The last day of school. After 10 months of struggling to be heard over the din of some very boisterous high school students, I can hardly believe this day has arrived. And while many teachers will tell you that the first year is a challenge, I’d say it’s even more difficult when you choose to do it in a foreign country. , country.Full StoryFull Story">Full Story" alt="" />

Ambassador Robert Callahan aims to strengthen relations.

By Tim Rogers, When Robert J. Callahan worked in the U.S. Embassy in Tegucigalpa in the early 1980s, he represented an aggressive U.S. administration that sought to undermine Nicaragua’s Sandinista government by arming and training counterrevolutionary insurgents based in Honduras.

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Advertising in a newspaper is not an exact science. If you think the placing of one ad will make the doors of your business cave in with the weight of a thousand new customers,then you will be very disappointed.
Advertising is about creating name brand recognition; over a period of continuous ad
placements you will gradually see your return
in plenty.
It also very important to make sure your business is ready for an influx of new customers,you only get one chance to make a first impression and today’s customer will be tomorrow’s recommendation.
Below are 10 reasons why advertising in a newspaper can help your business to flourish, beyond your wildest expectations.
1 People with higher education are more likely to read newspapers, people in higher responsibility, higher income professional positions read newspapers more frequently than the average person.
2. Frequent advertising means you never miss out on a potential client.
Frequency builds awareness. Awareness builds familiarity and familiarity builds
trust. Conventional wisdom says that your audience needs to be exposed to your ad 2.5 times to sink in and build awareness. Just like dieting, advertising gets the best results over time. Each ad builds on prior
brand recognition.
3. Frequency offers you the best rates. Most newspapers today offer significant incentives for increasing frequency. Whether these incentives are for repeating an ad in a certain period or for contracting to run a certain amount of space over time or investing a certain amount of money, newspapers recognize the need for frequency and encourage customers to use it.
4. Today’s ad may influence a client to become aware but the next one will close the deal for a lukewarm prospect. Frequent advertising helps you beat your competition.
If you are not advertising as much as your competition does, who is more likely to reach the consumer who is ready to shop?
5. As customers we want to be led, we want to know where to stay, we want to know where is the best place to eat . By having your ad in a paper, it already gives the consumer a sense of confidence about your business.
Everyday you:
* Open your store.
* Keep your shelves stocked.
* Keep your phone connected.
* Have your staff come to work.
Shouldn’t you invite customers in by advertising frequently?
6. Coupon ads are a great way to direct consumers to your business, by running a special discounted item in your ad, it will draw the consumer to you and you will then have the opportunity to show them all the other great things your business has to offer.
7. Co Op advertising is another way to get your message out there. If you have a business in a mall or in a leisure area, say for instance Zona Hipa in Managua; you can pool your resources with the other businesses to buy one large ad that will bring traffic to your area for allof you whilst keeping your advertising cost well within your budget,
8. Shopping convenience - inserts
Newspaper inserts are a proven method of advertising for many reasons.
To consumers, thumbing through the colorful advertisements are an ideal way to
“browse the aisles.”
9. Frequency helps your advertising cut through the clutter.
Mohammed Ali did not become heavyweight champion of the world by punching 20 people one time each. No, he became the champ by punching one guy 20 times. By applying frequency to the poor opponent’s head, Ali was able to bring his message home.
Have you ever trained a puppy? Did you find yourself repeating your commands? Is that more likely to get the pup to change behavior? Repeating yourself to a target consumer increases the odds that your message will get through.

10. An ad in a newspaper can stay in the prolipheral vision of a consumer for up to 10 minutes while he is reading the news on that and the adjacent page.
Come join us at the The Nicaraguan Post;
we offer the lowest advertising rates of any
comparable news publication in Nicaragua.
The paper is free online www.nicaraguanpost.com giving your ad an audience around the world. Get to that custmer before they arrive in Nicaragua.
All customers on long term contracts of 4 weeks or more , will get a free feature article in the paper and on line about their business.
As we approach our peak season ,we are all nervous whether the melt down in the USA will affect us. This is not a time to be left behind.
At the Nicaraguan Post our goal is to help small and large businesses alike to achieve the success that is so sorely needed to bring about the growth and prosperity for everyone in this beautiful country we call home.
Call 955-0441 / 552-3053 or mail us at:
nicaraguanpost@gmail.com

