On the 14th we took a driving tour of Managua and stoped in a few places (where I got the grasshopper).

Some quick notes:

There isn’t a downtown Managua. The 1972 earthquake flattened the place and killed 10,000 people. Lots of open areas all across the city now. The fault lies across the city and they won’t build on it again. The rubble from the quake was just bulldozed right into the lake, making it unusable. The whole waterfront is desolate, not just from the quake, but from the complete shutdown of business. Apparently people come there to drink at night, but that’s it.

EVERYTHING is painted a bright colour. Buildings, cars, semi trucks, walls, roads, trees. Everything.

They burn the foliage out under the trees at the side of the PanAmerican highway and grow coffee in the shade.

It’s hit or miss whether you’ll have power or water on any given day, but we haven’t lost either yet.

The city seems to be populated entirely with people building things out of cement or brick, and kids selling things in the streets.

Cellphones are everywhere, even on people who are selling penny bags of water in the street.

The entire city exudes an atmosphere of “hustle or be hustled, grab it or lose it, watch your back.”

And it’s strangely beautiful. It reminds me of the photos I’ve seen of soviet-era Russia.

Related posts:

1. Downtown Managua by Night
2. End Times
3. Postcard from the Edge
4. Back from Vacation!
5. The Beach Part 4