Hanz and Franz go headless

Thursday, I woke with the sun. Juan pounded on my door. ‘Megan! Megaaaan! Time for the show!’. I stumbled out in my pjs to see Manuel chopping wood and assembling a nice campfire. And then Jamie brought out the two turkeys that had slept in the bodega, sqwaked all the morning long, and were now [...]

washington post article about what’s going on in nicaragua

Far more articulate than I am. 
Democracy in peril

democracy in Nica-land

Tuesday, the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for Nicaragua. The capital is a bit in turmoil and democracy hangs in a precarious balance between traffic rotundas, the epicenters of national protests. Indeed, Nicaragua’s having a rough time at this point due to the municipal elections of two weeks prior which were, according to [...]

bachata in the kitchen

Oh, how life meanders in funny ways. I’m back in Gigante! I forgot how BEAUTIFUL this place is… or perhaps it took seven weeks in a Nicaraguan city (even a city such as Granada) to inform me how nice life is by the beach in a small town. I realize this is incredibly corny, but [...]

on the incompetence of the Nicaraguan police force; and election fraud

Gar!
The police station finally re-opened on Wednesday morning, and after finishing layout for the Post, I popped over for what I thought (stupidly) would be a quick and easy visit, only needed a police report for my insurance. I obviously had forgotten that I was, in fact, residing in Nicaragua. Now, the Nicaraguan government is [...]

hair loss

The Granada police station has been closed all week, and will remain closed until Wednesday. This is presumably due to today’s municipal elections, much anticipated, protested, and surrounded by violence (see my article below). My reaction to a police station closing is much as if they were to have closed, say, the hospital or, let’s [...]

Organic beans, bananas, and tourism

(article for Between the Waves, re: my last trip)
A trip back in time, Miraflor Nature Reserve reminds us of the original intent behind ‘eco-tourism’
by Megan Kimble

The bus chugging up into the mountains above Esteli is full of passengers that appear as though they’re heading into the outback. 100-kilo bags of rice fill the aisles and [...]

Montealegre and Arguello go head to head

(article from last edition’s Nica Post)
Sunday, November 9, mayoral elections across Nicaragua will serve as an assessment of President Daniel Ortega’s first two years in office and the population’s confidence in the FSLN party as a whole.
by Megan Kimble
Across the country, 146 municipalities will vote for mayors representing either the governing party of Ortega, the [...]

optimism vidicated

November 5, 2008
Dear Barack Obama,
…
Your victory has demonstrated that no person anywhere in the world should not dare to dream of wanting to change the world for a better place.
…
Sincerely,
N R Mandela
***
It didn’t seem real until I could sign online to check my favorite newspapers, see the headlines (which gave me chills) read the stories; [...]

election day 2

I just re-read that last post. It sounded so lethargic and so very not stoked on the world. And, I felt the need to clarify my tone… I am STOKED on the world, on Nicaragua and on the great U S of A (said with not a touch of sarcasm). Seriously. YAAAAAAYY ELECTION DAY!!!!!!!!!!
(fingers crossed…Obama. [...]