Nicaragua - really not as scary as everyone makes it out to be!

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I finished up my travels through Costa Rica with a stop in La Fortuna - near the Arenal volcano. It was a nice place to hang out (met a cool chick from North Van and a dude from Amsterdam) and play some cards, swim in swimming holes, hike to waterfalls and also relax in the Hot Springs! And relax we did! There were 16 pools with 16 different temperatures of water - all lit up beautifully (we went in the evening) and a swim up bar in a couple of the pools also - along with little waterfalls everywhere! I felt like i was in a 7 star resort for a few hours. What a nice change!

I left Arenal and planned to make it to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua in a day. Unfortunately everyone kept telling me the bus to the border was the next bus...and it never came. I waited for almost 3 hours. Just enough time to get absolutely DRENCHED by the passing thunder and lightening filled storm. Fun times. I hopped on the next bus, i didn't care where it was going. I got to Liberia, still in Costa Rica, but much closer to the border. I decided just to stay the night there, and get a good start on the border crossing formalities the next morning. I stayed at a hostel with a creepy owner. Promptly left the next day, crossed the border with a cool girl (also from North Vancouver, Alison), and safely entered Nicaragua!

The border crossing was a little hectic. Mostly because the immigration offices for both countries are half a kilometer apart! So you have to walk. And let me tell you, it´s HOTTTTTTTTTT. But we made it, caught a bus heading to Rivas, got dropped off on the side of the road, and took a car/taxi to our beach destination. From Costa Rica to Nicaragua before 12:30 - we still had time to hit the beach!! A successful travel day indeed - not often you get so much accomplished on a travel day!!

So we dropped our bags off at the hostel, packed our sunscreen and sarongs and just barely made the shuttle that was leaving to the beach. Another incredible beach - not a bad start for a new country! Lazied around...swam...contemplated surfing...ate...sunbathed...swam...took photos..read...got back on the shuttle - didn't surf. Still had a great day. And a fantastic night as well. Lots of music and dancing on Friday nights in San Juan!! Saturday was much of the same. Hit up the beach, hit up the club.

After two full days and two long nights, we had had enough of the resort-ish feeling of the town. Packed up and headed to Isla Ometepe - an icredible island formed by the connection of two volcanoes. We bussed to Lake Nicaragua, and then took the ferry over to the island. It was a wavy ride, even though they were only wind waves. We got to the island, found a bus (even though this crazy lady told us there were no buses on sundays. And tried to convince us to pay 5 US$ EACH to get not even 25 minutes away. I know that doesn´t seem like much to the average north american Taxi taker...but the bus was 10 Cordobas - equivalent to about 40 cents. And alas, there WAS a bus!)

We got to our beautiful hostel shortly after, and quickly became accustomed to the Isla lifestyle. Tranquillo, tranquillo, tranquillo. Chill, chill, chill. It was perfect. Hammocks galore, volcanos in the distance, breeze blowin through the lakeside restaurant (where we in fact stayed almost ALL day the first day. Beers at 3pm.....chilled there....decided to grab some nibbles around 4:30...chilled there until dinner pangs began about 6:30...and then stayed there having beersand hanging out with new friends until about 11pm when we headed down to the beach for a bonfire! What a tough life...really. By the way, there is a beer in Nicaragua called Toña. And it is possibly my most favourite beer ever! It really is so delicious and really hits the spot. Wish I could bring each and everyone of you back a taste! The following day continued in much the same manner. Me and Alison deciding that we really DIDN'T need to do the 10 hour hike up and down the volcanos...sitting in hammocks (or in the restaurant) all day was our right!! Another bonfire, and good times with brothers from Saltspring, a guy from the states, Carlos our waiter and buddy, and us two vancouver chicks!

Ok...so this is getting long. But i´ll post it now without pictures...and then catch up with the blog sooooon enough! I'm in Leon, Nicaragua now...and the reality that home is gettin closer is setting in. And in some ways i´m excited!!

Big hugs & Love,
Lauren

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