Even the roads have a story
Lillian came here to visit Nicaragua just after the Sandinista revolution. The hope and dedication of the people inspired her to visit again for a couple of months. That was 26 years ago. Throughout the Contra War, she worked on a state-sponsored farm, traveling by horseback throughout the war zone.
Lillian is a wealth of stories. Every place and tiny detail has significance in the rich history of Nicaragua. A parking space is where the Contras ambushed a civilian car, leaving nothing but a melted metal frame. A park or a green area was not city planning, but a square of land destroyed in the 1972 earthquake and never rebuilt. And then there are the roads. They are not paved asphalt or concrete slabs as many of the roads in the U.S. are- they are not even gravel. Instead, they are a pattern of small cement blocks that fit together like cobblestones. The roads too have a story in the Sandinista revolution. When he ruled the country, the dictator, Anastasio Somoza, decreed that all roads should be built with the cement blocks that continue to pave the roads today. Soon after, his company became the major producer of those very blocks. Yet his master profit plan backfired during the revolution: the Sandinistas could easily rip apart sections of the road to blockade their opponents. The roads that paved the pocket of Somoza built the walls that blockaded his success.
June 25th, 2010 at 12:54 am
This blog touched my heart. I was born in Nicaragua. I suppose it was also about 26 years ago that my father went down to Nicaragua for the same reasons that Lillian did, and that’s how he met my mother. Having moved to the United States when I was only two, I’m now pretty well americanized, but I hold Nicaragua close to my heart. I don’t hear of many delegations to Nicaragua, so I’m glad that you guys got to go. I’m glad that you got to experience the country’s beauty…I’ve tried to describe that beauty to my friends countless times, but this line did a better job than I ever have: “It´s early morning now and across the street a woman is sweeping her sidewalk, a little girl heads to school, a dog wants some attention, trucks lumber down a nearby street, and birds sing.” That’s exactly it. Thank you.
June 26th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Yes, there are lots of stories. I recall walking in a park in Managua many years ago. The guide told us a battle had been fought here during the Revolution. He said we defeated the National Guard. They are buried beneath your feet. Still gives me the chills. However, there are many stories and many, many more hopeful and sunny than that one.
Cool blog.
Chuck