Central America / Caribbean Nicaragua North America

Tobacco Town: A Week in Estelí, Nicaragua

Workation

Anyone who’s followed me or knows me in person knows that I love cigars. I won’t go into my personal history with cigars, which has been a life-changing passion going back to about 1997; that is another story for a different blog. When I had an opportunity to do a one week ‘workation’ in 2024, it was my passion for the leaf that took me to Nicaragua. For the last couple of years, I can take one week per year and work remotely in addition to my annual paid time off. The first year I went to Guatemala, and this (second) time to Nicaragua. It’s essential that I do the workation in a time zone that roughly lines up with Vancouver’s. I’ll probably explore most of Central America this way.

But where in Nicaragua? Granada was the obvious choice, as it is so charming, but I decided to go to a less picturesque destination: Estelí.

Estelí is not a tourist destination; It is a regular working town in central Nicaragua that is famous for growing some of the best tobacco in Central America. At least half of the population of Estelí works in the cigar industry in one way or another. I couldn’t get an accurate count on how many cigar farms or factories there were in the area. I managed to find about 30 online but I was told that there was probably twice as many.

Estelí seemed like a good choice. It’s famous for producing something that I love and, aside from that, it doesn’t really have any other sights or attractions that would distract me from my work. (There are some nearby hikes, but that’s it.)

Arrival in Nicaragua

I flew into Managua and then had to make my way to Estelí. Managua is the closest airport to Estelí and the only way there is by vehicle. There are buses, but they’re slow. I was arriving in Estelí from Vancouver via Mexico City, where I had spent the night, so by the time I would arrive in Nicaragua it would be Saturday afternoon and I wanted to arrive in Estelí before it got dark. So I arranged for a car.

I found a driver online – Mr. Ow of Mr Ow Nica Travel – who offers driving services around the country and asked him if he would make this drive for me. He said he would. I wholly recommend him he was an excellent driver and very professional. It was also nice to make the drive from Managua to Estelí in a car so that I could enjoy the scenery as well as ask Mr. Ow about life in Nicaragua. It wasn’t a super picturesque drive, but it was nice to see some fields of green and donkeys pulling carts.

Growing up, the only time I heard anything about Nicaragua was on the news, and it was always violence and political upheaval, and American-born news reporters with no Spanish accent suddenly pronouncing the name Nicaragua as though they were raised in the heart of Managua. (“Nee-Ka-rrrá-Gua”)

While it’s a bit of a stereotype from Nicaragua it’s also true that it was violent and had political upheaval and lots of American political meddling. The country was under a series of dictatorships and revolutions from the late 1930s until the 90s (Somoza, Sandinistas, Contras), with a war and a devastating earthquake on top of it all. In the 1990s, when it started to re-establish itself as a stable state, it was decimated by terrible hurricanes. It’s only really since about the mid 2000s that it’s got on its feet. Or did it?

While there isn’t any active war, Nicaragua struggles with democracy and dictatorships to this day. Political participation is limited, and the current president has been in power for 23 years across two different periods. During his second period, he removed term limits from the constitution and recently made his wife vice president. When I am visiting countries with tricky governments, I try not to ask people too much about the local politics for fear that they or I get in trouble. To the extent that locals talked about politics with me on this trip they didn’t seem happy with the system and spoke about it in hushed tones.

Nicaragua is one of the safer countries in Central America, but it’s still not considered safe. I felt completely safe the entire time that I was there, but I don’t know if that’s a universal experience.

Estelí

We got to Estelí, it also wasn’t that picturesque, but it would be my home for the next week.

Estelí has a population of approximately 120,000. I find that shocking because it felt like a small town, but I gather that I was staying in the centre and that there is more of the city perhaps spread out. The area that I stayed in felt old-ish. There were some cobblestone-type streets and single-story colonial buildings painted in bright colours and at least one square with an old churches.

It looks lovely right? And it was pretty. Not as pretty as Antigua or Granada, but it did have many of the elements of an attractive Central American colonial town. What it didn’t have was things catering to tourists. On one hand this was great; I felt like Estelí was a completely authentic experience. On the other hand, it wasn’t an easy place to spend a week in. Very few people spoke English, so I had to rely on my rudimentary Spanish. Finding vegetarian food was almost impossible. Most nights I would ask people to make me a bean and vegetable burrito. And one night I just had a virgin piña colada and a cigar for dinner. There wasn’t a plethora of cute little cafes with free Wi-Fi like you would have in a more touristy place like Antigua, but there were some. There was one very picturesque little cafe (Coffee Lovers Estelí) that did have free Wi-Fi and wasn’t too far from my hotel and there was a place selling smoothies and there were and there were one or two patios to sit on.

