Pictures from Nicaragua
May 2nd, 2013 at 8:21:32 PM
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Sorry for my absence the last nine days. I went back to Costa Rica and Nicaragua for the first time. I saw lots of new and countable side blackjack side bets, which I'll write about shortly. For now, here are some pictures from Nicaragua. A friend I have there told a taxi driver to take me to all these spots. I don't know much about who a lot of these monuments are for. So, being the historically lazy person that I am, I figure I'll post them here and whoever our resident expert on the history of Nicaragua is can teach us all something. Somehow I have a feeling that expert is probably Paco.
If quoting this post, please do not just quote the whole thing. Just put in quotes the image(s), or image number, you wish to talk about.
Also, click on any image for a larger version. I look forward to sharpening my history of Communism in Nicaragua.
Image 205
Image 217
Image 222
Image 226
Image 235
Image 237
Image 248
Image 250
Image 254
Image 256
Image 263
Image 266
Image 270
Image 273
Image 278
If quoting this post, please do not just quote the whole thing. Just put in quotes the image(s), or image number, you wish to talk about.
Also, click on any image for a larger version. I look forward to sharpening my history of Communism in Nicaragua.
Image 205
Image 217
Image 222
Image 226
Image 235
Image 237
Image 248
Image 250
Image 254
Image 256
Image 263
Image 266
Image 270
Image 273
Image 278
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
May 3rd, 2013 at 7:53:24 AM
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- U.S. Marines occupied Nicaragua from 1912 to 1933
- The Somoza family came to power as part of a US-engineered pact in 1927.
- César Augusto Sandino assassinated by the National Guard forces of Somoza in 1934
- The father of the Somoza family was assassinated in 1956, and each of three sons took the presidency.
- Anastasio Somoza Debayle, the third son and a West Point graduate, became president in 1966 at the age of 41.
- Santos López was one of the founding members of FSLN in the early 1960's and he trained military insurgents. He died in 1965 in Havana.
- On 23 December 1972,a massive earthquake destroyed the capital city.
- Anastasio Somoza Debayle was overthrown and assassinated in 1979-1980. At the time his family was worth in the neighborhood of a billion dollars and controlled 60% of the economic activity of the country.
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Since the year 2000 tourism is one of the dominant industries in Nicaragua. About 60,000 United States citizens visit Nicaragua yearly. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua (INTUR) the colonial city of Granada is the preferred spot for tourists.
Image 248 FNT or Frente Nacional de los Trabajadores is a labor lobbying organization.
Image 222 is clearly meant to mimic the 50 year old "Toro Osborne Cabezas de San Juan" in Spain. The bulls were originally part of a campaign to advertise Sherry, but have become very popular. The billboard in Nicaragua is of César Augusto Sandino. a revolutionary during the American occupation who is the namesake of the Sandinistas, the party that overthrew the Somoza family in 1979.
Image 254 was for the 1984 commemoration of Santos López as a National Hero of Nicaragua. I assume it is his tomb.
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:08:27 AM
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Quote: pacomartinSince the year 2000 tourism is one of the dominant industries in Nicaragua. About 60,000 United States citizens visit Nicaragua yearly. According to the Ministry of Tourism of Nicaragua (INTUR) the colonial city of Granada is the preferred spot for tourists.
I was fortunate to have the chance to go to Granada and it was a indeed a very pleasant colonial city. There is a big square surrounded by small businesses. The architecture is very Spanish. They obviously take a strong effort to keep it looking that way. Lots of horse drawn carriages giving tours. I spent only a couple hours there, so don't know it that well.
Quote:Image 248 FNT or Frente Nacional de los Trabajadores is a labor lobbying organization.
I kept confusing the FNT with the SNLF.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:22:51 AM
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Forgive me if I sound uninformed but what is meant by the term "colonial city?"
All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others
May 3rd, 2013 at 8:46:37 AM
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Quote: AZDuffmanForgive me if I sound uninformed but what is meant by the term "colonial city?"
The term "colonial" usually refers to the period in history between European settlement and independence. In the USA that usually refers to 1609-1776. There were at least two Spanish cities prior to 1609 in Florida (St Augustine) and New Mexico (Santa Fe), and some colonies that were wiped out by disease or Indians.The period prior to significant European occupation is often called "Pre-Columbian".
During the colonial period in US history (prior to 1776), very few towns were of any significant size. In the first census of 1790 only 5 cities were over 10K people.
1 New York city, NY *..................... 33,131
2 Philadelphia city, PA *................. 28,522 (other urban areas in the county were absorbed into the city in 1855)
3 Boston town, MA *....................... 18,320
4 Charleston city, SC..................... 16,359
5 Baltimore town, MD...................... 13,503
Other than the Taos Pueblo in New Mexico which has been occupied for 1000 years, there is not really any region you can refer to as a "pre-Columbian city" in the present day USA.
