go through Managua. Save it for last.
The Yaris used to be 3 cylinder here, might be four now.
Pros: Buses run on their schedules,, you will waste much time working your trip around them.
With the car,, you can stop anywhere you wish,, go anywhere you want,, when you want. Many places have very limited bus access.
Safe place to keep your stuff locked up. Store food and water, those wet wipes like baby wipes are a blessing here. You can keep your face and hands clean. Stuff like that you can easily keep in a car, some snacks,,
Cons: Driving takes a bit of getting used to here. Really not as bad as everyone tries to make it out to be. I drive a big Ford F150,,,, everywhere, you just need to take it easy and ignore the horns. They are going to honk anyway. Honking is part of the Nicaragua culture,, they LOVE to honk their horns. Nicaraguans love noise in any form.
Other than that,, driving is a no brainer.
Transito: Don't pass on a solid line (no matter how tempting if you can't see far enough ahead to insure they are not standing by the side of the road). Keep your seat belts fastened. Those are the two biggies,, easy money makers for them.
GET A DUPLICATE DRIVER;s LICENSE BEFORE YOU LEAVE.
Driving is less than issue than finding your way around in the bigger cities. There is close to zero signage,, although it's getting better slowly. GPS doesn't work here. If I were to explore Managua,, for example,, I would park the car and use a taxi.
ALWAYS negotiate pricing BEFORE you get into a taxi.
More Con:
You need to put the car into a secure parking every night. You can't leave it on the street. Any decent hotel will have free parking. But hostels geared to backpackers will not. There are always secure parking areas in any developed town, and if you are in a really small rural area, you will park in some one's front yard and they will watch the car for 20 cords.
In terms of seeing the country quickly, a car is the only way to go.. Buses will quickly wear you out. They tend to be packed, sometimes beyond belief. They are hot,, and during the dry season, dusty. There is no AC. So, your face is covered in sweat with a layer of dirt adhering.
It's difficult to maintain control of your luggage in a bus. With the car, you can just park somewhere busy, lock up and explore. When you're done, move on.
The bottom line is: If you want to maximize your available time here, a car is the only way to go. Once you settle into a big town,, a car may be more hassle than value, but to get the feeling of the country initially, it will make a huge difference.
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