NICARAGUA
I'll be heading to the Northwest once I touch down in Managua, going towards Leon. I'll be staying a week at beach hostel close to Leon before making the trek all the way South to Costa Rica. I'll be stopping at a Bicycle infested town called Rivas, an Island nearby called Ometepe (in Lake Nicaragua), and then further south to a Gringo Surf town called San Juan del Sur where I'll catch a wave or two. Beaches, Lagoons, Islands...What a Great way to start the New Year.
PLAYA ROCA
(Near Leon, Las Penitas)
[DEC 23rd - 27th]
MERRY CHRISTMAS
Sunset at Playa Roca
Epic.
LEON
[DEC 28th-30th]
Huge Church in Leon
Close up
Leon is a cool city. It reminds me a little bit of Antigua in Guatemala. Its a city which is built around lots of ruins so theres great churches to see and old historical buildings. Theres also a lot of murals and street art which I really liked also, and plently of little markets, parks, etc. I stayed at BigFoot Hostel which has a great deal for Volcano Boarding. I heard about this thing called Volcano Boarding from multiple people while I was staying at Playa Roca who were passing through for the day and they said it was a must. When I left Playa Roca I took the bus with Cookie who gave me tons of good advice for Leon. She recommended bigfoot. We also got a cab together after the bus, he tried to overcharge me by double but Cookie doesnt take no S***. He backed off and charged us the regular price, it was nice to have a reminder to be stern with locals sometimes. Said goodbye to Cookie. As I walked in they had a great deal: $30 for the first nights stay with the volcano boarding tour the next afternoon, freee breakfast, 2 mojitos, 1 beer and 1 cookie after riding, and a free t shirt.... so i did it. And thats how I went volcano boarding. It was worth it. Ill come back to that thought, thats the next day.
Another Church
That afternoon I ran into a great couple from Alaska, Amber and Nick, which was nice after a very lonely week at Las Penitas. We took advantage of a Pizza and Mojito special at the hostel and talked for a bit before heading out all together to a place called Ola Quemodo, which had live music. We got really lost on the way there but it was great because we got to see more of the local culture. We walked through a miniature carnival thing, I dont know how to describe it, it was in one of the squares next to a Church. They mainly had activities for kids, mini ferriswheels for people under 2 feet, trampolines, swings, and food. While we were still getting lost, we stumbled upon some street kids with this huge fake woman they could walk inside and dance around in. Other kids accompained this large pinatta looking woman with big masks, and snare drums they were banging very loudly, Ill put up some videos of this later. I still dont know what this tradition is but it was pretty frightening at first when your walking down a dark street, and then all of a sudden there is this massive 8 foot lady moving awkwardly down an ally way at you and your friends.
AHHHHHHH
Amber wearing mask.
The next day was all anticipation for Volcano Boarding. Our group didnt leave til 1 pm, but it turned out to be better at that time of day because the sun was partially shaded by this massive volcano we had to climb up. I lost my V card to Cerro Negro, I had never been on a Volcano before this one. It was black. Its one of the youngest most active volcanos in Nicaragua, and its covered itself in Ash and gravel which is what you ride down on. If you bail youll get torn up. The record speed is 89 Kilometers, thats about 55 miles per hour on a little wooden board. I did about 40 miles per hour, but I was taking the more casual approach looking forward to the two mojitos and a life past 23 years old instead. One kid in our group got cut up pretty bad on his face, hands and legs, it looked really bad when he fell too, he topped out at 71 kph....on the fall. Ouch. Anyway, it was a whole lot of fun, the hike up was the best part in my opinion, we got to see another volcano smoking in the distance, and the inside of Cerro Negro, aswell as a crazy sulfur pit. When we got to the top our guide dug into the dirt a little bit and the soil/ash was even hotter than the surface. You could see smoke coming out of the ground in certain areas also. I loved it, cant wait to go onto another volcano, which will happen soon.
Cerro Negro from the truck
Heading up...
View half way up
Pit stop
Sulfer Pit
View from the top
Smoke from the ground
Cerro Negro Crator
Beastie Boy suits
I was exhausted afterwards, we went out to Terraza M, I got some chicken coconut curry which was extremely tastey. Hung out a little til 11:30 pm and got a terrible nights sleep. Now Im in Granada which I havent explored much, but im staying in a really fancy hostel. Ill probably be here for new years. They have free computers but you cant upload photos, so Im going to try to go somewhere else in a little and get some of these ridiculous photos up...til then
GRANADA
[DEC 30th- JAN 13th]
Granada has turned into a two week endeavor, but not in a bad way. I just cant believe Its already been over a week here. I enrolled in Spanish classes here at a school called Xelteva. The money goes towards the kids in the school. In Nicaragua, there is a superstition among parents that if they send their kids to school, they will become too smart for the household, leave to go make money and never give any back to the house. So many parents hand craft goods and have their kids sell them in the street, or on the beaches. Its very sad, but this story has been confirmed by many people here, which is why I am happy to support this school and spend some time with kids who are being educated here. Theyre all very little kids, ranging from 5 to 8 maybe. I have a one on one tutor, but after class theyre always wanting to play or show me things in my textbook.
Parque Central
When i arrived in Granada I felt that i could spend some time here, it is a beautiful city and the people here are much more laid back and respectful of tourists than any other place i have been in Nicaragua so far. The first day i was here, I sat in the parque central for an hour in front of the big yellow church, undisturbed by anyone, which was the selling point for me. I thought about taking a course becuase i was feeling more and more like i wanted to improve my speech. Its working out great so far, I have learned a lot in my first 5 days, and Im looking forward to next week.
