"Poor Granada!" a Granada Travel Page by Assenczo

Granada is one of these magical places that have the stamina to survive time and circumstances. It was not enough to be pillaged by foreign mercenaries and official enemies. It had to endure the jealousy and rivalry of its kin. Yet here we are 2009, Granada is back into the spotlight, with a different angle plying another trade – tourism. No wonder it is well equipped to deal with it - the Cathedral and many churches, the hotels and the restaurants, the lake and the volcanoes are all components of everlasting “attractions”. Moreover, it still retains the feel of a genuine town, not over glossed by marketing and success.

The last sentence is a key one. A traveler who’s read about all the reasons he should pay Granada a visit is on a “steep learning curve” of how and why to appreciate it. The first glimpses of the town are not flattering at all. The Ticabus is likely to have delivered you to this Promised Land. Instead, you are dropped off after you have asked in disbelieve whether this indeed is Granada; so run-down and miserable the outer streets of the old town are; then comes the shock of further exploration along the way of finding accommodation. There are islands of wealth but the sea is of poverty staring you strait in the face. Sometimes you might wonder whether you are not having a nightmare, in the shape of a skinny cow strolling down the open sewer for the freshest lettuce in town. The stench of the lake can be deduced by the character of the untreated refuse flowing openly along the streets until it reaches its final destination.

After a day or two, there comes the moment of truth. The cold showers in the hotel seem to be a blessing instead of a nuisance; in a climate like Granada’s, not one but three of those a day are to be thoroughly enjoyed. The originally unpleasant heaps of garbage along the streets gradually turn into a patina of Centro-American character; eventually it is being cleared leaving you only the slight spicy aroma that is to stimulate you to make sense of the general picture.Gradually, the details creep into your conscience and by the time you leave it is going to be the impression of Granada the Beautiful that is going to stay with you for the rest of your life. The one and only “fixed” street accurately named “calzada” leading to the majestic Cathedral and bishop Palace, the many colonial houses restored to their full splendour and beyond as hotels, the many smaller homes converted into modern businesses or simply lucky enough to have been bought by wealthy owners are there to keep you exploring this maze of rejuvenated classics till your longing for beauty is fully satisfied.