This sounds appealing. It's only about $700 round trip from NorCal to Managua, versus 1200 to Philippines and the flight is less than half as long. Also, hopefully jet lag will be much less.

Does anyone have any info on a nice second tier college town?

Quote: (04-21-2013 10:54 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Purple Urkle -

Ever spent anytime in the Caribbean side towns?

No, I have not been over to Bluefields and the Corn Islands yet. Looking forward to that. You can catch a bus over to Rama and then an overnight boat trip to Bluefields for like twenty bucks or something. Sounds like a fun adventure. You can also fly over from Managua for about 100 to 150 bucks. I hear Bluefields is a bit rough and tumble like Managua, not the best place to stumble around drunk at two in the morning (unlike Leon where the cops put up with no shenanigans directed toward tourists). The islands are a bit more expensive with hotels starting in the thirty dollar a night range (in Leon I stay at the Hotel America for ten bucks a night and in San Juan del Sur at this little family run joint for five bucks a night).

Quote: (04-22-2013 08:03 AM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

This sounds appealing. It's only about $700 round trip from NorCal to Managua, versus 1200 to Philippines and the flight is less than half as long. Also, hopefully jet lag will be much less.

Does anyone have any info on a nice second tier college town?

Esteli and Jinotepe.

Quote: (04-22-2013 07:48 AM)UrbanNerd Wrote:  

Quote: (04-21-2013 10:48 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Quote: (04-21-2013 07:51 PM)UrbanNerd Wrote:  

Quote: (03-31-2013 04:46 PM)lavidaloca Wrote:  

I like your part about no shorts. This is something I preach. Way too many gringos are wandering around in shorts, sandles and hawaian shirts in the caribbean.

I don't do sandals or Hawaiian shirts, but I wear my cargo shorts and college alma-mater shirts (tee or polo or soccer style). At the end of the day, money will win in Latin-America and the VERY FEW chicas who don't require you to "stand out" are not worth my comfort in the heat.

Actually, even if you look like "King Gringo the 8th", you will win in most of Latin America with money (or illusion of money and security), so one does not really have to try to be "Mr. Creative" all that much.

Just my $0.05

Not my experience at all.

You are not even getting into clubs in Latin America in a college T and cargo shorts let alone swooping the best girls.

(You could in maybe some tiny surf village, but then again, a Quiksilver T and surf skills to back it up is going to win over some guy in a college T and cargos.)

Hell, you will probably get laughed all the way back to America.

If your "best" girls in these Latin American clubs have money, education and other assets, then yours truly will upgrade on the attire. If these chicks are living in that same shack as the other chicks and are not really "bringing anything but a smile and pussy", then they will see me in some NCAA-approved gear at some other venue.

I put out effort on chicks according to what they bring to the table.

Yes and yes. Both approaches have validity based on context. When I'm in San Juan del Sur I'll wear shorts and play up the surfer thing just because that's more of who I am and it fits well with the local vibe. But if I go into Rivas for the day I go back to pants and a more conservative, low profile look. This is not just for the chick side of game but for the lifestyle side of game. You wanna be smart and safe without being paranoid. You're less of a target for nefarious activity if you blend in stylistically with the locals.

Quote: (04-22-2013 07:48 AM)UrbanNerd Wrote:  

Quote: (04-21-2013 10:48 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Quote: (04-21-2013 07:51 PM)UrbanNerd Wrote:  

Quote: (03-31-2013 04:46 PM)lavidaloca Wrote:  

I like your part about no shorts. This is something I preach. Way too many gringos are wandering around in shorts, sandles and hawaian shirts in the caribbean.

I don't do sandals or Hawaiian shirts, but I wear my cargo shorts and college alma-mater shirts (tee or polo or soccer style). At the end of the day, money will win in Latin-America and the VERY FEW chicas who don't require you to "stand out" are not worth my comfort in the heat.

Actually, even if you look like "King Gringo the 8th", you will win in most of Latin America with money (or illusion of money and security), so one does not really have to try to be "Mr. Creative" all that much.

Just my $0.05

Not my experience at all.

You are not even getting into clubs in Latin America in a college T and cargo shorts let alone swooping the best girls.

(You could in maybe some tiny surf village, but then again, a Quiksilver T and surf skills to back it up is going to win over some guy in a college T and cargos.)

Hell, you will probably get laughed all the way back to America.

If your "best" girls in these Latin American clubs have money, education and other assets, then yours truly will upgrade on the attire. If these chicks are living in that same shack as the other chicks and are not really "bringing anything but a smile and pussy", then they will see me in some NCAA-approved gear at some other venue.

I put out effort on chicks according to what they bring to the table.

Gotcha.

Y

Quote: (04-22-2013 07:48 AM)UrbanNerd Wrote:  

Quote: (04-21-2013 10:48 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Quote: (04-21-2013 07:51 PM)UrbanNerd Wrote:  

Quote: (03-31-2013 04:46 PM)lavidaloca Wrote:  

I like your part about no shorts. This is something I preach. Way too many gringos are wandering around in shorts, sandles and hawaian shirts in the caribbean.

I don't do sandals or Hawaiian shirts, but I wear my cargo shorts and college alma-mater shirts (tee or polo or soccer style). At the end of the day, money will win in Latin-America and the VERY FEW chicas who don't require you to "stand out" are not worth my comfort in the heat.

Actually, even if you look like "King Gringo the 8th", you will win in most of Latin America with money (or illusion of money and security), so one does not really have to try to be "Mr. Creative" all that much.

Just my $0.05

Not my experience at all.

