Trexing in Nicaragua

[URRACA]

I put all the pictures at the end, if you have any questions or comments, please feel to write or call.
JGB

“Trexing” in Nicaragua

(Photo centered)Two girls in the pool (facing our way) “Welcome to Managua”


When the opportunity to attend the travel conference, TREX Central America, in Managua
presented itself, I jumped at it. It had been quite some time since Nicaragua had been host to a
tourist conference, which is held in a different country in the isthmus every year. Last year the venue was
El Salvador, and next year it will be Guatemala.

On April 3rd, 2001 I arrived in Managua and headed for my hotel, the Holiday Inn Select, which is
one of the newest in the city taking advantage of the Tourism Industry Incentive Law 306.
Law 306 defers tax payments for 10 years and allows a 70% investment of income during that
time--tax free (for tourism investment projects). Aggressive.


(Photo Holiday Inn front view)

The show was a success! Nicaragua was highlighted for the first time in ages, and
seasoned tour operators and Tourism Ministries from the other central American countries were
in attendance. It was so good to see old faces--and a lot of new ones.


Highlights were: ADVENTURE TRAVEL/ FISHING AND HUNTING, along with the usual great surfing, beach going, bird watching, trekking, canopy tours and swimming in the lakes and lagoons.

Managua was on display. The new conference center at Metro Centro, where the event was held, was delightful, and the pre and post tours were very good. A newcomer to the event, surprising many buyers, was one of Central America’s regional airlines: Atlantic Airlines which serves all of Central America except Panama. Good service and cabin class twin turboprop aircrafts suited for the type of weather we have down here. Good for them! There was a cancellation, and they were given the space to attend. Thanks to Sandra at Coleman.

(Photo Atlantic Stand)

The Pacific was the star of the show. Managua, Granada, Masaya, Rivas, Lake Nicaragua, Rio San Juan, Solentiname Archipelago all hosted pre & post tours. http://www.intur.gob.ni The last day featured Barcello’s Montelimar, and the entire conference went on that one with the exception of Adan Gaitan , a local tour operator and current president of ANTUR (Nicaraguan Association of Receptive Tour operators), two invited guests and myself. We went. .dove hunting just outside of town instead. We truly enjoyed ourselves, and it’s good to emphasize that hunting is alive and kicking in Nicaragua
(Photo Adan and Hunter)

The following day I made my way to the regional airport. I was the only one from the conference who went to the Atlantic Coast. Encompassing almost half the landmass of Nicaragua, the Caribbean Coast is virtually untouched, and is a heaven for nature lovers. It is the largest region of Nicaragua, as it covers 46% of the national territory and has about 450 km of beaches. Barely populated, this area offers lowlands and rain forests, and dirt roads and rivers are the primary transportation. The beaches are lovely white sand; the people are friendly and curious. We went sport fishing in Cayos Miskitos, just offshore from Auastara lying north of Puerto Cabezas, home to the largest landing strip in Nicaragua.

(Puerto beach foto)

We caught 300+ pounds of fish on cast rods in 5 hours, including jacks, dorado (also know as dolphin), bonita, flounder, shark, etc… We returned much of the fish back to the ocean due to lack of space onboard. In Bismuna, the town where we stayed, we did some brackish water fishing and took tarpon and snook (lots of them). The next day we hunted wild boar and deer. The mountain range was so close to us we heard mountain lions and puma in the near distance and wondered if we were actually the ones being hunted.
Any sort of fishing and/or hunting program you wish can be arranged here for as many days as you would like. The highest number hunters or fisherman that can be accommodated is 8, for the moment on the Atlantic Coast.

There is real adventure here and nature is at its loveliest. Birds of all sorts screamed as light rain briefly fell. That’s how it is down here. A crystal clear pond near our hotel was our natural pool for some much needed R&R. We shucked oyster in 3 feet of water on the mangroves. We speared river shrimp that looked like lobsters.

(Photo of map)


HISTORY: The Caribbean Coast was settled by the British, and that is the reason why English is
widely spoken. Most of the indigenous inhabitants are the “Miskito”, “Sumo” and “Rama Indians”.
There are two major areas in the Caribbean Coast: the Northern and Southern Atlantic area called
RAAN & RAAS. They have autonomous governments, and they are both wonderful treasures for fishing, scuba diving, hunting and eco-tourism. There are five hotels in Puerto Cabezas with a total sleeping capacity of over 150 persons. The flights to and from these areas are in small aircrafts-- 13, 19 & 25 passenger capacity.

(Photos Atlantic airline)

The town is growing here and the general population is very aware that tourism is the future. They are building yet another hotel that will be the largest in the area with 200 beds (one hundred rooms and three stories). Thanks to those of you who play Lotto, this Miskito family owner is one of the winners.

The Airport is small, yet modern and clean, with very good security staff. We
made our way back to Managua for some more R&R at Best Western’s Hotel Las Mercedes, Managua’s largest property.

(Photo Girl on chair)

Relaxing poolside, I realized that I was there in the middle of Semana Santa (Easter lasts a week in Latin America), and almost everyone had gone to the beach! I was in Managua though not alone! As more and more locals take advantage of the attractive rooms rates during this week in April, they opt to stay in Managua and vacation in one the lovely hotels here.

(photo hotel Room/ living room)

As my time here was winding down, I headed off to see my Mom in Managua. On the way back to my hotel I thought I’d take in a little Island music at The Island Tastes Bar. Managua is maturing and growing up, though it is deemed one of the safest places in Latin America for tourists. The people are friendly and pro-United States, and they want to show you around. The transportation and service industry has increased 5 fold. There are lots of bars, restaurants, cafes, and you can find most of the fast foods places you see in the U.S. if you get a craving: Pizza Hut, Mac Donald’s, TGIF, etc... Hope to see you in San Juan del Sur, Granada, Managua or one of its coasts-- Pacific or Atlantic!

Remember to have a good time and send me a post card.

(Photo, me) end

10 photos 1,157 word count

Jorge Giraldez-Benard JgiraldezB@yahoo.com

Jorge is a business consultant for investors in the tourism and aviation industries developing in latin America and calls Nicaragua his home away from home.

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[Edited by JGiraldezB on 3rd May 2001 at 15:12]