Far side of parque central, Mombacho in the distance.
Granada has some more great churches and really colorful buildings. Its smaller than Leon, but it has a nicer look in my opinion. The streets are dotted with different colored houses, and the churches old and new are spectacular. The new ones are very well maintained and the colors look amazing in the morning, evening and middle of the day when the sun is hitting them the most. I have no problem walking around each day, i try to take a different route each time i go to and from Spanish class.
One of the streets i take to class
Church near Casa Xelteva
Ever since i landed in Central America i have been hearing how expensive Costa Rica is. As i have traveled further south i am already feeling the effects. The farther south, the more expensive things start to get. I have also heard that Nicaragua is cheaper than Guatemala. This just isnt true, I dont know why i keep hearing this from so many travelers. In some cases, it is, but only for soda and candy from what i have seen. The food is much more expensive here than Guatemala because there is a hidden tax and tip in most bills that can drastically alter your price. If you order in a restaurant, many times an additional 25% will be added to your bill, 10 for tax and 15 for tip. This is ridiculous because the service is usually terrible. Before you know it, your paying so much more than the original price. Therefore, I have stopped going to restaurants and started hunting for street food and places that dont have these "impuestos" in their bills. This is challenging, but in my quests, i have found food that is way more tastey than the street which is referred to as the "calle de gringos" where all the tourists go to eat at night. I went there my first two nights and got two very unsatifying meals. I do not recommend this street. hunt a little bit and youll find something better. Try to see where the locals are eating.
All restaurants, the "Calle De Gringos"
My favorite restaurant that fits into the no tax catagory is Cafe El Volcan. Its right around the corner from my hostel. Its owned by an awesome abuela who is so happy to see me every day and loves to help me practice my spanish. her accent is really think and i end up smiling a lot at her and have no idea whats shes talking about so passionately. She loves to feed me though. My usual order: 2 burritos grandes y una coca cola, which costs me $C100, thats about $4.
One of my go-to dinners has a salad on top, chicken underneath, with plantains, maduros, and rice and beans, all for $C 70. This is a steal. Its about $3.50 in America, and theres no hidden tax included in this meal. It comes from two awesome women who cook in the street on a grill everynight. I originally took a picture because i thought i might get sick and i wanted a pic of the banana leaf meal that did it to me, but its been a staple meal for me in the past week. The chicken there has the best flavor of any that i have had in Nicaragua thus far. And a coke of course with every meal. Just in case. I have a belief that coke will destroy any things that could upset my stomach.
My second favorite meal in Granada, it comes in a banana leaf...
I explored Granada for 3 days before enrolling in class. Since i have started class, i havent done much other than look for cheap food places, and study afterwards. i have to get up early for it, and Im trying to get as much out of it as possible, but next week ill explore a little more. However, in the first three days i did some cool things.
Old Hospital of Granada in ruins
Another church
APOYO LAGOON
[Jan 1st]
This was the most culturally intense experiece i have had in Nicaragua thus far, but im glad it all happened the way it did. Since Guatemala, and my saavy friend Signe, I have become aware of how badly hostels and tour groups rip you off for transportation and such. There was a $10 shuttle from my first hostel in Granada to Laguna de Apoyo. This lagoon is one of the biggest in the world, its water is supposed to have healing qualities, and i have heard good things about it so i really wanted to go. However, i knew that $10 was too much. A guy named "Guy" from Israel that i met in Leon happened to show up at the same hostel in Granada that i was staying in and mentioned he was going to Apoyo also. He said he paid for the shuttle to get there. I was shocked because i knew that the local bus there was equivilent to .50 cents. Again, a rip off, a dollar for both ways. Thanks Signe for teaching me the ways of the backpacker. Although whenever you take this cheap backpacker route, you know that you are going to pay extra in time. I did. I kinda knew it was coming, but not how much time...bear with me.
The other good thing about not paying the tourist prices is that you get to see so much more of the local culture, and really get to see the people in their daily lives. The shuttle just takes you directly there and back, no conversations with anyone who isnt a tourist, and your time is fixed with the time of the returning shuttle, the convenience of this is not as appealing as the cultural experience ( at least for me) however. So Guy took the shuttle and i went off the beaten path. Good comparison for the day, i thought to myself before leaving.
Clearly the bus stop for Masaya
I asked around for the local bus stop to Granada. I had read on the internet before leaving that the entrance to Apoyo was aroundthe 37.5 kilometer mark on the highway to Massya. What they did not tell me was that it was an hour and a half walk to the lake from the road. The buses never show up when they are supposed to, i have learned this already many times. I showed up to the stop in Granada and there was this woman with really blue lip gloss on and around her mouth and lips. She looked pretty messed up. No shoes, even sitting she looked unbalanced. Then i remembered back to my "street kids" anthropology course in college with Jonah. Like sniffing glue, people will also eat toothpaste to get high on the street. I realized that the blue stuff on her lip was obviously toothpaste she had been consuming. Then i noticed the tube of toothpaste next to her, so yeah. It was early in the morning, around 10:30 and the bus was supposed to show up every 20 mins. I waited until 11 am, across the street from this woman. I almost threw up a few times just at the sight of her. She was drooling, spitting up toothpaste, and even taking some of the toothpaste from the tube to rub on her chapped feet. Afterwards using the same hand to eat some more of it. Again, i almost threw up. It was a horrific sight, but its something i want to remember. Culture. You dont see this on the tourist shuttle. The bus arrived and i thank god she didnt get on and sit down next to me.
