| Nicaraguans are passionate about baseball. Most
communities have a baseball field, and even the poorest children learn
to play by improvising with a stick for a bat and a rolled-up sock for
a ball. There are several professional baseball teams in Nicaragua, and
people follow their progress, as well as that of Latin American and North
American leagues. The biggest baseball stadium in Nicaragua is in Managua.
It holds 40,000 people. Nicaragua's national baseball team came fourth
in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Many women and girls enjoy playing volleyball and basketball, and some play soccer and baseball as well. Men and boys participate in baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball and boxing. |
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| Nicaragua has two long coastlines, the Pacific
on the west and the Caribbean on the east, and many people go to the beach
for their holidays. Most people take their holidays during the dry season,
which lasts from about December to May, depending on the region. Beaches
are especially busy during Semana Santa (Holy Week) just before
Easter, which is a popular vacation time. People also enjoy camping in
the mountains, as well as swimming in volcanic crater lakes. Since Nicaragua
is still emerging from the ravages of war, the number of tourists is small
but increasing.
Time off from work is often spent visiting family members. If relatives live too far away to visit regularly, the family might get together every year during Semana Santa. Nicaraguans also enjoy arguing about politics. Other pastimes include games like checkers and, for children, marbles. Children also enjoy a type of hopscotch called rayuela, games of hide and seek, and playing with a trompo (a toy like a top with a string) or a skipping rope. |
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