Managua

I decided that I would at least spend a couple of days exploring and diciphering the intracacies of Managua, the capitol of Nicaragua.  I'll begin by giving you a few stats and figures about Managua and Nicaragua so that, if you have never been there, you can better imagine what it's like.  Managua has over 2 million residents, about 1/3 on the entire population of Nicaragua.  Managua is the second most populous city in Central American behind Guatemala City.  Fifty-four percent of the population of Nicaragua is urban; it is the largest Central American country by landmass.  However, it has only 33 people per square kilometer, small by Central American standards.  

Now a little bit of Managua's history.  During the dictictorial Somoza regime of the 20th century, Managua grew at a rapid pace.  New governmental and independent buildings were constructed and new universities were established.  However, the multiple earthquakes - especially in 1972 where 6,000 people were killed and 250,000 were left homeless - and the fighting between various political factions in the 1970s and 1980s left Managua in serious disrepair.  Only in the mid-1990s did Managua once again begin to make strides in development.  More than 300,000 Nicaraguans returned from abroad after fleeing the wars in Nicaragua.  These people included the "Miami Boys" of Nicaragua, members of wealthy Nicaraguan families that returned but continued to appreciate all things American.

I made it through customs without a hitch and hailed a taxi outside of the airport.  My cab driver was very personable.  He was about 50-years-old, had a bald head, a potbelly, and sweat dripping down the side of his face because of the constant humidity.  He drove me through the hectic streets of Managua.  Traffic was probably on par with Mexico; worse than the United States but better than Southeast Asia.  We drove by Lake Managua, sometimes referred to as the most comtaminated lake in Central America.  Since the 1920s, the sewage from the city has been dumped in the lake.  Although a modern wastewater treatment plant had been built in 2009, it only is currently able to treat about 40 percent of the entire city's wastewater.  The rest of the sewage still primarily seeps into Lake Managua.

My cab driver had a couple grown children with kids of their own.  He was very proud to be married to the same woman after 30 or so years.  He told me that he had never been out of the country, not even to Honduras or Costa Rica.  Most people in Nicaragua haven't ever ventured outside the international borders.  They tend to be content with where they are.  Unlike in the Northern Triangle of Central America, Nicaragua doesn't have the same economic or cultural forces pulling them towards immigration.  However, with an ever-expanding global world, I wouldn't be surprised if the younger generation in Nicaragua feels the same attraction to traveling as many of us do in the United States.  

The cab driver dropped me off in Barrio Quezada, a neighborhood where travelers - specifically backpackers - like to stay because its easy access to multiple bus stations.  It's also close to a lot of interesting places that tourists generally frequent in Managua.  Barrio Quezada is known as a relatively dangerous part of Managua, especially at night.  However, I didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, even when I went for solo walks around the neighborhood after the sun had gone down.  I talked with a gentleman about the not-so-friendly neighborhoods of Managua, and he told me that one existed two blocks from my hotel!  I walked around that part of Barrio Quezada (not at night, though!); some people would stare at me for a little bit longer than usual, but I think that might have been because they didn't see too many white folks taking leisurely strolls around their section of the neighborhood.  Actually, the only place in Managua I didn't feel completely safe was at a bus station.  When I arrived at the bus station in a taxi, the doors immediately opened on both sides of the taxi.  Three men were shouting at me to choose their bus over the others.  I was taken aback; they were a lot more aggressive then people at bus stations in Mexico.  However, I soon regained my presence of mind and calmly chose a bus.

Urban areas around the world often get bad names for themselves do to traffic, pollution, absence of nature, unappealing landscapes, crime, and general corruption.  Although Managua had bits and pieces of all of those stereotypes, I found it an appealing city with very friendly people.