You are not even getting into clubs in Latin America in a college T and cargo shorts let alone swooping the best girls.

(You could in maybe some tiny surf village, but then again, a Quiksilver T and surf skills to back it up is going to win over some guy in a college T and cargos.)

Hell, you will probably get laughed all the way back to America.

If your "best" girls in these Latin American clubs have money, education and other assets, then yours truly will upgrade on the attire. If these chicks are living in that same shack as the other chicks and are not really "bringing anything but a smile and pussy", then they will see me in some NCAA-approved gear at some other venue.

I put out effort on chicks according to what they bring to the table.

Gotcha.

Yeah, I don't purposefully go after the shack dwellers in other countries.

I shoot for the top tier. Many times the girls I swoop in other countries have more dough than me.

Quote: (04-22-2013 09:23 AM)Purple Urkle Wrote:  

Quote: (04-21-2013 10:54 PM)thegmanifesto Wrote:  

Purple Urkle -

Ever spent anytime in the Caribbean side towns?

No, I have not been over to Bluefields and the Corn Islands yet. Looking forward to that. You can catch a bus over to Rama and then an overnight boat trip to Bluefields for like twenty bucks or something. Sounds like a fun adventure. You can also fly over from Managua for about 100 to 150 bucks. I hear Bluefields is a bit rough and tumble like Managua, not the best place to stumble around drunk at two in the morning (unlike Leon where the cops put up with no shenanigans directed toward tourists). The islands are a bit more expensive with hotels starting in the thirty dollar a night range (in Leon I stay at the Hotel America for ten bucks a night and in San Juan del Sur at this little family run joint for five bucks a night).

Cool. Know anything about Puerto Cabeza?

Are Leon, Granada, and San Juan del Sur the safest towns?

What is the scene like in San Juan del Sur? Enough nightlife to keep one from getting bored?

Or is it like a one main bar with cervezas type operation?

Purple,

I'll be in Nicaragua for about 3 weeks in May. Can you say a little more on Rivas... is there any real point to going/staying there, if so, for what?

My plan as it is now is to start out in Granada for about 4 days, San Juan del Sur / Tola for 10 days, and maybe Leon for 3 days... may drop Leon though. Are the beaches near Leon pretty good or significantly worse than the beaches in and around San Juan del Sur?

Thoughts/comparisons of Granada vs Leon? Also, how hardcore are Nicaraguans about baseball? Training my own kids and coaching baseball for local kids will be a big part of my life down there.

If I get a good feel for Nicaragua and like it on this trip then I'll move there later this year.

[/quote]

Cool. Know anything about Puerto Cabeza?

Are Leon, Granada, and San Juan del Sur the safest towns?

What is the scene like in San Juan del Sur? Enough nightlife to keep one from getting bored?

Or is it like a one main bar with cervezas type operation?
[/quote]

Nada on Puerto Cabeza. I get the sense that the east coast is kinda sleepy and small. On Latin American Cupid there is like three chicks from the Caribbean side and maybe one is doable. The islands probably get more top tier kinda stuff from upper class Managuans and Leonise.

Yes, the big three are very safe. People have been robbed on the beach at night in San Juan. I feel safest in towns under a 100,000 where I'm the only foreigner in town (sounds like the opposite of Colombia). However, I don't go out drinking late at night unless I'm with a local chica. I'll sometimes start getting bad vibes late in the evening so I just take the chick and bail. I can't wait to get out of my cowboy costume anyway so its all good.

As for San Juan, its small with the beer garden/bar scene/surfer thing dominating. However, its the only Nica town that is right on the beach. Two nightclubs that I have not been to. You can walk the whole scene in thirty minutes. No taxi necessary. During weekends and holidays upper class Nicas come down which makes it a pretty cool place to hang if you've got some time to kill. Great food and an awesome gym.

I think Managua is the place for nightclub hopping and suits and a larger pool of higher quality girls. However, this is pure speculation on my part. Never done the whole Caraterra Masaya nightclub strip thing. Its on the to do list.

Quote: (04-22-2013 03:58 PM)Big Nilla Wrote:  

Purple,

I'll be in Nicaragua for about 3 weeks in May. Can you say a little more on Rivas... is there any real point to going/staying there, if so, for what?

My plan as it is now is to start out in Granada for about 4 days, San Juan del Sur / Tola for 10 days, and maybe Leon for 3 days... may drop Leon though. Are the beaches near Leon pretty good or significantly worse than the beaches in and around San Juan del Sur?

Thoughts/comparisons of Granada vs Leon? Also, how hardcore are Nicaraguans about baseball? Training my own kids and coaching baseball for local kids will be a big part of my life down there.

If I get a good feel for Nicaragua and like it on this trip then I'll move there later this year.

I like Rivas and have thought of setting up shop there. I seem to be an odd ball on this choice as many people dont share my attraction to the city. I go there for the women. Nothing to do at night. Only three or four hotels near Tica Bus station.

I have not spent a lot of time in Granada but I like it very much. They have an unreal art and music school. Good baseball stadium. Great architecture. Very safe. Pretty clean.

San Juan wins on the beach scene, however the beaches near Leon are just fine if you ask me. Very few people live near the beach in Nica which is kinda awesome because it makes the entire coast a defacto nature preserve. Leon has an awesome baseball stadium.

Yes, baseball is huge. Your skills and time volunteering in the community will be appreciated.

Wow! Seems like a lot of effort , cash spending and lying just to get laid. I just got back from Nicaragua (Managua, Masaya and Granada) and all I saw in people battling for survival on daily basis. I don't see a lot of sex appeal in this place.