When I arrived in Nicaragua, my intention was to continue photographing indigenous people.  The Miskito were a prominent group living along the country’s Caribbean coast.  I found extensive information about them and their struggles for survival against the Nicaraguan government.  After more research, I couldn’t find any traditional dress or ritualistic costumes within their culture.  Making an executive artistic decision, I decided to switch gears and focused on the country’s folkloric dance culture instead.  

A unique feature of Nicaraguan dance is that the performance of each song commands its own unique costume.  In school, children were taught the dances and their respective costumes became an iconic look into their culture.  I found an organization called Chavalos that was based in San Francisco.  They teach Nicaraguan heritage and customs to local children whose parents are from the country, but who haven’t had the opportunity to visit themselves.  They also provide aid and disaster relief to citizens in Nicaragual.  The director put me in contact with María Inés, a local folkloric dancer.  We planned the shoot for later in the week after I arrived in Granada.

Granada is a colonial city built on the shores of Lake Nicaragua.  Its most famed attraction is the Cathedral of Granada.  The cathedral is an Ornate yellow neoclassical structure in the center of the city.  The city was quiet.  A lingering consequence of the pandemic I imagined.  My room was located inside a yoga sanctuary just outside of town.  After entering through a large arched door, the complex opened up to an expansive lush courtyard.  I passed through the restaurant on the right and made my way to the back.  The room was large with vaulted ceilings.  In the corner there was an old wooden desk where I would ultimately spend the majority of my time in the country.

Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America and second poorest in all of Latin America, behind Haiti.  Corruption was commonplace under their president’s dictatorship which had spanned a decade.  The killing of peaceful protestors and imprisonment of political activists against the government caused fear and outrage for many.  A few of the people I had met expressed concerns for the country’s upcoming election taking place later that year.  Many were planning to leave Nicaragua in anticipation of the event.  The election would ultimately end with the reelection of President Ortega, mostly due to the fact that he had each presidential candidate who ran against him imprisoned.  This blatant abuse of democracy and civil liberties was enough for the US government to officially brand Nicaragua as a dictatorship.

As a visitor in Nicaragua however, I wasn’t directly affected by the political situation.  I never witnessed any protests or violence.  I never felt unsafe.  Through conversations with locals, I could feel that tensions weighed heavy.  It was the reality of day to day life in the country.  While I had been organizing the photoshoot, there was a particular blue and white dress I wanted Maria Ines to wear.  The director of the organization explained that she wouldn’t be able to wear it because blue and white are the colors of the Nicaraguan flag.  To wear the nation’s colors in public was seen as an act of protest against the government.  Anyone doing so could be beaten, imprisoned or even killed.  I learned a lot about the political climate of the country from a political activist I befriended during my stay there.  

In a couple of days I would travel to El Salvador and needed a negative covid test.  There was only one facility in the entire country offering tests.  It was in the nation’s capital, Managua.  There were no appointments available.  You had to arrive between 8am and 11am with all of the required documents, hope you got a test before they ran out and then return between 3pm and 6pm to pick up a paper copy of your results.  I got on the bus in Granada towards the capital early that morning.  The bus was a large van with six rows of seats.  I boarded and took a spot by the window.  There were no scheduled departure times.  The driver simply waited until the bus was full before departing.  It was Thursday.  The portrait was scheduled for Friday and my flight to El Salvador was on Saturday.  There was no room for error.  I needed to receive my covid test that day.

I arrived at the testing facility around 7:30 am.  There was already a line.  I spent a couple of hours waiting and finally took the test.  I would have to wait around in the city that day to gather my results later in the afternoon.  I had lunch and visited The National Palace, a museum showcasing the history of Nicaragua.  That afternoon I collected my negative covid test result and proceeded to meet a friend for a drink.  We spent a couple of hours together discussing the situation in the country.  It was getting late and I still had to catch the bus back to Granada.  He offered to accompany me to the bus stop so that I didn’t have to go back to the station.  It had gotten dark.  We waited by the side of the street until the van arrived.  This time, it was already packed.  All of the seats were taken and people were standing shoulder to shoulder filling in the empty spaces.  I got pulled in and found a place to stand.  The roof of the vehicle was about two feet shorter than me.  There I stood hunched over, packed in alongside unmasked riders.  To say the least, the hour and a half ride back to Granada wasn’t going to be ideal.  The tequila coursing through my veins didn’t make it any better as I struggled to keep my balance along the bumpy road.  About half way back, the bus broke down.  Great.  We were refunded part of our fare and left on the side of the road at night to catch the next bus.  Patience was wearing thin.  Finally the next bus arrived.  I was elated to see that this bus was completely empty.  I paid the fare, took a seat and enjoyed a much more pleasant trip back to Granada.  

The following morning I decided to leave Granada a day early and book a room back in Managua.  That evening María Inés and I would meet for the photoshoot.  Since she lived in Managua and my flight would depart from there the following morning, it seemed to be the more convenient option.  I took a cab to Managua and checked into my room.  María Inés and her daughter picked me up.  We drove to Caterina, a small town with a gorgeous view of Lake Apoyo.  The ride there was incredible.  María Inés was one of the sweetest women I had ever met.  To my relief, she spoke English.  We talked about culture and her history as a dancer.  She traveled around the world for dance competitions and had many stories to tell.  We talked about the project and my inspiration behind it.  She loved the idea and was grateful to be a part of it. I cherished the time we had in the car and the kind words she said about the work I was doing.

We arrived to the parking lot for the observation deck overlooking the lake.  The nature in that part of the world never ceases to amaze me.  Everything was lush and vibrant and the impact of the environment on the culture was apparent at every turn.  The lake was the perfect backdrop for the shoot.  María Inés collected her bags and changed into a stunning blue and multicolor striped dress.  The costume was used for a popular dance called The Mestizaje Dance and the lake proved a marvelous natural landscape juxtaposed behind the vibrant intricacies of the folkloric costume.  I prepared the camera.  As soon as we were about to shoot, a nasty mix of wind and rain blew in.  We ran for cover.  I waited a few moments and ventured out to see if there was a drier location where we could move to shoot.  There was nothing.  We waited.  Eventually the rain subsided but the wind continued on.  We were losing sunlight.  We’d have to go for it, and make it quick.  She was a great sport, standing in the wind, feathers from her headpiece violently swaying in the breeze.  We collected a few shots.  She was stunning.  We called it a day and headed back to her car.  She drove me back to the hotel and painted the most beautiful line with budding leaves jetting out from it.  I graciously thanked her for her kindness.  The following morning, I left for El Salvador.