Well, I’m not exactly sure what to do about this blog. When we visited Matagalpa a couple of weeks ago we actually put down a deposit on a rental and this past week moved to Matagalpa. I’m no longer a Gringo in Granada! Obviously I will keep writing for this blog, but my dilemma is that I’m not sure what to call it.
“Gringo in Matagalpa” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it as “Gringo in Granada” although I guess it’s not too bad. But who knows if we’ll stay in Matagalpa. We certainly didn’t expect to leave Granada so soon. Within six months I might be a Gringo in Léon or Esteli, although I doubt it. I think we’ve decided to hunker down here for a while, especially since Levi will be starting school here and since Matagalpa is such a nice place so far.
I’m leaning toward a name that is more general in nature. Something about Nicaragua, not a specific town. Still, “Gringo in Nicaragua” isn’t growing on me.
Any ideas? Let me know if you have any thoughts on what I should call the re-branded version of GiG.
8 Comments
Uncle Bill
“Gringo From Granada” maybe?
Tmac
How about “Man from Matagalpa” or, more generally, “Clifaragua”? “Where the Haley is Clif?”
Clif
“Gringo from Granada” and “Man from Matagalpa” both sound like really good Spaghetti Westerns. Maybe part of a series.
Clif recently posted…A Few Photos Around Matagalpa
Michel
Keep it as Gringo in Granada; sounds like a good GiG. At least the logo is changed.
Edrisfgh
I’m curious to know why you decided to move from Granada to Matagalpa. (I’m hoping to do an extended stay in Nicaragua with my kids in 2015.) Am enjoying your blog!
Clif
The climate was a big motivator. Granada is hot, and while not as hot as Texas can get, it never lets up and is very humid. This is actually not too bad, though…until you visit Matagalpa for comparison. Matagalpa’s climate is what they call “eternal spring”. The nightly lows range from high 50s (F) to mid 60s and the daily highs barely top out at 80 degrees. It is rainier there than Granada, but the lower temps keep the humidity at bay.
As great as all the touristy stuff is (great restaurants, bars, things to do, etc., etc.) once you do it all, and do it all again, you really start looking at whether the town is good for long term living. Granada is very much a tourist destination and (it seems) that only those places where tourists visit are really taken care of. It seems like most of the money that comes into the town is funneled directly into a ten block radius and the rest of the town is largely neglected.
Matagalpa on the other hand is not a tourist destination (not as much, anyway) so the entire city is better kept. Instead of only certain areas getting city resources, the whole town (or most of it) is extremely well maintained. The place is cleaner, better organized. There’s also easier access to resources needed for daily living for a long term stay…various stores, also very good restaurants, misc agencies, etc.
That being said, if someone were to visit for a short period of time, maybe two weeks to a month, I would definitely recommend that Granada is the place to be. It is set up to deliver the full “Nicaragua” experience to those looking to cram it all into a short visit.
Enriqueta (Henri) Martello
I am thoroughly enjoying your blog. My husband and I are thinking about coming down to Nicaragua from May through September. I was born in Managua, but moved to the states when I was 8. My husband is a Gringo, he was born in New Orleans. We currently live on the Gulfcoast of Mississippi.
We often thought of moving to Nica. Permanently. Right now we are going to try the summer months, because the heat here is horrible.
We love Granada, but don’t like the climate. I am very interested in Matagalpa, because of the climate. I look forward to hearing more about Matagalpa.
Ron
Just go back to granada.