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Bread and Circus in Nicaragua

Bread and Circus in Nicaragua
Opinion.  Panem et circenses, or “bread and circus,” is a Latin phrase always used pejoratively to describe the practice of a government keeping its population contently distracted by providing food and low-quality entertainment for the masses. Originally, it described the...
March 27, 2013 · 18 Comments

Bananas: Nicaragua’s super food

Bananas: Nicaragua’s super food

Opinion. Bananas are one of the cheapest and most nutritious fruits sold in Nicaragua. Understanding the health benefits of this flavorful fruit will likely give you a new appreciation for this popular dietary staple. A banana a day… Instead of...
March 25, 2013 · 2 Comments

Six months of fresh air

Six months of fresh air

Opinion. Six months ago, I walked out of La Modelo, the maximum security prison in Nicaragua infamous for rampant human rights violations. Six months ago, I returned to Seattle, Washington where my family and friends welcomed me with open arms...
March 22, 2013 · 18 Comments

A few ideas about IDEAS

A few ideas about IDEAS

Editor’s note: The following is an open letter to Rosario Murillo and Carlos Pellas submitted by reader Ternot MacRenato about Nicaragua’s Institute of Academic Excellence (IDEA), a high school for exceptionally bright students started by former President Enrique Bolaños. When...
March 15, 2013 · 6 Comments

The things they carry—backpackers then and now

The things they carry—backpackers then and now

Volcán Concepción dominates the entire northern end of the island. It rises dramatically out of the lake, conjuring those iconic images of Mt. Fuji, but with a cotton candy tuft of cloud permanently affixed to the peak instead of snow....
March 7, 2013 · 5 Comments

Building ‘knowledge societies’ in the digital era

Building ‘knowledge societies’ in the digital era

Last month, I had the chance to attend the World Summit on Information Society+10’s (WSIS) first review meeting in Paris as Nicaragua’s country expert of WSIS-Award (World Summit Award e-content +creativity). The first and second phases of the World Summit...
March 4, 2013 · 2 Comments

Animal trafficking is monkey business

Animal trafficking is monkey business

When you Google Granada, many of the same adjectives are repeated: quaint, colonial, charming. Given that my Google search was primarily to identify where I’d spend a week learning Spanish, all these adjectives added up—in my imagination, at least—to a...
February 27, 2013 · 6 Comments

Let’s end violence against women

Let’s end violence against women

Editor’s note: the following is the speech that human rights activist Bianca Jagger delivered to the International Poetry Festival of Granada on Feb. 18, 2013   It is an honour to be speaking to you at the International Poetry Festival...
February 24, 2013 · 2 Comments

Pitaya Festival prepares to rock Playa Hermosa

Pitaya Festival prepares to rock Playa Hermosa

Drive 6.6 kilometers south of San Juan del Sur, through a jungle of howler monkeys and over multiple dried river crossings, and you will arrive at a 3 km-long gorgeous, sandy white beach that produces enough variety of right and...
February 17, 2013 · 4 Comments