Nicaragua: Managua – Zona Monumental
Managua, the country’s capital, was nearly flattened in 1972 by an earthquake that almost completely wiped out the city center. The downtown area has been completely rebuilt and remodeled since then, except for the ghost of the Old Cathedral of Managua, now standing abandoned, a beautiful baroque structure. Opposite from the cathedral is a collection of Socialist-style architecture – the grand Palace of Culture, modernist National Theater of Ruben Dario, Plaza de la Revolution and Central Park with Eternal Flames for the leaders of the Sandinista Revolution, and a collection of brutalist monument (it feels like you are in Cuba or Belarus at times). Just a bit further along the waterfront is the beautiful Paseo de los Estudiantes with the Arboles de la Vida artwork of giant colorful trees, Simon Bolivar monument, and expansive views of Lake Managua and distant volcanoes.
