Colonial homes walking tours of Granada, Nicaragua, proceeds go to library and school projects

July 20th, 2010 | By Joshua | No Comments »

A friend asked me to share this, sounds like an excellent opportunity for anyone visiting or living in Granada, one of the most beautiful cities in the world (and the oldest on the North American continent!):

Enjoy a morning walking tour of some of Granada’s most beautiful and historical colonial homes. Learn about the history and the Spanish colonial architecture while viewing  the city’s private homes. Proceeds benefit the children of Nicaragua by providing books, education and other activities through Biblioteca Puedo Leer and Sacuanjoche Kindergarten. (more…)

Power to the People mixes renewable energy, voluntourism, on La Isla de Ometepe in Nicaragua

July 18th, 2010 | By Joshua | 1 Comment »

This short film abut a solar energy installation in rural Nicaragua was produced by Brad Allgood, an independent filmmaker, and Jenean Smith, founder of Power to the People, both of whom, I’m proud to say, are fellow Peace Corps Nicaragua brethren (I love hearing about RPCV compas who have found creative ways to stay connected to their host countries … but I digress).

The video opens with a wonderful, marimba-filled tribute to Nicaragua, then follows a group of volunteers as they travel to La Isla de Ometepe to assist with a solar panel installation. Beautiful scenery, interesting story, worthy cause. Enjoy.

“Strap ‘em on and hit the road!”—Tranquilo article on adventure vacation with young children

June 22nd, 2010 | By Joshua | 3 Comments »

My family and I make an appearance in this article about voluntourism and family travel. It was written by Amy Hatch for aol.com’s parenting website:

Not Your Ordinary Summer: Taking A Family Adventure Vacation

I’m quoted about what age is appropriate to take a child abroad (I aimed low), but I especially like this line by Richard Webb, co-founder of ProWorld: “No matter what kind of adventure travel experience you decide on, the effect it has on your family will be immeasurable. There is so much learning that we get when we expose ourselves to others.” READ THE ARTICLE->

The magic of place: Silvio Sirias’s expansive portrayal of Nicaragua in Bernardo and the Virgin

June 13th, 2010 | By Joshua | 21 Comments »

The Tranquilo Traveler is proud to host Silvio Sirias’s book tour today. FREE GIFT: Leave a comment below and you’ll be entered to win crafts by Panamanian Kuna artisans [[gift is closed, congratulations monica!]]
* * * * *
The first book I ever read about Nicaragua was Blood of Brothers, by Stephen Kinzer. It was 1997 and I’d just received my invitation from the U.S. Peace Corps to work in Nicaragua as a forestry volunteer. All I knew about Nicaragua was that it was in Central America, it sounded exotic, and I would be living there for the next two-and-a-half years, little else.

Kinzer gave a sharp, alluring portrait of a country during its hottest hours (the Sandinista revolution of 1979 and subsequent social experiment and civil war that lasted till 1990); but I was looking for more. The second book I read about Nicaragua was also non-fiction, by a Nicaraguan this time, also about the war. And the third. You get the picture. It took some digging to find other periods of Nicaraguan history, and still I found few descriptions in the literature about the life in store for me, about modern-day, small-town Nicaragua. (more…)

Eric Volz’s memoir hits the shelves, Nicaragua murder debate rekindled

May 31st, 2010 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Eric Volz’s memoir, Gringo Nightmare: A Young American Framed for Murder in Nicaragua, was released this month from Macmillan. The tag-line reads, “In the spirit of Midnight Express and Not Without My Daughter comes the harrowing true story of an American held in a Nicaraguan prison for a murder he didn’t commit.”

I have not read the book yet, but since people continue to discuss the issue (i.e. scream at each other) in the comments section of this post from 2007 (SERIOUSLY, read these comments, they are damn entertaining), I thought I would add another update. There is a lot of wild speculation flying around the case, and passion obscures facts more often than not, so I’m glad Volz has a chance to tell his unique story in book form. I look forward to reading it and posting a more complete review, hopefully for my summer reading list. In the meantime, for information on Eric Volz’s book tour, visit his site: Friends of Eric Volz

Original post: April 26, 2007

Nica-American novelist Silvio Sirias in HECHO magazine

May 26th, 2010 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Here’s a profile I wrote about novelist Silvio Sirias, published in the new edition of HECHO, a quarterly magazine out of Managua in its second year. HECHO is the coolest thing to happen to Nicaragua culture/art/music scene since Cafe Amatl. Anyway, I’m proud to be part of it. I’ll be posting more about Silvio on June 14, when the Tranquilo Traveler will be hosting him on his blog tour to promote his book Bernardo and the Virgin.

“Survivor Nicaragua” officially teased in preview video

May 17th, 2010 | By Joshua | No Comments »

The producers of CBS’s “Survivor” sure make Nicaragua, where their 21st season is set, sound awesome and untamed!

“This is Nicaragua! It is a land of impenetrable terrain, smoldering volcanoes, and savage wildlife!”

I have a question for all you “Survivor” fans out there: How important is the setting? Is the show only about the contestants, or will viewers learn something about Nicaragua?

The Spanish and Italian versions of “Survivor” also filmed in Nicaragua this year: article in the NicaTimes.

Your Mom. This Mothers’ Day, honor her with a small (or large) donation for education in Nicaragua

May 5th, 2010 | By Joshua | No Comments »

Does your mother really need another doily? Here’s a different way to honor her: support the mothers of Empowerment International, who live in outlying barrios of Granada, Nicaragua:

“We’re seeing an increasing trend of mothers involved and engaged in supporting their children’s school work, and they’re proud of what their children have achieved. This is a real measure of the success of the EI program—only a few years ago it was difficult to convince the families that their kids attending school was worth the lost income from them not being able to work in the streets.”

Watch the slide show and honor your mother here.

LAND makes first splash: Nica Times article describes film’s “Racy Look at Nicaragua’s Land Boom”

April 19th, 2010 | By Joshua | 41 Comments »

In a Nica Times article entitled “Documentary Takes Racy Look at Nicaragua’s Land Boom,” Tim Rogers interviews Canadian director and producer Julian Pinder about his new film, LAND.

LAND is a feature documentary which attacks the issue of foreign development in southwest Nicaragua. Pinder calls his film “a modern wild-west story; a convolution of morals in frontier country.”

He says, “So many social-issue films try to expose bad guys or extol the past, but I really wanted to tell a story and let people figure it out for themselves and make their own judgments.”

One thing is certain: people will make judgments. From the “bring your gun” motto on the movie poster, to the edgy nine-minute trailer, I look forward to the discussions sure to come.
(more…)

Article in Worldview Magazine: FIRE TRUCKS AND WATER FILTERS

April 16th, 2010 | By Joshua | 2 Comments »

More than 200,000 people have served in the U.S. Peace Corps during the 49 years that the program has been around. Many Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have gone on to do remarkable things. My article in the newest issue of Worldview magazine (a publication for returned and active volunteers) is about Rodney McDonald, a fellow Nica RPCV (and fellow adopted Esteliano) who still lives in Nicaragua to coordinate the equipment donations, fire truck arrivals, trainings, video productions, and other tasks for the non-profit organization he helped found, Emergency Response Services in Latin America (ERSLA).

JB: What advice would you give others looking to import big-ticket donations like fire engines and ambulances?
RM: Make sure the infrastructure is in place to support the donation…. I know of quite a few “good intentions” that have been donated and later to be parked and not be able to be utilized anywhere or even worse, where engines blew up in the trucks because no one took the time to show where to check the oil.

Download the entire article here: “Profiles in Service: FIRE TRUCKS AND WATER FILTERS”