Christmas Tree in Parque Colon
Each night, for a week leading up to the main holiday, it seems like the whole city comes out for a procession, where a statue icon representing a virgin is carried through the town to the church in the city’s main square. The parade took a different route each night. We figured out which streets would be used based on where the decorative lights were hung along the route early in the morning before each parade. On my first night in Granada, the route was to come down one of the main streets approaching the city square from the west. My guide, Jessica, took me out to show me around and take pictures. We did not know precisely what time to expect the procession, so we ended up being there nearly two hours early. But it was interesting watching the locals during that time. We started out waiting on the steps of a church by a park. There were many kids, and also street vendors selling sweets and shaved ice lined up waiting for the parade to come by. After a while there was an electrical problem that caused the street lights in the area to shut off, and so we walked a few blocks towards the main square where there was more light.
In this neighborhood, on either side of the street were building where the residents opened up their doors and set up chairs in their doorways on the sidewalk from which to watch the procession. Through the doors people passing on the streets could get a glimpse inside at the well decorated entrance room which usually had a lit up Christmas tree. These families living near the city center were apparently the regional upper class and took some pride in showing off their houses.
During the hour preceding the procession, more and more people came walking down the street along the parade route. First there was a wave of street cart vendors pulling their carts ahead of the crowd. Then hundreds of people passed by. All were presumably walking towards the main square ahead of the procession carrying the virgin. It felt like the whole city passed by while we waited for the procession.
Eventually the procession carrying the virgin passed us by. The alter was surrounded by a group of kids using a rope as a barrier to keep people out of the way of the procession. It was followed by a group of musicians playing horned instruments. I snapped a few pictures, and then went back to my homestay for bed.
I was staying at the home of a local family who rents out 2 rooms in their house to foreign visitors. Most of their tenants are students at a local Spanish language school. The rent includes home cooked meals of typical Nicaraguan food. Since I was to run a 50k endurance run in a few days, Jessica had asked that I receive more filling meals, and so I got extra gallo pinto (rice and bean mixture) and other good and hearty food. I was in Granada for several nights. During the day I would take day-trips to surrounding areas. Some of these trips were described previously in the La Granadilla, Mombacho Volcano, Empowerment International, and Masaya posts.
On the second night in Granada, I went out by myself to take pictures of the procession. I found the street where the lights were hung, and followed them as the parade route wound its way through neighborhoods until I found the start of the parade at a small church. The virgin statue was there on display, and much of the town was crowded in the street socializing. Street vendors were selling food and snacks and there was music playing.
I eventually moved to a less crowded spot where I hoped to get a good picture of the procession as it passed. I kept my camera in my bag until the last minute to avoid grabbing attention of anyone of questionable intent. However, as one of the few foreigners on the street, touts still came up to me. I couldn’t understand most of what they were saying, but from the few Spanish words I recognized I am pretty sure one of them was asking if I liked dark skinned women. It was funny how such people didn’t approach me when I was with my guide the night before, but insisted on coming up to me when I was alone. It was an annoyance, but I was never worried about safety. In fact in two weeks in Nicaragua this was the only instance of anything like this.
I kept a close eye on my belongings and stood near groups of large families thinking that would be a little safer. As the procession approached, one mother tapped me on the shoulder and told me something in Spanish. I am not sure what she said but I believe she was warning me to watch out for the dodgy man who kept trying to talk to me. As the procession passed, I got my pictures, and then jumped into the crowd following the statue where I lost the questionable people. I followed the procession into the main city square and watched as the virgin was carried into the main cathedral.
While walking around the city during daylight, it is evident that many of the buildings in Granada have been “restored.” This must have been an expensive process that cleaned up the outside of the buildings and left them painted in bright colors. At times it felt a little too sanitized.
Restored Church
On a free morning I walked over to the Fortaleza La Polvora (fortress). I was there pretty early, but someone was there pruning plants. He unlocked the gate, took my admission fee, gave me a ticket, and then I was free to roam around. There was a little historical display in the center with some old cannons and barrels. The main draw was that I could climb up the towers in the corners for a view of the surrounding neighborhood blocks. I also stopped by a now defunct-run down former hospital looking for photographic opportunities. And then I also went through the historical museum, Museo de San Francisco, which had some interesting displays and artifacts.
Views from the towers of Fortaleza La Polvora
View from the back of Museo de San Francisco
Mural at the entrance to Museo de San Francisco
I left Granada after a few days to go to Isla Ometepe for the Ultramaraton Fuego y Agua 50K. After the race, I came back to Granada for one night before moving on to Leon. On the last morning I took a tour of the Islets de Granada, some small islands on the lake near Granada. The original plan was to take a sail boat, one of maybe two on the whole lake, which was owned by an Austrian ex-pat guide. But it was two windy so my Austrian guide took me out on an inflatable kayak instead.
Starting the kayak tour, Photo courtesy of my guide, Jessica
View of Granada from the islands
We stopped at Castillio San Pablo, a Spanish fortress on one of the islands used to defend the city of Granada from pirate attack. In colonial times, Pirates sailed up river from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Nicaragua to raid Granada.
Views of Las Isletas de Granada from Castillo San Pablo
The islands are littered with small houses. Many are local fisherman, but on some islands, wealthy Nicaraguans had “purchased” the island and built an expensive looking vacation home. There is some dispute over land ownership and who really owns the right to sell – whether it is the local person now living on the land, or the absentee landowner who fled during the civil wars 30 years ago. Often the original family who “sold” the land maintains their house on these islands as care takers while the new owner lives day-to-day in one of the bigger cities.
After the boat tour, Jessica took me to the main square in Granada for some very typical local food. There are 4 gazebos, one in each corner of the square, and each is actually a restaurant selling the local cuisine. Then we boarded a collective mini-bus for the ride first to Managua for a connection change, and then to the city of Leon. Since it was only two days after the run, my legs were cramping in the small space, but it was a cheap and safe way to get around the country.
A slide show of more pictures from Granada is embedded below. For better viewing, see the Smugmug album or the full screen slideshow.
Links:
- More Blog Posts or Photo Albums from this Nicaragua Trip
- Maps of the sites I visited in Nicaragua: on Google Maps or Google Earth
- Tour guide who arranged my Nicaragua Travels: ¡Un Buen Viaje!
Every place you post about, I want to go! I love the pics and the writing... keep it up! :) And Merry Christmas!!!!
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