Walk, Don't Gawk

Vida Nica - Dry land thoughts from the beerfloat.calm world

Walk, Dont Gawk – by Corliss Buenavida

If you are a traveller like me, you are likely a curious soul and you have seen some pretty amazing things.

So, visiting a place like Nicaragua, would appear as one of those 'off the radar' destinations, a bit of an eye opener, with such visual impressions that grab at your attention because you literally, "Don't see that everyday!"

Well stop looking because you are likely to end up doing a face plant!

The rule is - Walk, Don't Gawk!

In the town from which I write to you, San Juan Del Sur, unless you are standing still - don't look at your surroundings. I have walked these streets many a time, but I still get tripped up by the uneven surfaces while I'm waving at an amigo across the road.

Keep your eyes down, looking at the path in front of you. In the stretch to pass three door fronts you will likely have three different surface materials at three different levels which may or may not have steps between them.

Walking on the roads, especially the recently rebuilt ones, rather than the sidewalks is often the better choice except then you must dodge the motos (and sometimes cars and trucks) going the wrong way down a one-way street. Even the new roads have recent so-called repairs, which might lead to a twisted ankle, so you have to stay vigilant.

On a typical walk from the Villa to a beachfront establishment for sunset which takes less than 10 minutes using sidewalks, where they exist, I may encounter...

... a pair of rocks made from construction rubble (colour matching the interlocking blocks the road is made from) which the local kids use as goal posts for street soccer and have just left them in place when the game was abandoned

... another rock which was left in place as an emergency parking brake for a previously parked car in need of some maintenance

... a minimum of 4 dog turds

... a stretch of sidewalk with a raised perpendicular curb (why?) crossing it between properties

... potholes of all shapes and sizes

... many raised or partially raised access boxes 

... many access boxes with no cap (there used to be one sewer right against the edge of the sidewalk at a corner where two of the busiest streets in town meet which had no cover at all - just a 4-foot drop)

... 12 ground mounted spotlights which are just sticking up ankle high as you walk through the town square, Parque Central (a wonderful new hazard illuminating recently installed giant whale sculptures which are breeching the cement surface of the square, which is painted ocean blue, again, why?)

... a large pile of gravel and/or other construction materials

... a shelf or ledge hanging out an establishments' front window which intrudes upon the path of the sidewalk, most are arm or hip bumps but there is one right at head level 

... 7 sidewalk segments with steep driveway access cut outs

... small rebar welded ramps hinged to the curb for vehicle access

... a small truck with flat tires parked halfway on the sidewalk

... 2 fire hydrants in the sidewalk arms length away from each other, a bit like a slalom course

When you have traversed this obstacle course and finally made it to Henry's Iguana Bar you then have to climb 2 sets of steep stairs the second of which has extra high step heights.

But that sunset view is worth it!

Elsewhere in town a stroll may result in these experiences...

... a stretch of sidewalk which becomes stairs going up to a storefront and then stairs back down to road level, usually with no railing

 ... a stretch of sidewalk covered in tiles which are slippery when wet

... a drunk passed out blocking the sidewalk

… and the list goes on and on…

Step lively,

Corliss

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