Estelí. What a town

It's a little wild west around the edges, and it's got a bit of edge that says 'look at me! I'm important!' (and in some ways Estelí is important), but overall, Estelí­ is a nice little city.

There are almost no buildings over 2 stories, and of course the largest structure in town is a church. People live in the city, but some of them work as cowboys just out of town, so of course they ride their horses down the streets and park them outside their houses. Because the city is trying to attract tourists, some come, though the infrastructure isn't great. Salespeople line their wares -- some very, very tacky -- along the curb, while others hawk them to you as you sit innocently on the park bench (I was offered a hammock, a watch, and to have my hiking boots shined).

The sidewalks are filled with commerce - so much so that you have to walk on the street sometimes, which is a way to take your life in your hands. The drivers don't necessarily care that you're there.

Back during the revolutionary war, in the 1970s, Estelí­ was bombed to rubble by the dictator, Somoza, and when Estelí­ fell to the Sandinista Front (FSLN), Somoza fled, leaving Managua open to the new government. Then, during the Contra War of the 80s, Esteli­ was a frequent target of the USA's guerrilla force (the Contras), not so much for attacks as a source of fighters -- young people were pressed into service in the Contra brigades whether they wanted to fight for them or not. This was not helped by the fact that the FSLN, in power at the time, brought in compulsory military service in the early 80s, mainly because of the contra threat. Even so, Estelí is a loyal revolutionary town to this day.

But today, commerce, not war, is the name of the game. There is a lot of poverty, like everywhere in Nicaragua, but people are fighting as best they can, and Estelí is also full of social organizations trying to change things for the better. It's still a very left-wing city, in its way.

I ran across an impromptu tourist trap near the cathedral. The fellow wanted me to buy his tacky little plaster animals, but all I did was take this picture. They weren't really my kind of thing anyway, but they were picturesque enough from the right angle. Maybe this is that angle. Or maybe not. The horse in the background, all shrunk down by perspective, is real.