Promoter: PRODESA / Fernando SanchezFull Story">Full Story" alt="" />

105 pounds – Yader Escobar (15-2, 11 kos) vs. Miguel Tellez (18-10, 6 kos) – 8 rounds
The main event will feature highly rated Yader Escobar (#15, WBA, #10 WBO, #8 IBF) facing off against former world title challenger Miguel Tellez in an 8 round slugfest. This is a rematch of a fight that occurred in February of this year in which Escobar was able to pull off a narrow decision against then IBF rated Tellez.
112 pounds – Evert Briceno (29-5, 24 kos) vs. Marlon Pineda (8-3-1, 5 kos) – 8 rounds
Former world title challenger and current WBA (#14) and IBF (#14) ranked Briceno will face up and comer Marlon Pineda in an 8 round bout. Briceno is looking to reach his milestone 30th win and has found an obstacle in the always game Marlon Pineda. Pineda on the other hand knows that a win over Briceno will project him onto the world-boxing scene.
140 pounds – Cristian Ruiz (6-0, 5 kos) vs. Osman Vilchez (2-5, 0 kos) – 6 rounds
Power punching prospect Cristian Ruiz will face the always-game Osman Vilchez in a 6 round bout.
118 pounds – Jose Antonio Elizabeth (9-2,4 kos) vs. Juan Alvarez (11-14, 8 kos) – 6 rounds
This 6 round bout has the potential to be the fight of the night in which two very busy light punching fighters will go at it since the start of the belt. Up and comer Elizabeth will try to impose his way on the durable Alvarez.
105 pounds – Carlos Buitrago (4-0, 2 kos) vs. Ernesto Castillo (0-1, 0 kos) – 4 rounds
Sixteen year old phenom and future super star boxer Carlos Buitrago will face Ernesto Castillo in rematch of what was a real exciting first fight. Buitrago, a former stand out amateur boxer with a record of 167-8, 42 kos, will put his polished boxing style to the test against the in your face attack of Castillo.
115 pounds – Rene Alvarado ( 4-0, 4 kos) vs. Heyner Aragon (0-2, 0 kos) – 4 rounds
Former 2 time Central American Amateur boxing champ, Rene Alvarado, is riding a 4 fight win streak in which he has been able to knock out all of his opponents.
126 pounds – Miguel Aguilar (1-0, 0 kos) vs. Melvin Umanzor (1-3, 1 kos) – 4 rounds
Stylist Miguel Aguilar will put his polished boxing on the line against Melvin Umanzor a boxer with a slight edge in experience. Aguilar impressed the crowd in his first bout with a lot of poise and refined boxing technique.
126 pounds – Eliecer Lanzas (1-0, 0 kos) vs. Roger Duran (1-2, 0 kos) – 4 rounds
Former Central American feather weight Eliecer Lanzas impressed in his debute winning a tough 4 round fight against then highly touted prospect Danny Erazo. Lanzas, along with Miguel Aguilar lead a fine crop of feather weight prospects which will soon be lighting up the Nicaraguan boxing scene.
140 pounds – Walter Castillo (0-1, 0 kos) vs. Nicolas Montes (0-1, 0 kos) – 4 rounds
Former 140 pound Central American amateur champ Walter Castillo had a very disappointing debut in which he lost a SD to boxer Edwin Palacios. Castillo, a talented boxer who has excelled in the international amateur boxing scene, will try to make a comeback and get his career on the right track.

IDA Credit: US$20 million

TERMS: Maturity = 40 years; Grace = 10years

Project Description: This Development Policy Credit builds on the recently ended series of Poverty Reduction Support Credits (PRSCs). It aims to support the Government of Nicaragua by helping to maintain a predictable periodicity in budget support disbursements, while authorities prepare and consult their up-dated Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRS). The policy actions supported under the DPC focus mainly on public sector strengthening, with an emphasis on public sector management and transparency, and on strengthening the efficiency, monitoring and accountability of basic social services.

