FINALLY in costa rica

---

I dont even know where I last left off with the blogs...I think in Granada? Anyways, from Granada we headed to San Juan del Sur which is on the pacific coast of Nicaragua. It was fairly nice there, a real surfer town with looots of tourists. We stayed in a nice enough place overlooking to beach and met some aussies and canadians on the beach who we later met up with at the local sports bar to watch the Super Bowl. Wooooo!
Before leaving San Juan, we went to Playa Maderas which is about a 45min drive from there. It was beauuutiful. Very secluded and only a few spots to choose from to stay at. We ended up camping at a place called the Hideout...what an experience.
The owner was a 50yr old guy from California who was possibly the most arrogant drunk I´ve ever met. He was extremely rude and just literally drunk all day. He also had what appeared to be a 17 year old Nicaraguan girlfriend working for him. Niiiice.

From San Juan del Sur, we headed to Isla de Ometepe. The ferry ride across wasnt too bad. The island itself is quite the sight - two HUGE volcanoes basically make up the island. We stayed at a place called Chico Largo not far from where we docked. We camped there that night but hardly slept - the wind storm was in full force that night. We literally almost blew into the lake. I was pretty nicely ill that night as well...something I ate I guess. Then, in the morning, I woke up with a crink in my neck the size of a basketball and was not pleased one bit.
We made our way to Santo Domingo on the island where I decided it was necessary to treat ourselves to a nice hotel with comfy beds, good food, and a day of absolutely nothing. It was great...but the wind storm continued on so we were not venturing far from the hotel. I had the first hot shower I´ve had in a while...it was quite the treat. Its so weird to think that a hot shower, a toilet seat, toilet paper, and a bathroom you dont have to pay to use at a rest stop is a luxury to us! It will almost be a culture shock to come BACK to Canada.
That night, in my comfy bed, something fell on my head during my sleep. Turns out it was a gecko, so not too bad considering we´ve heard horror stories about scorpions appearing in people´s beds lately.

In the morning, we got up expecting to catch the bus to the ferry however we found out that the ferries werent running because of the wind storm. Apparently, there was an accident the previous day with one of the ferries...we´ve heard lots of different versions, but I think the most reasonable story was that the ferry sort of crash landed into the marina because the wind was so strong it couldn´t dock. We also heard that cars sunk, people drowned and that it took over an hour to dock the ferry. So who knows...
Was it on CNN Dad? Ha. It was certainly big news here!

So from Santo Domingo we headed to Balgue, another part of the island, and stayed at a coffee plantation called Finca Magdelena. A very cute place on a hilltop overlooking the water and the volcano. Very cheap, lots of good food...all in all, it was great to chill for one day.
But two days...no. Once again, no ferry. Stranded on the island! We were so restless by noon the next day that we decided to trek back closer to where the ferry was in order to get the scoop and be next in line to get off the bloody island.
We took the bus, that was two hours late, back to the main highway where they told us to wait for another bus that would come for the direction we were headed. Well, it never came. So at 6pm, sun going down, Katia, and two other people we met on the side of the street (sounds so sketchy, haha) Kevin and Lisa, we started our trek back in the direction we were headed. We walked for about an hour...no closer to where we needed to be and finally a nice man stopped and offered us a ride...for FREE! Nothing is free in this country. It costs more to use toilet paper when paying to go to the bathroom....wow!

We ended up staying at Chico Largo again, cause its right down the street from the ferry. This time, our tent was pretty well pegged in...so we didnt blow away.
We woke up in the morning, thinking that once again, the ferry wouldn´t be leaving because it was just as windy as the other days, but turns out, they were running! Wooooo!

I can see why they weren´t for a while though...there were times I thought the boat was going to tip over the waves were so big.
Once on the mainland, we split a taxi with Lisa to the border and we are now all in Liberia awaiting tomorrow, until we can continue our trek. Katia and I aren´t really sure where we´re headed...things are REALLY expensive here.
We´re either heading to Monteverde or the Nicoya Peninsula tomorrow. We shall see.

Anyways, enough for now. I hear the buses are back on! Thats great!

Until next time...

---

Comments

[Dave & Mary]

cigars @ villa paraiso
Ashley,glad to see you got off the island, when we last saw you and your friend you were having a Tona @ noon up @ the Finca Magdelena, you guys look beat, we 1 st saw you at villa paraiso with your big cigars, but when we got back to Wis Sunday 8th, I though I would see if any reports on ferry crash, and your blog poped up, it was a great to see you, hope the rest of your trip goes good, I will Check back to see if you still doing well, remember drinking and smoking well make feel bad the next moring, be good Dave and Mary NOT FROM Canada eaa