The bus driver and money collector on the bus were both extremely friendly. My emperience in Nicaragua has been anything but this so far. I thought maybe it was a new years resolution or something haha. Either way, I told them i was heading to Apoyo, and they were nice enough to tell me when to get off. It is in fact at the 37.5 kilometer marker. I was keeping an eye for it anyway, but they were nice enough to at least tell me out. When I got off and many taxi drivers were trying to get me to take a ride up the hill. I declined, but that was because i thought it was less than an hour and a half to walk. They all thought i was crazy. I was only wearing my flip flops also. This walk turned out to be awesome, but I learned that it is kind of dangerous and that i was lucky to have made it there and back, which was told to me by my tutor later in the week. So i dont recommend what i did.
I began the walk to Apoyo and the taxi drivers kept stopping next to me the whole walk up, honking, then hitting the wheel and cursing before driving off. The locals were very nice on the walk up, all saying hello, or hola, which is strange for me in Nicaragua, that was more of a Guatemalan thing, the locals here tend to ignore your presence. I kept walking and got to see farms with animals as well as rural houses with a few farm animals, including one of the most beautiful pigs i have ever seen, i know that sounds strange, but this pig could have been babe. Ill come back to that though. It caught my eye on the way up though, and the family there was very friendly and everyone came out to say hi, even though i was just walking by. I made it to the top of the hill, not very tired, but still happy i was getting exercise, and that i hadnt taken the shuttle. Then the road went two ways, all the traffic was going right, and then there was a tiny little sign on the left that said "public entrance" in spanish. I asked a kid sitting down near the entrance which was was Apoyo, he pointed to the public entrance. I figured there was an entrance fee in the other direction and that i would stick to the local path which i had been doing all day. Again, I figured the lake was close. Nope. I had to walk another 40 minutes down a really sketchy trail. Really sketchy. The trail had very loose dirt and gravel, and i kept slipping in my flip flops, i never fell, but i came close many times. I did not see a single person the whole walk down to the lagoon, and was feeling a little scared, hoping i wasnt going to get ambushed by people with machettes.
The path was turning into more forested area with many different little trails, and i knew where the lake was but i was feeling concerned about my trip back up already, and whether or not i could find the same path back. The trails were also become less distinct. I knew i just had to keep going down to the water though, and eventually, the forest broke and a small road for cars appeared. I went a little left and then downwards, until i reached another clearing which was defintely a campsite, but it was deserted. Then the lake came into view. I hid my backpack under some branches and went for a swim.
The water is like silk. I can see how the locals believed it had healing powers. Its salt water but its not like the ocean. I was expecting crystal blue water, but it wasnt like Semuc Champey at all. Oh well, it still felt great after the 2 and a half hour walk. The best part was that i had nobody around me. I could hear other people but they sounded far away, or around the cove, i couldnt tell. I also heard from Guy afterwards that where he was it was really dirty, and that there were many people, and dead fish in the water. So this worked out well and i got to see tons of culture along the way. Guy had a very negative experience, he didnt understand why this place was so highly regarded. I get it a little bit, but I had a much more different experience. Im still disappointed by the color of the water. The size of the lagoon was much bigger than i imagined also.
After climbing all the way back up the hill, I was right by the main road and i noticed another path heading right with a great view overlooking the whole lagoon, a nice pic break before getting some water. The hike up was brutal. It was very steep, and the loose dirt made it a real struggle the whole way up in flip flops. I was pouring sweat. this view made it worth while.
On the way back down the hill i saw the same family that all came out to greet me. They were all outside. Sadly all that was left of my favorite pig was its spine, and its back lets, it was hanging from a tree and the father was smiling with his machette in hand. It wasnt nearly as grusome as the toothpaste lady, after that nothing could make me feel sick. I wish i could have gotten a picture of the pig before it was killed though. More Culture. I walked all the way back down the hill even though there is a public bus, i figured that after all i had done, it only made sense to walk back to the highway. I made it home fine, actually, on the exact same bus i came on, the bus drivers were happy to see me. When we got to Granada there was a herd of people waiting for the bus, it was rush hour. the swarmed the bus before it could even pull into the station because everyone wanted seats. There were only about 5 people still on the bus including myself. We moved towards the front of the bus, and quickly realized we werent going to be able to get out that way. There were so many people, it felt like the world was ending and everyone had to get on this one bus. We went to the emergency exit in the back. the bus driver literally had to stand behind the 5 of us and push us out because so many people were trying to force there way in, it felt like the bus was giving birth to me as i was squeezed through all the people. Just as i was getting off, they were throwing their bags through the windows in atttempts to reserve seats. It was maddness. I pushed my way through the crowd and smiled. more local culture...
Day Trip: MASAYA
[Jan 10th]
Went to school in the morning, and one of the teachers there challenged me to come play basketball at the local court in Granada called "Cruz Roja", the red cross. OOoooooo. we Streeet Ballen in Granada. Yeah, its not that intimidating at all. The red cross is right next to it, which is why the court has the name. It was real fun though, I was the only gringo there, obviously. Everybody was staring real hard when i walked onto the court. I was happy to see Sergio, the teacher who invited me there, and as i got there he told me that my professor had just left, i was sad i didnt get to play with him (Manuel) hes a cool dude, and ive been wondering if he can play. Its a pretty nice outdoor court but the rims are at least 11 feet high, so i couldnt dunk there, which elminates my street creds right away.
