Nicaragua - A Central must do!!

San Juan Del Sur

After catching several buses from Manuel Antonio Costa Rica we made it to the hectic boarder crossing into Nicaragua. As soon as we jumped off the bus we got harassed to swap money, take a taxi and buy a load of useless crap. It was surprising to see how different the socio economic standards were between the two countries as soon as you crossed an imaginary line in the road.

It was dusty, hot and caotic and we wanted to get out of there stat! So occupied with leaving we almost did so without getting our passports stamped which no one seemed too phased about! It wasn't until we almost pulled away that Juan realized and we weaved our way off the crowded chicken bus and over to immigration. We're sure this would have caused a hefty fine when leaving the country 2 weeks later.

Our two night stay in San Juan Del Sur was extended to five as we fell in love with it here! Most likely due to the fact that we had finally hit a place that we could afford to eat food. For $1 -3 you had your choice of taco's, buritto's, wraps, sandwiches, pizza, burgers, salads and real latte's!

Ok so it wasn't all about the food! With a few friends in town and the ocean nearby we took advantage of relaxing by the beach and a few 60cent beers in the evenings. The surf beaches in San Juan are access by a shuttle truck and a not so comfortable dirt road. Though for surfers there is definitely treasure at the end of this rainbow in the form of consistent pacific ocean breaks all year round. Dave had a shot at surfing and after getting dominated for most of the day he started to get the hang of it, kinda.

The differences between wealthy Costa Rica and underdeveloped Nicaragua were quickly apparent. The afternoon of our first day saw the dark clouds roll in and open up with an almighty thunderstorm and torrential rain. Welcome to wet season. That’s all well and good but it took two days to get power back to our hostel. This means no fans, no fridge's (don't eat the seafood!) no lights and at times no running water! As rain doesn't mean cool temps it certainly wasn't the most pleasant sleep we've had.

They say everyone one gets sick in San Juan. They are correct. Everyone except Juan (coincidence?) was overcome with a nasty 24hr bug, one after the other. It was Dave's turn to get sick and with a blackout from 8pm to early hours of the morning only a cold shower could relieve us of the heat. So worn out by the bug he was probably less nervous than Juan about the gamsat result which, thank god, was better than expected. So it's not all doom and gloom, also we spent just $13 that day (thanks to not eating) so there's a positive buried in all situations.

Next stop Ometepe……

San Juan Del Sur Summery

Hostel – Casa Oro $8 dorm, $25 private with bathroom comes with free breakfast (delicious!!)

We then moved around the corner for $18 for a whole apartment with kitchen and free water in our room at Rosetta’s.

Eats:

Simon Says – good burgers and healthy options

El Gato Negro – great coffee, sandwiches and smoothies (bit pricier then some but worth it)

Taco Stop - $1 Taco and $2 burritos can’t complain!!

Wrap place – whole in the wall type place that sold fresh salad wraps

El Colibri- we didn’t make it here as Dave go sick but its meant to be the best!!

Activities:

Book a return trip to the beach through Casa Oro

Isla De Ometepe

When Dave finally emerges at the other side of the dark sickness we put on our packs and make our way to Isla De Ometepe, an amazing island in lake Nicaragua formed by two volcanoes touching the clouds. With Dave still feeling a little green we chose the easy option of a taxi to the dock just past Rivas, half an hour for 30mins. After waiting for an hour the next boat pulls into the dock, fills up before we get a chance to get on and then they start loading an already full boat with cement. As the cement bags pile up the boat dips and we attempt to board. An impatient rude old man, 35 degree heat with no room undercover and a lopsided boat makes us and another couple decide we’ll wait this one out. Turns out the main ferry is air-conditioned,  comfortable and doesn’t contain tons of overloaded cement, I’m sure the other boat made it but I’d be paying the extra buck for the ferry anyday.  Ometepe is a beautiful, unique place in the world with much to do. Yet GAMSAT results, applications and job opportunities meant we had to spend some time sorting out our lives. Intermittent internet absorbed a lot of our short time here aside from a visit to the tranquil Pozo de Oro, crystal clear pools on the isthmus between the two volcanoes.

