When I tell people I live in Nicaragua they look at me like I’m crazy. May as well have said I live on Mars. Yet, there are more and more North Americans moving here every day. And who are these lunatics? You’d be surprised at the assortment: aid workers/volunteers, students, retirees, academics, families with young children, entrepreneurs of every age, republicans, democrats, communists, socialists, capitalists and libertarians, to name a few. In other words, people from all walks of life are discovering new lives outside of their native country.
So what is life like here in Nicaragua? I live in the small colonial city of Granada, which is very picturesque and quaint. One and two story multicolored houses line the residential streets and building laws are quite strict in regards to preserving colonial style and ambience, so there are no high rises or ugly concrete block structures. On my street there are very few cars. Instead, horse carts and horse carriages, and people walking and selling their wares on foot or bicycle make up the majority of traffic. Occasionally I see someone walking their pet pig. From my second floor bedroom which looks down on a large tropical garden, I can see the Mombacho volcano, and from my back window the beautiful cupola of the grand cathedral in the Central Square is surrounded by trees and red tile rooftops. Yet, despite the old style environment, amenities such as cable TV, WIFI, and modern appliances are readily available.
After building a house 6 years ago, I started renting out rooms for some income, and then bought a small house to rent out long term. When things go well, that covers all of my daily expenses, which amount to about $1,100 per month. Other endeavors I have pursued here include volunteer work, teaching yoga, translating, guiding university service learning groups, working on websites, writing, painting and art work… and plenty of rest, travel, relaxation and recreation. Many of my friends have businesses, including import/export, restaurants, gyms, art studios, web design, property management, and of course there are those who have done very well buying and selling real estate. Almost everyone I know, working or not, contributes in some way to the community, as poverty is a fact of life here.
Here is a typical day for me, though I have to point out that no one day is necessarily the same as any other. After feeding my pets, working out and having breakfast, I might spend the morning painting in our nearby art gallery studio. Then, lunch at home, or at a nearby café with a friend. In the afternoon, I’ll probably spend a few hours on the computer writing, raising money for our library project or working on my websites. Then it’s an hour free and I’m off to the lake to enjoy a cold drink with friends. The restaurant overlooks the water, dotted with its many little islands. Distant volcanoes fill the horizon and the overhanging palm trees and flowers frame an idyllic picture of local fishermen on their simple boats. Afterwards, need to spend some time meeting with our Board of Directors for the lending library we founded. A weekday evening is usually quiet. I walk my dog down to the lake, make some international calls via Skype, cook a dinner with fresh produce from the market, water the garden and probably hit the sack early. Weekends there are plenty of things to do: someone seems to always be having a party or small dinner, there may be music at a local club, and occasionally we head to Managua to see an opera or concert.
One of the reasons I chose Granada was its walkability. I don’t have or want a car, though most of my gringo friends do. I walk everywhere and at night might take a taxi, which is 50 cents door to door anywhere within the city. The city center is only a few minutes from the house, as is the main market, and there are many cafes, restaurants and shopping areas nearby.
There are plenty of negative aspects to life in a developing country, and for this reason, such a life is definitely not for everyone. Most significantly, there is great poverty and a fair amount of begging here. Even for those who try and contribute to efforts in education, nutrition, health, micro-lending, and housing, the conditions can be overwhelming and disturbing. And then there are those who simply ignore or steer clear of the poverty, head to the nearest bar and spend their days half soused. Other minuses include electric and water cuts, incredible bureaucracy and disorganization, lousy roads with very large potholes, and, obviously, the language barrier, conquered by some and complained about by many. Well, you can either laugh or cry, as one friend says, but when you start getting angry it’s time to travel. In any case, life is always interesting and I hope the daily challenges here are at least staving off Alzheimer’s for a while.
Because I have run into so many travelers here who seem to be keenly interested in the prospect of living somewhere outside their country, I decided to write a guide to help people choose the right place for their particular needs and lifestyles, guide them through some of the steps to reach their goal, and avoid some of the mistakes others have made before them.
Do you have similar stories to share about expat life and moving abroad? We’d love to hear from you.
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June,2010
