Category: Central and South America

Exploring Estelí Nicaragua

Estelí is a big city in the northern highlands of Nicaragua. It feels smaller than León, but I think that’s mainly because the traffic is better. In León, I always felt like I was about to be hit by a car (pedestrians do NOT have the right of way here!). Estelí traffic is better because the streets are mostly one way which makes exploring Estelí Nicaragua easy peasy.

getting to know estelí

I had plenty of time to get to know Estelí today, so I walked around town for a bit, went to a museum and visited the cathedral.

estelí street art

There is a quite a bit of street art in town. I am not sure if it’s a direct result of the political importance of this town during the revolution (it was a Sandinista stronghold), or just lots of artists. The variety is really engaging and it made for a fun day looking for more murals.

Mural Esteli
Mural Esteli
Mural exploring Esteli
Robot Mural Estelí
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On Making Stupid Mistakes and Dealing With Them

That was not how I planned it! Yesterday I took the bus from Matagalpa to Esteli. The main reason I came to Esteli was to see the Somoto Canyon to the north, so I booked the tour yesterday from my hostal. Things did not work out as I planned because I spent yesterday making stupid mistakes and dealing with them.

i had plans

Today I had to get up early to catch a taxi to the bus station for a tour of Somoto Canyon. Instead I got money out of the ATM and left that money and my debit card in the taxi. I realized it at the bus station but the cab was already gone. So I had to walk back to my hostel (fortunately only a 15 minute walk!) and cancel the tour and my ATM card. Do I feel like an idiot right now? YES I DO!

Negatives:

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A Day on a Coffee Farm in Matagalpa

Matagalpa is coffee country, and it was recommended I visit a coffee farm while here. I took the chicken bus north out of town and visited the organic coffee farm known as Selva Negra, or Black Forest. It was interesting and relaxing spending a day on a coffee farm in Matagalpa.

About The Coffee Farm

The farm, and eco-resort and restaurant, is a self-sustaining business with it’s own town. As well as offering coffee tours, there are a lot of hiking trails, so I spent an entire day there. It was beautiful and interesting.

Some interesting facts I learned: Selva Negra is called Black Forest because it was founded by Germans. Germans brought coffee farming to Matagalpa. The farm is completely organic and ecological. Selva Negra coffee is produced under the name La Hammonia. They sell to Whole Foods in the U.S., so you may have tried this Nicaraguan coffee yourself.

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