MAKING HISTORY IN NICARAGUA:
Our impromptu change of itinerary has put us in the history books. Today the ms Westerdam became the first Holland America Line ship to dock in Nicaragua. We berthed at Corinto, a picturesque coastal town located in the northwest region of the country. With a population of 20,000, Corinto is an important tourist centre and home to the country’s largest port. The streets are lined with shops, churches and stream of peddle cabs.
A short walk from our ship in the sweltering heat and we’re at the “downtown” market, checking out the various vendor, who hurried to assemble their wares when told of our arrival just the night before.
In the town square we stumble upon a tank of turtles. This rather boring display turns exciting when we realize the turtles share the tank with two 10-foot long crocodiles. Surprisingly, it’s a peaceful co-existence…well at least while we’re watching.
As a marketer, I’m taken with the state of “outdoor advertising”. They still paint their ads on the walls of buildings. No Pattison, Lamar or CBS billboards in Nicaragua. Political messages along with promotions for Eskimo Pies and Pepsi dot the landscape.
While it’s a beautiful seaside, it’s obviously an impoverished area with children in the street repeatedly asking you for “one dollah” whenever you want to take their photo. But one young boy does allow us a fee-free photo of his prized chickens which apparently will be tonight’s dinner. Gosh chickens are ugly up close. I make a mental note to order beef for dinner.
While our time in Nicaragua has been brief, it is a fascinating glimpse of life in this poor Central American country. At the firehouse we see old and tired emergency vehicles. On the main street, the dilapidated movie house is missing seats, a roof and patrons share space with pigeons. And worst of all, none of the buildings appear to have air conditioning.
As we depart at sunset it’s obvious that the presence of our giant cruise ship is news for the locals. Nicaraguans gathered in waterfront watering holes furiously snapping photo as we sail away.
Over dinner we exchange stories of our day and prepare for four days at sea. Even though we are disappointed that we’ve not going to see Mexico, everyone seems to be eager to enjoy the confines of the ship and all it has to offer.
