by Anne Watcher on Monday December 2nd, 2013 at 1:43pm
Although life here in Nicaragua is harder than at home, our shoes take the worst of it. The constant walking, the rough cobblestone roads, the dirt roads and uneven terrain all take their toll on the soles of our shoes, no matter how expensive or inexpensive they originally were.
However this is a culture of "fix it" instead of "ditching it". It is easy to find a place to bring your shoes back to life. Earlier in our stay the straps on my "inexpensive" sandals came loose. Possibly walking in the streets-turned-into-rivers was not a good idea! They were too comfortable to toss out so I found a gentlemen at the Central Market who stitched them back to life for C$80 ($3.50 CAD)
Just before we came to Nicaragua, Rob had purchased some more expensive shoes and we thought they would survive at least the eight months we would be here. NOT!! Two months in and the soles broke through! Also too comfortable (and expensive) to toss out we again went to the repair guy (sorry can't remember his name).
It seemed like brutal treatment to the poor shoe watching the old sole being removed. He reefed and reefed with his pliers to the point we wondered if the top part of the shoe would survive. Finally success and the old sole was removed. He showed us that not only the heel section was broken through, but also the area under the pad of Rob's foot.
At the start Rob had asked the price, C$250 total, good deal to fix $130.00 shoes. Now with the sole off, the repair guy asked for some money. After a bit of Spanglish we realized he needed C$100 (which was part of the C$250) to go buy the new soles. He quickly returned with the right size and set to work to put the uppers and soles back into one piece. Carefully stitching by hand he made sure the job was done just right.
While showing us the finished product he assured us that these soles were "duro" tough and would last a year. Rob was so happy to once again have working shoes plus only spend $10 instead of another $100 plus.
by Anne Watcher on Saturday November 30th, 2013 at 12:22pm
A young surfer walking along the beach at Playa Roca
by Anne Watcher on Thursday November 14th, 2013 at 9:49am
Children love to play no matter where in the world they live and here in Nicaragua they live up to that reputation. Although many electronic devices abound, toys tend to be more of the simple nature. Lately we have noticed many playing with a Trompo, spending hours upon hours playing with them in the streets.
Originally made of wood, many are now made of resin or plastic. We have noticed that most of them here in Leon are made of a plastic material. Also important is having the right thickness of string. It must be strong to hold up to the whipping motion but can't be too thick or it will not wind up properly.
The neighbourhood children have entertained us many evenings with their trompos and the skills they have. They have even included us in some of the tricks.
Brandon passes the spinning tromp to my hand
Technique is very important to get a good "spin" to your throw.
One end of the string is attached to a flat plastic ring that sits on the wide top part and then the string is held firmly while being brought down to the bottom tip. You then start winding around the trompo from that smaller tip end, keeping the string tight and even as you move up the thickness.
When the string is all wound on you do the "perfect" hold in the same hand that you write with - and then whip it out sideways on a diagonal. It is amazing how even small children have the technique down just right.
Winding the string around the trompo
Hand position before release
Once they have mastered the basic toss, tricks are the next step. We watched as they scooped a spinning top off the rough cobblestone streets up into their hands, spin intact. Passing from one person's hand to another person is also a popular trick.
It may sound basic and simple but we have tried to do this with the help of our neighbours. Believe me it is not easy and takes practice. However once mastered hours of fun will be the result!
Spinning trompo being scooped off the road with looped string
Additional Info : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trompo
Detailed Technique : http://www.ehow.com/how_7727156_throw-spinning-top.html
by Anne Watcher on Wednesday November 13th, 2013 at 12:18pm
Nicaraguans love their dairy products and although they have a different taste to what I'm accustomed to in Canada, I must admit I enjoy the local products also. We have found that the dairy products here have a distinct stronger flavour and sometimes have to become an acquired taste. The best advice is to enjoy them for their great taste and not try to compare to home.
Patricio examines fresh cheese
Rob and I had the opportunity to visit one of the many small "cheese and milk" stores that are common here in Nicaragua. Fresh raw milk, yogurt and a host of varieties of cheese can be purchased here. La Gaviota in Sultiava is a family owned and operated store which produces amazing product all in a simple and time tested fashion.
We were greeted by owners Patricio and Norma early one morning just as they were getting going for the day. The 400 L of fresh raw milk that they receive daily had not yet arrived but the employees were already busy scrubbing down the equipment to get things ready. We were impressed by the cleanliness of the whole production area, the care the staff were taking in their jobs and for me, screens on all the windows to keep out any unwanted creatures!
Cleanliness of the highest standard
La Gaviota supplies people not only with their milk for the day but also crema, yogurt and of course cheese. Another of their specialties is Cacao, a refreshing drink made with milk and the nut of the cacao bean. It has a very nutty flavour along with a hint of cinnamon. I have yet to find out if that is added or a natural flavour in the cacao nut.
At La Gaviota you can buy five different kinds of cheese:
1. queso asado - one of the most popular quite often served grilled, has a smooth flavour with a crumbly but firm texture
2. queso cuajada - quite often served as dessert with nuts and honey or with fruit for breakfast, smooth and creamy texture
3. quese quesillo - sold in balls of various shapes, stringy texture, mild taste, closest to mozzerella as it is the only cheese that melts
4. queso fresco - creamy, soft texture, mild, unaged
5. queso ahumada - firm texture with a strong smoked flavour
One extra product that they do sell here is Pinolillo, a sweet cornmeal and cacao-based traditional drink in Nicaragua. It is made of ground toasted corn and a small amount of cacao. You simply add sugar and water. Sorry I can't tell you what it tastes like as I didn't try it and my Spanish isn't good enough to totally understand what Patricio was saying as he described it. So I guess you will just have to come here to Leon and find out for yourself!!
Patricio and Norma welcome us to their store.
La Gaviota is found 1 block west of the UNO station (or Texaco to the locals) and 1 block south.
FACEBOOK: LECHE Y QUESOS - LA GAVIOTA
by Anne Watcher on Saturday November 9th, 2013 at 8:33am
Arriving early at the ocean one morning Rob and I watched as these two young boys fished along the shoreline. At first we thought they were just practicing their skills but soon realized we were wrong.
The tide was coming in and I guess it brings along with it some tasty fish and the boys were taking advantage of the wave's help. The methods and equipment were simple but effective. It wasn't long and they had enough and headed home.
Here are the tools of the trade, flip flops and a shuttle. The simple shuttle held the line and hook that the boys repeatedly tossed into the waves. It is amazing how so much can be produced with so little!
