Footprint Nicaragua Handbook: The Travel Guide (Footprint Handbooks) [Illustrated] (Paperback)

I was four years in the Merchant Navy and in my current life as a film maker and journalist for the BBC and Irish television I have travelled extensively. What this means is that I have had continual need of practical, up to date and accurate information on the countries I have visited like Japan, Mexico, the Faeroe Islands or elsewhere. Practical help in a travel book is usually the first refuge of the traveller who is stuck and the last refuge of that scoundrel author who does not check and check again the details he or she is tasked to provide for an extremely dependent audience. In this regard Richard Leonardi is on the side of the travel guardian angels. In fact his book is so good that in my five week stay in Nicaragua I sought him out to tell how much I appreciated his "companionship" whilst myself and my partner were on the road. I never do things like that!

The author actually lives in the country and takes a passionate interest in the life of Central America generally and this commitment shines through the book. Indeed, we found only one mistake in this book of some 300 pages if the excellent maps at the back of the book are included. The mistake is forgivable and occurs on page 134 in a reference to the beautiful town of Rivas. We were looking for a place which would change American Express travellers cheques and the book refers us to El Banco de Finanzas which is correctly described as being near the fire station in the town. The only problem is that the staff there firmly denied any policy of changing American Express cheques. On the immediate plus side, however, the book refers the weary traveller to a nearby restaurant the Rayuela which more than makes up for the recalcitrant bank staff with its well made, cheap and entirely fresh fare. Indeed, accurate descriptions and honest assessments of restaurants and eateries is a feature of the book. The best restaurant and craic (an Irish phenomenon including talk, song and dance) from Leonardi’s extensive research was found at Dona Conchi’s in Granada where I came away in the early hours with a singing palate and a mortero or mortar and pestle made of volcanic lava. This gift from the gracious Dona Conchi herself now has pride of place in my house. The only other quibble I have with the book is that the description of the route to the fascinating El Fortin in Leon could be made clearer as one risks approaching the historic fort via the municipal dump which is very unhealthy and possibly dangerous. The images of people scavenging through the detritus and residue of once revolutionary Leon’s inhabitants will stay with me for ever.

Those two slight complaints aside, I cannot praise Footprints travel guide to Nicaragua highly enough. Quite apart from the author’s diligence in ensuring the accuracy of his information, his descriptions of the political and cultural importance of Nicaragua are second to none. We climbed three volcanoes whilst in Nicaragua and we felt much closer to the history, legends and physical aspects of these sometimes fiery mountains from digesting the contents of the guide book. The best example of this comes in the descriptions of angry Concepcion and earth mother Maderas on the beautiful island of Ometepe. Ometepe and El Mar Dulce (the huge fresh water sea which surrounds the island) was the highlight of our trip. On page 139, Leonardi tells the ancient story of how a beautiful princess called Ometepetl met with Nagrando a warrior prince and the pair fell in love. Their respective tribes, however, were at war and this led to a suicide pact between them. This destruction of a match made in heaven led the angry Gods to flood the land producing the vast fresh water lake which exists to this day.

There is one other aspect which pleases me personally. Leonardi never patronises his leadership by being bland. He offers his opinions on many aspects of life in Nicaragua and bases these opinions on extensive research. It is this exciting mixture of hard facts and general cultural information which makes the book such a success. In fact you could never set foot in Nicaragua and still buy the book because you would feel you knew the country so well after reading it. The layout is easy to handle with boxed sections for particular pieces of information and a regular format for each of the geographical areas so you know, for example, that there will always be a food section at that certain point in the sector in which you are interested. The pictures are reflect the Nicaragua we saw and have been composed by people who liked taking photographs which helps. Go out and buy it. Treasure it as you use it as a resource in Nicaragua linda and guard the book well as other travellers will ask or borrow it and then quietly slip away in to the balmy Nicaraguan night never to be seen again.

Most Footprint books use multiple writers, however, The Nicaragua book is a little different in that it has a named author, which benefits the text as it portrays some of Richard's humor and personality - essential ingredients when travelling in a country like Nicaragua.

I was able to spend a few days with Richard Leonardi as guide during my tour of Nicaragua As in his book, he is honest and realistic about the country and I found his knowledge, passion and networks to be outstanding so would really recommend this book to anyone wishing to get the most out of a visit to Nicaragua.