Is it Safe to Go to Nicaragua?

I had the question from a friend in the elevator at work before I left Texas: "Is it safe there? You know, with the Sandinistas and all?" I never thought anything about it, being very busy trying to get everything at work in place so I could be away for a few days. Being self-employed, the expense of the travel has to be added to the loss of income from being away from the business. Of course, I could easily have checked the Department of State Travel Warning web site (link at bottom of blog), but, true to form, I didn't really think much about it until now, the second night in country. In the country in the country. As in VERY remote. And dark. I guess the faint rumbles in the distance made me think. Well gosh, we are only two miles from the base of a huge volcano, maybe it is just that rumbling. Wait, is that good or bad? Looking up "Sandinista" tells me it was a movement named after a dude named "Sandino" who was evidently a relative of Dean Martin and who led a revolution against U.S. occupation of Nicaragua in the 30's. Then the Sandinistas came into power in 1979 to 1990. Then there were the Contras, supported by the U.S. all of which probably just made the U.S. unpopular except with whoever  probably got millions (billions?) of U.S. tax dollars in the process. Oh look! It says the Sandinistas were elected as the governing party in 2006 and I suppose are still there. That rumbling is getting closer. Kind of like thunder, but shorter "booms." You know, I was in combat in Vietnam and I would swear those were mortar shell sounds. Kind of a hollow "thud" sound. You know, I think I hear the popping of small arms fire! OMG what have I gotten into? It is definitely getting closer. I can hear people yelling, the popping of small arms fire. machine guns, mortar shells it sounds just like they are in the next room! Oh... The TV is on a war movie in there... Never mind!