Bluefields : Caribbean Pirate Town
Bluefields is the isolated capital of the South Caribbean Autonomous Region in Nicaragua. It is located along the wild, jungled Mosquito Coast (Moskito Coast) on Bluefields Bay at the mouth of the Escondido River.
Bluefields was named after the Dutch pirate Abraham Blauvelt who hid in the bay’s waters in the early 17th century. It became a rambunctious rendezvous point for English and Dutch buccaneers in the 16th and 17th centuries and then the capital of the English protectorate over the Mosquito Coast in 1678.
Its inhabitants are mostly Mestizo, but it is also home to numerous minority groups, including Afro-descendant Creoles, indigenous Miskitu, Garifuna, Chinese, Mayangnas, Ulwas, and Ramas. Due to this diverse mix, English is the most spoken language in the city’s sprawling urban area. Bluefields is Nicaragua’s chief Caribbean port, from which hardwood, seafood, shrimp and lobster are exported.
It is also a jumping-off point for freighter ships to the Corn Islands, these ships being an arduous but inexpensive method of transport popular with adventure-seeking travelers.
Visited in Chapter 59 of The Travelers Within: Into The Unknown
An Excerpt from the Book
“Don’t say anything,” Jonah whispered to Simon.
Simon didn’t have time to question the directive and pretended to ignore the generally unsavory lot gathering around them. The crowd yelled louder in broken English, offering rooms, drugs, women and more. The unruly men’s voices grew to a boom as they pushed and shoved each other, jockeying for prime positions around the out-of-place gringos. Simon and Jonah ignored the barrage as long as they could until a physical altercation seemed inevitable. Looking to defuse the tense situation, Jonah turned towards the tempestuous gathering and held up his hands, speaking loudly to the group… “
From The Author
“Most of what I know about Bluefields comes from some wonderful friends I made on the road. The group of us were in Leon, Nicaragua and wanted to make our way out to the Corn Islands. Checking at the airport, I found a puddle jumper flight for around $50. My friends decided to take the more exotic choice of a bus through the jungle to El Rama, followed by a ferry to Bluefields, followed by hopping a freighter to the Corn Islands. After my 30 minute flight from Leon, I spent the next three days drinking rum in a hammock on the beach while they had the most miserable, grueling time of their lives. Needless to say, from what I heard, I didn’t miss anything in Bluefields.”
Several Books, One Global Adventure
The Travelers Within is a travel adventure fiction series following a motley cast of characters on a wild and profound journey through the bizarre locales, unfamiliar cultures, and perilous dangers of the world.
When office worker, Simon, is unexpectedly thrust into the wilds of Central America, he soon learns to trust his instincts, harness his unknown personal strengths and open himself up to the unlikeliest of friendships along the way. Inspired by extraordinary, real locations and remarkable stories from the road, The Travelers Within is a journey beyond all limits.
BOOK ONE: INTO THE UNKNOWN
NOW AVAILABLE in KINDLE & PAPERBACK
The Travelers Within: Into The Unknown
Simon had always followed a typical routine in life. Work, TV, Sleep, Repeat. But when a wild series of events lands him deep in Central America, Simon’s world takes a dramatic turn to the extraordinary. With no previous experience in third world travel, and driven only by a newly ignited lust for life and the need to survive, Simon sets forth on an epic journey through the dangerous mountains of Guatemala, the smuggler’s jungles of Nicaragua, the islands of Honduras and more.
Meeting a wonderful and eclectic cast of characters along the way, Simon eventually links up with Jonah, a young survival expert with a plan as bizarre and terrifying as anything Simon could have ever imagined. Inspired by real places and stories from the road, The Travelers Within is told with intrigue, suspense, humor and insight, capturing a visceral spirit of adventure and bringing out the wanderlust hidden deep within all of us.
“Into The Unknown is an enthralling combination of thriller and travelogue. It’s packed full of incident and exotic scenery, and, as you’re reading, it feels like you’re right there—in every stunning new location, on every new adventure.”
-Sue Paulson, U.K. Readers Digest