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By Darrell Williams, As more and more young Nicaraguan’s look to the English language as a means of advancing their future prospects, the need for quality literature to read becomes a necessity.
At El Gato Negro bookstore and coffeehouse in San Juan Del Sur those needs are being catered for in abundance.
On the eve of their three-year anniversary Rob and Kelly Thomas can rightly feel proud of what they have achieved in that time.
“Kelly and I moved from Houston, TX to change our lives and have an adventure,” Rob says.  “This was our first foray into running a small business, neither of us had experience in running a bookstore or restaurant operation”.
Prior to moving to Nicaragua, Kelly worked independently as a graphic designer, interior designer, and stock investor.  Rob worked as a commodities trader for a major US corporation.
El Gato Negro was the first English bookstore in Nicaragua and continues to possess one of the largest collections of great literature in Central America.  They probably can lay claim to having the largest collection of books on Nicaraguan history/politics outside of a university research library - and quite honestly, probably better than most research libraries.
The coffeehouse has become a haven for many travelers who seek tranquility over revelry during their Nicaraguan experience.
The coffeehouse serves only Nicaraguan organic, shade grown, Arabica coffees.  Their coffees come from small farms, including one co-owned by them. The coffees are not blends, but single source, meaning the cup of coffee you are drinking is of coffee from one harvest and one farm. Their coffees are roasted on the premises in small batches and prepared with care.
El Gato Negro tries to use only natural, organic, and local products whenever possible.  The homemade espresso fudge brownies, the famous banana chocolate muffins and the caramel sticky buns from the local bakery are amazing.
It really is just a great place to hang out in the swinging chairs and catch up with the latest magazines and papers from abroad. Play a game of Scrabble, or if you cannot pry the game away from Kelly, Backgammon, Cranium, Pictionary, Mille Borne, or Apples to Apples. If you are feeling creative, check out the occasional art classes. Or find the right book and head down to the beaches in search of a hammock and some shade
They are located one block from the beach in San Juan del Sur. Opening hours are from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, mas o menos. In November they will again be open three evenings per week serving vegetarian dinners prepared with love by Chef Nicholas Bowman.
Whether you’re a local or a visitor there is no better place to relax with a caramel sticky bun, a great cup of Joe with the words of literary icons all around you.

By DFull Story">Full Story" alt="" width="300" height="217" />arrell Williams
It was neither the thriller in Manila or the rumble in the jungle.
Saturday night in Los Angeles, California we got to see another chapter of the seniors tour.
That’s not to say these two elder warrior’s did not give it every last drop of effort but the manner in which they did, would and should tell both that the end of their illustrious careers is very nigh and in Ricardo Mayorga’s case, it is over.
They fought 12 rounds with few crisp punches landed between them. Mayorga was so devoid of speed, his only tactic was to bull-rush Mosely and make it an all out brawl and to that point he succeeded. Mosely was knocked out of his game plan and the whole thing turned in to a farcical wrestling match.
It had excitement but how can a fight with Ricardo Mayorga in it, not. And the result was in the balance to the very end with Mayorga behind by only one point with two judges going in to the last round.
But Mayorga was punching so much fresh air, his overhand right was so slow, the Nicaraguan postal service could have delivered it quicker.
In the end “El Matador” just ran out gas and in the twelfth round Mosley finally managed to catch up with him and with a 6-punch combination he sent the Nicaraguan down to his knees.
Mayorga to his credit made the count with only 8 seconds remaining, only to be greeted by a vicious left hook from an on running Mosley that turned the lights out on his evening and what we can only pray for, for his sake, his career.
Mayorga has meant many different things to many people throughout his career and although his performance Saturday was more of a standup comic than a once proud champion, we should not forget his achievements inside the ring. A two time World champion, he has always left everything in the ring. An ambassador he is not but the future of Nicaraguan boxing is as rosy as it as been for many a generation, if ever and a lot of the credit must be given to Mayorga for making young fighters believe that anything is possible.
The night that all fighter’s dread has arrived though, “you did not go gently into the night Ricardo but sleep you must; rest in peace, you will not be forgotten”.

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Full Story" target="_blank">Stephane Grimmit visits Nicaragua in Central America for an action-packed adventure in a place few people have ever thought of visiting.

Nicaragua only seems to make the news when something bad is going down: earthquakes, political uprisings and of course, the infamous Iran-Contra Affair. But, currently this little battler of a country is enjoying a period of relative political stability and it’s a great time to visit. Nicaragua is clearly on the make.

Settled by the Spanish in the early 1500’s, much of Nicaragua was densely populated by indigenous peoples hundreds, probably thousands of years before their arrival. The Spanish quickly discovered the so called “womb” of Nicaragua: a large lake separated from the Pacific Ocean by only a narrow strip of land. Its umbilical cord: the Rio San Juan snakes its way from the lake all the way across the country to the Caribbean. This interesting quirk of geography meant that Nicaragua was nearly the site of the “Panama” Canal and several countries vied hotly for control of the region. For many years, the British also held interests on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, and this area was (many say it still is) the haunt of pirates.

Unfortunately, colonisation by the Spanish led to the subjugation of the local peoples, and much native culture has been lost. Poverty is still endemic in Nicaragua and life is hard for many of its residents. However, prosperity is returning, and today Nicaragua has a lot to offer the inquisitive traveller: beautiful colonial architecture, tropical Caribbean islands, bustling markets, lively music, surfing beaches, a remarkable political history, and if that’s not enough, a whole chain of live volcanoes for added interest. Travelling in Nicaragua can be intensely thought provoking. It has been said that Nicaragua’s volcanoes are similar to the country’s political situation; certainly both have tended to dominate the country’s landscape.

