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Country NICARAGUA NICARAGUA (regional info) ***Book Hotels in Nicaragua by competitive pricing BILWI BLUEFIELDS CORN ISLANDS ESTELI GRANADA (regional info) JINOTEGA LEON MANAGUA (regional info) MONTELIMAR PUERTO CABEZAS SAN JUAN DEL SUR SAN RAMON TOLA Cuba aside, Nicaragua is unique in Latin America in having pulled off a bona fide revolution of the people. The revolution of 1978-79 and the civil war that followed in the 1980s, while ravaging the country, has also given it one of the most dramatic of recent histories. At times it seems that every Nicaraguan has both horrifying and uplifting personal stories to tell. And even though Nicaragua's long-suffering people would rather forget many aspects of the war, the country's political past continues to inform every minute of its present. During the 1980s Nicaragua was the destination of choice in Central America for young, socialist-minded internacionalistas - foreign volunteer workers who came to the country to aid the Revolution by working in the education and health sectors. From 1996 onwards, the Alemán government discontinued many of the programmes that brought the internacionalistas to Nicaragua and tourism slumped, which was bad news for the country's hotel owners and tour operators. Recent years, however, have seen tourist numbers increase as part of the general upturn in interest in Central America. In comparison with the Maya ruins of Guatemala or the national parks of Costa Rica, Nicaragua offers few traditional tourist attractions - almost no monuments or ancient temples remain, and earthquakes, revolution and war have laid waste to museums, galleries and theatres. For years the country has suffered from a chronic lack of funding, and high inflation and unemployment have also impoverished Nicaragua's infrastructure. However, no one visits Nicaragua and remains immune to the country's extraordinary landscape of volcanoes (17 in all), lakes, mountains and vast plains of rainforest . A smattering of beaches - the majority of them on the Pacific Coast - continues to attract the budget surfing and backpacking crowd, while culture and the arts are very much alive in Nicaragua, and it is here you can buy some of the best-value high-quality crafts in the isthmus. More than anything, though, the pleasures and rewards of travelling in Nicaragua come from interacting with the inhabitants of the country's complex society. Its people are well-spoken, passionate, engaged and engaging - Nicaraguans tend to be witty and exceptionally hospitable. The best thing you can do to enjoy Nicaragua is to arrive with an open mind, some patience and a willingness to practise your Spanish. |
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