Nicaragua:

Travel outside the box — uncommon trips..

Nicaragua is the Bahamas before it went upscale...
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Nicaragua: The Nicaragua Tourist Board announced the launch of 1-888-SEE-NICA
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New York Times. In Nicaragua,
Chasing the Unsurfed Wave
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Associated Press
Nicaragua Opens Two Geothermal Fields

Friday September 3, 2004
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Nicaragua: The Nicaragua Tourist Board announced the launch of 1-888-SEE-NICA...

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Nicaragua: Baroque grandeur in old Granada

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Nicaragua: 'Today Show' to Perk Image Makeover

Monday, March 15, 2006

SAN JUAN DEL SUR – If the post-war transformation of Nicaragua's international image were depicted by the famous drawing of ape evolving to man, next Wednesday would mark the day the country moves from the hairy simian-man carrying the club to the upright hunter holding a spear.

It's still about two figures removed from what today would be recognized as modern-day man, but it's a major improvement over the knuckle-dragging ape-man who fears the sun.

The catalyst for the evolutionary leap in the country's international image – especially in the United States, where an incredible percentage of people are still misinformed about Nicaragua – will be thanks to a three- or four-minute segment on NBC TV's “The Today Show” scheduled to air March 15, featuring Nicaragua and Costa Rica as new hotspots for U.S. retirees moving “south of the border.”

The segment, featuring footage and interviews shot Feb. 27 in San Juan del Sur and Granada, will reach the homes of 12 million viewers, more than half of whom live in the United States. That's a large market share of mainstream Gringos, many of whom undoubtedly fit into the category of folk who still ask: “ Nicaragua !? Isn't there, like, a war there, or something?”

Not only is there no war here, but Nicaragua is now flirting with the possibility of becoming trendy.

Image Makeover: Mark Mullin of NBC TV's ‘The Today Show' films a segment in Granada on Nicaragua becoming a new hotspot for U.S. expats retiring ‘south of the border.' The show, which is scheduled to air the morning of March 15, is the latest in a series of reports that is helping to change Nicaragua 's image abroad.

After a decade of war correspondence in the 1980s, Nicaragua in the 1990s was virtually abandoned by the mainstream international press, who were relocated elsewhere or left on their own to chase the next story. Subsequently, Nicaragua virtually went “off the air” for the next 15 years, making occasional cameo appearances in the international press for coverage of political-corruption scandals, natural disasters and elections featuring Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega's attempt to return to power.

In the last year, however, Nicaragua 's treatment in the international press has changed, and the country has been increasingly portrayed as an exotic surf destination, a retirement up-and-comer, and an investment hotspot.

High-profile stories in The New York Times, Miami Herald, GQ Magazine, USA Today, U.S. News and World Report, and Conde Nast Traveller have all helped to paint a new image of the country. And the first week of March a delegation of U.S. journalists visited the country for upcoming travel reports in Sport Diver Magazine, Islands Magazine, American Way Magazine, National Geographic Traveller, Caribbean Travel & Life Magazine and Travel Age West.

“Slowly the word is getting out and more and more people living in the United States are starting to see that the Nicaragua of today is much different than the Nicaragua of 25 years ago,” María Nelly Rivas, executive president of the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute (INTUR), told The Nica Times this week. “ Nicaragua is a safe and beautiful destination; and it's close to the United States both geographically and culturally. Americans feel comfortable in Nicaragua.”

There are no statistics for the number of foreign retirees living here, since many remain on a tourism visa while others who have purchased land here are still in the process of moving down fulltime. Of the foreign retirees who have actually gotten residency status here – of which there are around 1,000 – some 65% are from the United States, according to Rivas.

“More and more retirees are finding Nicaragua attractive because of the incentives, the price of land, the cost of living and the safety,” Rivas said, in flawless English. “Plus, there is already a community of retirees living here, so people moving down from the United States won't have to do it alone.”

Rivas also claims that Nicaragua 's infrastructure and services – including the new state-of-the-art Vivian Pellas Hospital in Managua – make the country competitive with other Central American retirement destinations.

Leading investment consultant Raul Calvet also sees a positive trend in the evolution of Nicaragua 's image abroad.

“There has been a real awakening in the last two years,” Calvet said.

Nicaragua, he said, has benefited greatly from a combination of sky-rocketing real-estate prices in the United States and a maturation of Nicaragua 's image abroad.

“We have moved past the stage of people asking if there is a war here. Now investors are interested in infrastructure and conditions for a rate of return on their investments,” Calvet said.

While the country still has a way to go before becoming a full-blown, mainstream retirement or tourist destination, most economic indicators suggest that great strides have been made in recent years.

And mainstream programs like The Today Show, which reaches millions of Maxwell House-drinking U.S. citizens in their kitchens and living-room sofas, will only increase Nicaragua 's visibility and help hasten the positive shift in public opinion.

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Nicaragua: Central America ever trendier as war memories recede

Nicaragua: Central America ever trendier as war memories recede.

Monday, March 6, 2006

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) -- Ten or 20 years ago, mentions of countries like Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala conjured up visions of soldiers and civil war.
But today Central America has become a tourism hot spot. The isthmus between Mexico and Colombia is better known for its culture and wildlife than its war-torn past. And tourism revenue has surpassed that of most local industries.

Now regional officials are trying to encourage visitors to experience the region the way Americans have long traveled in Europe -- by taking in several countries in one trip.

Some 20 companies in Europe, mostly Italy, Spain and Britain, already promote tours of Central America that include visits to multiple countries in the region. And Air Costa Rica and Air Panama are trying to capitalize on the trend by opening two new routes between the Costa Rican capital of San Jose and two popular destinations in Panama.

Promoting regional tourism is seen as a way of improving other aspects of life in Central America, from the economy to law enforcement to health and education.

"Tourism is the passport to peace," said Sara Sanchez, Panama's tourism minister.

The number of visitors coming to Central America has spiked notably in the past two years. In 2004, some 5.7 million people visited the region and spent more than $4 billion, up 14 percent from 2003.

Preliminary data indicates that some 6.5 million tourists -- mostly from the United States, Mexico and Canada -- visited Central America last year.

Nicaraguan Tourism Minister Maria Rivas said the September 11 attacks contributed to the growth.

"They are coming to destinations that are closer and safer," she said.

Marcos Gandasegui, whose Ancon Expedition travel agency specializes in nature tours, described the spike after September 11 as an "explosion." He said the appearance of SARS in Asia also encouraged many to turn to Central America for their vacation plans.

Regional officials say they have been working for years to build up the so-called "industry without smokestacks" by encouraging investment, culture and the development of a regional market.

"It's not something that grew up unplanned," said Coralia Dreyfus, a tourism official with the Central American Integration System. "It has been something that the seven countries of the region have been working on."

Still, Gandasegui said the growing industry has forced countries to focus on tourism and related projects, like strengthening infrastructure, health and education in their countries.

One thing the region doesn't need to develop is its natural resources: pristine beaches, coral reefs, some 900,000 different species of plants and animals, and rich and varied cultures fed by the countries' native Indian heritage, European colonialism and coastal settlements.

For El Salvador and Guatemala, two countries that survived years of civil conflict, tourism has become the countries' second-largest source of income, after money sent home by migrants living in the United States.

Last year, 13 years after peace accords ended that country's civil war, 1.1 million people visited El Salvador and spent $644 million. In Guatemala, where the civil war ended in 1996, 1.3 million tourists visited, spending $868 million.

Panama has also worked to build up its tourism industry, converting many of the former U.S. installations turned over with the canal hand-over in 1999 into restaurants, resorts and even an upscale cruise ship-docking station. The country has been so successful that tourism revenues have risen to $860 million, surpassed only by revenues from the Panama Canal.

Nicaragua and Honduras have the smallest number of tourists, with 700,000 and 800,000 annual visitors respectively. But both countries rely heavily on tourism dollars, with Nicaragua seeing $190 million from visitors and Honduras with $500 million annually. Nicaragua has also just lately begun promoting its tourism industry, and has received lavish coverage in many top travel publications aimed at affluent Americans.

Costa Rica is the region's granddaddy in the industry, especially eco-tourism. Last year, 1.6 million people spent $1.5 billion hiking its cloud forests, touring its volcanos, sunning on its beaches and observing its famous wildlife.

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Nicaragua: Nicaragua latest retirement haven

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Nicaragua latest retirement haven
American retirees and investors are moving to Nicaragua to take advantage of the low cost of living and business opportunities.

BY TIM ROGERS
Special to The Miami Herald
Posted on Sun, Jan. 29, 2006

GRANADA, Nicaragua - Florida native Jimmy Lewis had lived in neighboring Costa Rica for two years before he came to Nicaragua in 2001 to investigate an intriguing tale.

''I had a buddy in Granada who had been bugging me to visit for years, telling me you could order a whole fried bass and a bottle of rum for only $6,'' Lewis recalled. ``I thought, what the heck kind of a jungle is he living in?''

Not only was Lewis surprised to discover that his buddy wasn't living in the jungle, but he soon joined the stream of American and European citizens who are moving here and turning Nicaragua into the latest retirement and investment hot spot in Central America.

Most foreigners living here do so on tourist visas, so there is no accurate number of how many American expatriates now call Nicaragua home. Current estimates stand at around 2,000 -- a far cry from the 70,000 or so U.S. citizens lured to Costa Rica by its weather and political stability -- but the number is growing fast.

In the heart of colonial-era Granada, filled with colorfully painted adobe homes, red-tile roofs, horse-drawn carts and old churches, mostly Americans have bought more than 150 homes -- or close to 10 percent of the town's center -- in the past five years, according to the mayor's office. Subsequently, real-estate prices have appreciated by 200-300 percent in the same period, and a downtown home that cost about $30,000 in 2002 is now selling for $100,000-plus.

GROWTH SPURT

Granada, a candidate to be named an UNESCO world heritage site, in fact is experiencing a tremendous growth spurt at age 481. So too is Nicaragua's Pacific coast, where more than 20 real-estate development projects have popped up since the late '90s, most of them aimed at foreigners.

Many of those projects have already sold most or all of their lots in the pre-construction stage, with little more than a web page, a land title and a promise. And many investors say they came to Nicaragua for the first time to ''look around'' but wound up purchasing land.

During a recent investors' field trip led by Baltimore-based Stansberry & Associates Investment Research, 11 of the 12 initially nervous participants ended up purchasing Pacific coast property during their first week in the country, according to group members.

Participants Bryan and Liza Harlan, a Dallas couple who hired a bodyguard to accompany them for their first 72 hours in Managua, said they felt comfortable enough by day five of their trip to dole out $157,500 for a prime beachfront lot at Los Perros development, where they hope to start building soon.

Slightly to the north is the massive Gran Pacífica development, which at $55 million is the largest investment project in Nicaragua.

The project, which hopes to eventually house a five-star hotel and luxury residential community of 2,000 homes, broke ground recently on what will be an 18-hole golf course.

MISSED OUT EARLIER

Terry and Angelica Martin, of Newport Beach, Calif., recently bought a lot at Gran Pacífica, saying they had missed a window of opportunity in Costa Rica 15 years ago. Costa Rica has since become a stable and prized retirement and investment site, although prices there have risen in recent years.

Their new friends and future neighbors at Gran Pacífica, Kent and Denise Payne from Oklahoma City, bought a lot on their fourth day in the country. They started construction on Jan. 13.

''It's cheaper for us to build here than . . . Oklahoma,'' said Kent Payne. ''And this isn't Oklahoma; this is paradise,'' added his wife, while taking in the sun on the beach.

Not everyone moving to Nicaragua is of retirement age or living off previous investments or pensions.

Tyler Tibbs, 27, moved here in 2003 from Oregon and purchased a lot near the town of San Juan del Sur -- about 80 miles south of the Nicaraguan capital city of Managua -- where he hopes to start an art community.

''In the modern world, it's hard to imagine being an explorer or pioneer, but in Nicaragua you can find the rougher edges of life. It's liberating,'' Tibbs said.

Rougher edges doesn't necessarily mean dangerous. One of the biggest misconceptions about Nicaragua is that it is unsafe. Statistically it's one of the safest countries in Latin America, with a lower homicide rate than neighboring Costa Rica or El Salvador or Honduras.

SAFEST CITY

Managua ranks as the safest capital city in Latin America, with 2.3 intentional homicides for every 100,000 people, according to statistics collected by INCAE, Harvard's Business School affiliate in Central America.

