Codice Gallery in Managua

Near Hotel Colon in Los Robles, a special treat awaits if you are interested in the arts of Nicaragua. I am speaking of Galeria Codice, one of the most interesting and active arts venues in Nicaragua. This gallery offers an unusual mix of exhibitions, openings, performances, lectures, classes and other activities, and is considered one of the "happening" places of the Managua arts scene! Juanita Bermudez, the Director of the Gallery, describes it as a cultural space, which encompasses many forms of arts. Sra. Bermudez supports events focused on poetry, the literary arts in general, promotion of books about contemporary arts, as well as fostering the careers of national visual artists through gallery sales. In addition, the Gallery maintains a well-stocked gift store bringing arts from around the country to local and international customers and clients.

If you are a fan of the arts, or just want to explore, this is a great place to start. Plan to spend some time, and if you speak Spanish, be sure to find out about upcoming lectures!

Canopy Walk in Refugio Guatuzos

Mauricio, the son our my special friend, Carole, made the canopy walk seem like the easiest thing in the world. It is located in the only internationally registered tropical wetland area in Nicaragua, El Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos. Mauricio, brave soul that he is, led the way, and bounced and sprinted through the catwalks! I followed sedately behind!

On our trip to Solentiname Islands, we made a side trip to El Refugio de Vida Silvestre Los Guatuzos. This refuge is a reserve for the huge variety of flora and fauna of this southern most point of Nicaragua. It is located on the southern shore of Lake Nicaragua, on the west side of the San Juan River just north of the boundary between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Amazingly, the types of birds that make Refugio Guatuzos their home number almost 390. This doesn't include the thousands of migratory birds that journey through the Refuge. We traveled on a small motor boat with a guide who helped us site monkeys, birds, turtles and caimans, plus a huge diversity of trees, water plants, flowering plants, and every type of green growing thing I could have imagined. The short Refugio Guatuzos tour was eye-opening and an experience not soon forgotten!

Hot Tortillas!

Look at this pile of hot tortillas! In my wanderings, I loved going to Huembes Mercado in Managua to browse and EAT HOT TORTILLAS! These ladies stand up all day, patting the raw dough into round 8" circles, and tossing them onto a hot griddle. The pile of tortillas that results is huge and steaming. It is a special treat and absolutely delicious! The hard work of these women is appreciated by everyone.