We do not have many free weekends, so we want to make the most of them. Granada is known as a more touristy city that has a colonial feel. Originally, I was not going to go with 4 other students. However, in usual Mindy-style, I decided last minute to join them. It is harder to live my life in this manner in Nicaragua (and I am trying to not live 'by the seat of my pants.') We left on Friday afternoon and I returned on Saturday in order to go to a birthday party of one of my Nicaraguan friends. (However, the rain was too strong Saturday and I ended up staying home.) The other girls returned on Sunday.
In Granada, Amber and I stayed at a hostel called the Bearded Monkey. I love hostels. There seems to always be a fun bartender and travelers with stories. We had a drink at the hostel and then met the other 3 students for dinner. They stayed in a hotel. Granada was refreshing because we could walk around comfortably. There is a street of bars and restaurants called Calle la Calzada. It is touristy with smoothie bars, art galleries, and gift shops. You can eat in the street and be constantly asked to buy cigarettes, chocolate, etc. There were also street performers with La Gigontona and break dancers.
Later, we ran into several Dutch travelers from our hostel. For a night, I felt like more of a tourist. It was also one of the few times that I have 'gone out' in Nicaragua. At home in Colorado, I do not go out that much and here it feels very different. There are not the same casual bars like we have in Boulder (ie Connor O'Neill's, the Boulder Drafthouse, etc.) Instead, Nicaraguans dress up in sparkly shirts and dresses, tight dark jeans, and high heels or gladiator sandals. I do not feel like I have appropriate clothes for 'going out.' Also, I just heard stories about El Chaman, a popular club, that turns away people because of what they are wearing. They will also turn about 'older' people and have been known to turn away people with darker skin (from the Atlantic Coast). In Boulder, I have never run into this type of club before. I know they exist in the US and may even exist in Denver, but they are something very new to me.
But I digress...
In Granada, there are touristy streets and cafes but you just need to go 5 blocks over and you are back in the 'real' Nicaragua. The hustling and bustling Nicaragua with crazy traffic and street vendors. It was nice to get away from Managua for a night and see the beauty of Granada. However, I prefer the experience in Managua (living with a homestay, eating typical Nicaraguan food, and not being constantly surrounded by a world manicured for a tourist). Will Managua change to be developed for the needs of tourism? I doubt that it will happen in the near future...but who knows?
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