Arrival at Corinto, Nicaragua, was later than usual, but on time, docking at 10am. Entrance into the port takes a few twists and turns and follows the coastline very close at the Southern part of the entrance. It also seems reasonably shallow and the ship is rocking noticeably from side to side, in a relatively low rolling swell.
We later found out that this was because the stabilisers had to be lifted because of the depth.
The most striking thing about sailing along the Nicaraguan Coast is the string of volcanoes that run along the length of the country and are spectacular from the sea.
Docking is delayed a little whilst a Nicaraguan doctor is put aboard before we are allowed to dock, to check the medical declarations of all passengers before we can be cleared.
Our berth is at the main port of Corinto, which is mainly used for freight, and it is within walking distance of the town. A welcoming group of young local dancers in traditional costume are at the wharf to greet us. We have opted for a private tour today, booked over the internet several months ago, and meet our tour guide just outside the secure area of the port. There are just the 4 of us in a 12 seat bus, with a guide, so we are in for a reasonably personalized tour.
On our way to the historical city of Leon, (about 90 minutes drive), our guide educates us on Nicaragua, about which we have very little knowledge. A bit of a Spanish lesson thrown in keeps us amused.
Nicaragua is a poor country with a violent history, and has only had some form of political stability since the late 1970’s, and they seem to be getting on with making the best of it. Tourism (especially adventure tourism), is very important to them, and is seen as a major growth industry. The Country is heavily dependent on agriculture, and is a large producer of sugar (from cane). It is a very tropical climate (and very hot and humid), so all of the tropical fruits, nuts etc are in abundance.
English is not as widely spoken as in Costa Rica, and our guide learned his English from watching movies and reading books. He wasn’t bad, but our accent made it a bit of a struggle occasionally.
After arriving in Leon, and having learned that the most revered man in local history is a poet named Rubin Dario, we are ready to explore this old Spanish settlement. Naturally the Spanish influence on the architecture is very strong. The current city dates back to the 1600’s, and along with Granada is one of the two oldest cities in Nicaragua.
Heading off with our Guide, Dennis
It reminds us, in some ways, of Malacca, 40 years ago. It is old and a bit run down, there are lots of churches and a few public plazas. The people are very friendly and peddle their wares (mainly handicrafts) around all of the tourist sites, but they are not too pushy.
Included in the tour is a walk through the most famous local university, located in a very well preserved old colonial building and adjoining buildings
The Local University
After about an hour of the walking tour, we have a Nicaraguan lunch in an upmarket restaurant called Yavoy, where the service is slow, the food not bad, the beer is cold and quite acceptable, and the price very affordable. For lunch for the 4 of us, and 5 beers between us, the bill came to USD27.
By now it is stinking hot, and we are back out on the streets for a further walking tour to an museum featuring a lot of famous paintings from around the region and masters from Europe including a few Picasso’s. The museum was an old Spanish House, and it was enormous, showing how well the elite lived in that era.
Then there is another museum/ old house devoted to the life of Rubin Dario. It was a magnificent building, furnished in many cases with original furniture, and the courtyard gardens have very well maintained, including grape vines with fruit on them.
We have seen enough old buildings by now, and are dissolving in the heat, so despite our guides enthusiasm to show us more museums, we opt to head back to the port.
On the way back, we stop for a photo of the largest volcano (affectionately nicknamed Grandpa), where the favourite spot for taking the photo seems to be in someone’s field of peanuts.
To give us a different perspective of the town, our guide takes us back to the port from a different direction, past a beach and the remains of a railroad, which used to run the length of the coast. We are told that the Country’s first female President, sold the complete railway system (including rails) to Peru !!!
Back at the Port on time, we farewell our guide and are back on board for a very welcome shower, before casting off at 6pm.
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