granada

11/02/03

I am sitting on the veranda in front of my room. I am on the 2nd floor looking into a palm tree of the courtyard below. Around me: stucco roofs, a plastic blue water tank on a metal framework and in the distance, church steeples. It is a pretty scene. In the distance, I can hear music and voices and occasional bells but it is tranquil up here. Some very thin kittens yowl and chase each other on the roof. One comes to visit. A couple of geckos on the wall. It is evening. After a hot day, the breeze is refreshing. It actually rained a few drops today. Given that the corners of the tin roof which acts as my ceiling seem to be sealed with plastic tape and that I can see the holes through it, I am glad the rain was so fleeting. Whatever runs across it, whether geckos or cats, makes a thunderous noise.

Granada is a pretty colonial town. Tourists abound here unlike Managua where people are rare on the streets and all doors are locked. There is a bustle here. Lots of stores selling mainly to locals. In the central park, there is an area with artisanal wares. I recognize some Guatemalan items. Someone has just told me that these are Guatemalans selling their wares. The vendors are listless and don´t press for sales. A couple of boys try to sell me honey. But what I see is mainly Nicaraguans selling to Nicaraguans. The ladies selling cut mangos, bread, little cakes, fresh cheeses; the watch repair man, the candy and gum vendors and all the many stores. Interspersed are old churches.