Have you
heard about Nicaragua lately? If you
assume I’m talking about the migrant caravans, you’re close, but the majority
of migrants involved in that are from neighboring Honduras. Honduras actually has a better economy than
Nicaragua, being the second to poorest nation in Central America, while
Nicaragua is dead last. However,
Honduras does take the prize for highest homicide rate in the world, so that could explain why people
are fleeing. But I digress…
I haven’t
heard much about Nicaragua lately either.
Although I can’t say that I’ve been searching for Nic news, even though
I had recently visited the country and had taken note of the reporting after I
left about political unrest and protests.
Apparently the government made changes to the pension program and that
sparked the protests, government backlash and multiple people being killed and
wounded. But then, like all of us, my
own life concerns and the ‘shiny object’ 24-hour-news-cycle distracted me with
other local in international problems.
I’d say it is pretty safe to say Nicaragua has failed to play a
significant role in US news throughout both of our histories… despite being
linked in each other’s history.
Did you know
an American Soldier of Fortune once tried to take over the entire Central
American Region? I’m not talking about
Oliver North and the Iran Contra scandal, of the 1980’s, in which the US sold
weapons to Iran to then fund the Contra guerilla groups in Nicaragua. Nor am I talking about the Banana Republics
of the turn of the century in which US fruit companies like the United Fruit
Company and Chiquita essentially controlled the government and commerce of many
central American countries. No, I’m
talking about William Walker, who took advantage of political unrest in 1855 to
take control Granada and declare himself president of the country and
re-institute slavery. The US government
quickly moved to recognize Walker’s government in the country, and his plan was
to take over the entire region to make it a slave based agricultural powerhouse
like the southern states of the US. His
rule lasted less than a year, when Costa Rica intervened to help the
Nicaraguans defeat Walker’s forces and oust his government. Sadly, Walker burned Granada to the ground on
his way out.
Even before
Walker, the US had its eye on Nicaragua.
Prior to the Panama Canal being built, the US considered a route through
Nicaragua. With the navigable San Juan
River connecting the Gulf of Mexico with Lake Nicaragua, there is actually very
little land left to cross to get to the Pacific. The US government voted down the idea in 1826
because it feared Nicaragua’s political instability would jeopardize the
project, but during the California gold rush Cornelius Vanderbilt struck a deal
with the Nicaraguan government for exclusive use of the route and it became the
primary shipping route between the east and west coast of the US. Vanderbilt would have built the canal too,
but Walker’s invasion and fall also led to the end of Vanderbilt’s deal with
the Nicaraguan government.
As I said,
our histories are linked, and I traveled some of Vanderbilt’s old trade route
when I took a ferry out to the beautiful volcanic island of Ometepe. If I had more time, I would have loved to
continue the trip east to the San Juan River and down to the Gulf of Mexico,
but alas, time did not permit.
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| San Ramon Falls, at the base of Maderas Volcano. |
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| The larger of the twin volcanoes on the island... Mt Concepcion, this was the first time it had come out from the clouds during my visit. |
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| White Heron watching the waves... or me. The lake is large enough that it has surf. |
However, on Ometepe, I saw an example of the positive
influence America has had on Nicaragua.
While on the island, I stayed at Hacienda Merida, which is run by a
Nicaraguan-American. The site was once a
coffee plantation, and an old railcar line still runs through the center of the
property, down to the docks were the coffee beans were loaded on boats for
export. When I arrived I was struck with dread when I saw the hostel's sign
that it was a bilingual school. I
thought, “Oh my God, I did not come on vacation to learn Spanish. I can’t handle
the stress of trying to check-in in Spanish.”
Much to my delight, I discovered that the schooling was for the local
kids, and they were learning English to help tourists like me explore their
country.
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| Sunset over the Hacienda dock |
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| The old rail car and tracks leading to the dock. Both served the old coffee plantation that use to operate on the site. |
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| Bilingual School?! This sign greeted me when I arrived and filled me with dread that I would have to learn Spanish during my stay at the Hacienda. |
Al Molina is the founder of the Hacienda and school and has
quite the story himself. Al's grandfather didn't own a pair of shoes until
he was 28, but saved enough to send two of his kids to the US to learn English. One was his father who in turn sent Al to learn
English as a child as well. When Al was 17, the family was forced out by civil
war and he became a US citizen, but eventually he returned as a tourist.
During his stay as a tourist, he actually camped at the
site of the Hacienda. At the time it was
the abandoned remnants of the old coffee plantation. He slept under the roof of
an open air building right on the shore of the lake, which is now the
Hacienda’s restaurant.
After that trip, Al could have returned to the US and pursued
any number opportunities that his citizenship and education afforded him, but
instead he returned to his camping site on Ometepe and established a business
designed to give back to the local community.
His mission is two-fold: First, he wants to teach the local children
English, so that they can get jobs in the eco-tourism industry of the country.
Second he has promoted and created recycling initiatives for the community to
literally build the school from the ground up.
He pays the locals $.50 per
plastic bottle that they fill with non-biodegradable waste, like plastic bags
cigarette butts, etc. He then has turned
3 tons of these trash filled bottles into the building blocks of the school
buildings, which I found to be one of the most innovative recycling initiatives
I’ve ever seen. Meanwhile, the
Hacienda’s revenue both helps fund the school, but the business also provides
employment for the graduates of the school.
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| Recycled Bottle Bricks in the walls of the School |
I found Al to be an inspiration, and many others have as
well. Many of the Hacienda’s guests
become volunteers that either teach, or help build the school. Sadly, I did neither, but I hope that I can
at least raise some awareness and maybe even some funds. You see, since the political unrest flared up
last year, tourism has plummeted, and that means the Hacienda income to help
run the school has also all but dried up.
The school has had to rely on donations to keep the teachers employed
and the students fed and clothed.
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| One of the class rooms, where you can also see the plastic bottle brick wall on the left. |
I bet you were just thinking, "How can I help?" Well I'm glad you ask. Not only could you help, but I will help you help them by matching any donations made, up to a total of $1000. Below is the link to their website, and let
me know what you donate, so that I can match it. Thank you.
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