Sometimes when I drive through countries from one destination to another I will pass by a town or small city of no particular note and I’ll wonder what life is like in a place like that; just a regular town with no real attractions. Estelí was that experience. People got up and they went to work and they hung out in the park in the evening when it was hot and then they went home. Men walked around wearing cowboy hats and cowboy boots and jeans and nobody seemed particularly interested in displaying the sights or history of their town. Every morning, a siren went off at about 5:00 AM signalling to people that it is time to start work. I used this as my signal that I should do likewise.

I stayed the Hotel Los Arcos, which is probably the nicest hotel in the centre of the city and I booked myself into the biggest room. I figured, since I’m going to be there doing work, I may as well have some space. It wasn’t ideal for work, lacking any sort of a desk or table. I spent most of my working days sitting on a wooden bench working at a coffee table in the common areas, smoking cigars. That was great, cigar-wise. The place was very cigar friendly. And while the staff didn’t speak a word of English, they were very kind and we exchanged small conversations.

*My hotel and, on the right, where I worked most days*

I did get violently ill for about out two days during my time in Estelí following an attempt to eat a salad ordered from a takeout window at a taco shop. I think that was a mistake. And that put a bit of a damper on things, but I was still able to tend to my work and enjoy my cigars.

And the cigar is really where the highlight of Estelí. I could smoke anywhere, which was a treat, but more importantly I had arranged to visit some farms and factories while I was there. It is possible to arrange for a tour in some cases to visit certain farms and factories there, but they generally don’t do them for individuals. Fortunately, my law firm is one of the sponsors of the Caribbean Cigar Celebration, an annual cigar event in Vancouver, and I used that as my way two reach out to these places. Only three factories got back to me, but that was enough. While I was there, I visited Las Villas, Rocky Patel, and Plasencia. I know that if you don’t know anything about cigars these names won’t mean anything to you, and that’s okay. I will write separate posts about these visits so they’re easy for people to skip if they’re not interested. But for me it was thrilling and one of the more unique trips that I’ve had.

My days in Estelí, apart from visiting farms and factories, were spent with a morning stroll, an eight or so hours of work, and an evening out for dinner, another walk, and a cigar, seeing who I could meet and what I could see along the way. Not exciting, but pleasant.

Would I recommend that people go to Estelí? Not unless you are a huge cigar fan and very excited to learn more about the process of growing cultivating and rolling cigars. Otherwise carry on to Granada or one of the other more touristy regions of Nicaragua.

Moving On

I did go to Grenada on my last weekend, and it was excellent and provided me with all the touristy comforts that Estelí lacked, but the highlight was visiting those tobacco farms and cigar factories, which reaffirmed and revitalized my passion for cigars.

Choose your own adventure! Want to Read about my visits to Las Villas, Rocky Patel, and Plasencia? Click your choice. Want to jump ahead to picturesque Granada? Click here.

Canada North America

One Day in Calgary

It was about two months since my trip to Yemen, and I was desperate to go somewhere. I didn’t have enough time to do a proper trip anywhere internationally, but I just felt that urge to get on a plane. And that’s what it occurred to me: I never been to Calgary, Alberta. I also had no desire to go to Calgary, Alberta, but I looked at the flights and there was a flight leaving early in the morning and coming back in the evening for about $100 round trip on Flair Airlines. Without giving it any more thought, I booked the trip. I may have had no interest in Calgary, but surely there would be enough there for me to be entertained for the day.

The time it took me to get to the airport in Vancouver was longer than my whole flight to Calgary which was only about an hour and a half. I landed in the morning and took a bus into the city. It was a Saturday and I wasn’t quite sure where to go, but the bus dropped me off in the business district, which was kind of a ghost town on the weekend. I found a nice cafe and had an espresso and came up with sort of a plan.

I went for a bit of a stroll which involved walking down Stephen Avenue, a pedestrian street lined with restaurants and shops. Nothing on the street interested me other than a few statues in the area, but it was good for a wander.

Weirdly, the thing that I was most excited about seeing in Calgary was the public library. It is an impressive modern art building completed in 2015, the work of a Norwegian and American design firm. It has a huge atrium with a lot of light and curved wooden elements. It’s very nice but I have to say that its shape did remind me a bit of a vagina. It’s worth checking out if you are in the area; it has some sculptures outside which are interesting and the building itself is attractive, but also inside there were various art displays and lots of places to sit and relax. But I had no time for relaxing. I was only there for the day.

