Stolen bases, windmills and the Nicaraguan surf!

11.12.13

 Photo Album: Road trip on the Ruta PanAmericana from Granada to San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

 This is what I did on this auspicious day, 11.12.13! I made this photo album.

The highlights of the trip were the visit to the home town of a boy who dreamed of stolen bases in the big leagues, windmills, and the surf! The low price for beer was refreshing! Amazing Nicaraguan rum, thought to be the world's best rum, was a big source of interest! You will have to read the captions of the photos to figure out what I mean about the stolen bases.

Disappointing to learn about Everth's suspension from the NL for the use of performance enhancing drugs. Looks like he will not be eligible for baseball's hall of fame. The photos, nonetheless, provide an impression of life today along the Ruta Panamericana in Nicaragua.



The blue line between the green (Granada) and red (San Juan del Sur) pins traces my road trip on the Ruta Panamericana.
A horse carriage ride costs US$20 for a 30 minute tour around Granada.

Horse and cart are important to transport in Nicaragua.

The Ruta Panamericana about 20-30 minutes drive south of Granada.

Men, women, and sometimes children pull carts on city streets and country roads of Nicaragua.

Nandaime,Nicaragua: Everth Cabrera, one of the most exciting young stars in baseball currently with the San Diego Padres, was born here. 

Nandaime, Nicaragua: Cabrera led the National League with 44 stolen bases in 2012. Thus, Nicaragua named him Athlete of the Year (Wikipedia)!
Catholic church, Nandaime, Nicaragua.

Sugar cane plantation between Nandaime and Los Angeles.

Unlike many houses this one has a satellite TV dish on the roof.

Typical house between Granada and San Juan.

Headache!

Looks like Americans on tour with their big bikes.

Young guys delivering one of the world's most recognizable brands!


Wind turbine.

Just as good as the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) in BC, Canada.

Mare and foal on the shore of Lake Nicaragua. Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes, rises from Lake Nicaragua in the background. 

Amayo Wind Power Project (40 MW/y), the first wind farm in Nicaragua, generates electrical energy, saving almost 100$ per megawatt hour. It displaces green house gas emissions by 120,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year (Source: UNFCCC Clean Development Mechanism Project Design Document, 2006).

House on the shore of Lake Nicaragua a few hundred metres westwards of the first windmill farm.



The surf at San Juan del Sur is a magnate for young people.

Egret caught a silver fish in the brown water of the Rio San Juan del Sur near its estuary with the Pacific Ocean.

My lunch during a mid-day rain.

Beach vendor at San Juan del Sur.
The Red Cross first aid team offered to pose for the group portrait at the finish line for a marathon street race at San Juan.
Beach at San Juan del Sur.

Cruisers in the harbour of San Juan del Sur.

Perfect location for a Spanish language class!
The price of gasoline on the Ruta Panamericana in Nicaragua is the same as the current price in northwestern BC, Canada (CDN$1.29/litre)!


Young guys appear to be going to work.

Highway No. 4 crosses this river bed 4 km north of Nandaime. It is already dry at the end of the rainy season.

Lady near Granada.



Comments

  1. graemejDecember 11, 2013 at 8:53 PM

    The picture of the beach vender and the young guys sitting on top of the truck are poignant, as is the one with the man pulling the cart with his kids and the old horse pulling the wagon. I think of that one when I think life sucks because of my first world problems.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Larry JosephDecember 11, 2013 at 10:11 PM

    Yes, I had a hard time uploading the photo of the man pulling the cart with his girls. I do not want to offend his dignity. Yet, it is still important to show travel encounters like it to the world. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in Latin America after Haiti. One-half of Nicas, a common name for Nicaraguans, subsist on $1 per day. Yet, intuitively, I did not sense anger and dark moods among the youth in Granada like I do in the First Nation community where I live in northwestern BC, Canada. Nevertheless, until my last days, I will fight the notion that the poor will always be with us.

    ReplyDelete

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