Travelers, I need your input

[Hogskin]

One of my creeps is set to go on a 16 day mission trip to Nicaragua at the beginning of June. If you've been following the news, there has recently been some unrest in Managua, students protesting Ortega, dozens of protesters getting killed. The US state dept has a travel advisory at level 3. So I'm not feeling all that great about sending him. He'll be in an area about 45 minutes outside Managua.

Anybody with insight on the accuracy of US state department travel advisories? Or even better, the situation in Nicaragua? I really feel like he can do some good while he's down there - helping villagers build water purification systems from simple materials - and I think it would be great for him to serve other people (instead of himself for a change). But I also don't want to feed him into a wood chipper, I'd kinda like to get him back in one piece. Any insight is appreciated.

 

[sdhunter]

Not what you're probably wanting to hear....don't let him go! While honorable and noble in their efforts to assist the needy, man...that's family going to an area of unrest. Too much of a risk in my mind!

 

[GUNDOGLOVER]

There are other paces where he could do good without dealing with the turmoil down there. I tried to talk my daughter out of going to south America but she would not heed my advice. She now regrets her choice. Her problem is one dealing with her health. She went down last summer and has been extremely sick ever since. It has just been the past few weeks that she is starting to be herself. For your piece of mind find somewhere else where he can help people out. Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[upper]

I can't even believe your thinking about it.........Love Upper

 

[hatchet1]

sweet pea mentioned that she would like to go to mexico this summer with her girlfriends for summer break...I said I would like to go to...that was the end of the conversation.. we sure live in a different day...no dice.

 

[El Maton]

sweet pea mentioned that she would like to go to mexico this summer with her girlfriends for summer break...I said I would like to go to...that was the end of the conversation.. we sure live in a different day...no dice.

Your a buzz kill!!!

 

[paulc]

My daughter spent the last 3-4 months of 2017 traveling South America by herself. She is 24. I know she spent time in about half dozen countries, but, not sure about Nicaragua. I will ask her what she knows about Nicaragua. She came back alive and enjoyed herself. She did it on the cheap staying in Hostels and such.

 

[MAG1]

My 16 year old girl went to MEXICO last year built 4 houses for family's ,went to BELIZE for a week and I was scared to death. She came home and it was a great experience for her.
What is GOD telling you????

 

[One Track]

It's no worse than East L.A. But, would you let your daughter hang out in East L.A? I wouldn't. I have friends that surf in Nicaraqua, often. They hire a full-time driver/guide. And, the guide does not let them go out at night.

Costa Rica is the opposite. I've been there many times. I don't hang out in the big city, San Jose. I head for the coast. Very mellow and friendly. Maybe he can find something to do there, and you can relax.

 

[bearclaw]

I have a good buddy that has a very head strong daughter that traveled to S. America a year or so ago with her boyfriend (both in college). They both got really really sick and took months and months to get back to normal as well.

He used to travel often and she chose to do the minimum regarding shot and inoculations (didn't listen to dad), but readily acknowledges now that she made a mistake. She ended up no worse for the wear eventually, but was lucky.

 

[paulc]

Paul, my daughter got back to me. Here is what she said.







Skip Managua the capital know they are having government issues right now. I was in Leon mostly! Tell him to stay at the surfing turtle one night it’s a party hostel on an island so fun! It’s amazing. I would suggest going to ometepe and the corn islands.













People are nice. But like I said recently they are having government issues. I would t go to Managua except to fly in. There’s nothing to see there anyway














Tell them to message me! I’ll give them the deets"








Messager her on face book. She can give you her perception of it.

 

[paulc]

I have a good buddy that has a very head strong daughter that traveled to S. America a year or so ago with her boyfriend (both in college). They both got really really sick and took months and months to get back to normal as well.

He used to travel often and she chose to do the minimum regarding shot and inoculations (didn't listen to dad), but readily acknowledges now that she made a mistake. She ended up no worse for the wear eventually, but was lucky.

I also told my daughter to get shots and inoculations and she said no. She luckily had no problems, though she did have a flu there for a few days.

 

[paulc]

Just talked to her on the phone. She reminded me about the iguanas they sold in the street live to be eaten. They were hog tied and their lips were sewn shut. Damn!!

Tell him to try the iguana while he is out there.

 

[Fowl Play]

Small world. Just emailed a group of friends who went down there this past weekend for a medical missions trip. These are guys and girls who go to Columbia for semester's of school, were present for evacuating Syrian refugees, etc. They constantly do things we think are crazy... anyways they all replied "Hell NO! HE should not GO!" and then they called and texted me. Short story is they flew into Managua this past Saturday (5/12) on a Medical missions trip, stepped off the plane, began travelling to the medical compound they were to be working at, and were intercepted en route then evacuated out of the country. The medical compound they were planning on working at had been raided of all medical supplies a few hours before, several people were killed, and the whole compound was burned to the ground. According to them, the country is on the brink of civil war. If you PM me I can get you in contact with them directly.

Here's verbatim the message one of them sent: "If you're friend isn't convinced. I can send him a link to private recordings of the govt's undercover officers shooting protesters and stealing supplies from hospitals to treat their wounded. It's bad! The gov't was blocking national news coverage and preventing international journalists from arriving to report what was going on."

In short, your son should go on another missions trip.

 

[Hogskin]

My 16 year old girl went to MEXICO last year built 4 houses for family's ,went to BELIZE for a week and I was scared to death. She came home and it was a great experience for her.
What is GOD telling you????

.
Honestly, I've been extremely prayerful about it and have had a nagging feeling he ought not go. I've been looking for new on it, checking the state department daily. I've been in contact with the trip coordinator who I think, frankly, is in over her head. She's a bit of a Pollyanna - "everything's gonna be swell!" and thinks I'm being overly cautious. I actually came to TOF expecting you guys to go, "Man up, Nancy, stop being his mother and start being his father, men laugh in the face of danger, etc."

I appreciate the input.

Fowl Play, you're the man!

 

[MAG1]

Maybe it's not a nagging feeling, Maybe somebody is answering you.
GOD BLESS

 

[TheGDog]

Another thing you have to worry about in areas like that is kidnapping for ransom

When I used to be married to someone from Guatemala, we visited her Sister who still lived over there because she already had a family. Over there... if people think you have any money at all in your family... they'll often kidnap people for ransom. That sister's husband ran a currency exchange business for folks from Dollars to Quetzales and vice versa. So he had to keep on his toes because fools learn you got money around they'll pull that isht. If your family doesn't look like they'd be from Nicaragua... where it'd be obvious he's "American". You may want to give pause to him going down there for now. Nothing says he can't go down there some other time.. right?

It is gorgeous country though. I believe every human being should be made to visit a Rain Forest at least once in there lives. When in a Rain Forest, you get this overwhelming sense of "This is where I belong", it's hard to describe. You can smell the richness of the Earth you're walking upon... you can smell the "green" in the air. It's freakin' awesome.

You'll be sweaty a lot, but your lungs will feel better than they ever have at any other point in your life. (Not in their cities though, as all the buses are privately owned and there's no such thing as smog checks, they spew out thick clouds of Diesel Exhaust, felt bad for those folks).

 

[earl55]

"God left South America a long time ago"

 

[longduck]

No frickin way. Trust your gut!

 

[ilovesprig]

No frickin way. Trust your gut!

+1....Lots of sleepless nights