UPDATE JUNE 10, 2018:
I’m sad to announce that, for the first time in nearly 20 years of guidebook writing, my book’s publication is being delayed because of the political situation on the ground. Publication of Moon Nicaragua 7th edition, originally slated for December 2018, will be delayed until further notice. The Nicaraguan physical, civil, and political landscapes are transforming as we speak, so the book, before it has even been released is already outdated. More importantly, the people of Nicaragua are under siege from their own government, so although the sudden collapse of the tourism industry is devastating, in this moment, all our thoughts should be with the Nicaraguans and their fight for democracy. I support my publisher’s decision, given the horribly volatile, unpredictable, and violent situation on the ground there. Here is an excellent summary of what is happening there, in case you are interested, by Tim Rogers for The Atlantic (June 6, 2018): “The Unraveling of Nicaragua: Amid the mass protests against the Ortega regime, the country is showing signs of democratic renewal.”
FEB. 2018:
Isla de Ometepe on the New Cover
I’m still hammering away at the manuscript, photos, and maps, but the ball is rolling on Moon Nicaragua 7th edition (Avalon Travel Publishing), the cover has been selected, and the book is on its way. For the third time, La Isla de Ometepe’s mile-high Volcán Concepción will grace the cover, this time in a shot approaching the dock in Moyogalpa by photographer Oliver Gerhard. I’m hoping travelers will look at the cover and say, “I want to climb that.”
Seven Editions!
It’s been quite a journey since my coauthor, Randall Wood, and I researched and wrote that first edition back in 2001. Randy and I had just completed two and a half years in the U.S. Peace Corps, both of us serving in villages in the Departamento de Estelí. We’d gotten to know and love Nicaragua and wanted to share it with the rest of the world, which was just beginning to notice that the country was worth visiting. So we wrote a 500-page book on everything we’d learned about Nicaragua, as it related to the new wave of visitors we knew would soon be arriving. We continued to work on the book, updating it every few years for four editions.
The 5th and 6th editions of Moon Nicaragua were updated by Amber Dobrzensky and Elizabeth Perkins, respectively. They did the hard legwork, fact-checking, and correcting that gooes into keeping the book alive and relavant.
Now, I’ve got my baby back and could not be happier. This time around, the book features continued detail on all the grassroots agritourism ventures around the country; coverage of the small, impressive luxury market that has taken hold; and a fresh look at Managua, Nicaragua’s crazy capital city, with an insider’s perspective thanks to my research assistant, Leonor Zuniga.
MOON FTW
The goal is maintain Moon as the go-to guide for travelers looking for depth, accuracy, and informed ideas as they create their own adventures in Nicaragua. Stay tuned for release fiesta information as the date gets closer — both in Boulder and Nicaragua.
Still lives with the first six editions:
