While we complete construction of our finca, we are renting in Jinotepe, the capital of the Carazo department. Town is only 6 blocks away and trips to the market are just another part of the adventure of life here. My Spanish is weak from lack of practice, but the locals are ever so patient and friendly.
This smiling fellow is our local money changer. The cordboba is the national monetary unit and as it changes quite frequently, we keep dollars on hand, then simply change them out when it's time to spend. Money changers are in every town, and Jinotepe has some of the best exchange rates around. We get a great rate from this fella, as well as a big smile and a "hey cowboy" or "hey lady" whenever he sees us!
The center of the Jinotepe market is where I go for the raw, meaty
bones that make up most of the diet for our 8 Catahoula leopard dogs. Feeding
these big monsters could get pretty expensive in the States, but here, at 3
cordobas per pound (16 cents), they're eating as well as we are. We try to
stock up on the weekends when Roger has some free time to drive me to the
market, but when the dogs pig out, it's back to the bone lady for more, then a
good bit of exercise to lug them home. Lots more exciting than a normal
exercise routine!
Nicaragua is not known for high quality products (other than rum and cigars!) and most shoes bought here wear out pretty fast, especially walking around the finca all day. The Nicaraguans are very resourceful, though and this fella (in the baseball cap) does an incredible job fixing Roger's work boots, sandals and sneakers. Every day he sets up his antique sewing machine in front of the hardware store and he stays busy until quiting time. He has few supplies though, so a quick trip into the center of the market and a store that sells shoe pieces is in order before dropping off the shoes and supplies. I like to buy two Toñas at Palí (local beer at the food store) to sip on while we enjoy the beautiful blue skies and watch the folks in the market go by. By the time we've had a beer, the cobbler is done. Not like any cobbler experience I'm likely to have in the States!
And while these boots may
not be of the highest quality, they are pretty, cheap, and they come with a
song. I'm not used to being serenaded while shoe-shopping, but I find I like
it!
Nandaime is the closest town
to us and where we pick up mail from our very friendly post master. Finding him
actually at the post office is pretty much a coin toss though, as is finding
the post office open at any given time of day. We do enjoy those rare phone
calls from him though, when he yells "correos" (mail) in to the phone
then hangs up.
Once we're settled on Quinta Quijote and all construction is done, I
hope to have many gatherings of good friends, good food and great times. We've
been able to do that once already, kind of a first picnic on our finca, back in
April 2007.
Here we are gathered in what will eventually be the hammock area. Of
course, we'll have hammocks in many places on the homestead, but this area will
have three, one red, one white and one blue. For that day's picnic, we were
joined by friends from all over Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur, Granada, Casares
and Dolores.
And what's a first picnic on the homestead without a celebratory
homebrew toast? Roger's been malting sorghum for pilsner style beer. Each batch
gets a little better, and I imagine we'll have lots of good homebrew for
friends come every picnic time!
