Matagalpa

When we arrive in Matagalpa by bus from Estelli I ask some locals for directions to the center which is not hard to find. First I walk through a bit of a "scrubby" marketarea followed by some stiff streets that run all parallel to each other. I turn around the corner and try to orient myself; in the distance I see the central park Ruben Dario and walk into the first hostel.

There is a bar and some chairs and I see an open garden with rooms in the distance. I check in in a room at the back far away from the toilets that do not look too fresh and proper. Probably I will stay only one night and I throw my bag down in the room and turn around. At first sight the city is actually a copy of Esteli.

The city is surrounded by hills and there is a long straight busy shopping street which is a one-way traffic route and parallel to it there is a busy road in the other direction. Here I see many restaurants, bars and more shops. At the end of the busy shopping street is another large square with a snow-white cathedral. A small park is in front of it a bluish monument of two gentlemen with glasses pointing in the distance.

I go looking for one of the nightlife venues that must be close by and try to form a picture of the city between the green hills. I get hungry and decide to walk back to the bus station where I have seen a cheap eatery. Just like before, there is a lot going on at the market; dogs try to get a piece of food, people try to sell their goods and it is messy, chaotic, filthy business here; children walking between carts with freight and the street is slippery and wet.

In a small room with four tables a girl beckons me that there is good food here. She has just ordered a fixed meal and I ask the price. For 45 C $ I can not make a mistake and I decide to sit down. There are three fixed meals and I choose the chicken version. After my bite I walk back through the city which is fun in itself but not very special. I buy a bottle of cola and a newspaper (le Prensa) to practice my Spanish in the expensive "Colonia" supermarket and ly down on my bed.

A short siesta and because it is Saturday afternoon I try to find a nice cafe where I can drink a beer on the terrace and watch some passing people. But as already noticed, this is still a difficult case. I end up in a nice cafe but again it is a shame that there are so many guys and so few women.

I decide to walk around the city for a while and see if there is already a bar full. The popular bar next to "Matagalpa" tour is busy but the bar is empty and everyone is (still) eating. Mostly couples and groups but no singles like me. The bar next door asks for a 100 C $ entrance fee and the discotheque that is built on a large outdoor terrace across the street is still empty.

I walk around like a madman not knowing where to go. It will be later and later and when I am in my room I will hear the first (it will not be the last tonight) person throwing up in the corridor. He vomits his entire stomach empty and I hear a couple in the room next to me. If that continues, I will not be sleeping tonight and will hear the noise of the neighbors all night long. That's why it may be called 24 hours bar - nobody is sleeping here.

The couple goes and a man who takes his phone every 10 minutes takes their place. Ten minutes later I hear all sorts of people going up the concrete staircase that is built next to my door. I thought that the upper part was only for storage but probably it isn’t. It seems that the whole of Matagalpa now uses the stairs; and I still thought that I had taken the quietest room in the corner. Nothing from that - people scream, sing, scream, call and I can’t sleep at all. It must have been three o’clock in the middle of the night when the peace returns and I finally fall asleep.