Media, Communications
Staying in Touch
With the Internet, smart phones and ATMs it is a lot easier to live in another country. There are still public phones in Nicaragua but the cell phone coverage is so good that it is just easier to buy a cheap cell phone and some minutes. The latest 3G and some 4G technology is available including Blackberry service and mobile Internet. If you live here you can go on a plan just like in the states or in Europe and have it automatically charged against your charge card. For international calls you can use your cell phone, depending on your type of service, but it is much cheaper to use Skype or whatever over the Internet or just visit one of the many Internet kiosks since most of them offer cheap international calls.
Calling to or within Nicaragua
Nicaragua recently ran out of phone numbers in April 2009 so instead of adding another area code they added another digit. All cell phone numbers must now have an “8” prefixed to the front of the seven digits and land lines now have a “2” prefixed. It will be years before businesses and residences change their advertisements and business cards so keep this in mind when you find you can not contact someone here. You are now asking yourself how to determine if the number is a cell phone or land line? Most phone numbers in Nicaragua are cell phones and land lines tend to start with a “5” at least in Granada.
International calls to Nicaragua land lines 011-505-2???-???? (from USA & Canada)
International calls to Nicaragua cell phones 011-505-8???-???? (from USA & Canada)
In country calls to Nicaragua land lines 2???-????
In country calls to Nicaragua cell phones 8???-????
While Internet service is sometimes slow and can be spotty, it is available in most towns and villages. If you are going out to the boonies it may be a different story. Cable Internet and phone-line DSL is available in the larger towns though many people are switching to the various laptop connect cards that tap into Internet via the cell phone network. In the larger towns it is fairly easy now to get Internet service in your home but the pricing and methods constantly change so if moving here, just check out your options when you get here.
Nicaragua is a poor country but most homes have a television and many of the people have cell phones though it seems a great many of them have no minutes. This means they can receive calls but can not make calls. Frequently I will receive one ring and the caller is expecting me to call them back since they have no minutes. Rather disconcerting at first but it is part of the experience of living here.
Keep in Mind the Emergency Number for Nicaragua
Emergency Number – call 118 (equivalent of 911 in the states)
Packages and Mail
You’re in another country so forget about getting letters in three days from the states. Having said that, we have had generally good experiences with regular letters using our Nica street address (see the section on Nicaraguan addresses). Mail usually gets here within two weeks from the states. We have sent out many letters via the Nica postal service and I’m not aware of anything getting lost going to the states. We have had less luck with sending letters within the country to another Nica address. Half of our Christmas cards to Nica addresses did not get there.
Many of the expats here use the Nica-Box by Trans-Express. This gives you a P.O. box in Miami the contents of which is then periodically brought to Nicaragua. Fed-Ex and Aerocasillas offer similar services. People think they are sending to a regular Miami address and the postage is much less in this manner. We use Aerocasillas which gives you a street address in Miami since packages usually can not be sent to a P.O. Box. The service costs us around $25-30 a month and I believe we can receive up to 12 pounds of mail a month. Overages are charged to you. There are some companies in the USA we would prefer not knowing we are in Nicaragua and this method takes care of it.
Click here for more information on Aerocasillas.
Customs looks at all packages coming into Nicaragua. We have had no problems receiving letters, magazines and used clothes. Almost everything else may be heavily taxed and never try to send any electronics, CDs, DVDs, computer programs, jewelry or almost anything of value by any method. By regular mail, the risk is high it will not be received and by any other method you may pay taxes of 100% or higher. If you do not follow this advice, always remember to have an invoice included with the shipment. If you become a resident you receive a $500 exemption from duties every six months. Unfortunately they just changed the rules that you can only use the exemption once per six months. This means if you use the exemption for a $200 camera you lose the other $300 exemption for that six month period.
For example, my wife almost received five pounds of her favorite Wisconsin candy raisins from her father. Customs wanted $85 so we said they could keep the candy and two weeks later the candy showed up anyway. Another time I bought an artist easel to surprise my wife and customs charged me $100 in taxes and fees even though the easel was only $69 with a proper invoice.
The best way to get things is to have friends bring them with them when they visit. Also, don’t forget you can get most things here. Even computers and televisions have started dropping to a price similar to the states. For example, HP netbook computers are around $400.
