|
Granada, Nicaragua, January 4,
2003
Granada
is a great place to be. The town is very colonial, very
clean and in some respects very quiet. Some people come
for a week and stay for years. I have been here for
2 weeks already. It is a place where nothing and everything
happens. The Hospedaje
Central sets the pace - laid back, good people and
good times. New Years came in noisy and hot. There were
parties in several places but Central was the best.
Everybody just hung out at the sidewalk Cafe in front
of the Central. Ironically, that's what we did most
days playing dominoes, drinking coffee and chatting
with the international travelers.
 I
had the good fortune of meeting Vladimir
Salorzana from El Salvador. He knows an incredible
amount about the history and politics of Central America.
He told me many interesting stories of the conflicts
in both El Salvador and Nicaragua. Valdimir works for
an organization called Doctors without Frontiers.
We also spent a couple of days visiting small villages
in the surrounding area. Santa
Catarina has an incredible view overlooking an extinct
volcano which is now Laguna de Apoyo, a fresh water
lake formed in the volcano's crater. Next we went to
San Jaun Del Oriente where the Cooperativa
Quetzales has its main pottery workshops and market.
The cooperative was formed by some of the local woman
a number of years ago. I was completely in awe of the
variety and quality of the artisans creations.
The next day we joined a family from Costa Rica -
Norberto,
Lili and Andreas and went to Masaya for the day.
Masaya
boasts of a huge artisans market housed in a restored
fort. It is a very beautifully designed building with
many shops of leather, woodwork, pottery and paintings
but the Masaya market seemed more souvenir oriented
than Cooperativo Quetzales. All in all though, it was
a great day with good company, conversations and lots
of sightseeing so not much else mattered.
I also met a fellow Canadian, Don
Peterson from Golden, B.C. He has a Tattoo studio
in Granada and is building a house in San Jaun del Sur
where the surfing is great. Don has been traveling for
a number years throughout the world. He acquired the
art of tattooing
through the many people he met while traveling. For
many travelers, body art is a parallel journey with
great significance. For some, it is a form of recording
a journey or experience. For others it is a ritualistic
rite of passage that involves the endurance of hardship
or pain. Body art is also very personal. Originality
is highly appreciated and respected. In choosing a tattoo
you need to first choose a serious tattoo artist. Over
the years, Don has worked with many styles ranging from
Celtic to classic dragons. He focuses more on traditional,
cultural origins of the design and then adds his own
creative inspirations. Currently he is greatly influenced
by Haida design from the B.C. coast and the Mayan hieroglyphic
style.
The tattoo I chose has several elements of symbolic
significance in my life; a musical note, a karmic spiral,
the North Star and the wind. It is original, part my
design, part Don's and it looks fantastic. Thanks Don.
Originally I was going to put up a photo but I changed
my mind. Some things are personal and should only be
shared in person. Maybe we will meet someday and you
can see it then.
As for now, I return to Esteli for a cultural immersion
course that I have enrolled in for a week. I'll let
you know all about it. After that, I am going to San
Juan del Sur or the Corn Islands; not sure which one
first. Happy New Years, cheers from Central America.
Previous entry: Merry
Christmas from Nicaragua
|