As i was standing on the sideline waiting for the first game to end so that i could get on the court, i realized right away that i had no Spanish vocabulary for basketball apart from the word basketball. hmmmm. It didnt matter, the people were terrible there, and i made quite the impression on everybody. It was really satisfying to be a little better at something than the locals for a bit. Culture: the rules are incredibly different here. In Nyc if you shoot and hit the rim and the other team gets the ball, they must take it past the free throw line before theyre allowed to shoot...here you are allowed to shoot if you take it outside the paint, or rebound outside the paint. It makes the game a lot faster and chaotic. There were many other differences but i wont go into them because it didnt really matter. At first i was a little confused but it was easy to catch onto the new rules after a few minutes. I made one kid fall over with a crossover which was very satisfying. Sergio was actually an intelligent basketball player, and pretty damn good aswell, we were on the same team and didnt lose one game. we played for 2 hours or so.
The waitress at El Volcan, Bianca, said she even saw me at the courts when she was walking by hahah, she said i was good... small town. I also get a lot of "hello's" now in the streets of Granada, basketball helped too, i even saw my tutor in the street after the game who called to me from across the street, we talked about words for bball after the game. I headed back to Oasis and got my banana leaf dinner...Really glad i got a game in here, i think ill head back on Thursday.
I ate dinner with a dude from Spain, Koldo, and a dude from Germany after streetball, it was awesome because i could understand everything the guy from spain was telling me, (it was great practice), we were having a pretty fluent conversation and i was speaking really confidently. At the same time i was translating spanish to english for the guy from Germnay who didnt speak much spanish. The Koldo said that i was a really good translator, the conversation was pretty simple thank god, but that was a nice compliment after all the work ive been doing in spanish school. Koldo, from spain, understands a lot of english but cant speak it very well. Same as me but i can def speak more....It was a great dinner though, Ill remember that one. It was awesome to be speaking 2 languages the whole time, while eating out of a banana leaf...only in Nica
Koldo from Basque Country
[Jan 14]
Went to Catarina today. I finished classes yesterday and went to the Market in Masaya. It was not that thrilling, just all the same stuff the street vendors sell in all the towns, but its all in one place and for a little bit cheaper. I went with Jackie and Julie, two girls i met in Hotel Oasis. We all originally wanted to go to Catarina and Pueblos Blancos, but realized we didnt have time, so we just went to the market and planned to go to Catarina the next day....today that is.
Little Church in Catarina
We teamed up with Koldo, and another woman i cant remember the name of from our hostel in the morning to go to Catarina. We got an early start and this was probably the best thing i have done in Nicaragua so far. I dont know why the water at Laguna de Apoyo looked so different today, but now i understand why so many people say it is an incredible blue, from El Mirador it looked a lot different then when i hiked there myself to go swimming, maybe it was just the clouds, i dunno, but today it was beautiful.
Laguna de Apoyo
El Mirador
We spent some time setting up cameras and taking some photos, a ton actually, we all had cameras so it took forever, but it was funny. I liked these the best. We hung around El Mirador for an hour, soaking up the view and just talking. In the distance, you can see Granada, and my favorite churches. Im really glad i stayed the extra day in Granada to get this little day trip done. Ive heard so much about it. now its off the list.
Jackie setting up the cameras
Julie
Jackie and Julie
It was nice to get a second perspective of Apoyo, When i went swimming here, i was on the left side of these photos, it was cool to put it all together. I couldnt see exactly where i had been for that crazy hike up and down to the laguna, i can tell from my photographs roughly where i was. If you look at the pics from that day hike to Apoyo, the volcano thats covered by clouds is either Mombacho or Masaya, Im pretty sure its volcan Mombacho however. The pic below shows the top of it, today was a lot more clear. no clouds. Either way, thats what i was looking at from the laguna before i went swimming. Tomorrow concludes my almost two and a half weeks in Granada, which flew by, im excited for Ometepe Island and San Juan, but more importantly, Costa Rica.
Granada in the distance
Mombacho, I believe.
Jan [15th-17th]
Ended up staying in Granada for another 2 days. I just cant seem to leave this place. The night after Catarina, an awesome dude i met in Guatemala showed up at Oasis in Granada, the hostel i was staying at. After trying 5 different ones in Granada while taking spanish classes, this one had the best beds and service. and its right around the corner from el volcan, my favorite diner. So Mike shows up out of nowhere and were pumped to see each other, he has acquired 2 more people along the way, and they have just been to El Salvador, we decided to go to the Masaya market in the morning.
Masaya is a pretty big market, its full with everything from Artisan crafts to local food and the meat market. Its one chicken bus away from Granada. When you get to the bus stop all you hear is local bus drivers shouting "Masaya Masaya Masaya!" We all jokingly chanted it along the way and through the market. the locals laughed at us. It had rained the night before and the ground was really muddy. The market was a maze of vendors and easy to get lost in. We explored for a few hours buying little items, i didnt get much, but i did get another potato sack. this time it says in spanish "the best animal feed", with a horse and goat on it and all the cities in Nicaragua on the back. Then, I almost tripped over a pig head on the ground. Masaya Masaya Masaya!
