Nicaragua Photos

A collection of photos from the past two weeks in Nicaragua. 

It looked to me like Che Guevara, a revered figure in revolutionary Nicaragua. 

Rusty guarding us at lunch: 

The Toyota Hilux is a popular pick up around the world especially in countries with crappy roads. Every other car in Nicaragua seems to be a Hilux. 

More Hilux pick ups lined up for sale: 

A narrow bridge. Very narrow. 

A cellphone and an ox cart naturally. 

Augusto Sandino was killed by US forces in Nicaragua in 1933. His revolutionary spirit gives its name to the governing party in Nicaragua -Frente Sandinista. 

I went to the highest town in Nicaragua (3500 feet) for a particular reason. Father Odorico D’Andrea spent four decades in the town organizing the construction of schools hospitals and bridges, bringing the community electricity and clean water. He came here from

the village I grew up in in Italy where he was the parish priest in 1952 before I was born. I sent back some pictures of the church dedicated to his memory for those who remember him. 

He negotiated a local peace treaty between Sandinista rebels and government soldiers before he died aged 74 of a heart attack in 1990. His good works have been noticed by the Vatican and the Franciscan friar is now on the path to sainthood. 

He is almost forgotten in his former parish in Italy but not around here. 

80 year old IFA water tanker or German World War Two origin: 

From our night parked in the fire department parking lot in Matagalpa.

This is a Soviet era car still running in Nicaragua. You’ll see a few of these types of vehicles from the time Nicaragua was at loggerheads with the US and got Cold War support from the Soviet Union. 

I’ve never seen a school bus rear door in use in the US. 

Firewood. This is a poor country. 

Hilux! They are everywhere I tell you. 

Rusty likes grass. He’s not ill, he’s always chewed grass and around here in rainy season he has his choice. 

One massive aggression for overlanders traveling Latin America are these stupid roofs over gates. They are decorative only but if you have a vehicle with any pretensions to height you just can’t get in. Grrr. 

Lunch: gallo pinto (rice and red beans) link sausages and cheese and a flour tortilla. 

Some side roads are less easy than others especially in rainy season. 

Beach refuge for a few days before Costa Rica.