Local Flavor: Pescado de Nicaragua

On Nicaragua’s Isla de Ometepe, fish reigns supreme as the number one protein source. And rightfully so! The volcanic island is surrounded by Lago de Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. The plateful shown here was at a lovely lunch break in the the town of Altagracia during my recent community-based travel program there.

Mojarra, Guapote, and Tilapia are among the most common varieties of the lake’s fish to make it to local plates. They are usually served up like this, fried whole, but are easy to eat and superbly mild and delish.

Here’s another great fish lunch I had, prepared by host mother Doña Sylvia in the little neighborhood of Taguizapa. It was fried up fresh from the morning catch Sylvia’s son had brought in. And don’t be fooled by the humble rice and beans accompanying it! The rice was grown and cured by hand by Sylvia’s husband Alfonso. It had a subtle sweetness that brought the locally-grown beans to new flavor heights. Local meals like these are among my favorite travel memories.

The virtual feast continues over at WanderFood Wednesday!

We’re collectively, as a planet, trying to break the plastic bag habit. I believe this may be one of the legacies of the current generation.

Stocking stuffer alert! It’s re-usable, washable, compact and packable, and it helps save our planet’s resources. It’s simple and it works – both at home and on the road. I’m talking about ChicoBag – an awesome little gift for your earth-roaming, or just planet-conscious, friends.

Never again will you need to feel the crush of guilt when you are caught bag-less…“paper or plastic?” ChicoBag’s ChicoBag Sling rePETe is super-compact and tucks easily into your purse or daybag. Yet, once unfurled, the Sling has an amazingly generous carrying capacity. Keep one of these on-hand and you’ll always be ready for the spontaneous market find. Going tropical for the holidays? Tuck it away in your carry-on when traveling between warm and chilly climes for an easy way to carry your extra clothing layers.

Whether hitting up your neighborhood farmers market on the weekend, or checking out the local vendors when traveling, market life brings you right into the heart of a community. Cool thing is – no matter what’s in season, ChicoBag’s ChicoBag Produce Stand Starter Kit has you covered.

The set consists of 3 different reusable produce bags:

- a rePETe bag that blocks airflow and keeps things like squash and carrots moist,

- a rePETe Mesh bag that allows ethylene gas to escape for things like apples and onions,

- and a 70% Hemp – 30% Cotton blend bag that absorbs excess moisture and is great for bulk grains and nuts.

Between the Sling and the Produce Stand Set (both available on Amazon
), I haven’t needed to take a plastic bag for anything in a very long time. And that’s a good thing!

Like many of my travel blogging brethren, I’m a total book nerd. I learned to read my first book, Beatrix Potter’s “The Fierce Bad Rabbit”, at a very tender age, and I’ve been totting home chest-high piles of books to devour like candy ever since. My first library card was almost akin to my first passport in that it transported me to far away lands that someday I might visit. Libraries are special places.

The flames were fanned on my big library crush when I learned that this year’s Passports with Purpose travel bloggers fundraiser would be in support of Room to Read with the goal of building two libraries in Zambia.

Passports with Purpose is a fundraiser that lets travel bloggers raise their collective voice and rally support for a great cause. Now in it’s fourth year, this grassroots fundraiser has gathered major momentum and seen some inspirational results. Each year, Passports with Purpose has blown waaay past its goal and has successfully built a village for Dalits (Untouchables) in India, a school in rural Cambodia, and raised funds to support the great work of Heifer International. As a travel blogger, I’m so thankful to have a philanthropic outlet for some of my hedonism!

This year’s Passports with Purpose fundraiser is kicking off today and YOU can be a part of this year’s success story. Not only that, you can win some really cool travel swag in the process. Win-win!

Here’s how it works:

Bloggers like me procure a killer prize that one lucky donor will win. A master list of all the prizes is on the Passports with Purpose website.

After browsing the prize list, make a tax deductible donation to Room to Read. For every $10 you donate up through December 16th, you get one entry to win the prize of your choice. Pick your prizes and please help spread the word! Everyone involved with PWP will be chatting it up on Twitter, Facebook and on our blogs. The PWP peeps will be notifying each prize winner on December 23rd, so some of you will see the bounty under your virtual Christmas trees get a boost.

And… are you ready for this? I have an awesome prize to give away this year!

You could win a 3-night Unlimited-Luxury stay at Dreams Tulum Resort & Spa in Mexico for two people, which includes gourmet dining at seven international restaurants, premium beverages at six lounges, 24-hour room service, an array of day and evening activities and more!

I had a lovely and eye-opening experience earlier this year staying at Dreams Riviera Cancun, just up the coast from this location, and I came to some pleasant conclusions about the whole resort thing (which is detailed in my post, ‘Resort’ is not a dirty word). The folks at Dreams know how to do it right – they create a beautiful, relaxed atmosphere with top-notch amenities and amazing service. Not only that, Dreams resorts have a sharp eye to keeping their practices ecologically sound and they offer fantastic career opportunities for scores of local residents – both important factors in my book.

I don’t think I need to tell you that you totally deserve a break. During your stay at Dreams Tulum, your Unlimited-Luxury privileges will give you full access to unbridled dining and drinking at any of the 7 onsite restaurants and 6 lounges, as well as 24-hour room service. And the food is really, really good – I can vouch! You can opt to split your time between adventuring (visiting the breathtaking local Mayan ruins, snorkeling one of the world’s greatest reefs, shopping and partying in nearby Playa del Carmen) and relaxing by the amazing pool and thinking about how good life is. Or you can focus all your efforts on fully unplugging and just plan to book daily spa treatments. Up to you! And this trip is for two people – so you can share the joy with a partner, sweetheart, parent, best friend or favorite travel blogger. Talk about a killer holiday gift! And to do so knowing you’ve supported a great cause along the way? Even sweeter.

A BIG thanks to AMResorts for this awesome prize and support of Passports with Purpose, which to me just further goes to show that they get it. Thanks also to this year’s amazing sponsors: Round the World with Us, Traveller’s Point and HomeAway. They totally get it, too.

The full prize details, rules and restrictions are as follows: Your prize will be a 3-night hotel only stay at Dreams Tulum, including resort taxes. Airfare, airfare tax and transportation are not included. Accommodations are for 2 adults, in the lead in room category. Winner can choose to upgrade to a higher room category upon check-in, at an additional cost. Winner can also bring additional guests for additional charge. Blackout dates include, but are not limited to, Thanksgiving, Easter, Christmas, New Years and Presidents Day. Stay is valid for one year from the date of the drawing and is based on availability. Certificate is non-transferable, holds no cash value and cannot be extended. Ground transportation, room charges incurred, spa treatments, telephone calls, incidentals and all other additional expenses are not included.  The resort will attempt to accommodate winner’s preferred itinerary, but all specifics thereof will be at the Sponsor’s sole discretion. A prize letter form must be filled out and signed within 30 days of the drawing to be considered valid.

Photo credit: Fierce Bad Rabbit book by snigl3t