Addresses in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is determined to ensure there will never be an automated mail system because many times the streets are not named and if they are, they are not used for the address. Numbers on houses are rare, there are no zip codes and the equivalent of states are departments but no matter, Nicas don’t use them in their addresses either. In a world where fewer things are sent physically this may not be a great deal but it makes it interesting finding a business, store or a residence. The Nicas seem to be unbothered by this issue.
Nicas usually use reference points from where they start describing a certain address. This can be another business, a church, some known location and that reference point may not exist anymore. This is especially interesting in Managua which had a major earthquake which destroyed many reference points but no problem, the address may still refer to one of them. Next, the address will state the number of blocks (cuadras) from that reference point.
Example: Robert’s Office Machines
From the Esso Gas Station, 1 block south, half a block east
Managua, Nicaragua
A little strange but not too bad and kind of quaint. Like the old days when we had a party line for a telephone. It goes downhill from here, though. First of all, the language is Spanish and directions are often given in relation to the sun. Instead of east and west or their Spanish equivalents, the words “arriba”and “abajo” may be used. Arriba, which means up or above signifies the direction from which the sun comes up: east. Abajo means the direction the sun goes down or below and it is used instead of west. The regular directions of oriente (east) and poniente (west) are other substitutes that are sometimes used.
The address may reference a direction such as: al lago. This means to the lake, and it is used in cities like Managua and Granada which border a lake. In this scenario it will be most helpful to know what direction the lake is.
I could relate some interesting conversations where I have called a business and asked where they are located only to be told they do not know since they grew up close to the business and they just walk two blocks to get there. Still, the most interesting instance is when they refer to a building that no longer exists. Using a map will not help much since many of the roads are not named or a native tells you to take the old or new road to León and the new road was build in 1978. Many addresses are given as kilometer markers and some towns actually have the markers on the highways.
Since the address may not be at the corner of a block, more specific distances may be used. Instead of meters, Nicaraguans use the old Spanish unit of length, the “vara”. The length of a vara was officially set at around 83.59 centimeters in 1801.
Newspapers and Other News Media
If you understand Spanish, the local news is often broadcast by vehicles going down the streets with very large loudspeakers. This is the reason bedrooms are usually at the back of the house. The price of the daily newspapers recently was increased from $.25 to $.35 which is beyond the means of many people here.
La Prensa, founded in 1926, with an estimated circulation of 30,000 in early 1992, continued the family tradition built by Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal. At the time of the transition, La Prensa was run by the president's daughter, Christiania Chamorro de Lacayo. The president at the time was her mother, Violeta Chamorro. Christiania Chamorro's tight control over La Prensa and reported refusal to permit criticism of her mother's government led to a rebellion among the editorial board and staff within a year after the 1990 election. The editorial staff, which included other family members, took the opportunity presented by Christiania Chamorro's official trip abroad with her mother in November 1990 to publish articles harshly critical of the government for its relations with Sandinista leaders. In January the staff forced Christiania Chamorro to resign as editor and removed Violeta Chamorro from the board of directors. The changes were seen as an attempt by the editorial staff to establish La Prensa as an independent paper rather than the official voice of the government.
The other main daily newspaper, El Nuevo Diario, which had an estimated circulation of 40,000 to 45,000 in 1992 and was founded in 1980 by Xavier Chamorro Cardenal, one of Violeta Chamorro's brothers-in-law, continued its loyal and uncritical posture of the FSLN, despite expectations that with the end of the Nicaraguan revolution the newspaper would take more independent positions.
With Daniel Ortega now as president, both of these newspapers are very biased against the Sandinista government to the point where they usually will not report when the government does something well. This is unfortunate but otherwise, both papers are well written being similar to their counterparts in other countries except in Spanish. On the Internet Google will translate it to English by going to these links. Remember that translators are often not very accurate.
Click to read today's La Prensa in English
Click to read today’s La Prensa in Spanish
Click to read today's El Nuevo Diario in English
Click to read today’s El Nuevo Diario in Spanish
Save these links to your favorites to use when you need them.
The greatest news source for many Nicaraguans is the radio though the local grapevine is the fastest and most accurate. I can mention to a neighbor that I could use some rich dirt for the garden and within 30 minutes, a horse and cart full of black earth is at my door. You’ve got to love this country!
Unfortunately, there are not that many English magazines or newspapers. During this global economic crisis, advertising dropped to all-time lows and without advertising it is difficult to publish so we have seen some publications disappear or cut back.