While Nicaragua still doesn't have the name recognition of Costa Rica among retirees and investors, some who come to visit are discovering that this is what they had in mind.

''I came up to visit and never looked back,'' said Lewis, who now runs a rib restaurant in town and moonlights as a rock musician on weekends.

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Nicaragua: Nicaragua to rehabilitate key stretch of road with US$5 million loan
from OPEC Fund
Source :OPEC Fund Website

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Nicaragua: Nicaragua to rehabilitate key stretch of road with
US$5 million loan from OPEC Fund

December 2005

The OPEC Fund for International Development has signed a US$5
million loan agreement with the Republic of Nicaragua to co-finance
rehabilitation of a key section of the Pan American Highway. The
aims of the scheme are to foster the country's regional integration
and enable the population to have unhampered access to social
services, marketplaces and employment opportunities.

One of Nicaragua's most important links, the Pan American Highway
provides passage to Honduras in the north and Costa Rica to the
south. Although most of the highway has been rehabilitated, the
section between Las Flores and Nandaime is more than 35 years old
and has been maintained only sporadically. The stretch, which is
located in the south-west, serves some 240,000 individuals, most of
whom derive their livelihoods from agriculture. As the road
represents the primary method of transporting inputs and produce,
its upgrading is vital to the local population.

Under the project, the 27 km-long road will be upgraded to an
asphalt surface and drainage systems repaired and replaced where
necessary. Embankments will be stabilized, especially those located
in high-risk slide areas. Also envisaged is the rehabilitation of
culverts and two bridges, as well as installation of signaling
devices and protective barriers.

The newly-improved road will help reduce travel time and vehicle
operating costs for numerous farming communities and ease the
movement of agricultural goods to and from the capital Managua.

Including this loan, the Fund has approved financing to Nicaragua
totaling US$129 million. These provided balance of payments support,
delivered debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries
Initiative, helped finance commodity imports programs and supported
projects in the transportation, agriculture, education, and water
supply and sewerage sectors. Fund grants went to provide emergency
assistance to Nicaragua, as well as to finance a water supply and
environmental sanitation program and technical assistance schemes in
the energy sector.

The agreement was signed in Vienna by Ms. Isolda Frixione, Chargé d'
Affaires of the Embassy of Nicaragua in Austria, and by HE Mr. Jamal
Nasser Lootah, Chairman of the Governing Board of the OPEC Fund.

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Nicaragua: Peaceful times for tourists
Source :C&N.com

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Nicaragua: Peaceful times for tourists

December 2005

SAN JUAN DEL SUR, Nicaragua (AP) -- I'm paddling down an estuary in a kayak that snakes through a private nature reserve. A sense of serenity washes over me as a group of white herons flocks to a marsh and the thunderous crash of waves from the Pacific Ocean rumbles in the distance.

It's quiet and remote but best of all it's peaceful. Yes, peaceful.
This is, after all, Nicaragua, where revolution and civil wars raged until 1990 as the Sandinistas came to power and then were fought by U.S.-backed rebels. Unlike Costa Rica, its neighbor to the south, Nicaragua is still perceived by many U.S. citizens as a dangerous place, with little to offer travelers.

But, as my wife and I watched the birds from our kayak, the only threats we encountered were the menacing sounds from howler monkeys eyeing us from the trees above.

Today Nicaragua is finally being discovered as a destination. More than 500,000 tourists visited in 2005 -- up 15 percent from the previous year, according to tourism officials. A major tourism campaign was launched earlier this year in the U.S. and Europe, its two primary markets, using the slogan, "A Country With Heart," to stress the friendly local culture.

Nicaragua is one of the Western Hemisphere's poorest nations, with nearly half of the people earning less than $1 a day, so tourism is also a potential boon to the economy. But while the country's political and economic situation remain in flux -- presidential elections are slated for next year and more than $4 billion of the country's debt could be forgiven as part of the G-8 accord -- it is basically safe and stable.
"The real image of Nicaragua is a country that is safe and one that is rich in natural resources," said Nicaragua's tourism minister Maria Rivas. "Here you can have an authentic experience that will make your travels much richer."
Nicaragua also offers scenery and affordability. The latter probably can't be stressed enough, since the U.S. dollar doesn't go as far as it used to in Europe.

Lush hillsides
During our weeklong trip, we found that people, no matter how poor or rich, were more than happy to greet us with a smile. There was only one time when someone asked for money, and most were willing to answer our questions.
Our first stop was Managua, the nation's capital. This was more of a pit-stop before visiting other locales, but we did walk around the city, which sits next to Lake Xolotlan.
We visited the city's center, home to Plaza de la Revolucion, the county's National Museum and the tomb of Comandante Carlos Fonseca, considered the father of the Sandinista movement who was assassinated in 1976, three years before his party took control of the government. His tomb rests near the burial site of Santos Lopez, another Sandinista leader who taught guerrilla warfare.
We left early the next morning and boarded a bus bound for the coastal village of San Juan del Sur.

On the way, we watched the scenery change from a grimy cityscape to lush, green hillsides that give way to the Mombacho volcano, which boasts a cloud forest and dozens of different species of birds and reptiles.

A bit farther in the distance are the twin peaks of the Maderas and Concepcion volcanos on Ompetepe island. The majestic cones that inspired Mark Twain when he visited in 1866 rise above Lake Cocibolca (also known as Lake Nicaragua) and can be reached by all-day hikes.
We arrived in Rivas, a small town that's a bustling center of commerce with one crowded intersection full of buses, bicycles and taxis. Our foreign faces were quickly spotted in the back of the bus by locals who arranged other means of transportation for us. We were whisked away to a 1980s-era Nissan with two women and a young girl sitting in the back. We had about 20 seconds to decide whether to jump into the front of the taxi known as a collectivo or grab our luggage and find our own way. We took a chance and went along for the ride.

Escape to nature
Upon arriving in San Juan del Sur, life slows down and takes a relaxing turn. The town built on a hillside overlooks a horseshoe bay dotted with fishing boats and small yachts. Restaurants with thatched roofs line the beach, reminiscent of coastal villages in Baja California.
An infinity pool, where the water cascades over the edges, awaited us at Piedras y Olas Hotel and Resort. Here we sipped on a cocktail and marveled at the sunset, telling ourselves how lucky we were to be away from mobs of demanding tourists.
At night over dinner, we met Cathy, a former Boston schoolteacher who moved to San Juan after visiting several years ago. She warned us that the town isn't cut out for everyone.
"If you want to run around and do lots of activities, this isn't the place for you," she said. "But if you want to relax, unwind and read a good book, this is the place."
Soon after she told us that sometimes she has to take cold showers due to electrical storms, the power was knocked out and we were left with a romantic candlelight dinner.
Our next stop was Morgan's Rock, an eco-lodge just north of San Juan owned by a French couple. The area was once devastated by deforestation but is now a sprawling nature reserve replanted with more than 1.5 million trees. Monkeys, iguanas and crabs are everywhere.
The lodge's 15 bungalows are located on a hillside next to a bay so close that the waves pounding the beach are enough to rustle you from your sleep. The resort blends seamlessly into nature. Guests can plant their own trees, take a sunset kayak trip down an estuary, ride horseback or trek on guided hikes. Many of the ingredients used in the resort's dishes are grown on-site.

Our last stop was the colonial city of Granada, founded in 1524, and home to centuries-old churches and some of the most brightly colored facades in the world. Vibrant blues, reds and yellows are splashed on buildings like an artist's palette. Horse-drawn carriages still cart people around but the city is built for walking. We decided to duck into the Dona Elba cigar factory where the owner treated us to a couple of robustos and showed us a picture of him and now-California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dating back to the 1980s.

Despite efforts to improve its image, Nicaragua has a ways to go before it gets the full respect of other countries. Even in nearby Costa Rica, I was unable to exchange Nicaragua's cordobas for cash. The banker looked at me and said outside of Nicaragua, the currency is worthless.
I couldn't have disagreed more. As I tucked the bills away in my pocket, I knew that they would come in handy again one day when I return.

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The Basics: The world’s best-kept retirement secret
Source :MNS Money

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The Basics: The world’s best-kept retirement secret
By Kathleen Peddicord

The war is long over, but the bad rap remains. Today's Nicaragua is an inexpensive paradise eager to welcome expatriates.

Nicaragua is virtually unknown to most people and usually misunderstood, which is why forward-thinking investors can find some of the best real-estate deals on Earth in this country.

For the record, Nicaragua is not in the midst of a civil war, and it’s not a communist state. The country has, however, suffered from a serious case of bad press.

Nicaragua is one of the most beautiful countries in all the Americas. It boasts a dramatic Pacific coastline; long, gentle Caribbean beaches, volcanoes and freshwater lakes dot the hilly inland. Colonial cities like Granada and León offer visitors a taste of days gone by, while Managua, the capital, is rapidly becoming a real first-world city.

The country’s most famous beach destination, Barceló Playa Montelimar, is a 290-room, all-inclusive resort with four restaurants, an airstrip and miles of secluded beaches. Farther south is the popular town of San Juan del Sur, where cruise ships dock regularly. The town is quickly becoming a hot spot for North American expatriates.

Masaya is home to Nicaragua’s best craft market, offering just about anything that’s hand-crafted in the country -- ceramics, leather goods, iron work, hammocks, jewelry, rocking chairs, masks, clothing . . . you name it. There are five active volcanos at nearby Masaya Volcano National Park offering the best volcano viewing in Central and North America. It’s the only place in the region where you can see hot magma rising from the depths of the Earth -- and you can drive right to the top.

Lake Nicaragua, the 10th-largest freshwater lake in the world, is famous for its freshwater sharks, the only ones in the world. The lake has great sport-fishing and, with 350 "isletas," island-hopping. The islands of Lake Nicaragua were created hundreds of years ago when the volcano Mombacho exploded. Today, you can explore this extinct volcano along trails in the cloud forest. You’ll see more varieties of orchids than just about anywhere else in the world and all kinds of wildlife, including 170 counted species of birds and blue morpho butterflies. You can also take a canopy tour, shooting from treetop to treetop on harnessed zip-lines.

Safe and stunning
Nicaragua is a nation at peace. Its government is democratically elected, committed to a free-market economy and eager to attract foreign investors. A recent study by the Inter-American Institute on Human Rights and a survey of police forces in the Americas show that Nicaragua is the safest country in Central America and one of the safest countries in the world. Recent studies also point to Nicaragua’s low reported crime rate -- lower than in Germany, France or the U.S.

The current president, Enrique Bolaños Geyer, elected in January 2002, is committed to progress and development for Nicaragua. He says, “Today’s Nicaragua is working to meet the challenges of global competition, and I offer my government’s support for your future business activities in our country.”

In September 1999, Nicaragua enacted the most attractive -- and most aggressive -- tourism-incentive law in Latin America. If you’ve ever toyed with the idea of owning your own B&B, running a sailboat charter, leading adventure treks into the jungle, dishing up meals in your own restaurant or operating any kind of tourism-related business, Nicaragua is the place to do it.

Law 306 is sweeping in scope and offers hard-to-beat benefits for investors who take advantage of the program. If your business qualifies, you pay no income- or real-estate taxes for up to 10 years. You can bring in (or buy locally) all the supplies you need -- from furniture and boats to linens and cash registers -- tax- and duty-free.

Incentives for foreign retirees
If you’re simply in the market for a place to relax and spend a few months a year in a quiet, safe, affordable retreat, again, Nicaragua is hard to beat. The country’s retiree incentive program is much like Costa Rica’s was in the 1980s, attracting thousands of expatriates. To be eligible, you need only be over 45 and have a monthly income of at least $400.

The benefits come mostly in the form of tax incentives. As a foreign retiree, you:

~ pay no taxes on any out-of-country earnings.
~can bring into Nicaragua up to $10,000 of household goods for your own home, duty-free.
~can import one automobile for personal or general use duty- and tariff-free, and sell it after five years, tax-free.
~can import an additional vehicle every five years under the same duty exemptions.

The cost of living in Nicaragua is a fraction what you’re used to paying up north. Our sources on the ground say a two-week supply of pork and beef costs about $65. For enough fresh vegetables to feed four or five people daily for a week, expect to pay about $55. A 30-minute consultation with a U.S.-trained physician will cost you about $35. You can hire a maid who will cook, clean and do your laundry for less than $120 a month; and you’ll spend just $25 on a wonderful restaurant meal of local delicacies, including with wine and dessert.

The Pacific Coast
Because most of the world still believes Nicaragua is a country full of problems and political unrest, local real estate, especially waterfront real estate, is undervalued.

