Diario las Américas., 1958-01-14
Know thy
Neighboti
Bv ANTONIO RUIZ

NICARAGUA - The Inter Anne
rican Highway, name given to the
Central American portion OF the
Pan American Highway, runs from
Managua, south through Diriamba,
Jinotepe, Nandalme and RivaS, un-
til it reaches the Costa Rican Dor
der, or a total distance of 90 miles.
The region around Diriamba and
Jinotepe has a delightful cool eli
mate, and many Managuans have
weekend homes there, in addition
to those of a good number of plant
alton owners. Both towns are i'm
portant coffee centers. Diriamba,
though small, has one of the best
hotels in the country, the Hotel
Majestic.
Bathing beaches at Casares and
La Boquita, on the Pacific, about
20 miles from Diriamba, are very
popular among the residents OF
that section. The pleasant town OF
Jinotepe is well-known for its
beautiful church - a replica, on a
small scale, of the famous Cattle
dral of Leon. Many of the exqui-
site images which adorn its inter
ior we're brought from Spain. In
honor of its Patron Saint, Santa
go ell Mayor" Jinotepe holds an
annual fair from July "a to 70,
which draws many visitors.
Granada may be reached from
the Pan American Highway by TAX
ing a branch road running north
east through San Marcos and Masa-
va, or another road which runs
north from Nan6aime.
Rivas was the scene of stormy
battles in the war precipitated by
William Walker and of his final
capitulation to a coalition OF Cen
trail American forces in 1887. The
visitor can still see the house in
which he once lived, and two other
buildings, from which he and his
men were routed by fire. In 1855,
Walker and his filibusters were
driven from the "Casa del MeSon
de Don Francisco Guerra, after
the heroic act of Costa Rican Juan
Santamaria, who lost his life while
hurting flaming fagots through the
windows.
Just south of Rivas a dry-weath-
er road branches of the Inter Anne
rican Highway and runs to the
Pacific port of San Juan del Sur.
This road is joined Farther south
by another unimproved branch
road from the village of La Virgen,
on the highway near the shore OF
Lake Nicaragua Together those
roads originally formed the fam
Gus Old Transit Route, also known
as Vanderbilt Road, an overland
link between Lake Nicaragua and
the Pacific, over which many of
the forty miners travelled on their
way to California during the gold
rush.
Commodore Cornelius Wander
bilt was the man responsible for
providing the shortcut" via the
Nicaraguan isthnus, as an alter
native to the arduous and danger
Gus overland route across the Unit!
ed States, and to the long sea
route around Cape Horn. After
transporting the gold prospectors
by ship from New York and New
Orleans to San Juan del Norte on
the Caribbean, Vanderbilt transfer
red them to river boats for the
trip up the San Juan River and
across Lake Nicaragua to its west
ern shore. Here they were met by
stage coaches which carried them
over ihe Transit Road to San Juan
del Sur, where they boarded the
ships for the last lap of the trip
UP tine West Coast.
Although underdeveloped as a
tourist resort, Sap Juan del Sur is
located in a circle of green hills
overlooking the beautiful bay and
beach, which offer excellent swim
ming and fishing, as well as beauti-
full scenery and very nice points
for excursions.
Spanish Version Page 3