We got a lot of street food here. I got some crushed peanuts nuts in caramel cube that were amazing, some chicken dish that was in rice, pinapple, and some amazing churros on the bus ride back to Granada. I showed them my favorite food places including the banana leaf dinner which was a huge hit. We shared photos and just told our travel stories over the past two weeks. Great time. Gonna miss those guys. Mike had footage of him jumping off of the waterfall and bridge at Semuc Champey which was sweet. That brought back nice memories of Guatemala. They also told me that during New Years there were 5 people who were at La Iguana Perdida who had all been sent there by me, all of them had paper with my handwriting on it. Im glad my name lives on there...Mike did the hike from San Marcos to Jabailito and ended in the hot tub aswell. It was nice to hear all that info from them.
[Jan 17th- ]
Time to leave Granada finally, two and a half weeks later. I missed the bus to Rivas and decided to lighten my backpack by mailing my sleeping bag back home. I had 1 hour to do it before the next bus. I had heard of another girl at my hostel who had just done it and she gave me the scoop. You need to provide your own box, photocopy of your passport, and bring money, its a little expensive. I had to go to the supermarket for a box, i got some newspaper from another Spanish school, and went to the post office with a photocopy. if she hadnt told me all of this, there is no way i would have made it in time. I have so much room in my bag now, and im really glad i did this. I was never going to use that sleeping bag anyway. I also shipped back some presents for mum and dad. It was a rush, i got back to the hostel with just enough time to make my free phone call, and get out to the bus to Rivas.
The bus was the most crowded chicken bus i have been on thus far. It was wild. We got there at least 15
minutes early, but it was already packed. no chickens though. Our bags went on the roof. I failed to mention i was traveling with another couple i had met back in Livingston, Liz and Henry, Julia from Oasis and my trip to Catalina, and 2 other people from the hostel. We got on the bus and there was barely any room for the five of us. Ive heard stories about bus workers literally pushing you to where you need to go, they did this for us, it was so weird, i really felt like an object in a storage room, but he found room for all of us, pushing us further down the isle, grabbing us by the torso and moving us. It was a pretty miserable 2 hour ride, but at the end we were all able to get seats, for about 10 minutes.
Halfway to Mirador
Transferred easily to the bus to Rivas and got to San Juan Del Sur. On the bus I met an awesome girl, Lucy. We decided to look for a hostel together. San Juan Del Sur is incredible. The cove is perfectly rounded, and the beach is flat easy sand to walk on. Im loving it. Me and Lucy found a hostel and went to the beach. Along the way we grabbed some food at the "Taco Stop" this place is cheap and the tacos are awesome, i went there twice yesterday. We walked along the beach together, took a swim and talked. There was a clear Mirador that we could get to so we headed back to the hostel for a moment to ask how. I ran into more people i knew from Granada at our hostel who had just checked in. We talked to the receptionist who said the hike was dangerous but we didnt listen. Lucy was awesome and wanted to get there as much as me. It only took 30 minutes to get up there, it was such an easy walk and the view was incredible. It was really windy. Ill post photos soon, these computers are slow.
Terrible pic of Lucy
After we hiked back down, we got some happy hour drinks, and one of the best Pina colatas Ive ever had followed by another drink i forget the name of that was banging also. We got a disappointing dinner and headed out to the Black Whale for live music, but when we got there it was closed. There was still the sign out front which clearly said live music though, so i didnt look like a total idiot for leading everybody there. Easy night, went to bed kinda early.
Happy Hour
18th
Woke up to pouring rain. Im gonna move to Maderas today, another beach about 40 minutes away to check out another hostel for a day that was recommended to me by Steve and Sally the couple from London i met near Lake Atitlan. I will be back in San Juan Del Sur shortly though, I think Ill be spending more time here than I originally thought.
Maderas Beach
About 40 Minutes away from San Juan Del Sur, there is a surfer friendly beach called Maderas. This beach is beautiful, there are hardly any people, at least for a New Yorker's standards, its clean, and the water is sort of warm. The sand varies in color and texture. I went there for two days and stayed in a hostel that was still being built. The staff was super friendly as well as the security guards. The power went out both nights i was staying there but it was still fun, and the beds were brand new. two great nights of sleep here after some terrible ones in SJDS. Tried to stay at the hostel which was recommended by steve and sally, but they were full. After two days on the beach i was ready to move onto Ometepe Island...
OMETEPE ISLAND
Maderas
About 40 Minutes away from San Juan Del Sur, there is a surfer friendly beach called Maderas. This beach is beautiful, there are hardly any people, at least for a New Yorker's standards, its clean, and the water is sort of warm. The sand varies in color and texture. I went there for two days and stayed in a hostel that was still being built. The staff was super friendly as well as the security guards. The power went out both nights i was staying there but it was still fun, and the beds were brand new. two great nights of sleep here after some terrible ones in SJDS. Tried to stay at the hostel which was recommended by steve and sally, but they were full. After two days on the beach i was ready to move onto Ometepe Island...