Developers are scurrying to build along the Pacific Coast, where the government is improving the local infrastructure by paving roads and improving tourist areas.

Not too long ago -- in 1997 -- we looked at raw land on the Pacific, a lot here and there for sale without amenities. Only one “development project” was under way. Now, you have several to choose from, all with water, electricity and views of the surf below.

While it’s true that prices are already on the rise, it’s still possible to find bargains. One development on a hill outside the town of San Juan del Sur has views of the harbor and the pristine coast. The development is a walk to the beach and a five-minute drive from town. Four years ago, a lot here with water, electricity, and paved roads started at $39,000. Now, an oceanfront lot in San Juan del Sur, with a home, can sell for up to $385,000. Yet, because Nicaragua is still booming, there are plenty of new developments emerging and a number of good deals remain along the Pacific Coast.

Near Grenada you'll find Lake Apoyo. This crater lake, formed over 21,000 years ago when a volcano erupted, is the largest crater lake in the country and one of the most beautiful. The views from the top stretch over the hillsides, taking in the blue waters below. Because of its elevation, Lake Apoyo is generally five degrees (Fahrenheit) cooler than Granada, just 15 minutes away. Its pristine water has therapeutic qualities, thanks to the sulfur and other minerals, and the temperature is 85 degrees all year long. It is in a Nicaraguan natural reserve and a proposed UNESCO World Heritage site.

Large three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom villas on the shore of Laguna de Apoyo can be purchased for $170,000 to $190,000. Each has views of the lake and Mombacho volcano, access to the lake and all resort facilities. Across the lake, one-acre beachfront lots are going for $90,000.

Granada
Charming Granada, on Lake Nicaragua, is the jewel of Nicaragua’s colonial crown, the second-oldest city in the Americas. Its large central plaza is surrounded by 16th-century colonial buildings, great restaurants, museums and other entertainment.

You can pick up a vacant lot in an area of town where you might not want to live right now, but could probably live in a couple years, for around $45,000. You could also buy a habitable two-bedroom, two-bathroom house within walking distance of the center of town for around $80,000 to $100,000. Fully restored three-bedroom, two-bathroom colonial homes are going for $150,000 and up.

Word is getting out about this country. But it’s not simply because the property deals are so attractive or the cost of living so affordable. It's because this country boasts a stable democracy, a booming economy and one of the most comprehensive incentive programs anywhere.

Kathleen Peddicord is the publisher of International Living, a 25-year-old business that publishes several free e-letters, a monthly print newsletter, and a growing line of books and reports, all detailing the best places in the world for Americans to live, travel and invest. Eight years ago she decided to bite the bullet herself, and moved her family of four from Baltimore, Maryland to Waterford, Ireland. Since mid-2004, she has been dividing her time between Waterford and Paris, France.

International Living publishes several free e-mail newsletters about retiring, living, and traveling overseas. Kathleen Peddicord recommends: IL Postcards, a daily publication on the world’s best travel and retirement opportunities. You’ll find full details here

For more information about anything you have read in this article, write to Webeditor@InternationalLiving.com.

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The Yanquis Are Coming!
Source : TCS Tech Central Station 

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TCS Tech Central Station. The Yanquis Are Coming!
By Coley Hudgins

In the run-up to last month's passage of the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), the anti-globalization doomsayers were out in force with bold predictions about the "final blow" the deal would mean to the economies of Central American countries. Pro free-traders argued just as vehemently that CAFTA was a major step in building the foundations for a democratic community of nations in our hemisphere.

What's largely been overlooked from both sides however may have little to do with CAFTA at all. Instead, one of the biggest economic forces reshaping Central America in the coming years may be a demographic shift occurring right here in the Unites States spurred by the massive retirement of the baby boomer generation.

According to a recent New York Times story, starting in January of next year baby boomers -- defined as those born between 1946 and 1964 -- will start turning 60 at a rate of more than four million a year. The leading edge of the baby boomers is beginning to turn 59 ½ now -- the age when Americans can start collecting certain retirement benefits without penalty. The number of Americans 55 and older is expected to skyrocket from 67 million this year to 97 million by 2020.

In many ways boomers are a different breed altogether than the generations that preceded them. They are healthier, live longer, and are more active, mobile and adventurous than prior generations. Trends suggest many will continue working beyond the traditional retirement age of 65, launching second careers, becoming entrepreneurs or focusing more on charitable and volunteer projects.

But in one fundamental way, baby boomers may not be so different than their parents and grandparents. Consider what I call the "Del Boca Vista" migration.

Del Boca Vista is the mythical Florida retirement community Jerry Seinfeld's parents, Helen & Morty called home. Like Helen & Morty, the enduring cliché about older Americans is that once retired they pack up their belongings, bid adieu to colder climes, and move to Florida to enjoy rounds of golf and blue plate specials in Del Boca Vista-like retirement communities.

Like many stereotypes, this one contains a kernel of truth. According to a 2001 American Demographics study based on 2000 census data, Florida registered the highest share of seniors of any state in the country in the 90s, but other sun-belt centers like Phoenix, Sacramento, Raleigh-Durham and Las Vegas were also highly attractive "elderly magnets."

William Serow, professor of economics at Florida State University in Tallahassee has been studying migration patterns of the elderly for years, and believes that since the end of World War II younger, more well-off "roving retirees" in their 60s still instinctively seek out warmer climates in "fun" places like Arizona, North and South Carolina, and Florida.

According to Serow, the other key goal of this more affluent group of retirees is reducing living expenses by moving to sun-belt communities with cheap housing and lower taxes. And therein lies the big conundrum for today's boomer retirees: Just as millions of retiring baby boomers are getting ready to migrate to warmer sun-belt states, these attractive retiree destinations are experiencing skyrocketing real estate prices and property tax assessments that may put these locations out of reach for all but the most wealthy boomers.

So, what's the significance of all of this for Central America? Tomorrow's Del Boca Vista migration won't necessarily be to the sun-belt states in the U.S. It's just as likely that a large subset of boomer retirees -- call them "boomer gringos" -- will bypass southern sun-belt states altogether for more affordable Central American alternatives like Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama, Belize and Honduras. Most Central American countries are still only a two or three hour flight back to the states and have adequate infrastructures allowing retirees to stay in touch with friends and loved ones back home -- good cell phone coverage, broadband Internet connections, even satellite television.

Having recently returned from vacation in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, the anecdotal evidence suggests it's already happening. Costa Rica is experiencing a housing boom that rivals anything here in the U.S. and is driven in part by new boomer retirees. Two or three bedroom homes that were selling for $270,000 in December of last year are now selling for $350,000 and $400,000 in some parts of the country. While coastal areas may be experiencing their own version of a housing bubble, there are still very reasonable prices for many boomer retirees.

The story to the north in Nicaragua -- the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and a country that still conjures up images of right wing dictators and left-wing revolutionaries -- is even more interesting. Small coastal communities like San Juan del Sur and cities like Granada are swarming with retired ex-pat boomers who are buying land and building dream retirement beach-front homes for a fraction of what it would cost in the U.S.

Remax and Century 21 have opened offices in the country, and affordable housing developments on some of the most coveted and pristine coastlines in the Americas are now dotting Nicaragua's Pacific coast. New developments like Rancho Santana, Iguana Beach and Guacalito have launched sophisticated marketing campaigns to attract boomer retirees, and publications geared towards retirees like International Living are hosting retirement summits and conferences to sell Nicaragua as a retirement destination.

In Mexico, previously unknown towns like Ajiic, on the shores of Lake Chapala have attracted tens of thousands of boomer gringos as well. NPR reported last year that here retirees can have a furnished home, cheap dining and the part time services of a maid and gardener for less than $2000 a month. According to NPR, more than one million Americans now call Mexico home.

While exact figures are difficult to obtain, the U.S. State Department estimates that about 380,000 Social Security checks are delivered to beneficiaries outside the U.S. each month. Almost four million Americans -- not including embassy officials and the military -- are now living overseas, although how many of those ex-pats are retirees is unknown.

What is known is that governments in Central America are luring gringos with new laws that include impressive incentive packages for retirees. And despite the inherent volatility and political risks that remain in many of these countries, boomer gringos (and Central American governments themselves) are betting that the economic benefits of a retiree migration to Central America will be a two way street. Retirees get a lower cost of living, warm weather and cheap housing and create a virtuous cycle in return -- more retirees equals more local jobs, resulting in more economic stability and less political instability, resulting in more retirees.

But will this new economic model pay dividends? Serow figures that each retiree household in the U.S. is responsible for a little more than one job being attracted to the community. While he cautions that such jobs tend to fall into the low-paying, service category here in the U.S., for developing economies that are starting at close to zero, service jobs are the best way to get a first foot on the economic ladder.

And it appears that many are already climbing the ladder. The national newspaper in Nicaragua La Prensa published a story earlier this year about how the boom in tourism and the influx of retirees has benefited the economy. The story described workers who no longer had to look for seasonal work six months out of the year as "illegals" in more developed Costa Rica because they were now employed as full-time laborers close to home building housing developments for a new wave of foreign investors.

And while the debate rages here at home about the impact of illegal immigration on our own economy and government services, there's no question that "low-paying" service jobs here in the U.S. filled largely by illegal immigrants benefits local communities back home. (Remittances from foreign countries like the U.S. to family in Mexico is one of the largest sources of foreign currency in the country)

Wouldn't it be more beneficial to Central American countries if in the future these service jobs were created locally by an influx of American retirees? It's possible that the emigration of wealthy boomer gringos to Central America in the years ahead could slow illegal immigration here as workers become part of a home-grown service economy driven by retirees.

Are American retirees a panacea for Central American economies? Not by a long shot. There are still fundamental economic and political issues that will need to be addressed by the governments themselves that neither an influx of retirees or CAFTA will completely mitigate. Stamping out corruption, increasing government transparency, and bolstering education and the rule of law all need to be top priorities at home before the hemisphere can develop strong and sustained economic growth.

But the facts seem to indicate that barring some unexpected political upheaval or economic calamity, the Yanquis are going to keep on coming in larger and larger numbers. Central American governments have already placed their bets. They see our retirees not as a drag on the economy as we here in the U.S. often do, but as a potentially huge source of much needed capital, investment and job creation. The smart money should be betting that they're right.

Costa Rica: Imposes no tax on income earned outside the country, and allows retirees to buy into the national health care system offering care at public hospitals by participating doctors, many of whom are U.S. educated.
Mexico: Retirees can qualify for "rentista visas" that are renewable annually for five years, and require only that retirees show a minimum income of $1000 per month. Retirees can join the national HMO for about $200 per person per year.

Nicaragua: The government recently passed Law 306 that includes provisions exempting qualified investors from paying income or property taxes for up to 10 years, and providing generous exemptions from import duties for "pensioners" and investors that qualify.

Panama: Positioning itself as the world's greatest retirement destination. Retirees pay no real estate or property taxes for 20 years.

Honduras: Doctors visits are typically around $15, and pharmaceutical drugs cost 30% to 50% less than in the United States. Honduras offers a one-time exemption from all import duties for retirees, and allows retirees to bring in one car or boat duty free every five years.

Coley Hudgins is a Washington D.C. based government affairs consultant. He has lived and worked in West Africa, and has traveled extensively throughout Central America and Asia.

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New York Times. In Nicaragua, Chasing the Unsurfed Wave
By MARK SUNDEEN

Surfers are different from other travelers. Rattling down a dusty washboard road that connects the Nicaraguan towns of Rivas and Las Salinas in a rented microbus crowded with surfboards and duffel bags, dodging herds of goats and ox-drawn buggies loaded with bananas, the three of us weren't looking for cultural enrichment, boutique hotels or fine cuisine - we just wanted to get stoked.
We were in Nicaragua in early April, catching the tail end of the dry season, and the landscape was bleak, a brown savanna of dried grass and leafless trees. The wind was howling and we could smell brush fires burning in the hills. I was with my brother, Rich, and my friend John Kim, a Los Angeles County lifeguard and science teacher. Standing just 5 foot 4, John commanded attention when he leaped from the microbus to get directions -- a shirtless Korean with Hawaiian board shorts dangling below his knees, handing out money and barking Spanish commands laced with Mexican slang. Small children rushed from a shanty to gawk at the exotic creature, shouting, ''Jackie Chan! Jackie Chan!'' John broke the ice by introducing himself as ''el Chino loco'' and within five minutes remounted the microbus with good instructions and cold beers all around.
''That's how I roll,'' he told us, popping the cap off a bottle and taking a long draw.

