Hotel Las Mercedes, Managua
Maria Teresa Cerda, external relations officer for Juigalpa, and Humberto Castilla, Jr. met Kip and me in the lobby, at about 9:00 am. Members of the National Assembly were meeting that day in the hotel's auditorium. One of them stopped to say hello: Augustín Jarquín, a member of the Social Christian party who ran as Daniel Ortega's vice presidential candidate in the last presidential election. He is very interested in the Juigalpa water problem. The German ambassador also stopped to express his support for the project.
In Juigalpa, we checked in at La Quinta, then went to a meeting at city hall.
at City Hall
1. Expand the water supply from a river northwest of the city.
2. Build a pipeline from Lake Nicaragua to Juigalpa (about 25 kms).
Total esimated cost of the lake project (the preferred option): about $15 million.
The mayor and others hosted a welcome dinner for us at a small restaurant that specializes in chicken. Six young people performed traditional dances in elaborate costumes. Speeches and toasts: the mayor, the bishop, a leader of the Associación de los Chontaleños in Managua. Then the children gave us gifts: ceramic artwork from Masaya.
Humberto said that the bishop is a pretty good guy. A German. He replaced Bishop Vega, who supported the contra war and ignored the cathedral. Now the cathedral is painted, and it has an elaborate set of backlit panels high up above the entrance. Much better. Everybody loves the bishop. His Spanish is very good. We talked about Wiesbaden and Cologne.
Analy Mendoza, from the mayor's office, took us to visit two barrios. We also stopped at the zoo for about half an hour. The gorilla's nickname is Rito, and we discovered that the real Rito, the former mayor, has a new wife, who is the director of the zoo.
Barrio 30 de Mayo
This barrio on the far south edge of the city is named for Mothers Day. Most of the residents are single mothers. The neighborhood has rough, unpaved roads, no electricity, no sewer service, very little shade, and very little water. A hand-turned pump can be used for a few hours a day, but not longer, because the well goes dry quickly. Water is also available from a truck that passes through the neighborhood now and then. There is a plan to extend electricity service to the barrio by Christmas.
Barrio Tamanes
The mayor, Analy, and Kip and I met with about 50 people in a small church in this barrio of steep streets. It's one of the highest points in Juigalpa, and one of the poorest neighborhoods. Because of its elevation, it gets very little water from the municipal system.
People of all ages, from about 20 to about 80, complained about the water situation. They criticized the mayor and the city bureaucracy and ENACAL. They said that this water problem has existed for 18-20 years, and nothing is ever done about it. ENACAL ignores them. Kids are sick. Everybody's frustrated. The mayor listened to every word and then responded to every point. He said that the city will finally solve this problem. Kip (an engineer) and Tom (advertising guy) will help. We're meeting with people in Managua about it next week, and the president of Nicaragua will be in Juigalpa next Wednesday to learn how he can help. At the end of the meeting, the people gave the mayor a big round of applause. They seemed reassured. They smiled and said they were very grateful for our help.
After the meeting, we visited the garbage truck that Ann Arbor donated to Juigalpa in 1987. It's now just a cab and chassis. Then we all went to lunch at Palo Solo.
That's why the pipeline from the lake is a better option.
For dinner, the mayor took us to the grand opening celebration of a new restaurant in downtown Juigalpa. Before dinner, he gave us a brief tour of the refurbished cathedral. Very impressive. The restaurant was packed with all the important people in town. The mayor talked with everybody. A guy with a big video camera recorded the scene. Loud music boomed inside and outside. We sat on the upstairs patio and ate Chinese food and drank rum. The owner of the restaurant, a dramatic blonde woman, greeted us warmly.
Maria Teresa, Bayron Sandoval Campos, Omar Lazo, two other city hall officials, and Kip and I drove to Puerto Díaz, a small town on the shores of Lake Nicaragua about 25 kms south of Juigalpa. This is where the water pipeline to Juigalpa would begin. Water would be pumped up to a storage tank on a high ridge, then it would flow down to Juigalpa. The rough road wound past ranches and farms, a few schools. Very few bridges. The truck bounced through shallow rivers and streams.
