This is Puerto Cabezas/Bilwi as described in The Lonely Planet. “This impoverished Caribbean port town and ethnic melting pot sprawls along the coast and back into the scrubby pines on wide brick streets and red-earth roads, full of people and music, smiles and sideways glances.
Old wooden churches, antique craftsman homes and ramshackle slums are knitted together with rusted sheet-metal fencing, coconut palms and mango trees. In a single stroll you’ll eavesdrop on loud jagged
Miskito banter, rapid-fire español and lovely, lilting Caribbean English. Sure, this city has systemic problems (poverty, decay, crime), and its ramshackle infrastructure lags behind the rest of the country. But with tasty seafood, great-value historic lodging options, and seaside indigenous communities a boat ride away, it can also be as alluring as a sweet, yet slightly sketchy, new friend.”
Automobile travel can be difficult. When it rains, deep muddy holes pock mark the roads and, at times, vehicles move only slightly faster than walkers.
Much of the local food
is made with coconuts, rice, beans and fish. Coconut bread is common. Although many of the vegetables found here are imported and expensive, most of the fish and other sea creatures are caught and served fresh from the sea. One evening a companion ordered a meat dish which I was told is similar to the capybara but may have been something more like a guinea pig. I intend to investigate this further on my next visit.
Hotel rooms can be quite basic, at least in my experience. The cost of this room is $23 per night, including a poolside breakfast of eggs, cheese, gallo pinto (rice and black beans mixed with coconut milk) and sweet plantains, served with white bread and coffee.
This is the area where our extraordinary Adelante Mujer medical students are from. This is the area I visited and learned, first hand, about the impressive work of Adelante Mujer.
Rita Thomas ~ Board Member September 6, 2017
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