The Goveas spent Christmas 2011 in Nicaragua renewing our tourist visas.
I have lived in Costa Rica for four months and was only in Nicaragua for six days so the following comparison is not a completely fair analysis, but one that I did want to make.
Nicaragua
- Food is cheaper and tastes better.
- It is a more agricultural country.
- Many people use bicycles and motorcycles as their main source of transportation and will carry whatever they need to on them such as: three other people (including babies and children), propane tanks, groceries, cakes, etc.
- There are less ants.
- Gasoline is cheaper.
- The roads are better.
- Overall, the people seem to be gentler, more accommodating.
- Lake Nicaragua is very impressive. ("Despite being a freshwater lake, it has sawfish, tarpon, and sharks!") Here is one of the many videos that I shot on our trip.
Costa Rica
- There is a wider variety and abundance of restaurants.
- The literacy rate is higher (96% vs. 87% in Nicaragua).
- The people are fairer-skinned (which means that I don’t stand out quite so much).
- The streets are cleaner; people throw trash in the garbage can instead of on the curb.
- The wealth of flora and fauna (such as iguanas, parrots, monkeys, palm trees, and fish) is beautiful.
