.WE.ARE.GNOMADS.

Although the trip was long and in a hot old American school bus with a lady getting sick out one of the windows now and then, Esteli was worth it.

Estili – Nic Trip – June 09

Esteli is a small mountain town that has the best fresh veggie and fruit market EVER! All the volcanoes in Nicaragua must make for some fertile land! They even have an organic market on Friday mornings in the center of town. An organic market in the middle of Central America? We bought Jamaica jelly and coffee from a women’s cooperative program, earrings made of pine needles and beads, and pupusas!

The little town also has lots of art to offer, tons of murals and a lot of them with a Sandinista theme because Esteli been a strong hold for the FSLN (Frente Sandinista de Liberation National – Sandinista National Liberation Front). Not that they are fighting with guns and Molotov cocktails anymore, but they still stand up for the rights of the people. In all of Central America I have never seen a happier group of town folk, a cleaner town, or a town where there are so many programs for its people. The FSLN must be doing something right.

The Artwork of Estili – Nic Trip – June 09

Speaking of that we had to check out a place that was once a hang out of the Sandinistas and is now a show case for Sandinista memorabilia as well as place to throw back a few beers, EL Rincon Legal. It was not that busy when we were there, but that made it easier to take in the many revolutionary posters plastered all over the walls.

Esteli was grand in a little town with a big history. In searching for more history on Esteli I found this great google book/story, Thanks to God and the Revolution, The Oral History of a Nicaraguan Family. The air was fresh and cooler than that of the low lands. And the food fresh! What more could you ask for? Well, there are Cigar factories too…one of which we toured…but that is for another blog!