HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
MARCH2015
69
tomatoes,bell peppers andonions in a
sourorange juice stock thickenedwith
tortilla.It’sadeliciousmeal,butnot for
the faint of appetite.
Having taken possession of a few
moreceramicvases,IreturntotheTribal,
whereIslip into thepool,then flopona
daybed,mojito inhand.Iawakeanhour
or so later to lengthening shadows and
a vague sense that I’m supposed to be
doing something.Oh, yes, sightseeing.
Mynextstop istheweathered
IglesiaLa
Merced
,whosebell towerprovidesstun-
ning views ofGranada’s tiled rooftops
andhidden courtyards,coloredpinkby
thedipping sun.
Next, I head forCalleLaCalzada,a
bustlingpedestrianboulevard,home to
the low-key eatery
Nectar
.Still digest-
ing lunch, I take it easy with a plate
of
tostones
—a popular local snack of
fried plantain cakes toppedwith salty
cheese—anda frostyTonabeer.Nearby,
a group of teenagers performMichael
Jackson’s “Thriller.”Charmingly, they
get someof the lyricsmixedup (“Yet I
cangiveyoumore thaneverygirl could
everdescribe…”).Ormaybe it’sexhaus-
tionplaying tricksonme.Eitherway,I
paymy tab and shuffle, appropriately
zombie-like,in thedirectionofmybed.
DAY TWO
| Breakfast today is at
Granada’s
MercadoMunicipal
,asprawlof
stallshawkingeverything frombanana-
leaf tamales tobargain-brandbatteries.
Afterwindingdeep into the crumbling
late-19th-century building that houses
themarket,Ienterahigh-ceilingedhall
filledwith food stalls.As I’mdebating
which of the identical counters to sit
at,anolderman enjoyinghis breakfast
wavesmeover.
“I thought youwereAmerican,”he
says, shakingmyhandwhile informing
me that he’s originally fromCalifornia.
“I’mWilliam.”Onhisrecommendation,
I order a
desayuno tipico
, a traditional
Nicaraguan breakfast of fried eggs,
plantains, rice andbeans and a slice of
salty
queso seco
cheese.
While I wait formymeal,William
reveals that he has spent three decades
living in various South and Central
Americancountries.The lasteightyears
he has spent here inGranada, not far
fromthemarket,whereheeatsbreakfast
MINDTHEGAP
VolcánMasaya’s
Santiago crater