OMETEPE ISLAND
[JAN 20-25th]
I wake up with the same feeling i had at Playa Roca, i dont want to move but i know its time to leave. Its 8:40 am and the shuttle for SJDS leaves at 9 am. I pack really quickly half awake, and manage to hop on the back of the pickup truck with seconds to spare. The ride is short, only about 40 minutes and its raining softly as we bump back to the small beach town. Im not sure if i want to stay in San Juan for more time or move onto Ometepe Island which I have heard so much about. The island made out of two active volcano's. Im grumpy and only half awake, playing everything by ear. I get there, and the hostel that i was staying in has increased its prices for the weekend. That makes me decide to get on the bus to Rivas, which i can see is in the station. So i hop on, its another hour to Rivas, where i can get a boat to Ometepe. I get to Rivas and find an ATM because money is scarce on the island. Turns out you need to take a taxi to get to the port for the ferry, or in my case, creaky wooden boat, to Ometepe. So i hailed a cab, deciding the price before hand and got to the dock called San Jorge, for 20C. I told the cab driver i drove a taxi in New York. We had a great conversation because of this. He was a nice dude. I stopped at my first Soda (which is cheap food, usually family run, safe to eat), and got some amazing tacos de pollo, with salad - they used bbq sauce as a dressing, it was amazing. It was also perfect timing, i was done eating and ready to catch the 12:30 boat to the island.
Ometepe from the Boat
I had heard there were two boats that went to Ometepe, there is a big ferry that fits cars, and tons of passengers, and little wooden boats which hold about 60 people. I got a little boat on the way there. It was bobbing up and down quite a bit just a the dock. the waves were huge that day, there was wind and it had been stormy all morning. not the best day to hop on a little wooden boat, but there was no turning back now. the seats were recycled school bus seats, drilled into the wooden floor. i got a window seat so i could see any view if there was one. I was a little worried about getting sea sick too, especially sitting in the dock with the boat moving as much as it was, and with the strong smell of motor oil inside. we pulled out of the dock soon after i sat down which was good though, less time to think about that. As soon as we got past the dock, the swells got even bigger, and as the waves crashed against the side of the boat, the wood creaked and sounded like the boat was going to split in half. I knew this ride was an hour and didnt feel like swimming.
I noticed water all around my feet and realized one of the sounds which i thought was the motor was actually a vac pump which was getting water out of the bottom of the boat. There was a man who was shoving a long pole down the vac pump tube to get more water out of the bottom part, and he was pumping it all onto the floor right at peoples feet on the other side from me. I was glad i wasnt on that side of the boat. There was one nice little old lady wearing her black buckle shoes who was just getting hit with a constant river of water the entire time, i felt bad for her, but she wouldnt move. Then, we hit a storm right in the middle of the lake. It was pouring rain, and the waves were even bigger, and then started raining horizontally through the windows, i have never seen anything like that. I held my seat for a little but then had to move to the center of the boat with everyone else, i was soaked. The boat was taking on even more water, and then the other gringos started getting sick on the boat, it was horrible. They were all throwing up out of the windows, and i was determined not to do the same. Being in the center was def a little harder, and i felt a little sick, but i made it to the dock.
I grabbed some bread and peanut butter at the cornerhouse cafe in Moyogalpa before getting on the bus for Merida which is across the island. A friend had recommended a hostel near there. It also seemed like all the good stuff was on the other side of the island, at least all her advice. The bus left at 3 p.m. and would end up taking 3 and a half hours to get there.
I have never seen a landscape as rich as Ometepe. There are so many animals, plants, fields, trees, crops, horses, and the views are incredible the whole time. As the sun set, i was getting more and more nervous, hoping that i would not have to find the hostel in the dark. I met a local girl on the bus who told me that i was going the right way for the hostel. She said it was a 30 minute walk to the hostel, but it was direct and easy to find. The bus driver was nice enough to drop me off with a man named Santiago, who was getting a lift with a pick up. I hopped on board with him and they saved me a good 30 minutes of walking. As i was being driven, another storm was forming quickly. There were little bursts of rain, and i could see the clouds in the direction we were heading. It was almost dark. They dropped me off near the road for the hostel, they said it was another 40 minutes to walk. I thanked them and got my headlamp out.
Then it started to rain, and i was heading right into the storm. I sped up, wondering if this was all going to work out. I was feeling a little scared, and a horse or donkey made a really loud noise and started charging towards me before it was stopped by its rope. I realized all of a sudden that i was in the presence of animals as well, and made me feel even more unsafe. Even though this was a stupid encounter that caught me off guard haha. he probably wanted my frijoles bag.
After another 25 minutes of walking in the rain i finally reached Finca Mystica, the hostel, only to find that it was closed. I was soaked, tired, and had been traveling for 9 hours at this point. Fear and panic set in quickly. I felt horrible, wet, but remembered a house with a light 30 minutes back down the muddy road. It was raining even harder when I knocked on their door. A teenage girl opened up, looking very confused. I asked if i could come in, leaving my shoes outside on the porch to not dirty the floor. they loved my frijoles bag. good start. i explained that the hostel was closed and that all i wanted was a roof and bed. they didnt want to let me stay, but after some talking at the dinner table, they agreed.
By the end of the night we were all friendly and laughing. I told them not to work for me, or cook for me, or anything, that i was a ghost and would be gone in the morning. I drank three glasses of water, and I had a little bag of peanuts in my backpack, that was dinner. I curled up in the corner on a little foam mattress, wondering what this crazy island would hold for me in the morning. Even though this trip to the island was so damn intense, i still had a curiosity for the island, and a love for the rawness of it all. I slept really well, and more importantly, I survived the first night...