In Latin America the colonial period began over a hundred years earlier, and ended decades later. The indigenous people had many cities and the Aztecs had a city that was arguably greater than anything in Europe. You will often hear about a "colonial" district to distinguish it from the sections of the city that contain Pre-Columbian buildings, and the much greater "post colonial" district.
In the USA the 5 early cities have all grown into large urban areas with only Charleston fewer than a million people in the urban area. We tend to refer to colonial era buildings or districts rather than colonial cities.
In Latin America after independence much of the economy changed radically, often for the worst. Many of the colonial era cities were abandoned, and were resurrected in the 20th century as tourist destinations. These cities in particular are usually preserved against development that will change the character of the downtown.
In Mexico the larger colonial cities are Morelia: Campeche: Oaxaca: Puebla: Guanajuato: Cuernavaca: Querétaro: Zacatecas: and Veracruz. The majorurban areas of of Mexico City and Guadalajara were once important colonial cities, but the districts have been swallowed by the huge population that developed after independence.
May 3rd, 2013 at 9:11:00 AM
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A brief history of Nicaragua:
For billions of years, nothing of any importance happened.
In the XIX Century the French picked Panama over Nicaragua to place a canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific ocenas (had they know the canal would be named The Panama Canal, they could have spared themselves the trouble <w>)
In the 80s Nicaragua was a Cold War battleground.
Since then nothing of any importance has happened.
For billions of years, nothing of any importance happened.
In the XIX Century the French picked Panama over Nicaragua to place a canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific ocenas (had they know the canal would be named The Panama Canal, they could have spared themselves the trouble <w>)
In the 80s Nicaragua was a Cold War battleground.
Since then nothing of any importance has happened.
Donald Trump is a fucking criminal
May 4th, 2013 at 7:32:48 AM
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Quote: WizardI kept confusing the FNT with the SNLF
Frente Nacional (FN or NF) is a very common term to add to any political organization. Even in England and France the word "National Front" is often used for very reactionary organizations.
President Obama in Central America. I am not seeing the President being photographed in front of a lot of monuments.
May 6th, 2013 at 3:45:23 PM
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any "night life" reviews like the Costa Rica trip report?
"Man Babes" #AxelFabulous
May 6th, 2013 at 4:25:17 PM
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Quote: djatcany "night life" reviews like the Costa Rica trip report?
Nicaragua is much more quiet than Costa Rica, in general. The casinos there are very clean and I never saw a single prostitute in any of them. I'm told that activity can be found in the strip clubs and secretive brothels.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
May 6th, 2013 at 4:41:01 PM
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Looking forward to the gambling reports though I wonder how the Wizard was treated when they realized he had an edge on their games.
May 6th, 2013 at 4:49:32 PM
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You can tell me to buzz off if this is too personal, but why the attraction to Latin / Southern America?
I just ask because it’s different to me. You seem to travel a lot, but I don’t recall much on the UK, Aus, Asia, Canada, etc, it’s always something near the western equator =)
I just ask because it’s different to me. You seem to travel a lot, but I don’t recall much on the UK, Aus, Asia, Canada, etc, it’s always something near the western equator =)
The opinions of this moderator are for entertainment purposes only.
May 6th, 2013 at 5:50:41 PM
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Quote: FaceYou can tell me to buzz off if this is too personal, but why the attraction to Latin / Southern America?
I think the Wizard has been to Macau at least 5 times.
I don't know if you travel, but it is outrageously expensive in Europe to travel. If you look at US State Department Lodging per diem rates you see what I mean.
Lodging Country Location
$545 FRANCE Cannes
$481 MONACO Monaco
$453 RUSSIA Moscow
$443 ECUADOR Galapagos Islands
$438 ITALY Venice
$433 ITALY Rome
$432 PAPUA NEW GUINEA Port Moresby
$389 INDIA Mumbai
$386 CANADA Quebec
$386 FRANCE Deauville
$379 FRANCE Paris
$377 ITALY Como
$376 NIGERIA Abuja
$373 BERMUDA Bermuda
$365 ISRAEL Eilat
$365 SAUDI ARABIA Jeddah
$364 INDIA Bangalore
$300 SWEDEN Stockholm
...
$273 MEXICO Cabo San Lucas
$244 MEXICO Mexico City, D.F.
