This was my first trip to Central America. After Haiti, Nicaragua is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. These are scenes from El Gigante.

In my mind’s eye are tiny beads of sweat, red satellite dishes, corrugated roofs, overcrowded buses, a child asking for a dollar, men trekking to the fields before dawn, and people dodging Managua traffic to get into the factory.

The highlight was the hike up the Punta Gigante to see the sunset over the Pacific.

The ocean, with just a few surfers and local fishermen, was cold and refreshing.