First impression is that this is an extremely poor country. Very clean and the people are pleasant but so much infrastructure needs repair.

Income is low; there is only one hospital in Leon, healthcare is non-existent, not to mention dental, and the population appears to have no respect or trust in the government . Education system is extremely limited, mainly for the rich. Definitely limited interest in promoting English.

Tourism is a huge contribution to the economy (lots of cruise ships stop here) but there has been no money to attract English-speaking tourists. Lots of trinkets being sold on the street and from vendor carts. We didn't visit any shops.

I hope to get some more specific info from another seminar scheduled our next sea day so this will be edited.

Cell phones everywhere. Definitely have reached the "tipping point." Read Malcolm Gladwell's great book on this if you haven't already.

Tomorrow we stop in Guatemala.

Edits after seminar today.

Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many of the Nicaraguans work low-level jobs in Costa Rica. We occupied the country for 20 years and then followed 50 years of a bloody dictatorship under Simosa (sp?). In 1979 Daniel Ortega came to power and figured heavily in the Iran Contra debacle to fund the rebels. Under Reagan the CIA mined Corinto Harbor and destroyed oil tanks in an attempt to support the Sandanistas.

The money remains in the hands of a few and the effect of that is clearly seen everywhere. The Sandanistas are still in power and Ortega is still president. The people blame Ortega for their poor economic condition and no one thinks their elections are valid. The constitution has been changed to allow for his multiple terms.