With the beaches of California and Hawaii overcrowded, surfers are constantly seeking new frontiers. Mexico has long since been discovered, and last decade's secret spots in Costa Rica now gather Malibu-size crowds. So surfers are spilling across the Central American isthmus, a place where death squads, narcotrafficos and years of various civil wars had, not too long ago, made it inaccessible to all but the most daring of travelers.

John had spent two weeks in Nicaragua the year before, and reported having had perfect waves pretty much to himself. So we bumped along toward the coast, chasing the unsurfed wave, about to discover that like all frontiers, this one is receding as quickly as you can reach it. A lot has changed in a year, and while stunning waves still roll onto the coast, the days of having the place to yourself are past. The great spots still exist, but finding them would take a bit of patience and a lot of looking.

Our first destination was Hotel Punta Teonoste, a few miles from Las Salinas, where the previous year John and a friend had shared a beachfront cabana for $60 a day and the only employee was a guard who walked circles around the place all night. This year the hotel had added mandatory meals and doubled the price. When we pulled up to the gate, a man with a shotgun emerged from the shade of a shack, looking as if he'd been dozing. He swung open the gate and welcomed us in Spanish. ''You can drive to the cabanas to unload your suitcases,'' he said, ''but you must return the car here to park.''
''I was here last year and I parked at the cabana,'' John said.
''Now this is the parking place.'' He shook his finger. ''Here.''
We drove over the brown grass to a pair of thatched-roof cabanas joined by a tile patio with bamboo chairs and a hammock swinging in the wind. Four eager staff members in matching khaki pants and white golf shirts approached us. A stout, friendly woman with a shimmering gold front tooth introduced herself as Luz, the manager. With the hotel insignia embroidered on her shirt and visor, she reminded me in a comforting way of a kindly matron of a women's jail.
The cabanas were exquisite, enclosed by a playpen of white sand and set back a hundred yards from a long beach with rough waves crashing down. The floors were of rustic brick, and the roof rafters were whole logs bound with cord. The bathroom was an ecological paradise, an outdoor nursery of leafy fauna shaded by palm fronds, where a totem pole held up the roof, and by spinning a carved wooden turtle you could trigger a warmish cascade and have your shower right there on the patio.

Despite the trappings, Hotel Punta Teonoste still maintains some rustic flavor. There is no telephone or hot water, and my brother captured a large frog in his bathroom. And -- as we later found out -- when you awake at dawn to find an armed man walking your hut's perimeter, it's comforting to know he's on your side.

Looking around, I realized that we were the only guests at this hotel, and were outnumbered by staff at a ratio of 5 to 3. I pulled aside one of the helpers and learned that we were indeed the very first clients since the hotel had refashioned itself as a full-service eco-resort. As we pulled our bags from the microbus, Luz repeated the imperative that we move the vehicle back to the guardhouse.
We changed quickly into surf trunks and headed out the gate to the surf spot. As we rolled past the security guard, John leaned out the window with a big smile. ''Señor,'' he said. ''I just spoke with the manager, and she told us we could park our car by the cabana.''
The man smiled and adjusted the sling on his shotgun. ''Very good, señor,'' he said, unlatching the gate and waving us through.
Nicaragua's best-known wave is a reef break at Popoyo, a rocky beach at the end of a dirt road where, in the past three years, a shantytown of $5-a-night hotels has sprung up. John noted that the largest of these, La Tica, had doubled its capacity by adding a second building since he was last there.
We carried our boards around a tidal estuary, then waded across a creek to the beach, where the waves were breaking. Two young, shirtless Swedes were getting out of the water, and we asked how it was.
''A bit crowded,'' one them grumbled.
We paddled out in the howling wind. Unlike most surf spots in the world, the wind in southern Nicaragua almost always blows offshore, so even in the blustery season, the waves retain good shape. As I paddled over the cresting waves, the windblown spray exploded overhead in a fleeting rainbow that instantly dissolved and rained down on my head. As promised, the waves were good. But as we made a quick head count of the dozen surfers bunched together in the lineup, we realized with a bit of heartache that this ''secret'' spot was no longer secret.

We surfed Popoyo for the next few days, and sometimes found more than 20 surfers in the water. By California standards that's not a big crowd, but it was disheartening to cross the hemisphere, bounce down 30 miles of dirt road and then find a pack -- most of them Americans -- jockeying for position at a single break.

I had a feeling that I'd arrived at the height of the gold rush, and indeed, the culture incubating there at the end of the road to Popoyo felt like a Wild West frontier camp -- but instead of gold nuggets or beaver pelts, the rapidly diminishing precious resource was empty waves. Like any good frontier town, Popoyo has its share of rootless drifters, guys carrying guns in broad daylight, and real estate swindles--a dozen or so houses are being built along the road, some under watch of armed guards as the ownership of the land is disputed in court. But most pervasive is the sensation that the place is changing at a head-spinning pace. Just about every conversation you have around Popoyo seems to begin with, ''You should have seen this place the first time I came here ''
Drinking beer on the concrete patio of an unfinished four-story hotel with a dangerous tilt, we met Travis, a Canadian with a handlebar moustache, a tattooed dragon spread across one shoulder and a Balinese dancer inked on his back. He had come to Popoyo 10 weeks earlier to help friends build a house and had stayed on as caretaker of the two-story husk, which still lacked running water and a floor for the balcony. Already, he told me, the place had changed: ''The price of lobster has doubled since I've been here.''
Perhaps the most influential person in the development of Popoyo is J.J. Yemma, a 28-year-old entrepreneur from Florida with the copper-streaked hair and languid movements of a longtime surfer. J.J. arrived here in 1996 and operates Popoyo Surf Lodge, one of several all-inclusive surf camps that have sprung up in Nicaragua in recent years. Over the winter he added a couple of bungalows and a swimming pool to his compound, and dozens of irrigated saplings are taking root in the brown earth.
As we piled into his Land Cruiser for a quick real estate tour, J.J. told us that before coming to Nicaragua he'd been living in Costa Rica, which visitors must leave every three months to renew their visas. On one such visa excursion he came across these perfect waves with out a single lodging or restaurant nearby, and decided to make it home.
Now he's married, has one child and another on the way, is host to hundreds of surfers every year and is buying up and parceling off land. He also recently founded a church, and sometimes has missionaries staying with him at the surf camp. ''A few years back I had a radical experience with Jesus,'' he told us, smiling serenely behind wraparound sunglasses. ''And that changes everything.''
We bumped up a freshly cut road engineered through the brown countryside where fence posts and survey stakes poked up from the weeds, then climbed up a knoll whose top had been flattened by excavators. ''After this one goes,'' he said, ''there's only one more hilltop with an ocean view.''
After two nights at Punta Teonoste, we moved over to La Tica. If Teonoste's bamboo ottomans and aquatic-theme plumbing fixtures are an idealization of third-world amenities, then La Tica has the real thing, down to the bare light bulbs dangling from exposed wires, corrugated tin roof and dirt-floor cantina opening onto a brackish ditch and mosquito hatchery. At night the bar was packed with bare-chested surfers from Europe, Australia and North America, Bob Marley wailed from the jukebox, and the serve-yourself beer fridge was rapidly depleted. A pair of teenage Nicaraguan girls served up platters of pinto gallo and fried meat for $5 a serving.
There were 15 men and 8 women, everyone in flip-flops, passing joints and hunched over travel books in the plastic lawn furniture. Nearly all had arrived by taxi, and once dropped off, miles from the nearest phone or store, there was nothing to do but surf, eat, sleep and wait to surf some more.
In the morning the waves were mediocre and the water crowded, and the vibe around La Tica became surly. So we headed north to the fishing village of Astillero, where we hired two fishermen to deliver us to a remote beach. Even there, though, we ran into another group of Americans from a surf camp. We had the captain take us to another spot, and we got an hour alone on a big, unpredictable reef break.

The next morning we went searching for an empty beach but were turned back by an armed guard and then by a dirt hill too steep for the microbus, and we settled instead for watching a cockfight in a small village we'd stumbled across.
On our final day, we returned to Popoyo. Some of the residents of La Tica had moved on toward El Salvador, and as we were waxing our boards we saw a dozen surfers get out of the water. We paddled out to find only three others in the lineup. For the first time since we'd been in Nicaragua, there was no wind. The waves bulged out of the ocean like blown glass, so clean and symmetrical that you stopped in midpaddle, not wanting to ride or disturb them, but just watch them collapse effortlessly into foam as the droplets of spray rose off their backs like bubbles in champagne.
John and Rich and I traded waves for an hour with the other three, dropping down the glassy faces and carving toward shore. It was the session you dream of when you set out for waves, where everything converges just right, and then, like a perfect wave or a mirage, dissipates the moment you catch it.
Before long, the guys over at La Tica saw what we were getting, and their surfboards glinted in the sun as they crossed the beach to join us. But that was all right because we had to get on the road and make it to the airport anyway. I took a wave to shore and headed home. I was happy to know that the wave is out there, somewhere, that the elusive and receding green light still shimmers across the water, and that though you can never possess it completely, if you're willing to chase it you might one day get close enough to touch it for a while.

REEF MADNESS

American Airlines connects from New York to Managua through Miami ($696 as of early May, for trips in late May) and Continental connects through Houston ($697), but cheaper flights routed through Central America can be found on Lacsa ($488). Las Salinas is about three hours from Managua; it's best to rent a car at the airport.

Hotel Punta Teonoste, (505) 267-3008, www.hotellosrobles.com/en/playa, is just north of Las Salinas. A cabana costs $130 a night for two people (rates on the Web site are for the Hotel Los Robles), with all meals included. Seven-night surf packages, including airport transfers and all meals, are available from Popoyo Surf Camp, www.surfnicaragua.com, from $960 to $1,770 a person.

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Nicaragua Beaches Gaining Popularity Among Busy Americans

Tico Travel, long known for its tours to Costa Rica, announced today it is expanding its Nicaraguan operations by offering additional tours to the Central American country. A list of new packages is on the tour company’s website, www.ticotravel.com.

In a related development, the Central American regional airline Grupo TACA recently announced it has permanently reduced its fares as much as 50 percent for destinations in Central America and Mexico. The price reduction will affect fares for flights between Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Belize and Mexico.

Tico Travel says a growing number of customers like Sean Keating, a bond trader in New York City, are choosing Nicaragua.

When Keating was trying to decide where to spend his precious vacation days this year, he wanted to go somewhere off the beaten path but not spend a day getting there.

Keating, who works in the high-pressure world of bond-trading in downtown Manhattan, wanted to get far away from the busy streets of New York. He decided due to its proximity to the US to go someplace in Latin America, but he found many of the tour companies offered packages to the same standard list of locations.

Then he heard about Nicaragua.

“I never considered Nicaragua but the more I heard about it, the more it sounded like what I was looking for. All I remember was what I heard as a kid about the revolution, but once I went, I am really glad I did,” said Keating. “It is unlike anyplace I have ever been. They have authentic colonial towns, really active volcanoes, and the beaches are like out of a movie. I even learned to surf on a beach where we did not see anyone else for three days. The Nicaraguan people are super friendly and the tourists you meet there are different too.

Most have traveled to places all over the world but they all love Nicaragua.”

Keating is not alone. With virgin beaches, low prices and its close proximity to the United States, Central America as a whole has become more popular with American tourists. But until recently, Nicaragua was one of those often left off the list of countries tour operators were offering to their clients.

Keating did, however, find Tico Travel (www.ticotravel.com) and CentralAmerica.com, companies owned in whole or in part by brothers Steve and Rob Hodel, who offer tours and packages to Nicaragua and are expanding this part of their growing tour business.
Rob Hodel first traveled to Nicaragua in 1987 from Costa Rica despite the ongoing civil war.

“I was young and invincible then, and was invited to a party in Managua so I went from Costa Rica by bus. It was not the best idea, so I was lucky that it was not worse,” he added. Hodel gives few details of his adventure 17 years ago other than to say his guardian angel was with him. But today, he is very bullish on Nicaragua.

“After I got out in 1987 I swore I would never go back and now I own two houses in Granada,” he said.

As a specialist on Costa Rica and Central America, Rob Hodel now travels year-round throughout the region, dropping in unannounced on hotels and tour operators that are part of his Tico Travel network.

In the year 2000 Hodel was visiting Nicaragua again to check on progress of their destinations there when he made the leap from visitor and tour operator to homeowner.