In Puerto Díaz, we loaded a big cooler full of ice, water, and beer into a small boat and headed off across the lake to Isla Redonda, a small island owned by Juigalpa. The island is visible from Puerto Díaz, maybe about 10 miles out in the lake. It's one of three in a small group of islands. The other two are Isla Muertos and Isla Grande. They're privately owned. Far away, on the other side of the lake, near Granada, two of Nicaragua's famous volcanos loomed into the clouds.
On the way back to the house, we followed a rocky path along the lakeshore past a huge tree that is at least 300 years old.
At the house, we rested and talked. A pet monkey was cavorting through the trees. A little baby slept with his mother in a hammock. The view out across the lake to rolling mountains in Chontales was amazing. Very peaceful and beautiful. No internet. No highways.
In Puerto Díaz, we met a group that is producing four television specials for a Nicaraguan network, about the history of Lake Nicaragua and its ecology. The lead journalist is a Nicaraguan-American who has lived there since 1980. His dad was from North Dakota. He was sailing the lake with four or five other people, from Cuba, Spain,and Nicaragua. One of his colleagues was the executive director of the association in Granada that is trying to preserve the lake's ecosystem and promote ecotourism. He said that both Granada and the lake will soon be named World Heritage Sites by UNESCO.
In a bar overlooking the lake, a local delegation welcomed the TV crew. Young girls performed goofy semi-erotic dances. Then the journalists and the group from Juigalpa drove up the hill to a small restaurant, for lunch with a spectacular view of the lake and the islands. Delicious fish, salad, plantain, rum, beer. The journalists interviewed the mayor.
Maria Teresa said that the Nicaraguan amabassador in Washington is sending a letter to the mayor of Ann Arbor, asking for an update on the Juigalpa-Ann Arbor relationship.
Monday, November 17
We left Juigalpa to return to Managua. While driving through the long road-construction project west of Juigalpa, we heard a long story about our visit on the local radio news, including an excellent excerpt from an interview with Kip.
In Managua, we checked into the Hotel Las Mercedes and left for a meeting at the Corporación Roberto Teran G., a major importer, exporter, and distributor of electronic and photographic products, construction equipment, satellite and internet systems, and food. They offer Teranet, "global internet communications". They even have a design and advertising division.
The meeting was with the director of the foundation that's associated with the company: Matthias Dietrich, a big German guy who has lived in Nicaragua for about 12 years. The basement meeting room featured photos of Roberto Teran with George Bush the first, Violeta Chamorro (former president of Nicaragua), and the Pope.
The Embassy of Germany funds some small projects like this. A big German foundation is very interested in water problems in Central America. Also a German bank, and a Japanese bank. We're meeting tomorrow with ENACAL. That could bring some good news.
The president of the Asociación de Chontaleños en Managua emphasized that this is a very important problem. It needs international support. Kip emphasized the importance of long-term maintenance and making sure that appropriate entities take responsibility for the project, so it serves the needs of the city for a long time.
We agreed that we would all see each other again the next day, at ENACAL.
A lead editorial in La Prensa complained about two State Department operatives who have been trying to make sure the Liberals are strong enough to defeat Daniel Ortega for president next year. This interference is "unacceptable".
Marilyn Carrillo, old friend of Ann Arbor and ours, joined Kip and me for dinner. She is energetic and smart, as always. She said that Castilla is a prominent family name in Juigalpa (she worked there as a doctor in the 1980s), which is interesting because the mayor and both Humbertos share that family name. The mayor is a Sandinista. Humberto (Senior) is a Liberal, and he is running for mayor in next year's election.
