Rivas and Hacienda Amayo, Nicaragua
We left Costa Rica behind for the day and navigated into a small treasure of Central America: Nicaragua. By sunrise, the view of green hills and the small port of San Juan del Sur manifest the beginning of a day in a new cultural experience. During the Zodiac transfer to the pier, different-sized fishing boats surrounded us and upon arrival a local band enchanted our spirit with joyful music and an enthusiastic welcome from our local Nicaraguan guides.
Upon arrival in the city of Rivas, we made our first stop at the small museum of Rivas where pre-Columbian ceramics are on display. Then, one of the best moments of the day was about to come. Sometimes one of the most authentic ways to get to know a culture is by their music and traditional dances, therefore the folkloric dances performed by children between the ages of 4 to 7 really touched our hearts. Following this, we had the opportunity to visit the town, the local market and the Catholic churches of San Pedro and San Francisco aboard “pepanos,” a tricycle taxi, used mainly in Rivas as an emission free means of transportation.
By noon after enjoying some ice cream whilst sitting around the main plaza, we continued our journey towards the Hacienda Amayo for lunch and games. The food was presented to us in clay pots: pork, beef, chicken, cassava (or yuca, as known locally), guacamole, sour cream and the unmistakable homemade corn tortilla completed the traditional meal “Caballo Bayo” that made us go for seconds at the buffet even if we were not hungry anymore.
The hacienda with its small baseball and football-soccer field captured the attention of all for the rest of the afternoon. We played with the Rivas little-league baseball team. The final score, after 4 innings, was 8-0 against us, but we faired better in the soccer match with a fair tie of 2-2. For our younger explorers the “piñata” party was fully enjoyed, but for everyone the breathtaking panorama of the Island of Ometepe with its volcanoes was the best gift for our return trip to the ship.
We left Costa Rica behind for the day and navigated into a small treasure of Central America: Nicaragua. By sunrise, the view of green hills and the small port of San Juan del Sur manifest the beginning of a day in a new cultural experience. During the Zodiac transfer to the pier, different-sized fishing boats surrounded us and upon arrival a local band enchanted our spirit with joyful music and an enthusiastic welcome from our local Nicaraguan guides.
Upon arrival in the city of Rivas, we made our first stop at the small museum of Rivas where pre-Columbian ceramics are on display. Then, one of the best moments of the day was about to come. Sometimes one of the most authentic ways to get to know a culture is by their music and traditional dances, therefore the folkloric dances performed by children between the ages of 4 to 7 really touched our hearts. Following this, we had the opportunity to visit the town, the local market and the Catholic churches of San Pedro and San Francisco aboard “pepanos,” a tricycle taxi, used mainly in Rivas as an emission free means of transportation.
By noon after enjoying some ice cream whilst sitting around the main plaza, we continued our journey towards the Hacienda Amayo for lunch and games. The food was presented to us in clay pots: pork, beef, chicken, cassava (or yuca, as known locally), guacamole, sour cream and the unmistakable homemade corn tortilla completed the traditional meal “Caballo Bayo” that made us go for seconds at the buffet even if we were not hungry anymore.
The hacienda with its small baseball and football-soccer field captured the attention of all for the rest of the afternoon. We played with the Rivas little-league baseball team. The final score, after 4 innings, was 8-0 against us, but we faired better in the soccer match with a fair tie of 2-2. For our younger explorers the “piñata” party was fully enjoyed, but for everyone the breathtaking panorama of the Island of Ometepe with its volcanoes was the best gift for our return trip to the ship.
