Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Day 45, Granada, Nicaragua

We are going to make a quick stopover in Granada, Nicaragua, which has an incomparably rich and illustrious history. Established in 1524, Granada is the oldest European-founded city in Nicaragua, the second oldest in Central America, and the third oldest in the Americas.

Granada has been subject to many battles, invasions of pirates, and subjugations. The most significant was the American William Walker, who conquered Nicaragua and declared himself president in the mid-1800s. When Walker eventually fled the country, he torched the city of Granada and left the famous words, "Granada Was Here." Many of Granada's cathedrals and historic buildings are still fire-scorched.


We took horse-drawn carriage ride Granada to see some of the city's beautiful Spanish colonial buildings, bought some local cuisine from a street carts (chicaronnes (fried pork skin), yucca, fried plantains, and giant chicken rolled tacos (also fried)) and then just relaxed in Parque Central...in fact, the entire Granada lifestyle is a relaxed one. We noticed that colonial buildings in Granada are nearly always built around a courtyard, and rocking chairs are ubiquitous, as is wicker furniture.

It's sometimes called ¨The Great Sultana¨ because of it's beautiful colonial architecture
As we strolled along the cobblestone streets, we could still hear live local music being played in the square.......
Wow...people have gathered around some television sets to watch this spectacular astronomical phenomenon today...



2 comments:

Susan HP said...

I certainly remember this postcard, Sandy!
Indeed, Granada does have a long & interesting history, and thanks for sharing!

SandyB said...

Thanks so much for the cards from this region Susan...we would not have been able to "travel" through here without them:-)))