With the Internet, smart phones and ATMs it is a lot easier to live in another country. There are still public phones in Nicaragua but the cell phone coverage is so good that it is just easier to buy a cheap cell phone and some minutes. The latest 3G and some 4G technology is available including Blackberry service and mobile Internet. If you live here you can go on a plan just like in the states or in Europe and have it automatically charged against your charge card. For international calls you can use your cell phone, depending on your type of service, but it is much cheaper to use Skype or whatever over the Internet or just visit one of the many Internet kiosks since most of them offer cheap international calls.
Calling to or within Nicaragua
Nicaragua recently ran out of phone numbers in April 2009 so instead of adding another area code they added another digit. All cell phone numbers must now have an “8” prefixed to the front of the seven digits and land lines now have a “2” prefixed. It will be years before businesses and residences change their advertisements and business cards so keep this in mind when you find you can not contact someone here. You are now asking yourself how to determine if the number is a cell phone or land line? Most phone numbers in Nicaragua are cell phones and land lines tend to start with a “5” at least in Granada.
International calls to Nicaragua land lines 011-505-2???-???? (from USA & Canada)
International calls to Nicaragua cell phones 011-505-8???-???? (from USA & Canada)
In country calls to Nicaragua land lines 2???-????
In country calls to Nicaragua cell phones 8???-????
While Internet service is sometimes slow and can be spotty, it is available in most towns and villages. If you are going out to the boonies it may be a different story. Cable Internet and phone-line DSL is available in the larger towns though many people are switching to the various laptop connect cards that tap into Internet via the cell phone network. In the larger towns it is fairly easy now to get Internet service in your home but the pricing and methods constantly change so if moving here, just check out your options when you get here.
Nicaragua is a poor country but most homes have a television and many of the people have cell phones though it seems a great many of them have no minutes. This means they can receive calls but can not make calls. Frequently I will receive one ring and the caller is expecting me to call them back since they have no minutes. Rather disconcerting at first but it is part of the experience of living here.
Keep in Mind the Emergency Number for Nicaragua
Emergency Number – call 118 (equivalent of 911 in the states)
Packages and Mail
You’re in another country so forget about getting letters in three days from the states. Having said that, we have had generally good experiences with regular letters using our Nica street address (see the section on Nicaraguan addresses). Mail usually gets here within two weeks from the states. We have sent out many letters via the Nica postal service and I’m not aware of anything getting lost going to the states. We have had less luck with sending letters within the country to another Nica address. Half of our Christmas cards to Nica addresses did not get there.
Many of the expats here use the Nica-Box by Trans-Express. This gives you a P.O. box in Miami the contents of which is then periodically brought to Nicaragua. Fed-Ex and Aerocasillas offer similar services. People think they are sending to a regular Miami address and the postage is much less in this manner. We use Aerocasillas which gives you a street address in Miami since packages usually can not be sent to a P.O. Box. The service costs us around $25-30 a month and I believe we can receive up to 12 pounds of mail a month. Overages are charged to you. There are some companies in the USA we would prefer not knowing we are in Nicaragua and this method takes care of it.
Click here for more information on Aerocasillas.
Customs looks at all packages coming into Nicaragua. We have had no problems receiving letters, magazines and used clothes. Almost everything else may be heavily taxed and never try to send any electronics, CDs, DVDs, computer programs, jewelry or almost anything of value by any method. By regular mail, the risk is high it will not be received and by any other method you may pay taxes of 100% or higher. If you do not follow this advice, always remember to have an invoice included with the shipment. If you become a resident you receive a $500 exemption from duties every six months. Unfortunately they just changed the rules that you can only use the exemption once per six months. This means if you use the exemption for a $200 camera you lose the other $300 exemption for that six month period.
For example, my wife almost received five pounds of her favorite Wisconsin candy raisins from her father. Customs wanted $85 so we said they could keep the candy and two weeks later the candy showed up anyway. Another time I bought an artist easel to surprise my wife and customs charged me $100 in taxes and fees even though the easel was only $69 with a proper invoice.
The best way to get things is to have friends bring them with them when they visit. Also, don’t forget you can get most things here. Even computers and televisions have started dropping to a price similar to the states. For example, HP netbook computers are around $400.
