Granada, Nicaragua isn’t how I remember it. Though nothing ever is really. Six years ago on my first visit there was a little bit of a scene. There were a couple of restored colonial hotels on the plaza. The Bearded Monkey was packed with backpackers who helped fill the couple of expat bars and local haunts. Some streets were best avoided though. There was a seedy aspect to the extent a knifing might occur if you took a wrong turn at night. At the city’s central market, I ordered tajadas con chancho and a juice and spent the next 36 hours in bed. Still I wanted to come back. Few places can really pull off the faded, tropical colonial atmosphere as well. Maybe Cartagena or Havana? I expected changes on my return, but I questioned if the city had retained its magic. It had.