$242 MEXICO Valle del Bravo
$242 NICARAGUA San Juan del Sur
$221 ARGENTINA Buenos Aires
$218 ARGENTINA Bariloche
$192 MEXICO Cancun
$182 ARGENTINA Mendoza
$175 ARGENTINA [Other]
$170 MEXICO Acapulco
$168 NICARAGUA Managua
$165 MEXICO Monterrey
$162 MEXICO Puerto Vallarta
$161 MEXICO Guadalajara
$160 MEXICO Mexicali
$158 PANAMA Colon
$158 PANAMA Panama City
$151 MEXICO Cozumel
$141 COSTA RICA [Other]
$141 COSTA RICA San Jose
$141 MEXICO Ensenada
$138 MEXICO Cuernavaca
$134 MEXICO Puerto Penasco
$134 MEXICO Zacatecas
$132 MEXICO Huatulco
$132 MEXICO Nogales
$130 MEXICO La Paz
$130 MEXICO Mazatlan
$124 MEXICO Tijuana
$123 MEXICO Puebla
$120 MEXICO Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
$120 MEXICO San Miguel de Allende
$120 MEXICO Veracruz
$116 NICARAGUA Corn Island
$115 MEXICO Hermosillo
$114 PANAMA David, Chiriqui
$113 MEXICO Queretaro
$111 MEXICO San Carlos
$108 MEXICO Morelia
$106 MEXICO Chihuahua
$102 MEXICO [Other]
$101 MEXICO Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo
$99 MEXICO Ixtapa Zihuatanejo
$99 MEXICO Merida
$98 NICARAGUA [Other]
$96 MEXICO Ciudad Victoria
$94 MEXICO Tapachula
$87 MEXICO Manzanillo
$87 MEXICO Matamoros
$84 PANAMA [Other]
$79 MEXICO Culiacan
$76 MEXICO Nuevo Laredo
$73 MEXICO Ciudad Juarez
$72 MEXICO Colima
$70 MEXICO Campeche
These are the rates that people travelling at government expense are supposed to stay under without special reason. Generally, they are much higher than domestic lodging rates. San Diego is $133 per night and Tijuana is $124 per night. Now you can find a room in TJ for much cheaper, but the government assumes you shouldn't have to hunt around in a city where you don't speak the language. They try and give per diems that will get you a 4 STAR hotel at least.
May 6th, 2013 at 7:35:30 PM
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Quote: BozLooking forward to the gambling reports though I wonder how the Wizard was treated when they realized he had an edge on their games.
I'm usually treated like any other gringo. I didn't practice any advantage play this trip, or the last one, so no problem there. Some casinos didn't like it that I wrote down notes. This trip I got questioned about why I was taking notes at two different casinos.
Quote: FaceYou can tell me to buzz off if this is too personal, but why the attraction to Latin / Southern America? I just ask because it’s different to me. You seem to travel a lot, but I don’t recall much on the UK, Aus, Asia, Canada, etc, it’s always something near the western equator =)
1. It is close.
2. Chance to practice my Spanish.
3. Business reasons that are premature to talk about.
4. Fairly cheap.
5. I know people in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
6. I'm working on a gambling web site in Spanish, so it helps to know the gambling scene in Latin America.
I think you can expect more trips to Central America this year. My next one I plan to do a respectable article about the casino scene in Nicaragua.
I'm definitely overdue for a serious trip to Europe. I was going to go for my cousin's wedding in Germany on June 7. Then Cyprus happened. Normally it is people that rob banks, but in this case it was the bank that robbed me. That was a life changer. I'm suddenly forced to be much more frugal.
Europe is definitely out for now, unless I can get a customer to pay for it. So, I think I'm going to limit myself to North America for a while.
"For with much wisdom comes much sorrow." -- Ecclesiastes 1:18 (NIV)
May 8th, 2013 at 11:41:55 AM
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Quote: Wizard1. It is close.
Central America is close for an internationa trip. It is 2640 miles from Las Vegas to San Jose, Costa Rica. However it is further to Buenos Aires than it is to London. We tend to underestimate trips across the equator as many maps eliminate the bulge, and stretch out distances to higher latitudes.
We tend to forget some salient points of European Demography. Starting with the Great Famine in 1315 and the Black Death of 1348–1350, the population of Europe plummeted. The period between 1348 and 1420 saw the heaviest loss. In Germany, about 40% of the named inhabitants disappeared.
In any case, Europe began stabilizing in population in the 1500's about the same time as the Spaniards and the Portuguese were colonizing Latin America. So much of what you see in Europe was being built around the same time as the cities were built in Latin America.
The European ruins from the earlier civilizations are obviously much better known to Americans compared to the ruins of the indigenous civilizations in Latin America.
There is a lot of the same flavor of old Europe in the older Latin American cities.
Tuscany is incredibly expensive,where every farm building no matter how humble has been turned into a cute but expensive little rental cottage. You might find a decent substitute in Argentina or places in Central America.
The Rock at Bernal is a good place to go Rock Climbing. Querétaro is a colonial city (pop 2 million) that you can catch a bus (282 pesos one way for a 100 miles) directly from the Mexico City Airport. The Rock and town of Bernal (pop 3000) is about 22 miles from the city, but there are hotels that cater to tourists.
