Soft Landings Redux

Adventuring in a new country demands flexibility, but having a plan for your landing zone can really set the tone for the rest of your travels.  Our plan?  Grab a shuttle in the Managua Airport and get out of town as fast as possible.  Go to Granada to the Hotel Casa Barcelona and be flexible from there.

We landed at 12:30 on a Thursday afternoon.  20 minutes and $20 later ($10 apiece entry fee into Nicaragua) we grabbed our bags off the carousel, put them quickly through the scanner, and walked into the airport.  We waded through the normal melee of cab drivers and tour operators vying for our business, walked to a shuttle counter, paid $40 and we were on our way.  Esteban, our congenial driver, was 33 years old, with a wife and a son.  He was aware that the government had accepted the $50 billion proposal from a Chinese businessman to build a canal from Bluefields on the Caribbean side through pristine jungle and forest, through Lago Cocibolca (sometimes known as Lake Nicaragua), and out to the Pacific at San Juan del Sur.  He had no real opinion on it other than that it would provide jobs for the people.  He knew of the protests, but said that their voices didn't necessarily represent a majority of the populace.

When Arenosa commented on the cocos at a fruit stand, he stopped immediately and bought us both fresh, cold coconuts with straws to sip the delicious coco water before continuing on.  He told us of the termales (hot springs) nearby, of the beautiful laguna we should visit, of the volcanoes, and of the artesanal markets in Masaya.  He used his smartphone to find our hotel, taking us right through the middle of the old colonial downtown with its narrow streets, many shops, and people spilling out from all directions, unconcerned that our car was passing within inches of where they strolled or biked.

The hotel was a small, bungalow-style, stucco and tile place with a jungle garden filled with birdsong and swept immaculately clean.  We collapsed into the room and unabashedly slept for 15 quiet, undisturbed hours.  We sit in the room now, listening to the doves coo while we drink from a tray of local cafe con leche.  Our soft landing has set a beautiful tone for the adventures to come.