Nicaraguan Money—Cordobas

The legal tender in Nicaragua is the Córdoba.  It is named after Francisco Fernandez de Córdoba, a Spanish Conquistador, who is credited as being the founder of Nicaragua.  He explored the coast of Central America for Spain, leading various expeditions, as Spain was asserting its power in the region.  He founded two of Nicaragua’s most famous cities, Granada and Leon.  (The current capital of Managua came later)

There are coins in denominations of 10, 25, and 50  cents.  Then there is a one cordoba coin and a 5 cordoba coin.  The cordoba currently trades at between 32 and 33 cordobas per dollar.

There are bills in denominations up to 1000 cordobas.  I never had one and understand they are hard to cash if you do have one.  The 500 is the largest bill I ever used.  With so many cordobas to the dollar your dinner bill can run 500 to 600 cordobas or higher.  When one sees a bill of, say 1,100 cordobas, it gives one pause, to say the least!

The bills are a plastic material and are all a slightly different size.  Some have see-through panels and all have an anti forging thread running through.  They are different colors which makes it easy to find specific denominations in your wallet.

Fishing Boats

On one of the beaches local fishermen were launching their boat.  Six men were pushing the boat down to the sea.  They had two rollers that one fellow kept moving which helped roll the boat through the sand. 

Once at the water’s edge the men pushed the boat out into the water and waited for a wave to float the boat further out from shore

As soon as the boat was floating the head fisherman could lower the outboard, get it running and proceed to power through the surf to open ocean. 

Beaches Around San Juan del Sur

The beaches along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua are spectacular.  The waves roll into the crescent shaped playas framed on each side by large volcanic outcropping, creating the perfect surfing conditions.  This draws surfers from all over the world to these beaches. 

Little beach bar/restaurants dot the beaches and offer refreshment for the weary.  This place is especially rustic, but produces great food.  The sugar sand beach begs to be walked.

These beaches are often described in the guide books as either sugar sand beaches or brown sugar beaches

The ocean bottom shallows up gradually creating the perfect break (surfer talk) for any type of surfing—body surfing, boogie boarding, even paddle boarding.  The shuttles from town all have roof top carriers for the boards, and many beaches have surfboard rentals.

Beaches are perfect places to relax with a good book and listen to the surf break.

One of the

many beach bar/restaurants found along the way with surprisingly good food and great prices.  

This little place called Juanita’s Kitchen is nothing more
 than a concrete room about 8X10, with a little bar area
.

The volcanic outcropping create breaks between the beaches.  Some are easily traversed but others are headlands that may be miles long.  Many beaches have no roads down to them and can only be accessed by boat or a strenuous hike.  Some beaches are on private land.  Those beaches charge an entrance fee.  Other beaches are part of a national park and turtle reserve which also charges an access fee

This little thatched hut provides respite from the sun.

One of the many little tide pools created in the volcanic outcropping.

Flowers

The flowers in the tropics, especially here in Nicaragua, are some of the prettiest and most colorful I have seen.  Some I know the names of; some I don’t.  Here are just a few.

I don’t know the name of this one.  If you do message me with the name.

 This is a bougainvillea.  They come in this color as well as white and I have also seen yellow.

 I do not know this one either, but I liked the delicate looking petals that came out.

 This is a hibiscus.  It also comes in various colors.

 White Hybiscus

Streets and Roads in San Juan

All the streets in and around town are paved with these cobblestone type paving stones.  

It is painstaking work to resurface the streets, as you can see.  There are several layers of sand and gravel needed to prepare the roadbed for the pavers.  Then the artisan carefully fits the paving stone together.  

Colorful Homes

I love walking around the town of San Juan Del Sur.  You see so much more.  Like all these colorful homes.  Rarely do you see a plain white house.  Most are painted up in wonderfully bright tropical colors, like these row houses in a new development.

 Or this bright yellow house along the street.

 This turquoise house caught my eye.  