“I was visiting some friends in Granada and was very impressed with the progress. I could see it had really turned a corner and I wanted in,” said Hodel. “I could not decide between two houses but since they were such a bargain, I bought them both. I made 30 trips by car from my house in Costa Rica and spent nine months restoring one home in the traditional way. It was a great experience.”

The town of Granada is a designated World Heritage Site by the United Nations. Most homes have tile roofs 30-foot high and three-foot thick walls with charming indoor courtyards. As the oldest city in the Americas, Granada is like a museum in and of itself, and has seen more than its share of marauding pirates, privateers and revolutions. Most of the homes in Granada were in poor shape just four years go, but there is a revival going, partly due to foreigners like Hodel who are helping bring them back to life.

The experience also gave Hodel a chance to become familiar with what Nicaragua has to offer and develop relationships with those working in the tourism sector.

Hodel’s expertise has also made him a valuable resource for the region. Hodel has just returned from Nicaragua after a consulting assignment with Carana Corporation, a leader in economic development throughout the world. Carana is working under contract with US AID in Nicaragua to promote the huge potential in the tourism sector.

Hodel says there are a number of unknown positives about the country that deserve notice. For example, in just the past couple of years 43 private nature reserves have been created in Nicaragua and nearly 20 percent of the country’s land is protected by law.

“For investors, the incentives could not be better, and for visitors the value is enormous, so it’s just a matter of time before it’s the next Costa Rica,” he said. “The only difference is that Nicaragua does not have to attract tourists all the way from the United States like Costa Rica did, Nicaragua just has to get them to come over the border from Costa Rica to take a peak.”

Hodel should know. He and his brother Steve were pioneers in the Costa Rica travel business when they started Tico Travel more than 10 years ago and have witnessed Costa Rica evolve from being confused with Puerto Rico to the most popular destination in the region. He also says that some of his oldest customers of Tico Travel are now mixing Nicaragua into their visits to Costa Rica.

“Its not that they don’t enjoy Costa Rica as much as they are nostalgic for the days when there was nobody else on the beaches and you rarely saw another tourist.”

According to Hodel, this probably won’t last very long. Several hoteliers with properties in Costa Rica have already set up shop in Nicaragua and more are on the drawing board. For anybody contemplating traveling to or investing in Nicaragua, Hodel has this advice.
“If you want are looking for an authentic experience right in your own backyard, then the time to visit Nicargua is now.”

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DESTINATION: NICARAGUA
Tranquillity in an old trouble spot

March 20, 2005 -- It's easy to fall in love with San Juan del Sur, a fishing village on Nicaragua's Pacific coast. The pace is slow and the people are engaging.

The rainy season, we had been assured, was over. But that hadn't stopped the torrential rain from pounding the roof of the Hotel Villa Isabella as I tried to fall asleep.

My husband, Duane, and I, plus some of the other hotel guests, had planned to explore the Pacific coast beaches the following day, and as the rain beat its staccato, I wondered whether our journey from San Juan del Sur, a fishing village south of Managua, would be canceled.

By dawn, however, brilliant sunshine told me our trip was on.

We were soon heading for Playa Yankee, a white-sand beach about 15 miles south of San Juan del Sur, on an unpaved jungle road when we encountered a full-sized stream that was fast becoming a river, stopping our four-wheel-drive truck in its tracks. As I climbed out, a man in our party braved the rushing water to test its depth. Splash! He had dropped into a pothole and was waist-deep in water. The other men looked on, weighing the chances of proceeding.

Uh-oh, I thought. A bunch of gringos floundering around in a developing country. I walked a few paces up the road. The bushes rustled, too loudly for a bird. I froze, my imagination racing through every danger the jungle could throw at us.

Doubt struck. Why had I decided to come to Nicaragua?

A barefoot girl, about 6 years old, emerged from the foliage, standing a safe distance away. A few more paces up the road and I could see, through the bushes, a single-room house made of corrugated tin.

I waved to the girl. She gave a tiny wave back. I smiled; her face lit up. I silently admired her dress, hues of vibrant orange and blue. As I approached, the look of wonder in her dark eyes mirrored the excitement I had felt when listening to a group of Nicaragua-philes Duane had introduced me to a few weeks earlier.

Duane's passion for surfing had turned him on to Nicaragua. Not being a surfer, I needed other inspiration. I associated Nicaragua with the Sandinistas, malaria and aching poverty that had been seared into my mind during the heavy media coverage of the 1980s. Duane wanted to disabuse me of those notions.

"Honey," he said, "you need an update. The proxy war with its violence and turbulence between the Contras and Sandinistas was over 14 years ago.

"I want you to meet some people who just got back from Nicaragua," he had told me.

As the girl disappeared into the foliage and then popped up, with two older children, in a paneless window in the house, the words from the Nicaragua-philes echoed in my mind.

"It's a frontier. "

"Sweetest, friendliest people."

"Nicaragua's at peace, you know."

"Third democratically elected administration."

"Just watch, it will be the next Costa Rica."

"Simply the best real-estate deal of the decade."

"Mile after mile of deserted beaches."

"The rainy season's over now."

Well, not quite.

The men managed to turn the truck around, and my husband beckoned. The children ran out to wave goodbye. As we maneuvered through puddles on the way back to our fishing village, the sun blessed the lush foliage, droplets glistening, and everything smelled fresh.

Climbing up over the hills, the vista opened before us, revealing the horseshoe-shaped harbor of San Juan del Sur, its fishing, sailing and diving boats bobbing beyond the white beach.

"Why Nicaragua?" I asked myself again. The unexpected poetry of the place and its people touched me. I was already falling in love.

Greeted with smiles

The trip from Los Angeles to Nicaragua was easy: no inoculations needed, just beach and hiking clothes and a round-trip ticket to Managua, the capital. We were met at the airport that November day of our arrival by the Isabella hotel's driver, Juan Carlos, who got us to San Juan del Sur in less than three hours.

About halfway to our destination, the landscape opened up. I was astonished to behold Lake Nicaragua, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world, between two green ridgelines. This tranquil inland sea stretched to a horizon broken only by two volcanoes on the island of Ometepe.

At first, San Juan del Sur seemed like a jumble of buildings — single-story dwellings mixed in with storefronts. Tin, wood, stone and brick were mixed and matched. Oxen pulled a cart laden with firewood alongside a family of three on one bicycle. A few people ambled on foot. No one seemed in a hurry. It was humid, but offshore breezes cooled and soothed my traveler's fatigue. People greeted us with smiles.

The Isabella hotel, a two-story, red-tiled building nestled among flowering plants and vines and trees, is a few blocks from the bay. Our first-floor room was spacious and cool with two wardrobes, a queen-size bed, a dresser, tables, a TV and a private bath.

American Mike Iacoboni, an energetic retired dentist and pilot, and Jane Mirandette bought the hotel together and were excellent sources of information, history, lore and inspiration.

After unpacking, we took a boat trip around the bay, a refreshing hour or so of gliding in and out of coves and bays with no people and very few houses in sight. From the water, we saw Marsella Beach Resort, a group of seven octagonal cabanas nestled on a steep hill immediately above Playa Marsella.

After the boat trip, we ate lunch at La Cascada, a hillside restaurant that, along with its hotel, Piedras y Olas, was designed by San Francisco entrepreneur Chris Berry in 2003. Berry's design incorporates a style typical of San Juan del Sur: One side of the structure is open, which invites nature in.

The restaurant features local pottery and weaving, has an infinity pool that cascades toward the village and offers views of the bay and surrounding hills. "La Cascada is as beautiful a spot as any I've seen anywhere," said Millie Paul, a seasoned traveler from La Cañada-Flintridge.

As I looked out over the village, watching the children flock out of school and disperse onto the church square, I realized that the local atmosphere was delightful and calming.

It was hard to imagine that just 18 years ago, youth from this village had armed for the revolution; now it was the modern young people of San Juan del Sur who most disarmed me with their friendliness.

Seems familiar

Hiking up a steep hill above the village the next day, we saw spectacular views of Costa Rica, just 30 miles south, and numerous bays and inlets. Imagine the Southern California coastline of the early 1900s but add more tropical trees, monkeys, parrots, some humidity and perpetual offshore breezes.

From this vantage point, it's clear that things in San Juan del Sur are scaled down and simple. Unlike in larger Managua and Granada, San Juan del Sur has no American-style billboards in sight, no graffiti, no begging children.

During the week we visited, we met a mix of adventure travelers: backpackers, fishermen, baby-boomer investors looking for property and people seeking someplace different. We met energetic surfers of all ages, finding and riding excellent waves. Many hotel guests also spoke enthusiastically about the diving, fishing and sailing.

If you're looking for low-budget adventures, you can try traveling the hostel route. We met backpackers staying at the Hospedaje Nicaragua; with a private bath, it costs $8 a night. The nine local hostels are priced from $3 a night with shared bath to $25 a night.

It takes some initiative to travel on your own in rural Nicaragua. San Juan del Sur has no theme parks, no franchise businesses and no signs pointing out photo opportunities. It has no five-star hotels, no high-rise resorts.

Many locals and foreigners who live here would prefer this more relaxed approach to the tourist industry. But because cruise ships are docking here in greater numbers (as many as three a week from November through March), more visitors are discovering this corner of Nicaragua. The infrastructure will grow to accommodate those who visit and those who choose to make this beach community their home. But for now, the marina is peaceful and picturesque.

"San Juan del Sur is relatively undeveloped and very pristine," Mike Iacoboni of Hotel Isabella said after fixing us a robust breakfast (included in the price of the room) of mixed fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and pancakes. "It also happens to be one of the traditional places that Nicaraguans come to for a beach vacation."

In Salman Rushdie's book "The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey," former President Daniel Ortega is quoted as saying, "In Nicaragua, everybody is considered to be a poet, until he proves to the contrary."

Perusing the books in the village's library one day, I saw a tiny, wide-eyed girl, about 3 years old, rush in with her mother. After choosing a book and putting it on the checkout table, she crawled up into the lap of the handsome young librarian and waved her library card in his face with a coquettish flourish. Perhaps she was another poet in the making.

San Juan del Sur is a great place to simply be. You can spend your time reading, talking or relaxing, or you can backpack, surf, fish, dive, kayak, sail or take a canopy tour. You can also use San Juan del Sur as your resting point after day trips.

After several days of activity, I found myself increasingly content to talk with residents, expatriates and fellow travelers. I wanted to learn more about Nicaraguans. They are said to have come here 1,500 ago, leaving behind a more violent culture and following a bruja, or female sorceress, to a place of peace.

Their warmth and gentleness still cast a spell.

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The simple life

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GETTING THERE

From LAX, direct service (stop, no change of plane) is available to Managua on TACA, and connecting service (change of plane) is offered on American, Continental, TACA, Copa and LACSA. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $612.

TELEPHONES:

To call the numbers below from the U.S., dial 011 (the international dialing code), 505 (country code for Nicaragua) and the local number.

WHERE TO STAY:

Hotel Villa Isabella, Diagonal Norte Iglesias Católica, Apartado Postal 17, San Juan del Sur, Rivas; 568-2568, fax 568-2549, http://www.sanjuandelsur.org.ni/isabella/ . American owners and standards: comfortable rooms with queen-sized bed, private bath and TV/VCR. Starting at $75 for a double including breakfast. Lovely new swimming pool and four one- or two-bedroom condos are available.

Hotel Colonial, 568-2539, http://www.hotel-nicaragua.com . Brightly colored and clean, close to the beach. Doubles begin at $50, including breakfast.

Marsella Beach Resort, Apartado 8, 887-1337, http://www.marsellabeachresort.com . Octagonal one-room cabanas, nestled in the side of a hill, spectacular views and own beach. Restaurant provides fresh fish, good food. Secluded, yet only four miles from town. (Restaurant's availability is sporadic, so call first.) Doubles begin at $60.

Piedras y Olas Hotel and Resort, De La Parroquia, 1 1/2 blocks to the east, 568-2110, fax 458-2511, http://www.piedrasyolas.com . High quality, new and built into the hill above the very classy restaurant La Cascada. Awesome views and infinity pool. Doubles begin at $100.

Hotel Casablanca, Apartado Postal 36, San Juan del Sur; 568-2135, fax 568-2307, http://www.sanjuandelsur.org.ni/casablanca . Right on the beach, air conditioning, a small pool, doubles from $140, including breakfast.

WHERE TO EAT:

La Cascada (see above): Beautiful views and atmosphere. Fine gourmet fare, combining continental and Central American food in innovative ways. Entrees $10-$20.

