Granada

You can see the connections to Spain in Nica. Two of their biggest towns are called Leon and Granada and their currency is called a Cordoba.

Granada is as close to Europe as you are going to get in Central America. Cobblestone streets, shady parks and even cafes and bars with outside seating, something otherwise unheard of down here. Even in oh-so-touristy Antigua.

All this of course encourages masses of tourists. I don't really know why, as it is basically like any mid sized town in southern Europe. Something a group of Spanish doctors brought home to me whilst diving on little corn. They were only on holidays for two weeks in Nica and I asked them had they been to Leon or Granada. They replied with humour that if they wanted cobblestones, churches and parks then they would have stayed at home.

Nonetheless Granada is undoubtedly lovely, situated on Lago de Nicaragua, which is the largest lake in Central America and one of the 20 largest in the world. The pace is slow and it is fantastic to see as the evening breaks families sitting in chairs outside their houses, kids playing contentedly with each other till the wee small hours. Something which apparently shocks Americans.

But again the curse of tourism is evident. Prices are high and begging quite prevalent.

Oh well, nowhere is perfect.