A Little Bit About the Land

Nicaragua is known as the “country of lakes and volcanoes”. Located in Central America, the country has the largest fresh water lake within the entire region. Lake Nicaragua is the only lake in the world that contains fresh water sharks. Also containing a magnificent island called Ometepe, it contains two volcanoes, which makes an 8-figure island. The land is also known for its rich coffee and soil. It is also the largest country and Central America and the second poorest country in the western hemisphere, next to Haiti. The name Nicaragua is a combination of two words, “nicarao" and "agua". Nicarao stands for the Indian tribe that inhabited the coasts of Lake Nicaragua when the Spaniards came to the country in the 1500's. Agua is just the Spanish word for water. The Nicarao tribe landed in the shores of Lake Nicaragua, traveled from Mexico, and arrived in Ometepe declaring it their homeland. The Nicaragua currency is called the Cordoba.  The Nicaragua currency is named after the Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba. An interesting fact about Nicaragua is that they don’t use east or west for directions. They use upstairs and downstairs! This is used as a reference to when the sun rises towards the sky, considering as going upstairs or east, and then when the sun descends, considering as going downstairs or west. Nicaragua is also known to have the best cigars in the world. Overall, Nicaragua is a beautiful country with an abundant of natural resources and a wonderful land structure. Along with their baseball playing teams and Flor de Cana rum, Nicaragua is also known for having toucans, jaguars and manatees. Believe it or not, the biggest threats to the environment in Nicaragua are deforestation, soil erosion, and water pollution. Nicaragua is one country everyone should visit until it’s gone. 

My Beginning

For those who don’t know me, I grew up solely under the protection and care of my mother. She was and is still my role model. She taught me how to be independent and strive for my goals. My name is Nathalie Coste and Vielca Silva is my mother. We were both born in Tipitapa, Nicaragua in my great-grandfather’s home. Growing up I remember swinging in the family hammock and having my little cousins feed me grapes as I pretend to be the queen of the land. Back in Nicaragua, I rode ponies and fed chickens by the dozen. I woke up to dogs chasing the family pigs and the nonsense, nonstop gibberish of the neighbors. One of the fondest memories was when I went to class one day; dressed in my black and red schoolgirl outfit. I had books in one hand and my lunch in the other. As I walked to school, I passed many bakeries and food shops. My favorite was a fritanga, located on the corner of my road. A fritanga is basically a shop and restaurant containing a variety of assorted foods and pastries.  Some foods included in the shop were carne asada, or fried steak, gallo-pinto, rice and beans, and cacao, a chocolate drink.  Walking to school I stopped by the shop and picked and picked up lunch. It was one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes and I had a huge craving for it. Arroz a la valenciana, as it is called, consists of yellow rice, chicken, sausage, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Usually my grandmother makes it with red wine to tie in the flavors together. I remember that day was so memorable because not only did I get a bite of my favorite dish, but it was one of the last real meals I had from the land of Nicaragua.