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Post date: Jan 11, 2014 9:19:45 PM
11 January 2014
Wow! Some things really change in a short period! (Well, 12 or 13 years, anyway)
We (finally) rented a car here in Nicaragua and drove up to Estelí. On the way we revisited San Nicolás del Oriente and La Garnacha.
But what a surprise. The turnoff from the Panamerican Highway used to be hard to find. Now there is a sign, a bus stop, and much activity. The turnoff leads to a paved road! The last time we were in San Nicolás the road was dirt and there was only one bus a day each way. Some parts of this road are very steep. In the rainy season travel was hard - even with four-wheel drive. And on the upper parts of the road they are currently finishing sidewalks for the school children!
Last time we visited San Nicolás the secondary school students had to take the bus into Estelí every day - at considerable expense. Now there is a secondary school in the town. Most of the streets are paved. A couple of lay sisters maintain the parish - one of whom had professed to the Benedictines but later left the order. In fact, we were at her profession.
San Nicolás is much larger than it was 12 years ago. I'm sure the paved road has much to do with its growth. It is now much easier to get crops to market, supplies, and people in and out of the area.
The turn-off to La Garnacha used to be hard to find. Now there are two roads and each has signs. We had rented a small sport-utility vehicle (Rav4 SUV) for the high clearance and four-wheel drive. We didn't need either up to the turn-off to La Garnacha, but were glad for the clearance on the mostly dirt last few miles. There are cross-road drains that are paved, but quite deep. A Corolla would have meant trouble with these.
We started up the road, crossing a large paved ditch. Coming down the road from La Garnacha was a large MINSA (Ministry of Health) truck so we were confident that we could make the trip to the top. They had just completed a rural clinic at the top of the road. Coinciding with the MINSA visit was a visit by 100 health worker-students.
We had a reunion with Hermano (brother) Patrício, whom Carol had met in New York City in the 1960's and I met at La Garnacha 13 years ago. Since we last saw him he had returned to Italy for cancer treatment, seemingly cured, and returned to his beloved Nicaragua to die. Looked pretty good to me. We sat around the kitchen table, drank local coffee, and sorted dry beans - which seem to get bits of stone and chaff whenever they are harvested.
We talked over old times, the mutual friends (mostly Beneditine sisters of Guadalupe who had served the parish in San Nicolás for years, but left 12 years ago) and had a good time. Last time we were in La Garnacha they had only a little solar electricity, but now they have power and telephone. Padre Patricio (he is also a priest) serves the parish in San Nicolás as well as the many comarcas (surrounding villages) that are only accessible by horse or foot. In fact, last time we visited San Nicolás only the parish had solar electricity and a TV. Now the whole town has lights and telephone.
The community of La Garnacha now has a number of artisans as well as the cheese factory. They started a store to sell local crafts to the tourists. The keeper of the store is Eliza, who was the store keeper of the natural medicine pharmacy in San Nicolás when last we visited. Nice to recognize old acquaintenances.
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