Jan 22nd
In the morning i paid them $20 dollars. they were ecstatic. They told me to come back before i left, but i was too embarrassed to. I caught the bus first thing in the morning, heading back the way i came to another hostel called Zopilote...
At Zopilote i met 7 girls who i would spend most of my remaining time on Ometepe with. Tanya, Emily, Ali Emily, Rosie, Raana and Caitlin. Tanya and Emily were from Canada the rest from Austrailia, except Raana. I met Tanya and Emily first, and we decided to hike the smaller volcano Maderas the next day, which is when we met everyone else, we would end up spending the next two days together. It was pizza night when we all arrived for our first night together at Zopilote. There were a ton of hippies that put on a performance that included dancing, singing, fire spinning and more. We would end up seeing these hippies all over the island, singing, and giving hugs to the local children where ever they went. they were a merry bunch.
Jan 23
The next day we set out on the hike up Maderas. This was a brutal climb. We set out around 7 am for 4 hours of intense hiking through mud, Mud, and more mud up a very steep incline. Maderas is thick with forest, and has very narrow pathways to the top. There are a lot of mosquitoes and its very wet the whole time because you are literally in a cloud. you can taste the moisture in the air when your taking a berak and asping for air. Our tour guide was awesome though, ectorp, he didnt even break a sweat the whole time. I went through two shirts...
I was exhausted at the top, and didnt know how i was going to make it back down. All of our legs were shaking violently, so we couldnt stop for beraks. Tanya, Raana and myself strayed from the group for this reason and went down in one go, with no breaks. It was brutal. Somehow our legs just carried us. we were out of water, and laughing histarically the whole way down due to lack of water and food, partially hallucinating. I found nothing rewarding about this hike. Ometepe is a crazy island. I think i had 9 lives on Ometepe, and i was using them quickly. the hike alone cost me about 3 lives.
Just when i thought i couldnt walk any farther there was a break in the forest and the most beautiful view of volcan conception opened up. I ran towards it, but tonya and raana werent as excited. Ill remember that feeling forever though. it felt like i was coming out of a swamp hell back into the real world. this hike was a nightmare.
Jan 24th
The Next day we needed a day of relaxation after the gruelling hike up Maderas. we all decided the night after the hike to go to Ojo de Agua, its a natural pool of water that has been converted into a tourist destination. It was a great way to slow down after my 3 intense days on Ometepe so far. I needed to save some of my lives. This was a great day, i was so tired.
They had awesome 40c coconuts with rum in them which we all purchased and just got tipsy next to this awesome pool. What a day, definitely, my favorite place on Ometepe. Two of the hippies even showed up to hang out for a bit. they know whats up.
Jan 25th
Bike Ride Day. Everyone has told me to do a bike ride on Ometepe. Ometepe would give me a hard time about this again...Everyone had moved on except Tanya, emily and myself. We all wanted to do a bike ride and heard that it was a 6 hour bike ride around the smaller island. After the hike, we all felt we could eaily manage this, and we were going to end at a restaurant in Belgue that was highly recommended by Jackie from Granada. So we set out around 8 am with our spirits high...
Our first stop was at Caballitos del Mar, a beach that was also recommended to me, and it was worth it. It lifted our spirits even higher. The ride there was already a nice workout, it took about an hour, and we got a fruit plate and enjoyed the view. Tanya went for a swim, i had a banana con leche, and soaked up the shade for a bit. We left around 10 am, feeling good. But went for the rest of the ride with no real breakfast
only 2 granola bars in hand.
The next hour was fine. the ride was very enjoyable, we were all confident that we were going to nail this bike ride easily. This changed so fast at the 3 hour marker. All of a sudden it was 12:30, it was hot as all hell, and the road turned into, well not a road, but just a path with huge bolders that you could barely ride on. We had to get on and off our bikes for the next 3 hours, we went through 3 bottles of 2000ml water each, and got very bad sunburns on our faces and hands.
My hands were swollen from gripping so hard to the bike handles when riding downhill, it was almost worse that going uphill, which was exhausting in the heat. I will never forget how painful it was to hold onto that bike going downhill with the bumps of the boulders below, while trying not to hit one that would throw you off the bike. After all this, we were all pissed off, hungry, burnt, and tired. We get to Belgue, and the restaurant was closed. I was so angry. We ate at a random comedor with a very nice guy as a chef. He made the best chicken i have had on Omeptepe, he used onions also. It was a great way to end it, we were all so tired. We headed back to the hostel which was only another 15 minutes away. And got a very early nights sleep.
Jan 26th
Went back to San Juan Del Sur to cross the border the next day, gonna miss my ladies. Ometepe was the best way to end it all in Nicaragua, even though it was rough as all hell, it was amazing, and defintely my favorite place in Nicaragua. My hands were hurting so much the next day and i couldnt even put them in the sun at all, the tops turned purple for a bit, i was a little concerned but it was a nice reminder of how much i had gone through since the moment i arrived at this crazy island. Stayed in a hostel and got no sleep, there were huge roaches everywhere. I hate roaches. I eneded up getting a few hours of sleep before having to wake up to get a cab to cross the border to Costa Rica...
Crossing was very easy, it only took an hour and a half. I went by foot, which was a lot cooler than taking a bus, which would have also taken a lot longer from what i have heard. Got to Liberia before noon. I cant believe i spent a month and a week in Nicaragua, the one place i knew the least about, and never thought i was even going to travel to... it was all worth it in the end.
