So our timing on starting this blog is a little off. Maybe it won't be a typical travel destination blog solely promoting all the chic, quasi-experiential stuff you can check out when you're in the country. Don't get us wrong, there'll be plenty of that too; but in between, we're going to share some things that you might not expect including some social commentary, economic thoughts, environmental issues, and few subjects we haven't thought of yet. We've always done things differently and sometimes counter-intuitively at El Espino so why should our blog be any different?
About our timing ... if you're reading this, you're probably aware that since April 18 some serious shit has gone down in Nicaragua. If you're not aware, Google it. It's the worst crisis since the conflict of the 80's (Sandinistas vs. Contras --- proxy war between US and USSR to oversimplify). Some of the players in this latest crisis cut their teeth during that little do-si-do.
Anyway, things were going just beautifully for us on April 17. We had our best high season, rooms were booked, we were and still are #1 on TripAdvisor (overall ratings, not "Best Value") plus anticipated guidebook inclusion, yoga retreats and weddings, and we were building so that we could meet all the demand. Then the reality of a new crisis punched us in the face. First, things were slow to change. A handful of cancellations and new reservations coming in at a trickle. A couple of weeks on ... empty, crickets, nada. What to do? Dunno. Things going to change soon? Dunno. We did what we had to. Reduced all costs wherever we could. Laid off many of our staff and hunkered down. Are we throwing in the hand-loomed artisanal towel? Nope. As we told an investor yesterday (and many others over the years), we're in it for the long haul and we will be back. Until then, please donate to our employee relief fund:
https://www.gofundme.com/granada-isletas-emergency-fund
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