Plantains and a boy at the mercado in San Juan del Sur.

Vigorón, one of Nicaragua’s most traditional of street foods. Boiled yuca, pork chicharrones, and a vinegary cabbage slaw dotted with mimbro, an intensely sour and crisp fruit.

Small shops carrying everything from soap to cereal to booze are called misceláneas for obvious reasons, but, the alternative name “pulpería” is a mystery. Pulpo = octopus, but there’s no pulpo on sale.

A liquor store in Granada, abundantly stocked with the locally produced Flor de Caña rum.  I loved the rhyme printed on the wall.

Quesillo, another dish unique to Nicaragua. This one is from Mi Viejo Ranchito, a roadside restaurant on the Masaya highway, on the way to Managua. Components: warm, thick corn tortilla, a sheet of quesillo (similar in texture to mozzarella, mild, but a bit more barny), pickled onions, and a generous pour of thick crema.

Plantains (plátanos), ripe plantains (maduros), and cases of glass bottles of Coke, Fanta, and local beers, Victoria and Toña.

Pineapples and plastic bags at the market.  Nica ones are white and surprising in their tartness.

Colorful signage in Little Corn Island.

From fruits to birds to paint: there is color everywhere.

Beautiful religious imagery can be seen in churches, restaurants, and homes.

The teeny-tiny plane that flies from Managua to Big Corn Island.

An old-fashioned hearse that’s still part of the everyday in Granada.