Addresses in Nicaragua
Nicaragua is determined to ensure there will never be an automated mail system because many times the streets are not named and if they are, they are not used for the address. Numbers on houses are rare, there are no zip codes and the equivalent of states are departments but no matter, Nicas don’t use them in their addresses either. In a world where fewer things are sent physically this may not be a great deal but it makes it interesting finding a business, store or a residence. The Nicas seem to be unbothered by this issue.
Nicas usually use reference points from where they start describing a certain address. This can be another business, a church, some known location and that reference point may not exist anymore. This is especially interesting in Managua which had a major earthquake which destroyed many reference points but no problem, the address may still refer to one of them. Next, the address will state the number of blocks (cuadras) from that reference point.
Example: Robert’s Office Machines
From the Esso Gas Station, 1 block south, half a block east
Managua, Nicaragua
A little strange but not too bad and kind of quaint. Like the old days when we had a party line for a telephone. It goes downhill from here, though. First of all, the language is Spanish and directions are often given in relation to the sun. Instead of east and west or their Spanish equivalents, the words “arriba”and “abajo” may be used. Arriba, which means up or above signifies the direction from which the sun comes up: east. Abajo means the direction the sun goes down or below and it is used instead of west. The regular directions of oriente (east) and poniente (west) are other substitutes that are sometimes used.
The address may reference a direction such as: al lago. This means to the lake, and it is used in cities like Managua and Granada which border a lake. In this scenario it will be most helpful to know what direction the lake is.
I could relate some interesting conversations where I have called a business and asked where they are located only to be told they do not know since they grew up close to the business and they just walk two blocks to get there. Still, the most interesting instance is when they refer to a building that no longer exists. Using a map will not help much since many of the roads are not named or a native tells you to take the old or new road to León and the new road was build in 1978. Many addresses are given as kilometer markers and some towns actually have the markers on the highways.
Since the address may not be at the corner of a block, more specific distances may be used. Instead of meters, Nicaraguans use the old Spanish unit of length, the “vara”. The length of a vara was officially set at around 83.59 centimeters in 1801.
Newspapers and Other News Media
If you understand Spanish, the local news is often broadcast by vehicles going down the streets with very large loudspeakers. This is the reason bedrooms are usually at the back of the house. The price of the daily newspapers recently was increased from $.25 to $.35 which is beyond the means of many people here.
La Prensa, founded in 1926, with an estimated circulation of 30,000 in early 1992, continued the family tradition built by Pedro Joaquín Chamorro Cardenal. At the time of the transition, La Prensa was run by the president's daughter, Christiania Chamorro de Lacayo. The president at the time was her mother, Violeta Chamorro. Christiania Chamorro's tight control over La Prensa and reported refusal to permit criticism of her mother's government led to a rebellion among the editorial board and staff within a year after the 1990 election. The editorial staff, which included other family members, took the opportunity presented by Christiania Chamorro's official trip abroad with her mother in November 1990 to publish articles harshly critical of the government for its relations with Sandinista leaders. In January the staff forced Christiania Chamorro to resign as editor and removed Violeta Chamorro from the board of directors. The changes were seen as an attempt by the editorial staff to establish La Prensa as an independent paper rather than the official voice of the government.
The other main daily newspaper, El Nuevo Diario, which had an estimated circulation of 40,000 to 45,000 in 1992 and was founded in 1980 by Xavier Chamorro Cardenal, one of Violeta Chamorro's brothers-in-law, continued its loyal and uncritical posture of the FSLN, despite expectations that with the end of the Nicaraguan revolution the newspaper would take more independent positions.
With Daniel Ortega now as president, both of these newspapers are very biased against the Sandinista government to the point where they usually will not report when the government does something well. This is unfortunate but otherwise, both papers are well written being similar to their counterparts in other countries except in Spanish. On the Internet Google will translate it to English by going to these links. Remember that translators are often not very accurate.
Click to read today's La Prensa in English
Click to read today’s La Prensa in Spanish
Click to read today's El Nuevo Diario in English
Click to read today’s El Nuevo Diario in Spanish
Save these links to your favorites to use when you need them.
The greatest news source for many Nicaraguans is the radio though the local grapevine is the fastest and most accurate. I can mention to a neighbor that I could use some rich dirt for the garden and within 30 minutes, a horse and cart full of black earth is at my door. You’ve got to love this country!
Unfortunately, there are not that many English magazines or newspapers. During this global economic crisis, advertising dropped to all-time lows and without advertising it is difficult to publish so we have seen some publications disappear or cut back.