 So did this chartreuse green house.  I love the freedom the Nica people have painting their houses with such colors.

Nicaraguan Animals in Trees

One morning I was rudely awakened by the howler monkeys cavorting in the nearby trees.  They were incredibly noisy.  They made the most unusual, very loud howling growl.  The first time I heard them I  didn’t know what to think.  The howl was most unusual.  I tried to take some photos of them swinging in the trees.  

 Then one day at their beach we were told there was a sloth in the tree.  So I did my very best to get a photo of him.  If you look very hard to can see him clinging to the trunk of the crotch of a tree

Nicaragua—My view

This is the view from the door of the apartment where I am staying.  Very lush vegetation with lots of palm trees.  

A balcony overlooks the pool.  Very nice for cooling off at the end of the day.

This fellow came to visit on my first night in San Juan.  He looks like a large, overgrown grasshopper with large biting parts.

Nicaragua

I have now traveled to Nicaragua, specifically, the Pacific coastal town of San Juan del Sur.  This little town, once a fishing village, now caters to a youthful surfing clientele from around the world. The beaches both north and south are well known in the surfing world.  The town is even featured on the cover of Lonely Planet-Nicaragua.

Lunar Eclipse

I watched the lunar eclipse last week.  It was interesting to watch the earth’s shadow travel across the moon.  I tried to take some pictures, but mine did not turn out nearly as well as this one from the Daily Summit Newspaper.  

Breckenridge

 My friend, Barbara, and I at the top of Breckenridge’s Peak 7, on our last day of skiing on this trip.  We will be back later in the season.

The View From My Window

Looking out the large picture window in the condo, we see this spectacular view across the gulf course. 

Before it became a golf course, elk could be seen grazing in the meadow and finding respite from the wind in the trees and willows just beyond.  My friend hasn’t seen them in a while and wonders if the increased development has had an influence on their behavior.

You can see the tracks of cross-country skiers traversing the edge of the golf course just before the sun makes it way over the mountain. 

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The Top of the Mountain

 Here I am at the top of the Lenawee Lift at Arapahoe Basin.  Much of the skiing here at Arapahoe is well above timberline.  You can see the craggy peaks in the background.  Just after my friend took this picture the wind came up and the blowing snow made visibility  difficult.   No falls today.  All body parts safely in tack.

The view at Arapahoe Basin is spectacular.  Everywhere you look you see mountain peaks.  the summit at Arapahoe is at 13,050 feet.  The lodge is at about 10,000 feet.  It is the They get over 350 inches of snow annually.

 The sun is just coming over the mountain to light up the rest of our day.

Skiing in Colorado

Today is a glorious day in the Colorado Rockies, specifically Keystone, Colorado.  We are sitting on a bench waiting for the bus to take us back to our condo.   The Keystone area provides these busses for pick-up at various points around the ski area.  Across the street you can seek part of the close-in paid parking area. (Expensive)

This one of the busses used to shuttle skiers around the area.  It is a great service.  You can see our ski equipment in the little red wagon.  These wagons are provided so you can easily get your equipment from the drop off area to the ski slope—-much easier than carrying everything.

Out For A Hike

On a recent glorious, sunny and mild winter day my husband and I decided to trek over to the Sleeping Bear National Seashore for a day wandering the dunes.

Very few people were out and about and we practically had the place to ourselves.

Long before the National Seashore was developed my parents had a summer cottage just south of what was then the state owned Sleeping Bear Dunes.  I spent most of my childhood summers romping around these dunes.  My brothers and I  hiked all through this area as kids.  Revisiting the area is always a pleasure.  The land we used as a summer playground is now part of the Sleeping Bear National Seashore and open to all.  

The cottage is gone now.  The park service took it down years ago, but the  sand, cedars and white pines remain.  I can still see where the cottage used to be, although the wind and weather have taken their toll.  Nothing remains  except memories.  




My father planted these white pine trees the year I was born.  It is amazing, to me, how much they have grown; how big they are now.