Blogs from Northern Pacific Coast, Nicaragua, Central America Caribbean - page 9

Hola from Nicaragua The weather today didn´t seem as hot. There were some overcast skies but it didn´t rain at all today. We had a tasty breakfast of Nicaraguan pancakes and honey and then we set off for the build site. Every morning we stop for bottled water and ice for the cooler. It takes about 50 minutes to get to the site but it is only 16 kilometers. The road is very rough with lots of large rocks. Today we continued with building the rebar structures, hauling gravel , hauling sand, adding concrete blocks and mortar to the walls. There was also a very specific job of bending metal rods into rectangles. The person working on it made it look very easy but several of us tried and it is really easy to do badly. ... read more

What a day we have had. We had a delicious breakfast of eggs, gallo pinto and some fresh bread along with some peeled canatalope. After that we headed off to the build site. It took us almost an hour to get there because the roads are so rough. There are lots of rocks on the roads and a lot of huge pot holes. Because it is the rainy season, there were also some enormous puddles. We eventually stopped on the side of the road . To our left was a small building made of pieces of wood with a tin roof. This was the current school. The main teacher there, Marcia, has been teaching in this structure for 10 years and working towards getting a new school. This is a dream come true for her. The ... read more

I took this 30 km trek with Quetzal Trekkers (http://www.quetzaltrekkers.com/) , a non-profit organization located in Leon (and that originated in Guatemala). The $69 cost is pretty expensive by Nicaragua standards, but it included everything: food, transportation, volcano-boarding tents, guides, park entry, a free t-shirt, and any equipment you need. Besides, the money goes to a good cause. There are a some other similar organizations in Leon that conduct tours for other causes. CERRO NEGRO HIKE AND VOLCANO-BOARDING (45 minutes hiking up the hill, 45 seconds down) We began the trip with breakfast at the Quetzal Trekkers headquarters in Leon. From there we piled into a camioneta for a bumpy one-hour ride to Cerro Negro. My first glimpse of the volcano was disconcerting -- picturing myself sliding down the steep 700 meters (around 2200 feet) of ... read more

Leon is a must-see in Central America and so far my favorite city in Nicaragua. If you are only visiting Nicaragua, I recommend using it as a hub to visit Las Penitas beaches, Matagalpa and Esteli in the mountains, and nearby volcanoes. While it is similar to Granada, Leon doesn't seem to have any areas set up exclusively for tourists; instead, gringo-living is gracefully woven into the local threads. It is hotter here, but the difference is negligible and the beach is only a half an hour away. The drive here from Managua was a terrifying ordeal. My legs are far too long to fit comfortable in one of the intercity vans and I was sure of death nearly every moment. Our driver was actually pretty good and responsible, but everyone on the road insisted on ... read more

Arriving in Leon on March 26thlittle did I know that this city would become my home for over a month and one of the real highlights of the trip. I’m sure when I look back, Leon will stick out in my mind as one of the most significant places I visited. The city, along with Granada, is an old-style colonial place and although not quite as “polished” as Granada, I liked it more. Perhaps this is exactly why I liked it more – more authentic, less touristy and not even a hint of an Irish pub in sight. It was hot, really really painfully hot and it’s true that walking down the pavements was at times a near leg-breaking experience given the quantity of pot holes and uncovered drains. But it was here in Leon that ... read more