WHAT HAPPENED IN GRANADA ??

What happeded in Granada?


Not too much the first day. First thing I did was check into the Hotel Granada. The Hotel Granada is an old Spanish Colonial Style hotel located very close to Lake Nicaragua. It's the largest hotel in the city, but still maintains a stately and dignified ambience. No Honky Tonk here. Don Carlos, the owner would not stand for it. A little more about him later.

After a short boat ride on the lake, a look around town, and a stop at american style sports bar for 1 beer and some fish and chips, I returned to the hotel forn a decent nights sleep. Next morning, I walked around and bought a few cheap souvenirs. Went back to the hotel at 9:30 ready to head for the Coasta Rican border.

Then a new world opened up for me. I had checked out, had breakfast, was putting my last item into Yota, everything carefully arranged for the border crossing. I noticed a very distinguished looking gentleman the next car over was doing about the same thing. "Are you headed for the frontier?" I asked in English. "Yes, I am." was the friendly reply. We talked a few minutes, then he asked, "Would you like to travel together. I've lived in Coasta Rica for 25 years." "Great", I said, '"Sounds like it would make things a lot easier."

"I'll just have my breakfast Sit down with me. Have a coffee, then we'll go. " Roland was with two friends, so we all sat down at two adjacent tables and had a very pleasant time sipping and conversing. Nothing out of the ordinary, just friends enjoying each others company. Then, who should show up, but Don Carlos, the hotel owner

Let me talk abot Roland first: Roland Becker was born in Germany. He moved to Coasta Rica 25 years earlier to manage some properties that his father (who had come here to invest) had left to to him. He had closed a successful business in Germany to do this. He spoke not a word of Spanish at the time he came. He is now a free lance journalist and photographer who does stories (mostly travel) for German, Spanish, and, I suppose English magazines and periodicals. Before doing the travel, he covered such events as the civil war with the Contras in Nicaragua and in El Salvador. He told me a great story about being in "No Mans Land" between the lines of combat. Roland is dedicated to developing other parts of Central America, but not exactly like in Coasta Rica. It should be done with great care not to sully or destroy the natural beauty of the country and to thereby deprive the very people who come here of what they are paying to see. He considers Nicaragua the most unspoiled of all the C.A. countries. I have to agree. Roland has a High Def camera which is almost always on. He's doing a piece on travel in Central America.

Don Carlos lives in New York a bit more than half the time, and in Nicaragua when he's not in New York. He is a soft spoken Latino gentleman, who instantly demands respect through his calm quiet demeanor. How he maintained that demeanor living in New York, I can't answer. But, he is a delight to be around. He had heard about Roland. I supposed that Roland had spoken to him before, but I don't think they had known each other for a long time. Don Carlos owned some property that he was interested in showing to Roland. It would be about an hour ride by boat.

"Are you up for it Guy?" asked Roland. "You bet I am" . If ever there was an easy decision this was it. So we took a long boat ride and explored the property which turned out to be a magnificent private island, complete with beautiful scenery, a boat landing swimming platform, a hand crafted stone pathway that circled the island, and a ridiculouly cute family of monkeys who bark like dogs (big dogs). It had to be the best day of my trip. But, I said that yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that. Oh, well, each day feels like a best day.

There are quit a number of photos for this day.  I will try to place them at the end of the total blog text because I get better quality, and some of them are pretty good.

Roland and I had a medium difficulty border crossing, but it seemed like fun with 2 people.  It was late and I did have some visions of the border closing while we were in no-mans land between countries. But, that didn't happen. It all played out well.  I am touring the northern beaches area right now.  I'll talk about that a little later on. Everything is great here.  When I finish in the North, I plan to hook up with Roland in San Jose. He needs to go to Panama also to register a car he bought in New Hampshire.