Upon first arrival, one is struck by the wide assortment of knick-knacks scatter around the hotel. Here was a large ceramic pig sitting on the ground just in front of the check-in desk.

Just inside and around the corner from the front desk was a patio filled with chairs and two low tables. A comfortable place to rest during the day, or to gather before taking off on an adventure.

The central yard was littered with small sculptures. The fountain was not running that day because of the threat of rain.

One of the sculptures littering the grounds was this small one depicting a doctor in honor of the name of the hotel.

This was the street in front of the hotel (the hotel shown to the left just beyond the blue pole). It was a short walk from here to a large public square.

The only meal served was a light breakfast each day. Here was a bell hung far above the small breakfast area.

A turtle (actually several turtles) inhabited the lawn and only emerged early in the morning. The breakfast staff would give then crusts of bread to eat.

A dove stood on the crown of the hotel roof early in the morning, just catching that early light.

A sculpture of two lovers kissing in abstract was one of a few sculptures scattered around the yard.

A statue of a peasant woman stood on the porch next to one of the rooms. The statue was less than a meter tall.

The breakfast nook only sat about eight people at a time. Fortunately the breakfasts were small so eating was swift.

The patio was open to the lawn and was a peaceful place to wait for others, or to just sit and read a book or tablet or to use the wireless Internet access.

A couple of handmade pots decorated one of the two patio tables. These were just two of the fine quality pots available in Nicaragua .

The main entry to the hotel was through a small gate that was generally locked. The painting on the wall echoed the theme of doctors.

A statue of a bellboy greeted visitors with a "Welcome" sign in two languages. The front desk was just cluttered enough to be comfortable.

A large conference room was available for meetings. None were due that day, but in earlier days the floor had been filled with chairs.

There was no hot water. Instead an electric water heater was used as a shower head. A switch on it selected between cold, warm, and hot. Wire and wire nuts connected it to 110v power. Although it appeared makeshift, it worked well enough to get get clean.

The porch outside the rooms was decorated with tables, plants, sculptures, and wall hanging art.