2011.01.15: January 15, 2011: RPCV Matt Prezano is member of the Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality team who handled the hotel's transition to Nicaraguan managers
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2011.01.15: January 15, 2011: RPCV Matt Prezano is member of the Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality team who handled the hotel's transition to Nicaraguan managers
RPCV Matt Prezano is member of the Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality team who handled the hotel's transition to Nicaraguan managers
It took more than a year to erect the casitas, made of reclaimed timber blown down by hurricane Felix in 2007, said Matt Prezano, the chef's brother and member of the Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality team who handled the hotel's transition to Nicaraguan managers. He came to Nicaragua in 1998 as a Peace Corps volunteer. "I surfed here for about six months after my Peace Corps work was done. Love the place and decided to come back," said the California native and former banker. Prezano showed me around the isleta, detailing how the resort was built with the minimum impact to the island's natural setting. Water for guests and the kitchen is heated with solar panels; cross ventilation and ceiling fans replace air conditioning; waste water is treated; grey water is used to water the plants; energy effi cient lights are everywhere, and all the electrical wires are underground, he said. The only motors heard here are the small fishing boats puttering past the idyllic Jicaro, named after the bountiful tree, whose seeds are used for medicinal remedies and beverages. For the ecolodge to succeed, Prezano said, it's important to hire local staff, train them and let them run it. "They know the place better than anyone. This is their country, and tourism their livelihood."
RPCV Matt Prezano is member of the Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality team who handled the hotel's transition to Nicaraguan managers
Jicaro an ideal escape for ecotourists
Tiny island in Lake Nicaragua offers comfortable cabins and harmony with nature
By Stories By Silvio Dobri, Edmonton Journal January 15, 2011
The cabana by the pool on Jicaro Island is a quiet place to relax and take in the view of the mainland.
The cabana by the pool on Jicaro Island is a quiet place to relax and take in the view of the mainland.
Photograph by: Silvio Dobri, Edmonton Journal
On a nearby island, a rooster crowed before the first sliver of light cracked the horizon over Lake Nicaragua.
Dawn roused the birds. The avian chorale rose gradually in a hallelujah crescendo just as the morning sun burst into full view through the window of our cabin on Jicaro Island.
This was my wake-up call for the three days spent on Jicaro (pronounced he-ka-roh), one of the 365 "isletas" that form a bustling archipelago off the colonial Nicaraguan city of Granada.
Jicaro is secluded and serene. The eco-lodge getaway was a chance discovery while websurfi ng for beach resorts in neighbouring Costa Rica. A side trip into Nicaragua was on our itinerary, so a stay at Jicaro was very appealing. So was the promotional offer of three nights for the price of two.
I wanted to spend a few days in Granada, a charming city I visited in 1983 during the American-led Contra war against the Sandinista government. Back then, tourists were known as "sandalistas," because most wore sandals and sympathized with the left-leaning revolutionary government. Nowadays, Nicaragua is attracting price-conscious backpackers and gringos looking for vacation properties.
We booked a stay at Jicaro on the understanding we'd arrive "between Monday and Friday" and take our chances on finding an empty casita, or cabin.
Imagine our delight when a smiling Carolina Gomez greeted us at the Jicaro reservation desk on the mainland and confirmed our casita was ready. She then escorted us to the lodge's water taxi. Our landing on Jicaro was surprisingly ceremonial. Four staff members greeted us dockside, bearing tea made from a local grass, pastry, and hot towels.
The rocky island protruding from the murky Lake Nicaragua is barely large enough to hold a dozen buildings. Our casita was a simple two-storey structure. The bedroom took up the entire second floor, and the polished wood gave our haven a Japanese feel. Here, we were in harmony with nature -- inside and out. Our daily meals could be taken on the restaurant terrace, our private balcony, the yoga deck, or poolside. A romantic dinner on the floating deck was an evening option.
Meals were prepared by the Americantrained chef Calley Prezano. Her culinary delights stressed freshly made daily specials using local ingredients, be it fish, meat, greens, jams or sweets.