I spoke to the people at the information desk at the library and they recommended that I check out the National Music Centre. It wasn’t on my radar previously, but it was free on the day that I happened to be there so I figured why not check it out.

This was another knew an impressive building, although unlike the library I didn’t find this one to be that attractive. Nevertheless, it was something to see. They had live music concerts going on and displays about the history of different genres of music in Canada. It was more interesting than I thought actually and I gave it a walk through. Not really giving it the time that it deserved but I got a sense of this thing and it gave me some more appreciation for Canadian musical artists.

From there I had decided to walk to a neighbourhood called Inglewood as I heard that it was sort of the “hipster” kind of neighbourhood of Calgary. It was a beautiful Sunday and a pleasant walk over a little river and into the neighbourhood. This was my favourite area that I saw while I was in Calgary. It had a street lined with lovely shops. Thrift stores, record stores, bookstores, coffee shops, even a vegan bakery. I browsed around, bought a book, and had a bite to eat.

There was also a small art museum called the Esker Foundation on the 4th floor of a commercial building. The art was good and although it was a small space there was a lot to look at. This was also free and, strangely, it didn’t even have anyone working at the information desk. I would have thought that it was closed except the doors were opened and the lights were on. I was delighted with the find.

If I had more time, I think I could have spent more of it in Inglewood just exploring the neighbourhood, but I had two more stops to make.

I called an Uber and I went to Contemporary Calgary, another modern art museum. This one wasn’t free, but it had reasonable admission price which was absolutely worth it. It had some excellent exhibits, including several by American artists dealing with subjects like slavery and immigration that were quite moving.

It was just about 5:00pm and I had my final stop to make on Calgary day tour and this was the thing that I most wanted to do in Calgary. Years before, my mother, whose name is Betty-Lou had told me about her speakeasy bar at Calgary called Betty-Lou’s Library. How could I not visit? I love a speakeasy bar, and my mother loves books, so how could I help visit the bar that seems to be her namesake? It was delightful. It was in the basement of an older building on a residential street just off of a commercial street. You’re supposed to make a reservation, although I’m not sure it’s technically necessary. I had emailed them to make the reservation, and I had gotten the necessary code word. Entering the building, I picked up an old-fashioned phone, and they asked me for the code word which I gave them. (The name of an English author.) And then a bookcase opened and I was let inside. The decor is exactly what you would want in a place like this: vintage furniture, dark with red lighting, and old time jazz. It was wonderful. It was also just after 5:00pm and they had just opened, so I was one of only three people inside but I bet it would be even more fun to go later in the evening when it’s busy.

I sat at the bar and had a cocktail and chatting with the bartender I told her about my mother Betty-Lou and how she loved books, and I showed her the tattoo I have of Betty-Lou’s name on my arm as proof that I wasn’t inventing the story. The bartender told me that the owner had named the bar after his mother whose name is also Betty-Lou and a photo of her was hung above the bar. The owner came out and introduced himself and then my next drink was on the house. I was delighted to have been able to go to this place. (Thanks mom)

And with that, it was time to return to the airport. I called an Uber and arrived just in time for my flight.

I had a thoroughly enjoyable day and would recommend it to people living in Vancouver who have never been to Calgary and need a little travel fix. Would I go back? I don’t think so. I did everything that I wanted to do (and more) but I didn’t like the city enough to warrant a return visit. There’s nothing wrong with it really, I just didn’t really like it. It’s definitely a driving city, not a walking one, and a lot of it just feels very business-y and not that interesting or beautiful, however, I was delighted to have gone.

This trip would tide me over until my Mongolia trip in August.

North America USA

Where to Smoke Cigars in Detroit

Detroit was a good cigar town. You can’t smoke everywhere, but patios seem to be fine and there are several cigar lounges.

In the downtown core there were four good spots.

La Casa Cigars and Lounge. This place had a well-stocked, walk-in humidor on one side and a bar/cigar lounge on the other. The humidor had the best selection of Foundation cigars I had seen (amongst many other brands) and the prices were very good. The bar side was casual with a pub-like feel. TVs and high-topped tables and bar seating, along with a few sofas. A good place to go and watch the game. What game? Any game. We went there twice and both times it was busy with a crowd, friendly, and a bit loud. A comfortable neighbourhood kind of place. It is also quite close to the baseball stadium, so it made for a good pre and post-game cigar spot.

