It is our last full day in Granada, and I want to be able to soak it all in and appreciate the experience. I hear the rooster crowing, beckoning me to start. I check the time – 3:58am… Nope, not yet.

At 7:00am, Nadine already has the kids set to go, and an early start to the day is appreciated. It is already 21 degrees: warm, but much cooler than it will be in a few short hours. Being the dry season and only 11 degrees north of the equator, it gets very hot in a hurry.

We wander past Granada’s Central Park and amble down to the Calzado – the main cobblestone tourist strip lined with restaurants and shops. It is quiet, as most of the businesses are still closed and people are just starting to prepare for the day; the splashes of water and the bristles of brooms scrubbing the sidewalk can be heard as merchants are cleaning their patches of street and sidewalk. The relative silence is almost surreal, since the din of humanity will take over shortly.

We hurry back to have breakfast before the kids go on a chocolate tour. I then spend a good part of the morning at the post office in the company of a gracious lady who was very generous with her patience. My clumsy attempts to understand how to prepare a Canada-bound package were overcome by her willingness to walk me through what was required.

Any package leaving Nicaragua must be open, in order for the postal clerk to verify its contents and authorize the declaration form. The package must then be sealed, wrapped in brown craft paper with clear packing tape (variations of which are not acceptable), carried to a separate area to be weighed, brought back for labelling, and finally, payment made.

I got back to the hotel shortly before the girls returned from their chocolate tour. The hotel owner had also just arrived and invited us to his finca, located minutes outside of Granada on 85 acres of former ranchland. It wasn’t particularly good ranchland; the volcanic rock underneath was covered by a thin layer of dry soil – just enough for trees, shrubs, and other hardy vegetation, which crunched beneath our feet as we walked.

Our host first took us to a spot on his property which was a feast for the eyes: a view of Mombacha Volcano, with a full panoramic view of the sun’s path – from where it rose out of Lake Nicaragua, to where it set past the tree-covered hills towards the Pacific. He then gave us a tour of his villa, and an explanation that Nicaraguan construction is based on a compromise between the architect’s vision and the land’s willingness to yield.

Property values over the past two years have increased significantly, and so has tourism. The most common statement is that Nicaragua is like Costa Rica, twenty years ago – more untouched and untamed… and it is easy to see the appeal to buy real estate and/or invest in Nicaragua.

From our experience, Nicaragua is very safe and a lot more relaxed. I was initially worried about what I was getting my family into when I selected this destination, but I certainly do not regret it now. We definitely like Mexico as a tropical destination, but after being in Costa Rica, I was convinced that we no longer have to go to Mexico again… After being in Nicaragua, I’m not so sure I would go to Costa Rica again… While I find that Costa Rica is more polished with its tourism, Nicaragua is less expensive and more genuine.

That said, it is not without its risks. The political scene is led by Daniel Ortega – a virtual dictator with “anti-West” leanings (friendly dealings with Chavez’s Venezuela, Russia, China, and Iran).

There are also plans to build a canal, similar to the one in Panama, which would open up economic opportunities, but the plans are full of controversy – both internal to Nicaragua as well as the world stage. Note: it is uncertain as to the influence that China (maybe Russia too??) will have, but the new shipping routes will most certainly impact the US and Canada.

In addition, infrastructure is not developed, ownership rights can be a little murky, prices could face high volatility, and the buyers few and far between. A personal investment in Nicaragua would be like most investments: the higher the risk, the higher the reward. In the end, I made the same decision I always do: you have zero ownership risk and zero commitment if you rent. Sigh…

A day of sightseeing really means scrambling for shade while going from Point A to Point B, but the views are well worth it.

We decide to have dinner at one of the restaurants in the Calzada and immerse ourselves in the action. The throng of the crowd is already in high gear when we get there, watching some kids go through an acrobatic breakdance routine.

Some boys come by trying to sell bracelets and other knickknacks, and I try to brush them off with a polite “no, gracias” while I turn my attention to a couple of guys go through a juggling act with fire so close, you feel the heat and smell the kerosene. I am enjoying the experience of just being there – wait a minute! Did that boy just kiss one of the girl’s hand?!?

And just like that, the father instinct kicks in… and I’m not sure we are returning to Nicaragua anytime soon anymore 😉