So my trip is winding to an end. It is sad but true. I am now in my hostel in Managua preparing for my flight back for the states which leaves in a little over twelve hours. After a very long journey through El Salvador and southern Honduras last week I returned Nicaragua to spend a few days in the colonial city of Leon. It is a marvelous city with a strong and vibrant pulse. The architecture again is truly amazing with cathedrals beyond that of the imagination. They stand so tall and hold such incredible history. After a few days [View Full Entry]

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The next stop along my journey was a little town in El Salvador called Juayua. Unfortunately I was only able to spend a couple of days in El Salvador because I only had about a week and a half left and really wanted to spend a bit more time in Nicaragua. My time there was lovely. Juayua is a small town along the famed Ruta de las flores which runs through beautiful coffee country in northern El Salvador. The landscape was really quite incredible. I stayes at a lovely hostel in Juayua run by a young couple of musicians. It was [View Full Entry]

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From the calm tranquility of Lanquin I ventured to the lively city of Antigua. It is a beautiful town with many layers. I ended up staying for about a week exploring the city and the incredible vast expanses of the local Mercado. I was in Antigua at the same time that I was getting reports from my family of their adventures and the PNW fair. The fair has always been one of my highlight of the summer. I love the energy and the sights and the smells. So, it was fitting that at the same time I am missing my hometown [View Full Entry]

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Form Flores I journied to the small highland town of Lanquin. Once again I had only planned to stay a few days but the beauty and tranquility of my surroundings stretched my time there. I arrived to Lanquin at about four in the afternoon. I had heard from many people that the place to stay in Lanquin was the El Retiro Lodge and that as a result it often filled up quickly. I was worried that since we arrived so late there wouldn't be any space in the dorms and I was right. Thankfully I was able to grab one of [View Full Entry]

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After a wonderful stay in Rio Dulce I headed down the Guatemalan tourist track to the little Isla de Flores. However, Flores itself is not the reason that tourist flock from near and far to the nortern reaches of Guatemala. Flores is convienently located a quick hour jungle drive away from one of the most incredible sites of ruins in the world. For this experience I gave in and bought the tikal sunrise tour package and I have to say that it was completely worth it!!! I woke in the still of the night gathered my pack and headed out to [View Full Entry]

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Okay so I have gotten a bit behind on my blogging. whoops! I have just been all swept up in the amazing sights and adventures of Central America. But here goes, I am at a hostel with free internet so I am determined to get all caught up. I last posted about my time in Copan Ruinas, Honduras and from there I traveled to the northeast of Guatemala to the town of Rio Dulce. I had only planned to stay a day or two but the place was incredible so I just keep putting off leaving. I arrived in Rio Dulce [View Full Entry]

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When I left for this trip, over a month ago, I really had no plans of what I was going to do when I got down here. I wanted to be free. I wanted to go with the flow and not be tied to a schedule. All I knew was that I had to be back in Managua by the end of August. However, for some reason it never crossed my mind that I would be exploring the ruins of ancient Mayan civilazations. Nice beaches, sure. Dense forest, of corse. But to see these grand temples built over two thousand years [View Full Entry]

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This trip has been absolutly incredible! I keep having amazing interactions and experiences and then I think ¨Wow, it really can´t get better than this¨ But then it does! My life feels like a whirlwind right now. So many amazing experiences and I am just trying to take it all in. I feel so lucky. I am actually doing it! I have planned for and anticipated this trip for so long. Now I am in the thick of it and already it has been so much more than I could have ever expected. I am so greatful to be here and [View Full Entry]

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After Esteli I took a quick bus ride to Ocotal which is very close to the border between Nicaragua and Honduras. I stayed there for a night. While I was there I met a young woman who was from Ocotal and wanted to practice her english. She had learned her english from tourist and from music and her englishwas quite amazing. She has worked with both Lonely Planet and Moon Handbooks on thier Nicaraguan editions. She was very nice and graciously showed me around town to some different monuments and to the Parque Central, which is said to be the nicest [View Full Entry]

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I arrived to Esteli Nicaragua yesterday in the early afternoon. After a few quick bus rides I found myself in the busteling city that lies just along the Pan-Am. It is a great town to explore the streets are narrow and filled with color of fruit stands, clothes for sale, and brightly painted tiendas of every kind. As I walked through the streets I soon came to the cathedral. It caught me off guard, it was so breath taking, the crand white cathedral standing tall over the parque central. Every town here has one a grand cathedral usually opposite the park [View Full Entry]

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