Rivas and Hacienda Amayo, Nicaragua
This morning we woke up off the coast of Nicaragua in the port of San Juan del Sur. As soon as the Nicaraguan authorities cleared the ship, our Zodiacs took us to shore. A lively reception awaited us at the pier and we proceeded to the city of Rivas on three buses accompanied by our local Nicaraguan guides. For years, the name of Nicaragua was synonymous with war and dictatorship. Today we had the pleasant surprise of finding out just how friendly and hospitable Nicaraguans are, both on the streets and inside their own homes.
Our initial reception was given at the city’s museum by a folk dance group of children aged three to four, followed by an unusual ride in local taxis called “pepanos,” which are not exactly cabs. Pepanos are modified bicycles with a seat for two passengers in the front and the driver pedals behind them, a quaint but pleasant and eco-friendly means of transportation. We walked through the marketplace and visited a couple of churches and roads through the city: all under the curious and somewhat perplexed looks of the natives.
For lunch we went to another hacienda: Hacienda Amayo. This has belonged to the Barrios family since it was given to them by King Philip II of Spain in the 16th Century. The Barrios family has been able to keep it in spite of their open opposition to the Somoza dictatorship (1933-1979) and the Sandinista attempts of expropriating it (1979-1989). Our hostess, Maria Marta de Barrios, offered us a traditional Nicaraguan lunch called Caballo Bayo: a delicious buffet-style lunch featuring all kinds of meats, cheeses and salads accompanied with tortillas and cassava.
Our young ones were then challenged to baseball and soccer games by the Rivas infant team… in baseball, which is their specialty, they beat us 12 to 5; but in soccer they were not as good, so the result was 3 to 1… again the victory fell to our opponents, but of course, the Nicaraguan food is to be blamed. In any case it was a fun and friendly game which culminated with the breaking of a traditional piñata as a way of concluding an utterly unforgettable day.
This morning we woke up off the coast of Nicaragua in the port of San Juan del Sur. As soon as the Nicaraguan authorities cleared the ship, our Zodiacs took us to shore. A lively reception awaited us at the pier and we proceeded to the city of Rivas on three buses accompanied by our local Nicaraguan guides. For years, the name of Nicaragua was synonymous with war and dictatorship. Today we had the pleasant surprise of finding out just how friendly and hospitable Nicaraguans are, both on the streets and inside their own homes.
Our initial reception was given at the city’s museum by a folk dance group of children aged three to four, followed by an unusual ride in local taxis called “pepanos,” which are not exactly cabs. Pepanos are modified bicycles with a seat for two passengers in the front and the driver pedals behind them, a quaint but pleasant and eco-friendly means of transportation. We walked through the marketplace and visited a couple of churches and roads through the city: all under the curious and somewhat perplexed looks of the natives.
For lunch we went to another hacienda: Hacienda Amayo. This has belonged to the Barrios family since it was given to them by King Philip II of Spain in the 16th Century. The Barrios family has been able to keep it in spite of their open opposition to the Somoza dictatorship (1933-1979) and the Sandinista attempts of expropriating it (1979-1989). Our hostess, Maria Marta de Barrios, offered us a traditional Nicaraguan lunch called Caballo Bayo: a delicious buffet-style lunch featuring all kinds of meats, cheeses and salads accompanied with tortillas and cassava.
Our young ones were then challenged to baseball and soccer games by the Rivas infant team… in baseball, which is their specialty, they beat us 12 to 5; but in soccer they were not as good, so the result was 3 to 1… again the victory fell to our opponents, but of course, the Nicaraguan food is to be blamed. In any case it was a fun and friendly game which culminated with the breaking of a traditional piñata as a way of concluding an utterly unforgettable day.