Ricardo's Bar, 568-2502, http://www.sanjuandelsur.org.ni/ricardosbar/main.html , an open-air restaurant bar on beach overlooking east side of bay. Good food (hamburgers, salads, seafood), book exchange, film shows and Internet. Entrees $4-$11.

Big Wave Dave's Restaurant and Cocktail bar, 568-2151. Breakfast, lunch and dinner in a charming courtyard or in the bar. Offers picnic/box lunches. Entrees $4-$8.

Pizzeria Ristorante O Sole Mio, 568-2101. Run by Italians with authentic Italian food, good wines. Entrees $5-$12.

El Toro Bakery, one block north of Catholic church. Includes small cafe. Excellent cinnamon rolls, breads, English muffins and cookies.

TO LEARN MORE:

For information on the area, try www.sanjuandelsur.org.ni .

Consulate General of Nicaragua, (213) 252-1170, http://www.consuladodenicaragua.com .

— Susan Stroh

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Nicaragua: The next big thing.

Men's Health, January 2005

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Nicaragua: Unspoiled and Open for Business

Monday, November 11, 2004

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Nicaragua: Unspoiled and Open for Business

November 11, 2004 -- Bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the South and stretching between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, Nicaragua forms the heart of Central America. It is land of breathtaking natural beauty boasting rainforests, lakes, volcanoes, pristine beaches, great surf and an abundance of distinctive flora and fauna.

Strangely these are not the attributes that usually come to mind when people think of Nicaragua. It is more likely that it conjures up images of revolution, civil war, poverty and natural disasters. It has now been almost 15 years since Nicaragua emerged from the ravages and despair of war, in fact Nicaragua is now amongst the safest countries in the region (according to a UN survey). Unfortunately its previous reputation remains largely intact and the country's fledgling tourism industry is fighting hard to try and dispel the danger myth. On a positive note though, it is exactly this lack of tourism that has prevented Nicaragua from becoming overdeveloped and environmentally impacted like some of its neighbors.

For the adventurous traveler, Nicaragua is unspoiled and can provide the ultimate Central American journey, especially the southern stretch of the Pacific coastline that is emerging as the country's main attraction. In December and January, the skies are clear, the average temperature is 80+ degrees and the landscape is lush and green. US dollars are accepted almost everywhere, but it is hard to pay with credit cards outside the main cities. One $US dollar will buy you 16 Nicaraguan Cordoba Oro (NIO). English is widely spoken, especially on the Pacific coast.

The US Department of State advises that US citizens should exercise caution at night in Managua and avoid travel to the North Atlantic autonomous region, remote areas of the Atlantic coast and rural areas of the central-north of Nicaragua. (see www.travel.state.gov/travel/nicaragua.html for further information).

Several carriers fly into Managua, the nation's unremarkable capital, from Miami including TACA, Copa, Lacsa Airlines and American Airlines. American Airlines (www.aa.com) currently has a Net SAAver fare staring as low as $309 for a roundtrip fare. You must book by November 18, 2004 for flights departing through December 4, 2004. Visitors can buy a tourist card (approximately $5) on arrival, which allows a stay of up to 90 days.

If you plan to take tours once you arrive, Nicaragua Tours (www.toursnicaragua.com) has a selection of options ranging from three to 14-days. Tours are based on interest: cultural, nature, classic, historical, adventurous, special interest and beach. Prices also vary according to required destinations and number of people in your party. The tour company is all English-speaking owned and operated.

Gap Adventures (tel. 800/465-5600; www.gapadventures.com) has a 15-day "Volcanoes and Islands" tour starting in Managua. Tours run each month throughout the year and cost $795 per person plus a local payment of $200 to cover service, tips and incidentals (meals are not included). Accommodation (14-nights) is in simple bungalows and hotels and transportation is a combination of buses, ferries and local flights.

Kontiki (tel. 877/566-8454; www.kontiki.org) runs two "Nicaragua Highlights" tours that include roundtrip airfare from Miami. The five-day tour, priced at $999, includes visits to Granada, Lake Nicaragua, the volcanoes of Ometepe Island, Volcan Masaya National Park, Masaya City's handicraft market and Managua. The eight-day tour includes all of the above plus visits to Leon, Mombacho and the rainforest and is priced at $1149. Both prices include daily breakfast and all taxes, except the $32 Nicaraguan departure tax to be paid locally. Departure dates and itineraries are flexible, with Kontiki being able to customize your tour on request. Other departure cities available at additional cost

For surfing enthusiasts, CentralAmerica.com (tel. 800/353-7948; www.centralamerica.com/nicaragua/surfing/index.htm) has a choice of surfing tours ranging from day trips to eight-day expeditions. Their eight-day Masayita surfing tour requires a minimum of three and a maximum of eight participants. The $990 price includes airport transfers, seven-nights accommodation at Hotel Isabella in Managua, daily shuttles to the surf boats, hotel breakfasts and lunches aboard the boats (fresh seafood), snacks, drinks (purified water, beer, and sodas), a qualified guide and boat operator. Their one day/one-night trip from San Juan del Sur, Granada or Managua is $170.

Leisure Vacations International (tel. 800/997-9896; www.lvitours.com) has an eight-day Granada and Leon tour which includes roundtrip airfare from Miami to Managua, six-nights hotel accommodation (Managua, Leon and Granada), daily breakfast, all transfers, sightseeing in air-conditioned vehicles with English speaking guides, entrance fees and hotel taxes. Airport departure taxes and security fees of $76 are additional. The Nicaraguan departure tax of $32 is to be paid locally.

Latin American specialist Exito (tel. 800/655-4053; www.exitotravel.com) has an eight-day San Juan River tour that starts in Managua. This private boating nature safari travels from Lake Nicaragua to the Caribbean Sea via the historic San Juan River with visits to the Indio-Maiz Biological Reserve, (Central America's largest lowland rainforest), historical cities and stunning beaches. Prices start at $1646 (land-only) depending on

The southern Pacific coastal region around the town on San Juan del Sur is slowly becoming the tourism center of Nicaragua with its proximity to the historic colonial city of Granada, its magnificent beaches, environmentally-friendly accommodation, access to wildlife and ecotourism options.

The recently opened Morgan's Rock Hacienda and Eco-Lodge (www.morgansrock.com), near San Juan del Sur provides luxury accommodation with an environmental emphasis. The hotel, made up of 15 bungalows, is located in a tropical rainforest on a curving hillside with picturesque views through tree canopies to the mile-long stretch of virgin beach.

The tropical forest that surrounds the hotel is rich with wildlife like spider monkeys, capuchins, armadillos, sloths and opossums, as well as dozens of bird species and seasonally (August to January), giant leatherback turtles who come to the beach to lay their eggs. Environmental initiatives implemented by the hotel include the planting of almost two million trees, solar heating panels, redistribution of waste-water for irrigation and usage of locally farmed and grown produce including coffee, sugar and vegetables.

Named after a US Senator who had nominated Nicaragua as the route for the trans-oceanic canal (which was eventually built in Panama), the hotel is two plus hours from Managua, one and a half hours from Granada, or 45-minutes from the Costa Rican border. The hotel will collect guests from all these places, or from Liberia in Costa Rica. Bungalows cost $179 per person per night in the high season (November to May) and $209 from December 15, 2005, and January 5, 2005. These prices include all meals, local beverages, taxes and service charges.

Parque Maritimo El Coco (www.playaelcoco.com.ni) is located within the boundaries of La Flor wildlife refuge, on Playa Coco some 11 miles from San Juan del Sur. It has accommodation in the form of nine houses, three bungalows and four apartments -- all available to rent on a nightly or weekly basis. Prices start as low as $45 per night for weekdays in a bungalow and $69 for weekends (15% tax is additional). Although not especially luxurious, El Coco has functional bathrooms, electricity, fans, air-conditioning and cable TV. There's a restaurant, a shop and even an internet cafe, which is still a rare find in most of Nicaragua. The Park can arrange excursions by horse or bicycle to nearby villages, beach sports, boat trips to Isla Bolaños or a visit to playa La Flor, to view sea turtles laying their eggs. El Coco is three hours' drive from Managua, the last 45 minutes on a rough road so an SUV/4WD is recommended.

For more accommodation options including hotels and apartments for rent in San Juan del Sur visit www.sanjuandelsur.org.ni.

For further information visit www.nicaragua.com. For some additional reading to inspire you on your journey, pick up a copy of P.J. O'Rourke's Holidays in Hell or Salman Rushdie's The Jaguar Smiles: A Nicaraguan Journey.

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Nicaragua: New Kid on the Block (Central America Journal)


Monday, November 01, 2004

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Nicaragua: New Kid on the Block (Central America Journal)

NOVEMBER 01, 2004 If you've never been to Nicaragua, and if you're an American of a certain age, it's difficult not to think about Contras and Sandinistas when you think of this country. But once you've been here, any preconceived notions are likely to be accompanied by new reflections on Nicaragua's sparkling lakes and spectacular volcanoes, colonial towns and humming factories.

Still, there is plenty of poverty and struggle. Nicaragua has the second-highest poverty rate in the Western Hemisphere (behind Haiti), particularly in the northern regions where coffee growers have seen their livelihoods dry up because of plummeting coffee prices worldwide. The political situation, while stable and democratic under the leadership of President Enrique Bolaños, still stands on new legs. Many of Nicaragua's young professionals were school-age children when the Sandinistas overthrew the Somoza regime in 1979, and during the subsequent leftist takeover and Contra insurgency, and have only recently returned to their homeland after spending their teen-age and young adult years in the United States.

One reason that Nicaragua is finally coming into its own somewhat later than its neighbors, which also suffered years of civil war and violence, is that in Nicaragua's case, "the communists actually took control" and held power for many years, says Bernardo Callejas, an advisor for investment promotion agency PRONicaragua, and one of those youngsters who left with his family during the upheaval.

Natural disasters also have contributed to Nicaragua's woes, including Hurricane Mitch in 1998, which caused massive mudslides and thousands of deaths, and prompted many countries to forgive Nicaragua's foreign debts. Much earlier, the earthquake of 1972 devastated the capital, Managua, and its effects are still visible throughout much of the city.

The lay of the land

But Nicaragua's infrastructure is finally receiving a shot in the arm. Multiple construction projects are underway to build highways and roads between and within major cities, and the airport is undergoing a $20 million expansion and renovation. Most apparel companies ship their products through Honduras' Puerto Cortes, but modernization of Nicaragua's two biggest ports, Corinto on the Pacific and El Rama on the Atlantic, is in progress, says PRONicaragua director Juan Carlos Pereira.

Nicaragua's free trade zone exports have grown from $150 million in 1998 to $400 million in 2003, and last year the country had $250 million in foreign investment, the second-highest level in Central America, behind Costa Rica.

Mario Arana, Nicaragua's minister of economy, says that Nicaragua is developing a "clear vision of how to survive 2005," and that selling points such as its disciplined work force and low-cost labor will contribute to its ability to compete. Its new-kid-on-the-block status has pluses, too. Without old, entrenched systems in place, Nicaragua is free to adopt state-of-the-art technology, as with its fiber optic cable telecommunications infrastructure, which is privatized and reportedly one of the best in the region.

But much work remains, especially in its energy and logistics sectors. Legislation is underway to create hydro-energy resources, which Arana says are necessary to "bring textile companies to the country."

Like the rest of Central America, Nicaragua is worried about the 2005 phaseout of quotas, and is waiting hopefully for the passage of CAFTA. The terms of CAFTA for Nicaragua are particularly auspicious, including 100 million SME in exclusive trade preference levels (TPLs). (TPLs allow clothing to be formed from non-qualifying fabric, such as fabric from the Far East, and still receive the duty-free privileges.) Nicaragua plans to use the TPLs as a tool for development, allotting them to experienced exporters as well as start-ups.

Interest in Nicaragua is coming from many quarters. My tour, organized in July by PRONicaragua, included individuals from a diverse group of U.S., Korean and Nicaraguan companies, such as underwear behemoth Jockey International, Georgia-based vintage T-shirt firm Alternative Apparel and Los Angeles-based California Rain, which was scouting for potential contractors to make blank T-shirts.

Inside Nicaragua's apparel industry

Nicaragua's apparel and textile industry is fledgling but growing, with 45 apparel firms manufacturing products for companies such as Target, JCPenney, VF Corp., Li & Fung, Tropical Sportswear International, Talbots, Polo Ralph Lauren, Dillard's, Williamson-Dickie, Fishman and Tobin, Wal-Mart, Kohl's, Kmart and Mervyns. In contrast to its neighbors, Nicaragua's production is weighted slightly toward woven production, with 24 woven goods manufacturers and 21 knits manufacturers.

