As Nicaragua’s capital city, Managua has dozens of bank and ATM locations, including HSBC, Citi, Bancentro, Banco ProCredit and BDF. Most 24-hour cajeros accept Visa exclusively; BAC machines accept all credit cards and can be found at: Grupo Pellas, Km 4 ½ Carr. Masaya; Km 5 ½ Carr. Norte; Plaza España; Las Brisas, Carr. A Refineria; Ciudad Jardin in front of Tip-Top; Camino al Oriental in front of the national lottery; Km. 9, Carr. Sur; and one block north of Clinica Las Palmas. BAC (505-2-274-4444, www.bac.net) also has ATMs in major shopping centers: Centro Commercial Managua, Galerias Santo Domingo, Plaza Las Américas and Metrocentro. The BAC, which stands for Banco de America Central, locations are also some of the few places countrywide where you can cash traveler’s checks.

Correos de Nicaragua (505-2-549-2552) is located half a block south of Enitel Central. Make sure the only thing you write on your package are the to and from addresses (anything else is prohibited as an illegal message) and that you leave one flap open so the contents can be inspected.

Managua has dozens of cyber cafés where you can find high speed internet as well as booths for national and international calls.

Most hotels and hostels offer some sort of laundry service. In Barrio Martha Quezada you can also find First Class Dry Cleaning (505-2-222-7937), a block west and a half a block north of the old Cabrera cinema (which doesn’t actually exist any more). Or you could try DryClean USA which has locations across the city, but most conveniently at Km. 3 1/2, Carr. Masaya, next to Panadería Baguette and in Barrio Bolonia, 1 ½ block east of Optica Nicaragüense.

Managua has many hospitals and private clinics, but visitors are most often directed to Hospital Alemán-Nicaragüense in Barrio Carlos Marx (505-2-249-3368), Hospital Bautista in Barrio Largespada (505-2-249-7070), Hospital Metropolitanio Vivian Pellas at Km. 9.8 Carr. Masaya (505-2-255-6900) and Hospital Militar Escuela at Lomas de Tiscapa (505-2-222-2763). The city also has dozens of pharmacies where you can refill your prescriptions (but make sure you know the generic name).