Arrival and Information
Confusingly, Esteli now has two bus terminals , located five minutes' walk from one another to the south of town. Regular buses from Managua and Matagalpa stop at the bus station in the old market , about twelve blocks south of the Parque Central. The new bus terminal is located on the Interamericana, three blocks to the east, and in theory deals with all destinations north of Esteli, including Ocotal, Somoto, Jinotega and the Honduran border, plus express buses to Managua, Masaya and Leon. In practice, you can currently find buses leaving for all destinations from both terminals, although it's expected that all services will use the new bus terminal in the near future. In the meantime, it's worth checking both terminals for departure times and destinations. The town is arranged on a narrow north-south grid, with most services clustered together in the small centre along C Transversal. The new tourist information office is at the back of the old hospital, eight blocks south and one block east of the Parque (there's a brand new artesania market in the same building) - they're planning to start arranging tours into the surrounding countryside in the future. The post office (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm) is 25m west of Av Central; the Enitel office (daily 7.30am-9pm, Sat closed noon-1.30pm) is on C Transversal between Av 1 and 2 SE. Internet access can be found at Cyber Place on Av Central, two blocks north of the Parque, and at Computer Soluciones on the northwest corner of the Parque - both charge US$3.30 per hour. There are four banks on the corner of Av 1 NE a block west of the Parque: Bancentro changes travellers' cheques, while Credomatic/Banco de America Central advances money on credit cards. You can transfer money, make international phone calls and send faxes at the Western Union office , C 11 SE and Av 1 SE (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 9am-noon & 1.30-4.30pm; tel 713-3566). To some extent a leftover from the Sandinista years, when internacionalistas flocked here, there are a few language schools in Esteli. Los Pepitos, one block south from Teatro Nancy (tel  © 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here!
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713-2154), does weekly courses including accommodation for around US$130. Horizonte, between C 8 and C 9 SE (tel 713-3424 or 713-4117), is a cheaper option - run by the Unemployed Women's Movement, it also offers courses in local cooking and crafts. CENAC (no phone; cenac@tmx.com.ni ) offers language courses and homestays for US$140. The Galeria de los Heroes y Martires, one block south of the Parque, runs language courses based on learning about the area and the effects of the civil war.
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