“God manages this hostel”


As I inquired about a room at Hostal Esfinge in Granada (Nicaragua), the female proprietor (who bore more than a passing resemblance to a Nicaraguan version of Margaret Thatcher), pointed out her wall-mounted list of hostel rules. As she repeatedly warned me of the perils of bringing women back to the hostel, and I repeatedly assured her I was married, my fear grew.

"If you bring a woman back, I’ll give you your money back and see you to the door. I don’t need your money." she told me in Spanish. "I understand, I really am married, I won’t be bringing any women back", I told her for the fifth time.

She finished her hostel induction pep-talk with the wonderful line "God manages this hostel". I walked around the corner and saw a cardboard cut-out God watching over Hostal Esfinge.

Hostal Esfinge, Granada, Nicaragua

On my second day there I plucked up the courage to ask her for an adapter so that I could plug my laptop in and run it at the same time as the room fan. The room was a stifling 45 degrees, and had nothing in it except hallucinogenic wallpaper (see photos) and a single plug socket.

Her reply was simply "Oooohhhh…that is not permitted. It is not permitted to plug in computers, phones, cameras or anything except the fan. The electricity is expensive."

Muchas gracias Margaret.

Photos of Granada and Hostal Esfinge


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