It was fascinating
to see all the different ways
that people in Nicaragua
use to get around.
You see horse drawn carts
right next to motorcycles
and buses and pick-up trucks.
There is a lot of poverty.
One local told me that
about 70 percent
of the people do not own a car.
There are lots of colorful buses
that were once U.S. school buses.
They are often jam-packed full of people,
and it's not unusual to see
someone riding on the outside,
clinging to the ladder on the back
or standing in the open doorway.
There are a lot of taxis of all kinds,
including this three-wheeled variety....
and the taxi
pulled by a horse!
This bad shot
through the bus window
gives you a look at the front
of the three-wheelers!
And how about these forms
of mass transportation.
You see huge groups of people
traveling like this all the time.
There are apparently
no laws against
riding in the back of a pick-up!
But this group wins the prize....
it is by far
the largest we saw
in the back of a truck!
Central America can be a
dangerous place to visit.
The group we travel with
goes to great lengths
to keep us safe.
But there have been many incidents
of violence in recent days,
so we were asked
to stay with the group at all times
and only go where our bus takes us.
That meant that we couldn't do
any wandering around alone
looking for the perfect photo-op!
So most of my photos of the city
and the countryside
are taken from the window
of our moving bus.
You'll see a lot of blur,
a fair amount of window glare,
and often the Nicaraguan flag
that sat on the dash of the bus!
But I decided to take my chances.
These photos are definitely not art,
but they will be wonderful memories!
