Fun in the Sun in Esteli, Nicaragua!
It was a very busy fall and early winter for Venus and I. We were married in late October, cruised the Mexican Riviera in November and flew to Nicaragua of all places in December. Venus' brother, Mark Stromberg, married his long-time sweetheart in Esteli, which is in the mountains. Esteli was at the center of the Sandinista revolt against the Somoza Regime, and is one of only three cities left in Nicaragua that elected a Sandinista Mayor. Memories of the revolution are everywhere here.
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Our First Dinner in Esteli!
Everything in Nicaragua is a bargain, including this meal. We ordered four steak dinners that night, and had lots of Nicaraguan beer (which is excellent!). The final bill amounted to less than twenty dollars, which included a healthy tip! |
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Mark the Sandinista!
Venus and I discovered this Sandinista bar in downtown Esteli, where photos and other memorabillia (like a rocket launcher!) adorn the walls. Mark Stromberg is standing with a gentleman flashing the Sandinista victory sign. Notice the pictures of Karl Marx and Che Guevara behind them. |
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First of Two Ceremonies
Nicaragua might be a Catholic nation, but marriages in the Catholic Church are not recognized as "legal" under Nicaraguan law. That forces many couples to have two ceremonies. The first one, like this proceeding, is the civil ceremony. Mark and his bride, Leana Barrantes, were married in the Cathedral at Esteli the next evening. |
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The Cathedral at Esteli
The cathedral sits atop the highest point in Esteli, and this is where the actual "wedding" took place. I could never get used to the alarm that would sound before daily mass. It sounded much like the alarm cities in the U.S. would use in the event of a nuclear attack. I'm not kidding. |
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The Reception!
Mark and his new bride, Leana, arrive at the Esteli Country Club for the longest wedding reception I have ever attended. This building has a fascinating history. The Sandinistas used this structure as a headquarters following the revolution. It was returned only recently to the public for functions such as this.
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Sisters-in-Law!
Venus and Leana pose for photos following the civil ceremony. Leana grew up in Esteli, where much of the family remains to this day. However, many also chose to leave following the Sandinista revolution and the subsequent Contra battle. Esteli was not safe for anyone at that time, let alone children like Leana. |
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This is December?
This is Venus and her father on a tour of the islands that dot Lake Nicaragua. It was warm and humid here, which doubled as "December Cold" in Nicaragua. Many of the islands here are for sale, and can be purchased for as little as five thousand dollars. I can imagine what will happen to the property values here once this place is discovered by wealthy American tourists. |
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