The Tranquilo Traveler
The Tranquilo Traveler is a celebration of voluntourism, slow travel, and other interesting ways to see the world. Travel writer and award- winning Moon Handbooks author Joshua Berman created The Tranquilo Travel as a resource for world trippers and international volunteers, a window to the author’s travels in Nicaragua, Belize, and beyond, and an update of his books and articles.
Bags are packed, I’m ready to go—a Nicaragua, hijueputa!
By Joshua | 
2 Comments » 
It’s been ten years since I first set foot in Nicaragua and I’ve been lucky enough to return many times. Still, every trip to The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes is a vividly unique experience. Nicaragua is comfortable for me—yet still insanely foreign. On this trip, I’ll be stomping around Granada, Masaya, and Los Pueblos Blancos, the first places in which I was introduced to the country in 1998. This is Nicaragua at its lushest, greenest time of year … stay tuned for pretty pictures.
Building New Hope: More good work in Nicaragua, more voluntourism opportunities
By Joshua | 1 Comment » 
Building New Hope is a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization with years of experience doing community level development work in Nicaragua and El Salvador. They are particularly active in Granada, Nicaragua, where I am going this Sunday. I’m very excited to dine at Cafe Chavalos, a remarkably successful—and delicious—endeavor to turn high risk street kids into gourmet chefs. Building New Hope is also selling high quality Nicaraguan fair trade coffee, oozing with dark roast richness and good karma. These are only two of BNH’s many projects, about which I hope to write more soon. In the meantime, read about their volunteer opportunities. Bueno pues—see you in Granada…
Herbal Studies Retreat this January in Nicaragua
By Joshua | No Comments » 
ATRAVES, a Nicaraguan nonprofit association working “to support creative, small-scale, locally controlled initiatives in development, education, health and social justice,” has a few unique opportunities I’d like to share. In addition to building health clinics, schools, and running other projects throughout Nicaragua, ATRAVES offers volunteer opportunities and can help plan and manage group delegations of “students, professionals, women’s groups, service organizations, your five best friends and your uncle—any group with an interest in learning or working in Nicaragua.” They also host a number of themed trips to Nicaragua and there still spaces available for their January Herbal Studies Retreat to Estelí, Juigalpa, and Managua.
I’ll let ATRAVES tell you all about it:
(more…)
Support a Lending Library in Nicaragua
By Joshua | No Comments » 
Here are some specific ways to help an excellent library project in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua:
“Financial contributions to the Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for all Program go a long way. Your gift — in any amount — is multiplied ten-fold when it is invested in our program.”
Nica Chat Transcript
By Joshua | No Comments » 
Joshua Berman, freelance writer, trip leader, and co-author of Moon Handbooks Nicaragua, answered your questions on Nicaragua.
And it was good. Here’s the transcript from my Nica chat today. There were many excellent questions. Thank you for writing in!
For more on Nicaragua, don’t forget about my other website: GoToNicaragua.com
Nicaragua Trip Coach: Live Chat this Tuesday
By Joshua | No Comments » 
I am featured on BudgetTravel.com this week as a Nicaragua Trip Coach.
Submit your questions now — then from noon to 1 p.m., Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 16, I’ll be live-chatting and answering readers’ questions. The event is featured in Budget Travel’s weekly newsletter which goes out to 800,000 subscribers.
In other Nica news, Granada is yet again featured in the New York Times, in an article by Jeff Koyen called “Attracted by a blend of centuries and cultures.” This is the second time in the last few months the country has been touted by the Times:
“Nicaragua’s tourism industry is bullish for good reason. The country’s beaches are among the finest in the Americas, and among the least developed. Dozens of volcanic peaks offer treks through rain forests teeming with a rich biodiversity. And large tracts of nature reserves offer an eco-tourist wonderland.”
Denver Fundraiser for Nicaragua and Nepal Rural Schools
By Joshua | No Comments » 
Call today (303/399-3649) to make a reservation for Namlo International’s Ninth Annual Fall Dinner and Celebration, featuring a Nepalese buffet dinner in Denver, Colorado. There will be a silent auction of several vacation destinations (Costa Rica, Mexico, Estes Park, and others) and crafts for sale from Namlo’s communities in Nepal and Nicaragua, including a fashion show of cotton and silk Dhaka weaving shawls made by the women in Nepal.
Namlo International was founded in 1999 by mountaineer Magda King (the first Spanish woman to climb a 8,000 meter peak) and her husband, Dr. Hugh King. With funds from private donors, Namlo has built and helped communities to support four schools — two in Nepal and the most recent two in Nicaragua. A site for an additional school in Miraflor, Nicaragua, has been selected with construction scheduled to start in October 2007.
Hurricane Felix Aftermath in Nicaragua: Donate to the Red Cross
By Joshua | 3 Comments » 
Last week, a major hurricane slammed into the northeast corner of Nicaragua. The Bilwi (or Puerto Cabezas) region is the most remote, least developed population center in the country, where a large percentage of people live alongside rivers, swamps, or the Caribbean, all of which were whipped into a fury when an 18-foot storm surge struck the coast amid 160-mph winds. Now incessant rains are raising the rivers and threatening new damage. As the daily body counts continue to rise, a few other numbers are being thrown around: “17,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged,” President Ortega said, and an estimated 50,000 people have lost everything they owned.
Nica-rado get ready! Fundraising Fiesta at the Butterfly Pavillion Next Friday!
By Joshua | 1 Comment » 
Colorado Nica-philes mark your calendars for Friday, September 7. Boulder-based Empowerment International, an NGO (non-governmental organization) which helps school kids in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, presents their fourth annual “Festival of Hope” at the Westminster Butterfly Pavillion. Yes, amigos, come one, come all to support EI’s efforts to sponsor children in slums who are unable to afford basic necessities of going to school (tuition, uniform, supplies, etc.).
I’ll be there to auction off and sign copies of my books, Moon Nicaragua and Living Abroad In Nicaragua, to sing some Nicaragua folk songs, and to enjoy the company of so many fellow Nicaradans. (more…)
Study Spanish in Nicaragua: My Article in BUDGET TRAVEL
By Joshua | 1 Comment » 
If you’d like to improve your Español in the Land of Lakes and Volcanoes, check out this article I wrote about how to choose a Nicaraguan Spanish school:
The best way to learn to speak Spanish is to go abroad and study. And you’ll find fantastic deals on language classes in Nicaragua, a cheap and safe nation in Central America. For about $150-$200 a week, Nicaraguan full-immersion schools generally offer 20 hours of instruction, room and board with a family, and field trips.
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