On to COSTA RICA Mastadon, Isis
Jan 23
The next day we set out on the hike up Maderas. This was a brutal climb. We set out around 7 am for 4 hours of intense hiking through mud, Mud, and more mud up a very steep incline. Maderas is thick with forest, and has very narrow pathways to the top. There are a lot of mosquitoes and its very wet the whole time because you are literally in a cloud. you can taste the moisture in the air when your taking a berak and asping for air. Our tour guide was awesome though, ectorp, he didnt even break a sweat the whole time. I went through two shirts...
When we eventually reached the top there was a huge rain cloud and we couldnt see anything, not even the lagoon which was at the summit. We had been told you could swim, but It was rainy and windy so we only spent a few minutes before descending another 3 hours back down. It was freezing at the top, i cant imagine going for a swim and getting out of the water into that environment. The hostel gave us little chocolates to eat at the top, we had also brought berad and homemade hummus that the hippies made. It was a life saver. We offered some to our tour guide too who happily accepted.
I was exhausted at the top, and didnt know how i was going to make it back down. All of our legs were shaking violently, so we couldnt stop for beraks. Tanya, Raana and myself strayed from the group for this reason and went down in one go, with no breaks. It was brutal. Somehow our legs just carried us. we were out of water, and laughing histarically the whole way down due to lack of water and food, partially hallucinating. I found nothing rewarding about this hike. Ometepe is a crazy island. I think i had 9 lives on Ometepe, and i was using them quickly. the hike alone cost me about 3 lives.
Just when i thought i couldnt walk any farther there was a break in the forest and the most beautiful view of volcan conception opened up. I ran towards it, but tonya and raana werent as excited. Ill remember that feeling forever though. it felt like i was coming out of a swamp hell back into the real world. this hike was a nightmare.
Jan 24th
The Next day we needed a day of relaxation after the gruelling hike up Maderas. we all decided the night after the hike to go to Ojo de Agua, its a natural pool of water that has been converted into a tourist destination. It was a great way to slow down after my 3 intense days on Ometepe so far. I needed to save some of my lives. This was a great day, i was so tired.
They had awesome 40c coconuts with rum in them which we all purchased and just got tipsy next to this awesome pool. What a day, definitely, my favorite place on Ometepe. Two of the hippies even showed up to hang out for a bit. they know whats up.
No hands!
Jan 25th
Bike Ride Day. Everyone has told me to do a bike ride on Ometepe. Ometepe would give me a hard time about this again...Everyone had moved on except Tanya, emily and myself. We all wanted to do a bike ride and heard that it was a 6 hour bike ride around the smaller island. After the hike, we all felt we could eaily manage this, and we were going to end at a restaurant in Belgue that was highly recommended by Jackie from Granada. So we set out around 8 am with our spirits high...
Our friends from Tobias Commercial, Toby Trek Bikes!
Our first stop was at Caballitos del Mar, a beach that was also recommended to me, and it was worth it. It lifted our spirits even higher. The ride there was already a nice workout, it took about an hour, and we got a fruit plate and enjoyed the view. Tanya went for a swim, i had a banana con leche, and soaked up the shade for a bit. We left around 10 am, feeling good. But went for the rest of the ride with no real breakfast
only 2 granola bars in hand.
Caballitos del Mar
The next hour was fine. the ride was very enjoyable, we were all confident that we were going to nail this bike ride easily. This changed so fast at the 3 hour marker. All of a sudden it was 12:30, it was hot as all hell, and the road turned into, well not a road, but just a path with huge bolders that you could barely ride on. We had to get on and off our bikes for the next 3 hours, we went through 3 bottles of 2000ml water each, and got very bad sunburns on our faces and hands.
Making fun of Tanya
My hands were swollen from gripping so hard to the bike handles when riding downhill, it was almost worse that going uphill, which was exhausting in the heat. I will never forget how painful it was to hold onto that bike going downhill with the bumps of the boulders below, while trying not to hit one that would throw you off the bike. After all this, we were all pissed off, hungry, burnt, and tired. We get to Belgue, and the restaurant was closed. I was so angry. We ate at a random comedor with a very nice guy as a chef. He made the best chicken i have had on Omeptepe, he used onions also. It was a great way to end it, we were all so tired. We headed back to the hostel which was only another 15 minutes away. And got a very early nights sleep.
Jan 26th
Went back to San Juan Del Sur to cross the border the next day, gonna miss my ladies. Ometepe was the best way to end it all in Nicaragua, even though it was rough as all hell, it was amazing, and defintely my favorite place in Nicaragua. My hands were hurting so much the next day and i couldnt even put them in the sun at all, the tops turned purple for a bit, i was a little concerned but it was a nice reminder of how much i had gone through since the moment i arrived at this crazy island. Stayed in a hostel and got no sleep, there were huge roaches everywhere. I hate roaches. I eneded up getting a few hours of sleep before having to wake up to get a cab to cross the border to Costa Rica...
Ometepe
Crossing was very easy, it only took an hour and a half. I went by foot, which was a lot cooler than taking a bus, which would have also taken a lot longer from what i have heard. Got to Liberia before noon. I cant believe i spent a month and a week in Nicaragua, the one place i knew the least about, and never thought i was even going to travel to... it was all worth it in the end.
On to COSTA RICA Mastadon, Isis