Chicken buses suck, but with a seat it’s bearable. We wake at 5am for the 5.30am bus and hop on first with pick of the seats. After a detour the wrong way some girls we know suggest we’re at the dock so we stand up, only to lose our seats to another impatient old man and stand like sardines for the next 45mins. A boat, another chicken bus and about $2 later we arrive at the Treehouse -A hostel up in the forest behind Granada. So the story goes - a guy from Texas was told at a young age to go build a treehouse by his mum. He took this seriously and now runs a hostel that is quite literally built into the trees. Although not deterred by his recent machete attack (don’t drink in the wrong bar and say the wrong this in Nica) he was a great guy who loves the isolation and distinctiveness of his hostel. We’re not so sure how long this one will last though as everyday locals come up trying to steal from the often unattended dorm rooms, 100m down the hill. Our friends we’re unlucky enough to lose their bag containing a passport and many other valuables. A cool place to visit and as we brought our own food also a cheap little adventure, if the crazy Texan is still there its worth checking out.

Granada

This was the first of several colonial type towns we would come across in our journey. We were pleasantly surprised by this little town. Lined with cobblestones, old churches and markets it was easy to spend time just wandering the streets. We also got lured into some of the largest purchases of our trip, jewelry and paintings all justified by there uniqueness and “so much cheaper then home” qualities.

Like San Juan Del Sur, we were lucky enough to have our friends in town for part of our stay here, which meant more cevessa’s to enjoy. We even attempted in going to a local club, the choice of music was amazing!! Although by this time the amount of RON consumed meant we really didn’t care what type of music was being played.

Granada also spoiled our taste buds and we treated ourselves to a few meals out, even though these were a little more pricier then San Juan, we couldn’t go past the Cob Wrap at the Garden Café.

We took a day trip out to Laguna De Apoyo organized through our hostel. The crater is filled with crystal clear mineral infused water, making it easy to see the bottom. It was such a tranquil area and we enjoyed kayaking and swimming while trying to avoid the storms that rolled in throughout the day.

Granada summery –

Hostel – Hostel Oasis $18 a private room, kitchen and swimming pool.

Eats: Garden Café – nice café food, great service and pretty cheap.

The buffet opposite the park for $60COB ($2.70) you can get a whole plate of delicious fresh meats, pasta and salad plus a drink!

Transport – small shuttles between Managua and Leon. No need to even go on the hunt they take you right to each shuttle. Chicken bus between Rivas or the tree house, pretty pain free and direct. 

Leon:

We were recommended by some friends to head to Leon for a spot of Volcano Boarding. This sounded like a fun enough reason, so off we headed to our final Nicaraguan destination.

Leon did not have the same charm as Granada did, it was slightly larger, but in ways it felt like there was less going on. I think if Volcano boarding was not on our list to do then we really didn’t need to head here. However, we were lucky enough to catch up with some friends from Whistler/Aussie while we were there. Its always nice to see familiar faces and the perfect excuse to see what the local restaurants have to offer.

The main reason for heading to Leon was to hurtle down the face of an active volcano as fast as possible. So after driving 45mins in the back of a massive truck we arrive at our destination - Cerro Negro (a.k.a black mountain). The 45 minutes hike up in the stinking hot sun carrying a plank of wood, makes us (Juan) question why the hell are we doing this?? However, once we arrive up the top we pleasantly surprised by the breathtaking view. Also we go to check out the different craters and feel the steamy earth beneath our feet. Soon enough we are getting a quick guide how to actually get down without breaking our necks and scraping off the skin on our bodies. We don attractive orange suites and are soon ready to go… The nerves begin to increase as you are sitting on our board but before you know it your on your way. In fact,  once the initial fear had passed it was rather hard to pick up extra speed and found ourselves at the bottom (covered in black dust), wanting to go up and try it again - but faster!! Unfortunetly this is not an option and the re-hiking up isn’t exactly desirable. We are rewarded on the way back with beer and free majitoes.

Next stop El Tunco El Salvador

Leon Summary:

Hostel – We stayed at Lazybones and El Colibri $18 for privates. In hindsight we should have stayed at Bigfoot Hostel which we did Volcano boarding, slightly cheaper and just seemed better over all.

Activities: Volcano Boarding through Bigfoot Hostel $28 (including parks fee)

Food: No major highlights – look for cheap local food restaurants (comedor's) $2.50 will get you a full plate of chicken, beans, rice salad and a drink.