According to 2002 figures reported by ANITEC, Nicaragua's apparel and textile association, approximately 72 percent of apparel produced in Nicaragua is made of fabric from countries such as Taiwan, China and Vietnam, while approximately 28 percent of goods are made of fabric from Central America and North America.

U.S.-owned Cupid, a $65-million foundation garment manufacturer, uses U.S. raw materials. The firm, which services customers such as Wal-Mart, Target and Lane Bryant, employs a quick response manufacturing model, including a TSS-based modular manufacturing system with 180 modules. Cupid offers two-week turnaround from order to delivery on 120 styles of ladies' undergarments that it produces at a rate of 24,000 dozen per week.

The company cuts on Monday and Tuesday for garments that will be sewn and shipped on Wednesday, and cuts on Wednesday and Thursday for Friday shipments, maintaining no work in process (WIP), says Carlos Sandino, development director. Each manufacturing module performs its own quality checks, and with accuracy topping 99 percent, the company is moving toward elimination of its final quality audit.

The option to use regionally produced fabrics under CAFTA — and still receive duty-free benefits —would ratchet Cupid's production cycle up another notch, notes Sandino.

Another stop along the way, Industrias Santa Maria is owned by the Argus Group, an international sourcing company with facilities in Miami, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Santa Maria manufactures medical scrubs for customers including Standard Textile, and workwear for customers including Landau Uniforms and Williamson-Dickie. This WRAP-certified company cuts the fabric for its workwear at a sister plant in El Salvador and receives the pieces one and a half days later for sewing, says Octavio Rojas, plant manager. The company is also certified by Wal-Mart and KMart.

While its workwear fabric comes from the United States, fabric for the scrubs is imported from China and cut in Alabama. Rojas notes that the scrubs would be an ideal candidate for TPL treatment under CAFTA. The company typically maintains a few weeks' worth of fabric inventory, says Rojas. Labels come from Paxar and Avery Dennison, and thread from American & Efird and Coats, which both have facilities in Nicaragua.

One thousand employees comprising four progressive bundle sewing lines produce 80,000 scrubs and 80,000 work shirts weekly, with a two-day turnaround time from receipt of cut goods to the time garments leave the factory, says Rojas. Santa Maria is constructing a second plant in Masaya, Nicaragua.

The largest apparel operation in Nicaragua is Korean-owned Han Sae, which produced $194 million in apparel exports last year at plants in Nicaragua, Saipan and Vietnam. (The company is building a plant in China.) Exports from its Nicaraguan facilities totaled $86 million in 2003, representing 2.4 million pieces per month from 55 lines.

The company produces knit tops and bottoms for customers including Mervyn's, Kohl's, Wal-Mart, Kmart and Target, and offers services from embroidery to dyeing and finishing, with production runs as small as approximately 5,000 pieces. The company imports most, if not all, of its fabrics and trims from Asia.

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H.B. Zachry to build U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua

Thursday, October 7, 2004

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October 7, 2004

The U.S. Department of State awarded H.B. Zachry Co. a $59.2 million contract to design and build a new U.S. Embassy complex in Managua, Nicaragua.

The project is being managed by the State Department's Overseas Buildings Operations Bureau. Design work has already begun on the 123,000-square-foot facility and construction is set to begin in March 2005.
PageSoutherlandPage is Zachry's design partner for the project. The firm provides architectural, engineering and consulting services in support of manufacturing, science and technology, public, health care, education, corporate and urban housing facilities.
San Antonio-based Zachry is a privately-held company that provides construction, project development and construction management to clients worldwide. It is currently building U.S. Embassies in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Beijing, China.

© 2004 American City Business Journals Inc.

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U.S. citizens flock to Central America

Tuesday, September 7, 2004

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Central American countries once embroiled in war have become hot markets to Americans seeking affordable beachfront property.

BY MARY JORDAN
Washington Post Service

ROATAN, Honduras - Jeff Sanders, 46, was a Type-A Washington policy wonk, working for the Office of Management and Budget and later the Senate before landing a job in the private healthcare industry. But last year the father of two small children did something radical about his long work hours: He quit and moved his family to this pretty Honduran island.

Now Sanders is surrounded not only by sand and surf but also by more people like him, as Honduras and other Central American countries once embroiled in war become hot markets for affordable beachfront property.

''We wanted an adventure in a different culture and to be on a beach,'' said Sanders, who now has a home on the Caribbean with a pool at a fraction of what it would cost in the United States.

Associations of Americans abroad, Internet sites for relocating U.S. residents, and real estate agents catering to U.S. citizens who want to buy foreign property all report rising numbers of Americans moving to Central America. Buyers are attracted by the cheap land and household help, the sunny climate, the easy flights back to the United States and the improving infrastructure.

MORE COUNTRIES

''What is interesting now is that people are showing an interest in countries other than Costa Rica,'' said Ruth Halcomb, who runs LiveAbroad.com, a website that links expatriates. Costa Rica has the largest and most well-entrenched U.S. presence in Central America. Now, Halcomb and others say Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador and Belize are drawing Americans.

Officials at the U.S. embassies in Honduras, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua said about 60,000 Americans have formally registered with them, but the actual number is far higher, and growing. For instance, in Costa Rica, 20,000 people registered, but groups of foreign residents there say the actual number is double that.

''The numbers are off the scale,'' said Roger Gallo, an American expatriate who lives in the growing U.S. community in Panama. Gallo, founder of an online magazine, Escape from America, said the interest in moving abroad skyrocketed after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

''That is when it started going bonkers,'' agreed Steve Jazakawiz, 58, a lobsterman from Massachusetts who owns Rick's American Cafe on Roatan, a 30-mile-long island off Honduras' north shore. Almost every night someone is popping open a bottle of champagne, celebrating the recent purchase of property.

Americans here retain their U.S. citizenship but get a significant U.S. tax break because they live abroad. Honduras, like most Central American countries, does not tax them on income earned in the United States.

Sanders said the phone service is spotty, the risk of malaria prevalent and the hours-long waits in bank lines trying on anyone's patience. But all in all, he said, he would rather be catching mahi-mahi than testifying before a Senate committee.

LIFESTYLE CHOICE

Don Bradley, who studies retirement and migration trends at East Carolina University, likened the current migration to the phenomenon of North Europeans migrating to sunnier, more affordable Southern Europe. People describe the motivations pulling them as ''the climate, the pace of life, the lifestyle,'' he said.

These moves are no longer just for the hardy, he added, because global conveniences, from the Internet to cheaper air travel, are available.

Among those buying property overseas are scores of the United States' 77 million baby boomers, now ages 40 to 58, said Steve Slon, editor of AARP The Magazine.

Roatan offers $40,000 cottages, $800,000 luxury homes with private beaches, and much in between. Other parts of the Honduran coast, such as La Ceiba, are considerably less expensive. U.S. residents in Central America tend to cluster near the shore or in picturesque mountain villages such as Boquete in Panama, far from bigger urban areas and their crime and traffic problems. Though people usually move after their children have finished school in the United States, some real estate agents said younger Americans are also arriving, looking for bilingual schools for their children.

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Associated Press
Nicaragua Opens Two Geothermal Fields

Friday September 3, 2004

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MANAGUA, Nicaragua (AP) -- The government said Friday it is seeking bids for development of two geothermal fields that it believes can produce as much as 450 megawatts of energy.

The Nicaraguan Institute of Energy said the tender period would open on Sept. 16. It covers the Managua-Chiltepe area, 10 kilometers (six miles) west of the capital, and the Hoyo-Monte Galan area, 50 kilometers (30 miles) further west.
Institute engineer Ariel Zuniga said the fields "are considered to the most promising for energy production."

Zuniga said companies from Italy, Japan, Mexico and El Salvador have expressed interest.

Nicaragua currently produces about 40 megawatts from a geothermal plant at the Momotombo Volcano, 30 kilometers (18 miles) west of the capital.
Successful development of geothermal would be a rare benefit of volcanic activity for Nicaragua. The country lost out to Panama as a site for an inter-oceanic canal a century ago in part because of developer fear of Nicaragua's volcanoes.

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Sept. 2, 2004 -- Central America may still conjure up images of right-wing dictators and left-wing insurgents. But now, places such as Nicaragua and Honduras are beckoning some Americans seeking retirement destinations. Cheap living, affordable waterfront housing and pleasant weather are drawing many who wouldn't be able to live in similar luxury in the United States.

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With quotas on most of the world's apparel trade set to end Jan. 1, a nation long overlooked for clothing production is gaining favor: Nicaragua.

The struggling Central American country of 5 million people is luring companies with costs lower than in many of its neighbors, which have longer track records in the clothing industry.

Apparel assembly workers in Nicaragua earn roughly 40 to 50 cents an hour, including fringe benefits. That compares with 70 to 80 cents an hour in Honduras and more than $1 an hour in Costa Rica, said Norman E. Gelber, president of Miami-based Customs and Trade Services Inc., which specializes in apparel.

Moreover, the government of Nicaragua has become more aggressive since 2002 in promoting the country's offerings, including its ample, low-cost energy and generous business incentives.

Foreign direct investment in Nicaragua for all industries -- including apparel -- reached $241 million last year, trailing only Costa Rica in the five-nation Central American common market, according to the U.N. Economic Commission on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Among Nicaragua's newest apparel investors: Montreal-based Gildan Activewear Inc., which posted record $26 million profits on $168 million in sales last quarter.

Gildan has announced plans to invest $60 million in Nicaraguan facilities to make fleece fabric and sew that cloth into sportswear.

The investments come as clothing makers scramble to slash costs to better compete come 2005, when the World Trade Organization is set to end a decades-old system of quotas on most apparel trade.

Quotas had limited export sales from behemoths China and India, nations with strong textile industries and some of the world's lowest wages.

Many companies selling to the United States opted to sew U.S. fabric in the lower-cost Caribbean Basin, taking advantage of special programs Washington offered partly to help U.S. textile makers.

But as quotas are being phased out, Asia is regaining its edge, with tens of thousands of apparel jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean at risk.

To compete, some companies are developing textile factories in the Caribbean Basin to supply their longstanding sewing operations there.

They're confident an integrated textile-garment complex can offer quicker delivery to U.S. and Western European buyers than more distant Asia, giving them an edge for time-sensitive items.

Gildan also is investing in a textile factory in Dominican Republic to supply garment operations on Hispaniola, which also includes Haiti.

South Florida is watching closely, because textiles and clothing represent the largest segment of the area's massive trade with the Caribbean Basin, a key business partner.

South Florida's apparel-related trade tops $6 billion a year, with Dominican Republic and Honduras its top partners.

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Pittsburghers find once war-ravaged country is a good place to invest

Tuesday, August 24, 2004

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Nicaragua, an incredibly beautiful nation of gentle, peace-loving people, has shaken away the ghosts of a civil war that ended 15 years ago, and is now beckoning to the world as a "go-to" destination of strategic importance. The past nine months have been a "tipping point" of global recognition of these changes.

In short, Nicaragua is easily accessible, safe, attractive and inexpensive, and investment opportunities are timely.

Nicaraguan officials, backed by voters, have driven these changes. The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and participating nations of the Central American Free Trade Agreement have added their affirmations by making sweeping decisions strengthening Nicaragua's comeback.

From my personal perspective, no United States city has done more to assist Nicaragua than Pittsburgh. For example, when its capital city of Managua was devastated by the Christmas 1972 earthquake, one of Pittsburgh's own baseball superstars, Roberto Clemente, lost his life trying to fly life-saving supplies to the city.

When Violeta Barrios de Chamorro -- the first democratically elected chief executive in Nicaragua's history -- became president of the country in 1990, she reached out to many friends here. She appointed me as an honorary consul representing Nicaragua in the Western Pennsylvania/Midwest region.

In 1992, I was part of a delegation of distinguished Pittsburgh educators, medical professionals and business leaders who went to Nicaragua at her invitation.

The group advised Chamorro on how to strengthen international ties in industry, education, health care and business.

Tourism, agricultural exports and free trade zones were identified as the best opportunities for growth.

Since then, Pittsburghers have maintained steady support. Duquesne University obtained grants to upgrade Nicaraguan health-care facilities, established a nursing exchange program and, with Carlow College and the University of Pittsburgh, granted scholarships to many students who have returned to Nicaragua and now hold leadership positions.

