I’m not there any more. If all’s gone well, I’m on my way home as you read this. So it’s time to reveal the Secret Location.
Or rather, it’s time to start by giving some better hints than I’ve offered so far. A prize will be offered to the first person who names both the country and the city where I stayed.
Hint 1 is a photo you’ve already seen. It was the first photo I posted on my travels, in fact. I didn’t realize it at the time, but to anybody who knows this part of the world, that mosaic man isn’t just a design. He’s a specific, historic individual, well known in these parts. He is often depicted only as a dark, symbolic shape.
Here it is again:
Hint 2 is also in a photo I posted before. But that time, I cheated and altered one big detail. Here’s the photo unaltered:
A prize (not sure what, but we’ll work out something whether it be a tacky souvenir, an autographed book, or a small personal favor) goes to the first person who can name both the city and the country that I spent the last week in. If nobody gets it from this post and earlier ones, I’ll give some more hints.
Don’t just aim for the name of the country; that’ll only help the next person. Correct country and city wins the prize. Extra hint: These two photos would give a savvy person the country. City might have to be inferred from these and everything else I’ve posted (and will post later on if somebody doesn’t come up with the right answer immediately).
Gopherit.
I got nothin’.
I’m sticking with Glocca Paracuador.
Unless it’s Santiago, Chile.
Moonover, Parador 8-?
Lima, Peru
Panajachel, Guatemala
The shadow of the historic individual nails the country. Anyone who knows the history of the region knows who he is. The volcano, no clue.
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua – Bulldog Inn
Cafayate?
Jaun Valdes, Columbia…
Called flyer but what the hey.
Based on what I’ve found tonight, my guess is Granada, Nicaragua
I figured out, I think, which volcano that is, so just in case Shel is a bit off, I’ll toss out Niquinohomo, Nicaragua.
You guys are good (and some of you are funny) — but SHEL wins the prize (whatever it may be).
Granada, Nicaragua it is. Or was. I just got in and am typing this while reclining on a bench at an airport in the good old USSA. Home tomorrow with more.
The figure is Augusto C. Sandino (after whom the Sandinistas are named). The volcano is Mombacho.
More when I’m recuperated. Shel, I owe ya.
Claire, its a shame you don’t travel much, because this could be a new favorite freedom outlaw game.
We can call it “Find the Freedomista” or in your specific case, you could hide your face amongst the scenery and we can all play “Where’s Wolfe-o?”
I was going to guess Vatican City – http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c305/benodette/2012%20Q1%20-2/March2512hatReuters.jpg
Too bad I didn’t post in time. When you said it was a historic individual, of course it had to be Sandino, the guy who kicked the US Marines out of Nicaragua, and was later murdered by Anastasio Somoza. Back during the Contra war I spent a little time down there with an outfit called “TecNica” helping the folks in the computer science department of the University of Managua fix antique computers. Can you imagine, 8 inch floppy disks?
The silhouette of Sandino could be seen painted everywhere.
Actually, if you think about it, that poverty-stricken little country kicked the ass of the US government twice – first with Sandino, and then with the Sandinista revolution. That’s something…
With your hint, I simply started going down the list of Central American countries, going to Wikipedia, and then going to the Wikipedia site of central figures. I even tried Pancho Villa. The last non-Panama Spanish speaking country was Nicaragua; I was astounded to find the man depicted was Sandino. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augusto_C%C3%A9sar_Sandino
The tour boats definitely looked like lake boats, unfit for open water, and questionable for even rivers. That made Lake Nicaragua a possibility. I had looked at some mountains and volcanoes, including around Antigua Guatemala, but concluded that it didn’t take much change in viewing angle to make them look much different. At least Lake N had a volcano. I then went to the map. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nicaragua
While it isn’t inconceivable that a silhouette of Sandino would be in Costa Rica, obviously Nicaragua was more likely. I then went looking for pictures of the lake and information about tours, which turned up http://gocentralamerica.about.com/od/nicaraguaguide/ss/Lake_Nicaragua_5.htm
Oddly enough, the Granada Islets turned out to be near Granada (within range of a three hour tour).
Actually, if I ever make it back up to the Pacific Northwest again, I’d very much like to meet you. Otherwise, I don’t need anything at all. I’m already a pack rat, unfortunately.
I gots to know. Did the monkeys like the Oreos?
I made the mistake of ruling Nicaragua out at the start. Had I been operating at the peak of my mental faculties, I would’ve put two and two together on Friday. Instead, I went looking for volcanoes.
I hope you got to try some of the local chocolate.
I have examined all of the clues and have deduced that the secret location is: Grenada, Nicaragua. What?
CW engages in disinformation. Or she didn’t know where she was. It’s Mexico City. In the background is “The Sleeping Woman”.
The only thing I want to know is – did she get a tan and did she really engage in rest and relaxation
MS Jordan — A slight sunburn managed to sneak its way past all the sunscreen I slathered on. And yep, you betcha, I really, really, really rested and relaxed. So much so that I’m sure the other guests at the B&B must have assumed I’m a totally boring person. “Did stuff” for about three or four hours a day, then sat around the pool drinking Sangria, doing sudoku, and eating good food.
(Oh, and you might like to know that I carried a little reporter’s notebook around in my pockets wherever I went; really helped me with converting currency and basic communications.)
jed — I know you’d have gotten the answer to the puzzle had Shel not beat you to it.
As to chocolate, I never did try any. However, Granada has — believe it or not — a chocolate museum! http://www.chocomuseo.com/english/our-locations/granada-nic/
I visited and thought about taking their all-day cacao tour, but for budget reasons opted for the lake tour instead. Thought about buying some of their chocolate, too, but I couldn’t figure out how to keep it from melting into a puddle while walking the half mile back to the B&B.
Oh, that’s easy. You just eat it right away.
Oh, just saw this in re. Oreos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJyGoGPXTj4
I’m still slightly grumpred at myself for not recognizing Sandino. And for letting my preconceptions influence my divinations.
jed — Okaaaaaaay, that video was weird. (Somebody had a lot of time on their hands, didn’t they?)
And yeah, I missed out of the full ChocoMuseo experience by virtue of the huge breakfast the host of the B&B cooked up every morning. Too damn full to even think about eating the stuff when I visited the museum. But for chocolate lovers, the place not only sells chocolate bars, but has a huge brunch buffet featuring lots of chocolate things, a chocolate drink bar, and workshops in which you make your own chocolate bar.
As to Sandino, really I’d have been surprised if anybody other than Jorge (who lives practically next door) recognized that image. And I’m not surprised at all that nobody considered that I’d gone off to the land of the Sandinistas.
Yeah, wierd. But highly amusing. (Okay, amusing to me.)
I’ve been doing some reading on Nicaragua. Seems that the U.S. government is very good at one thing: instilling resentment in the local populace. I won’t say that they always do that, but it’s a recurring theme. And here are people descended from Conquistadors, grousing about imperialism. Of course it’s an over simplification, but the history of the world is mostly about migration, invasion, and conquest.
I found this quote from Sandino
As a side effect, I’ve been hearing Bruce Cockburn in my head for a day. How enjoyable this would be, if only I could fail to understand the lyrics.
Good that your hosts were taking good care of you there.
Well then it sounds like what a vacation is supposed to be about & I just knew that impromptu to idea would work out for you
😉