Jicaro was developed by Karen Emanuel, who was intrigued by an "Island for Sale" sign she saw in a Nicaraguan restaurant in 2007. A few months after returning to England, the London businesswoman made an offer for her fantasy island.
It took more than a year to erect the casitas, made of reclaimed timber blown down by hurricane Felix in 2007, said Matt Prezano, the chef's brother and member of the Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality team who handled the hotel's transition to Nicaraguan managers. He came to Nicaragua in 1998 as a Peace Corps volunteer. "I surfed here for about six months after my Peace Corps work was done. Love the place and decided to come back," said the California native and former banker.
Prezano showed me around the isleta, detailing how the resort was built with the minimum impact to the island's natural setting. Water for guests and the kitchen is heated with solar panels; cross ventilation and ceiling fans replace air conditioning; waste water is treated; grey water is used to water the plants; energy effi cient lights are everywhere, and all the electrical wires are underground, he said.
The only motors heard here are the small fishing boats puttering past the idyllic Jicaro, named after the bountiful tree, whose seeds are used for medicinal remedies and beverages.
For the ecolodge to succeed, Prezano said, it's important to hire local staff, train them and let them run it. "They know the place better than anyone. This is their country, and tourism their livelihood."
We were curious about the local birds, and Fabian Espinoza took us on a two-hour walking tour of the nearby island where we saw blue herons and a cluster of oropendula nests hanging like slingshots from a huge tree.
Mostly, however, we spent our time at Jicaro lounging by the chlorine-free pool and cooled off as the day grew hotter.
We also curled up in the hammocks outside our casita and watched the locals go by in their fishing boats. The scenes were pleasant reveries of my summers growing up on Istria's Adriatic coast.
The isleta isn't big enough for a walkabout, but you can climb the lookout tower and a get a treetop view of the surrounding islands.
Ecolodge visitors can get a massage; hike to a plantation, natural reserve and hot springs; kayak at sunrise or sunset, even paddle along the islands' shores at night -- full-moon tours are especially popular.
There's bird watching; nature hikes along the Asese Peninsula; half-day and full-day adventures to Mombacho, the volcano that's clearly visible from Jicaro; and fishing for tilapia, snook or rainbow bass in a wooden boat with one of the local fishermen.
History buffs can tour the colourful colonial city of Granada or take an hour-long boat ride to Zapatera Island to see the local archeological finds.
Silvio Dobri is a former Edmonton Journal copy editor
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: January, 2011; Peace Corps Nicaragua; Directory of Nicaragua RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Nicaragua RPCVs; Tourism, Ecotourism and Travel
When this story was posted in May 2011, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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| Peace Corps: The Next Fifty Years As we move into the Peace Corps' second fifty years, what single improvement would most benefit the mission of the Peace Corps? Read our op-ed about the creation of a private charitable non-profit corporation, independent of the US government, whose focus would be to provide support and funding for third goal activities. Returned Volunteers need President Obama to support the enabling legislation, already written and vetted, to create the Peace Corps Foundation. RPCVs will do the rest. |
| How Volunteers Remember Sarge As the Peace Corps' Founding Director Sargent Shriver laid the foundations for the most lasting accomplishment of the Kennedy presidency. Shriver spoke to returned volunteers at the Peace Vigil at Lincoln Memorial in September, 2001 for the Peace Corps 40th. "The challenge I believe is simple - simple to express but difficult to fulfill. That challenge is expressed in these words: PCV's - stay as you are. Be servants of peace. Work at home as you have worked abroad. Humbly, persistently, intelligently. Weep with those who are sorrowful, Care for those who are sick. Serve your wives, serve your husbands, serve your families, serve your neighbors, serve your cities, serve the poor, join others who also serve," said Shriver. "Serve, Serve, Serve. That's the answer, that's the objective, that's the challenge." |
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Story Source: Edmonton Journal
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Nicaragua; Tourism
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