Nicaragua can be roughly divided into two distinct regions: east and west, and currently, no paved roads link the two. If you want to travel between coasts, you have to fly or take a boat. The west coast of Nicaragua, bordered by the Pacific Ocean is the most populated area, containing most of Nicaragua’s major cities: Managua, León and Granada. The people are mostly Spanish speaking mestizos (people of mixed indigenous and Spanish blood). All of the country’s surfing beaches are on this coast. The locals bop to Latino pop, or sizzle on the dance floor to sultry Salsa, and as you sit in a beachside bar sipping mojitos, watching the sun go down, you can sample the local staple: Gallo Pinto (rice and beans).

The Caribbean coast is very different. The tropical “Mosquito” coast is sparsely populated and locals speak English with the most fantastic Caribbean accent. The dress is pure Cuban, the music plays to reggae beat and life is quite laid back, especially on the islands. But despite enormous differences in appearance, language, culture and music, Nicaraguans are proud of their country. And they’re always willing to celebrate something, which is probably all due to the excellent local rum.

If you’ve only got a few days in Nicaragua, don’t spend them all in Managua. There are some great bars in Managua but there are also some very bad parts of town. A great alternate first destination is Granada.
There are several sights worth taking in on the road to Granada. The first is the still active Masaya Volcano. You can drive up close to the crater and after a short walk, you’re staring down into the volcano’s open maw. Interestingly, and somewhat disturbingly, a nearby sign warns you to park with the car facing down hill and to run if you smell choking gases.

Another good stop is the Masaya market. There are actually two markets in this area: the tourist market and the local market and both are worth a look. Buses go direct from Managua to the local market, where you can change to go to Granada, and when you finally roll into Granada, you won’t be disappointed there either.

Granada is the relaxed, old conservative capital and many of the beautiful, colonial buildings are being lovingly restored. There are some great spots to eat out and some funky little bars playing salsa music live. From Granada, it’s only a short bus ride to San Juan del Sur and Nicaragua’s collection of surfing beaches. The water’s clean and the waves are worthy of the serious surfer. What could be better than that?

Omotepe Island makes an excellent next stop. Formed by two volcanoes: one active, one dormant, Omotepe Island lies in Lake Nicaragua (home of the famous, fresh water sharks). Several eco-hotels have sprung up around the island, the mood is relaxed and you can actually climb both volcanoes. The active volcano is the more strenuous, but an interesting hike. Plan to spend a few days and do the hike early, your muscles might need some time to recover afterwards.

León has a very different feel to Granada. León buzzes with energy and is the home of Nicaragua’s more socialist ideals. Political slogans appear everywhere and near the main square is a memorial to those lost in the revolution. Despite this, the town does not feel at all menacing and it’s quite the cultural centre. León was also the birthplace of Rubén Darío, one of Latin America’s most famous poets.

Just out of town is Cerro Negro, another active volcano, the slopes on which the world mountain biking speed record was set. This volcano is easy to climb, easier to descend as you glissade on tiny balls of pumice and there is great bird watching on the road there too.

Having done the west coast, it’s time to pop back to Managua and take a plane flight to the Corn Islands in the Caribbean. The plane lands on Big Corn Island, but take the boat to Little Corn Island which is much nicer.
Be careful in this region: cocaine smuggling is active and theft can be a problem so you need to be sensible.
That aside, Little Corn really is like Paradise lost, it’s stunning. The island is covered with mango trees, banana trees and coconut palms, the beaches are spectacular, the diving is good, and the best thing? There’s hardly anyone else there.

When you’ve finished your intrepid travels in Nicaragua, there’s nothing left but to buy a bottle of the local rum and some salsa CDs to remember your trip by. When you’re back at home and it’s cold outside, make a round of stiff mojitos and pop on the local music. You’ll want to go back.

By Filadelfo Aleman _ Russia’s ambassador to Managua said Wednesday that his country will replace the Nicaraguan army’s aging weaponry.
Ambassador Igor S. Kondrashev said there are no plans, however, to expand the Central American country’s military arsenal,

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By Sara Marron, Full Story">Full Story" alt="" width="300" height="225" />Immediately north of Costa Rica, acres of palm and coconut trees spot the Caribbean coastline, providing a tropical backdrop for the three buildings that comprise the Verbo School in Nicaragua. ,

www.topix.com/ni/puerto-cabezas/2008/09/loudon students