The London Chop House aka LCH Cigar Lounge. I wrote about this place in my other Detroit post. It is a proper, old fashioned steak joint with all of the manly décor you would expect. It is dark, and fancy, yet cozy, with live jazz and a steakhouse-y menu. Iceberg wedge salads, garlic mashed potatoes, and various cuts of meat. Great cocktails and service. You cannot smoke in the restaurant, but upstairs is a bar with a small walk-in humidor and that bar is cigar friendly. You could go and visit only the lounge, but I think skipping the restaurant would be a mistake. It is just the perfect atmosphere, and I say this as a vegetarian. There was literally nothing on the menu that I could eat apart from asparagus and salad, and I still recommend it for the ambience, music, and service. (And the cigars, obviously.)

Uralli Cigar Bar. This is place is inside the Detroit Club – a private members’ club. The kind of place where there is a dress code and men go after a long day at the office to drink and avoid going home to their families. While you need to be a member to go to the Club, membership is not required for the cigar bar. The Club looks quite exclusive and I worried I would be stopped at the door, but I wasn’t and I was able to go to the second floor to Uralli Cigar Bar. It is a bit of a weird room. The whole building is old, but somehow this room feel less old; maybe like it was renovated (more1980s than 1880s). That said, I had a great time. It was very quiet when I arrived about 10:30pm). Just two people at the bar: a couple from Detroit. They were very friendly and they and the bartender and I chatted for over an hour as I enjoyed a cigar and a cocktail. They did have a small selection of cigars for sale, but I didn’t check them out as I had my own and, after a few cocktails already that evening, my attention to detail was waning. I would have happily stayed for another round, but it was late and I was pushing the limit into being tipsy.

Did it My Way Detroit Cigar and Wine Bar. The newest cigar lounge in Detroit at the time we went, this place is slick. It is fancy in a VIP, urban way with an illuminated bar, stylish lounge furniture, and cool art. Importantly, it has a big walk-in humidor for shopping as well private humidor lockers for cigar storage. We went there twice. The cocktails were great, the music was good, and the bartenders were friendly. The first time we went it was earlier in the day and it was quieter and chill; the second time it was evening and the place was hopping. Both were great experiences.

I found online many other places to smoke in and around Detroit (I regrettably did not get to Byrd’s Cigar Lounge), but only visited these four, all of which were walking distance to each other. Smoking outside in Detroit elicited no negative comments or nasty glances. It was a non-issue. At each of the smoking lounges, not only was there a varied cross section of patrons, but there were even people who did not smoke cigars enjoying the space. It dd not feel snobbish. It was so refreshing to be able to enjoy a cigar without being hidden away or segregated. Sometimes it feels like places like this are disappearing in North America, but Detroit made me and my cigars feel welcome.

Canada North America

Toronto Layover: A Mediocre Experience

I had a layover in Toronto on my way back from Detroit. I was excited because, despite living in Canada fir most of my life, I had never been to Toronto. It would not be a long layover, but enough to get a little taste.

I took the train from the airport into the downtown core, which is the financial district. The train ride was easy and pleasant and stepping out into the city, my first impression was positive. It looked like a real city. Not like Vancouver. It looked big and tall and important. I craned my neck to look at the buildings and as careful to keep out of the way of people who seemed to be in a hurry to get somewhere.

Since I didn’t have a lot of time, I had decided to walk to this area called The Distillery Historic District, which is kind of an old former distillery, repurposed into shops, art galleries, and restaurants. Lots of bricks and bits of art. It was decent. I went to a nice café and looked around.

On the way there I had planned to visit the St. Lawrence Market, an old food market, but it was closed that day.

I stopped by Berczy Park where there was a curious fountain; two tiers high it was ringed with statues of different dogs, and at least one cat. The fountain wasn’t on, but I liked the whimsy of it.

I wandered around the downtown core more and found it underwhelming. Once that initial view was gone, so was my first impression. The city just felt sort of ordinary and without character or interest for me. I am completely aware that I saw only one or two areas and that there is probably a lot of good and interesting stuff in Toronto. I am certain that it has a lot more going on than Vancouver. I just didn’t like Toronto as a layover city. Easy to visit, but not interesting to me.

But I didn’t care that Toronto was not exciting, because my next destination would be Yemen.

Wandering North

Tobacco Town: A Week in Estelí, Nicaragua

Workation

Arrival in Nicaragua

Estelí

Moving On

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Workation

Arrival in Nicaragua

Estelí

Moving On

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