The Pittsburgh Rotary Club, along with local foundations and corporate support combined with significant Nicaraguan assistance, has established two Roberto Clemente Health Clinics serving the poor in rural regions.

The first opened in LaReforma in 1998, and the second in Limon Uno was dedicated in July. Pittsburgh-based Global Links and Brothers' Brother have sent substantial health-care equipment, medicines and supplies for more than a decade.

Today, many Pittsburghers are doing business in Managua and are bullish about the future. Among them, an investor group is developing a world-class oceanfront hotel and golf course community. Some background:

Turnaround. What has Nicaragua done to produce such profound change?

For one, the democratic process rules the country. Since 1990, voters have turned out in record numbers to vote in three consecutive democratic presidential elections leading to peaceful transfers of power. The police force has been professionalized and is controlled by civilians. The army has been reduced from more than 100,000 troops to about 7,000. Elected leaders have developed realistic budgets, instituted tax reforms and restructured underperforming banks and domestic debt.

Global markets and media have taken notice. The IMF and World Bank forgave a staggering $4.5 billion in Nicaraguan debt this year. Japan agreed in June to write off an additional $118 million. As well, CAFTA-- the landmark U.S.-Central American Free Trade Agreement reached last year -- will lower tariffs and other trade barriers. Major news outlets are singing the nation's praises.

Easy Access. Recently, the Chicago Tribune observed that Nicaragua was a "beautiful and peaceful place now courting tourism." U.S. News & World Report has trumpeted: "Nicaragua is a hot new travel destination."

In 2003, tourism generated revenues of $150 million, and foreign arrivals increased 10.9 percent from 2002. American Airlines, Continental Airlines and TACA (based in El Salvador) make 10 flights daily between Managua and Miami, Houston and Los Angeles. Major cruise lines stop at San Juan del Sur. Holiday Inn, Inter-Continental Hotels, Best Western, the Seminole Hotel and Princess have opened hotels.

Retirees are flocking to Nicaragua. The Wall Street Journal recently wrote: "As legions of baby boomers prepare to retire and relocate to warmer climates, a widening range of Central American countries are vying to be their new home. ... As a result, a new breed of intrepid retirees is branching out to countries including ... Nicaragua."

Safety. A study by INCAE, the Harvard Business School affiliate in Managua, shows that Nicaragua is the safest country, and Granada is one of the safest cities, in all of Central America. The New York Times observed this spring, "Unarmed, crisp-shirted policemen have replaced battle-weary soldiers patrolling the streets."

Stunning Beauty. Nicaragua boasts of spectacular natural and manmade beauty. Founded in 1524, Spanish colonial Granada is the oldest city in the Western Hemisphere. Freshwater Lake Nicaragua is the 10th-largest lake in the world, and large volcanoes dot the landscape. Cloud forests, howler monkeys and exotic species of flora and fauna exist just minutes from Managua.

Inexpensive Living. Property in Nicaragua is much less expensive than in the United States, and labor costs are low. The Christian Science Monitor recently noted that Nicaragua "is emerging as a U.S. retirement haven. ... Cheap land surrounds picturesque crater lakes and active volcanoes. And the cost of living is a fraction of what it is in the United States." Foreigners can become residents and acquire fee simple title to property.

Timely Opportunities. Active investment is stimulating growth. Since instituting free market reforms in 1991, Nicaragua has privatized more than 350 state enterprises and reduced inflation from 13,500 percent to single-digits.

Major corporations have established local operations, including McDonald's, Liz Claiborne, TGI Fridays, Osh Kosh B'gosh, Payless Shoes, Kodak, United Colors of Benetton, Burger King, Radio Shack, Pizza Hut, Domino's, Hertz, Budget and Alamo.

Government incentives also are stimulating growth. The Tourism Tax Incentives Law is being used by Nicaraguans to invest in certified tourism development projects as an offset of what they would have paid in ordinary income tax.

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(Richard L. White, Ph.D., of Adams, is honorary consul representing Nicaragua; retired president of Bayer Corp.'s fibers, additives and rubber division in Pittsburgh; and former Duquesne University board chairman.)

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MANAGUA (AFP) - Nicaragua and Taiwan have opened talks aimed at drafting a free-trade deal by the end of 2005.

They said the accord was expected to increase Asian textile investment in the Central American country.

Nicaraguan Minister of Industry and Commerce Mario Arana and Taiwanese Economy Minister Ho Mei-Yueh officiated at the opening of negotiations Friday at a Managua hotel in the presence of Taiwan's Prime Minister Yu Shyi Kun.

"The goal of the treaty is to seek better opportunities to cooperate in the future and we hope that the signing of the pact will expand economic, trade and investment relations" between the countries, Yu said.
The talks will be held over four rounds ending in the first quarter of 2005.

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Taiwan's Prime Minister Yu Shyi-Kun has arrived in the Nicaraguan capital of Managua for the last leg of a diplomatic tour of three Latin American countries.
Mr. Yu was scheduled Friday, to start negotiations over a free trade treaty between Taiwan and Nicaragua.

Earlier this week, he visited the Dominican Republic, where he attended the presidential inauguration of Leonel Fernandez, and Honduras, where he met with President Ricardo Maduro.

The three Latin American countries are among 26 that maintain diplomatic relations with Taipei. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province and demands that nations not have ties with the island.

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TORONTO (CP) - Glencairn Gold Corp. shares rose nearly nine per cent after announcing it had discovered gold deposits near its Limon Mine in Nicaragua.
Glencairn stock rose four cents to 50 cents, a gain of 8.7 per cent, in trading of more than 232,000 shares on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Earlier, the junior mining company said it its latest drilling results had found what appears to be a new gold-bearing zone near the mine.

"These results are very encouraging," said Kerry Knoll, Glencairn's president and chief executive. "In early 2004 we began an aggressive drilling program at Limon, where exploration funding has been lacking for the past six years, and we are already seeing extraordinary results.
"With all of the infrastructure in place at Limon, this or any other discovery that proves to be economic can be quickly put into production."

The Limon Mine has produced almost three million ounces of gold since it began operating in 1941.

Glencairn (TSX:GGG) is a gold producer with operations in Nicaragua and projects in Costa Rica and Canada. The company had revenues of $16.2 million US last year and employed 550 people at the end of 2003.

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Nicargaua is the next surfing frontier in Central America. Its’ approximately 300 km Pacific Coastline is a swell magnet for SW and S swells which are most prevalent from March-November, averaging 4-6 feet, and sometimes up to 10-15ft + on the biggest swells, but rarely smaller than 2-3 ft. December-February is less consistent but still produces fun rideable surf most of the time. Nicaragua is uncrowded, over 90% consistent, and unlike Costa Rica its best surf breaks are not spread out all over the country but concentrated in one area along its SW Pacific coastline in the province of Rivas. Its primary swell source is SW and S ground swells for which the orientation of this coastline is ideal. Most of the surf can be accessed by 4x4 truck, with other spots accessible only by boat. Nicaragua has no crowds, and is a refuge for the serious surfer seeking an alternative to the crowded lineups of Costa Rica to the south and Puerto Escondido to the North.

Wavehunters’ Nicaraguan operation Popoyo Surf Camp, is located in Salinas, in Nicaragua’s Rivas Province, 2.5 hrs. from Managua International Airport and is hosted by expatriate Floridian surfer JJ Yemma, his wife Kimberly, and their daughter Mikayla. Guests of Popoyo Surf Camp will be met at the international airport in Managua by Popoyo staff and transferred directly to Popoyo Surf Camp. Packages include 7 nights fully air-conditioned accommodation, 3 square meals per day, 3 days of surf tours by 4x4 truck, and 3 days of surf tours by 25 foot powerboat. JJ is a very accomplished surfer who has spent the last several years of his life building and operating Popoyo Surf Camp and dialing visiting surfers into the nearby surf.

At Popoyo and in the vicinity you will find a plethora of surf breaks ranging from hollow, A-frame beach break to super fun, classic point breaks, to critical outer reef breaks. These surf breaks benefit from Nicaragua’s permanent Santa Ana condition, and enjoy offshore winds over 300 days per year. Nicaragua’s Santa Ana phenomenon is a phenomenon whereby the dominant NE trades from the Caribbean are accelerated across Nicaragua’s narrow land mass by the absence of mountains in this southern region and by Lake Nicaragua, a massive inland lake approximately one-half as wide as the country. As the NE trades sweep across the narrow isthmus of the country towards the Pacific ocean they blow straight into the approaching SW ground swells. The offshore winds groom these swells into clean hollow lines and almond-shaped barrels at the many points, reefs and beachbreaks which bless Nicaragua’s Pacific coastline.

Unlike the Papagayo winds which blow in Guanacaste, Costa Rica generally from December-April only, the Nicaragua lake-effect winds blow offshore year-round. This means the only quality surf for much of the year isn’t just found from 6-10 am before the winds come up and blow it out. The surf here is good all day, so plan on surfing 2-3 quality sessions per day, bring plenty of sun protection, and arrive in good physical fitness (swimming, running, situps and pushups are excellent if your local surf hasn’t done it for you).

Nicaragua - Political

There are many common misconceptions surrounding Nicaragua. What people often expect is an unstable country with guerrillas running around in the jungles. This could not be further from the truth. There was a Sandinistan Revolution beginning in 1979. The US intervened with the revolution, sponsoring many anti-Sandinistan contra guerrillas through much of the 1980's. Free elections in '90, '96 and in 2001 have seen the Sandinistas defeated in a democratic manner. During these years the country has stabilized. The economy is now growing at a rapid pace and Nicaragua is learning from its neighbor Costa Rica and is encouraging tourism as a main form of income for many of its lesser fortunate people.

Nicaragua, Popoyo Surf Camp

Nicargaua is the next surfing frontier in Central America. Its approximately 300 km Pacific Coastline is a swell magnet for southerly swells. These swells are groomed to perfection by all-day offshore winds, averaging 4-6 feet, and sometimes up to 10-15ft + on the biggest swells. Nicaragua is uncrowded, over 90% consistent. Most of the surf can be accessed by 4x4 truck, with other spots accessible only by boat. Nicaragua has no crowds, and is a refuge for the serious surfer seeking an alternative to the crowded lineups of Costa Rica to the south and Puerto Escondido to the North. Popoyo Surf Camp, is located in Salinas, in NicaraguaÇs Rivas Province, 2.5 hrs. from Managua International Airport and is hosted by expatriate Floridian surfer JJ Yemma and his wife Kimberly. Packages include airport transfers, 7 nights fully air-conditioned accommodation, 3 square meals per day, 3 days of surf tours by 4x4 truck, and 3 days of surf tours by 25-foot powerboat w/70hp. Space is going quick on this one, book your spot in the lineup today...

Packages Include:
… Airport greeting and roundtrip transfers to Popoyo Surf Camp
… Accommodation w/AC
… 3 square meals per day
… Surf guide: JJ Yemma
… 3 full-day surf tours by 4 x4 truck
… 3 full-day boat trips w/ 25ft covered powerboat w/70hp including lunch & fishing

7 night package:
1 surfer in shared accommodation: $915.00
1 surfer in private accommodation: $1090.00
2 surfers in private accommdation: $845.00 per surfer
3 or more surfers in private accommodation: $825.00 per surfer

Popoyo Surf Camp 2004 Tour Dates:
Mar 13-Mar 20: 10 spots
Mar 20-Mar 27: 8 spots
Mar 27-Apr 3: 4 spots
Apr 17-Apr 24: 2 spots
Apr 24-May 1: 10 spots
May 1-May 8: 10 spots
May 8- May 15: 8 spots
May 15-May 22: 4 spots
May 29- Jun 5: 10 spots
Jun 5-Jun 12: 10 spots
Jun 12-Jun 19: 10 spots
Jun 19-Jun 26: 10 spots

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We are a gold company exploring in Nicaragua and Guatemala. Our strategy is simple: to build value for our shareholders by discovering new gold deposits and then attracting joint venture partners to advance our discoveries to development. This way, we offset the exploration risks but retain a significant ownership interest in each joint venture.

Radius recently announced that it plans to merge with Pillaged Inc. The merged company -with an exceptional portfolio of exploration properties and close to C $20-million in the treasury- will be an exploration powerhouse, with a clear focus on gold discovery in Central America.

Our shares trade on the TSX-V (RDU) and the Deutsche Börse (RDU.F).

Radius Granted Key Concessions Covering
the El Pavon Discovery in Nicaragua
Wednesday March 17, 10:38 am ET