But it ain't paradise

Before we get carried away singing the praises of Granada, Nicaragua, do understand dear reader that this place, like any other place on this planet, has its' problems. Keep in mind that Nicaragua is considered to be the second poorest country in the Americas, behind only Haiti, and evidence of such is everywhere.

Behind many of the ancient and stately walls of this magnificent colonial city are shanties and shacks where families that number in the dozens dwell. Many continue to cook over wood fires as did their ancestors 200-300 years ago. The family shower is often a garden hose, the floor, hard-packed dirt, the latrine, a hole in the ground.

Grey water runs down the open gutters on many of the streets and standing water is everywhere, creating the perfect breeding environment for mosquitoes. And all of this grey water runs downhill, untreated, eventually into massive Lake Nicaragua.

And then, there's the litter. Granada has a garbage collecting system in place but it doesn't deal with the huge amounts of litter that seems to be everywhere. The local population has a rather cavalier attitude toward litter -- they will sweep the sidewalk in front of their homes out into the street and then leave it there. People of all ages can be seen discarding trash onto the ground rather than sticking it in their pockets for disposal at home. Even in the central park plaza -- the main tourist mecca -- trash cans sit empty while the ground is cluttered with all kinds of debris.

However, the saddest sight of all centers on a minority of children, some as young as six and seven years old, who have become addicted to glue sniffing. I'm told that parents are often the culprits because glue sniffing serves as an appetite suppressant. Rather than figuring out a way to feed these youngsters, glue from the local shoe factories is readily available and cheap -- cheaper apparently than the nation's staple, rice and beans. Too often as we wander about this unique old city, we find children propped up against walls with that vacant stare, and a baby food jar of glue tightly clutched in their hands.

The only conclusion that we can reach is that paradise is merely a state of mind. This is, without doubt, a fascinating place with its ornate old cathedrals and horse drawn carriages. But to our way of thinking, paradise wouldn't have so much horseshit in the streets.