The mayor came to Managua for a meeting at ENACAL, the national water and sanitation agency. The meeting was in a comfortable conference room in a large complex of buildings. Good art on the walls, plenty of air conditioning. The ENACAL officials wore ties. About 12 people, including:
President of the Asociación de Chontaleños en Managua
Matthias Dietrich from the Teran Foundation
Both Humbertos
The mayor
Fernando, from the Juigalpa water commission
Executive Director of ENACAL
His assistant, a serious guy with good English and an interesting last name: Chamorro
Erwing and Humberto (Senior) summarized the situation.
Erwing: "Sin agua, vivir es imposible." Granada and Jinotega get water from lakes. We should, too. The Pirri River idea is not a good solution.
Humberto: We are having a good coincidence about this problem. Juigalpa is ready to go. The Asociación de Chontaleños is energized. Kip and Tom, who drove the garbage truck to Juigalpa, are here. Fundación Robert Teran is with us.
Matthias introduced Kip, who said: The responsiblity for this problem is yours, ENACAL's. Good communication is very important on this issue. In Barrio Tamanes a few days ago, people said that ENACAL is just not listening or communicating. All ENACAL says is that it's a technical and financing agency. It can't really do anything. This should change. Also, the solution must be long-term and well coordinated. It has four components. Etc.
The executive director said some good words. He agreed with Kip's analysis. There was a real feeling of agreement in the room. Everybody cares about this problem, and we have to find a way to solve it. Then the executive director had to go to another important meeting. Chamorro and his engineer stayed for more discussion. They said the project will probably cost $20 million. The Inter-American Development Bank might be a source of financing.
Then Chamorro left the room and came back with copies of a letter from the Korean Import-Export Bank. The letter (in English) said that a delegation from Korea would be arriving in a few days to discuss the Juigalpa water project. They want to know why the cost estimate is now $20 million, when it was $10 million in 1997. The main reason, according to the ENACAL people, is because this financing requires purchase and shipping of Korean equipment. The financing would be a loan to Nicaragua and Juigalpa. If it's a long-term loan and the terms are right, it can probably be repaid from user fees.
Everybody agreed that this is excellent news. It means that the Koreans are very likely to finance the project, and it will be owned and managed by a municipal corporation that is owned by Juigalpa but is not subject to the politics of the city council. If that happens: mission accomplished!
We left ENACAL in a good mood and returned to the Teran Foundation, where Matthias sketched out the next steps:
1. Estructura
How the system will be set up and managed.
2. Preparación
3. Trabajo educativo en Juigalpa
Humberto (Junior) is interested in working on the education part of the project.
4. Plan de acción
Over lunch at a seafood resaturant, Humberto (Junior) and I agreed that the education work is important. People need to understand that water is a valuable resource, so they will be willing to pay something for it and not use more than they really need. I explained that we can't do this in Ann Arbor, because we don't know enough enough about the local situation and culture. We should find a way to get some money from somebody for this work (maybe from the Teran Foundation), so Humberto, at least, can get paid for his work. The campaign should include:
Small posters
Small brochures
Radio ads
Maybe t-shirts
Also: a graphic identity for the new municipal corporation: Compania Juigalpagua?
Tuesday evening
Marilyn joined us for dinner again. She was amazed and impressed with the news from the day's meetings, and she told some great stories.
Her brother is a doctor in the Nicaraguan army, now stationed in Iraq, somewhere in the north, with a group of Spanish troops. He's an expert in infection control. For some reason, Enrique Bolaños, the president of Nicaragua, decided that Nicaragua should contribute to the "coalition" in Iraq, so several hundred Nicaraguans are there.
Her father is a doctor, and so is she and so are two of her brothers. Her father is a Sandinista. Always has been since the revolution.
After dinner, Kip convinced Marilyn to sing "Se me olvido ves" like she did several years ago at Palo Solo. She sang it perfectly. Then we took the Juan Gabriel CD Kip bought a few days earlier to my room and played the song on my computer, so we could make sure we had all the words right. A Kip and Marilyn duet. The perfect ending to a major adventure.
