Thursday, 22nd October, Managua: the TV star
So it turns out – and if any of you are actually following our journey, you’ll have realised this long before we did – that there’s virtually no way that we can make Ushaia by Christmas. 2 months, half the journey left to do. Not likely. Unless we bust our balls. We’ll keep you posted on this.
So three days in Managua was not necessarily on our To Do list. But, as it happens, it was worth it though we did have to work through some major frustration (and all last week’s X Factor videos on Youtube. Mike angry.) Firstly, we managed, with the help of a bloke we met in Leon, to get an interview with the host of Nicaragua’s top talkshow, Margarita te voy a contar… Margarita and her husband, Alejandro.
Every Saturday afternoon, the show airs to the nation. And Nicaraguans tune in in their millions. Margarita is like an Esther Ranzten, with smaller teeth and many more years on her side. The show is human interest – with elements of Surprise Surprise (long lost relatives), and Candid Camera meets Hearts of Gold. She has a very strong faith, and as such, the interview with her and her husband was hugely celebratory and thankful for what they share. I have to say, I love these interviews. The role that God plays in a marriage down here in Latin America cannot be underestimated. It’s like a foundation for everything. Perhaps it’s hugely reductive to say that God’s presence means that they argue less (one of the many flaws with our one hour interviews is that they only tell us what they want to tell us – so we never get to hear or witness the arguments) but all of them talk about how they are bound together, feeling more secure in their ultimate destiny because of the presence of God.
When we asked about her fame, Margarita said that it is nothing like as invasive as fame is in the States, and that she is able to have a totally normal life when she is out of the studio. Occasionally she is stopped on the street for autographs, but she loves that, and no paparazzi will follow her around.
I loved her advice which was to have some sort of physical contact with your other half every day – whether it’s a hug, a kiss, or even just a pat on the back. I force Mike to give me a kiss and a hug every morning (I have to say, this seems to be getting harder and harder as the trip goes on…) and despite his general disdain for the gesture, I do feel it gets the day off to a good start.
