Flor de Cana & Colonial Bliss

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Well - Granada was most definitely one up on Leon! Much prettier town (sure, more touristy....but hell we are not shy to say that we don't mind that!)
Not quite as impressive as Antigua, Guatemala- but there are some really impressive building and incredible homes. I really wish we could transport one of those houses and plonk it down in Cape Town! The homes all had these grand big doors, built right onto the roads (almost like big thick fortess walls)...then inside these gorgeous massive central courtyards, with fountains and plants all intricately placed.....incredible!

Granada was just as hot as Leon, but more to do. Set right on enormous Lake Nicaragua (although the lake was not the beautiful clean blue waters like Lake Atitlan, in Guatemala)....rather choppy and brown water...not that tempting to swim in.
We sat in the square and tried the local speciality 'Vigoron' which is yucca (very stoggy potato like veg) topped with fried pork skin or crackling and coldslaw! Not too bad.....but tasting it once was more than enough!
Nicaragua is really quite cheap and you can easily eat out for around $8 (both of us)...in fact we had probably the best tasting pizza at a restuarant called Tele Pizza...I know not grand sounding...but it was the local hot spot and boy was the food good.
That reminds me...Ken and I felt like right porkers one of the nights. We went to a rosticeria (roasted chicken spot) and ordered the family meal (basically a whole chicken, onions, frijoles or beans and tortillas + coke). Very embarassed.....we noticed that a family of 6 (4 adults and 2 kids) on their special night out...had ordered the exact meal to share between them !!!
To make us feel better we made sure we didn't eat it all and wrapped up the last of the chicken to give to a homeless/beggar!

We stayed at a great hostel called the Bearded Monkey owned by a British and American couple. One thing we have noticed during our travels, is that almost none of the hostels seem to be owned by locals. There is always a foreigner cashing in with their great ideas! I suppose, foreigners are the ones with the money to set them up in the first place.....
The couple also owned a lake getaway spot called the Monkey Hut....on Lake Apoyo only about 30min from Granada. What a great place! The hut is a wooden house on stilts over looking the crater lake. Beautiful clean waters, kayaking, inner tubing and generally just lazying around in the sun is the thing to do there!
We made sure that we sat on the jetty and watched the moon rise over the lake...sipping the great rum of Nicaragua (Flor de Cana at a whole $6 a bottle for 7 year aged and really decent stuff I might add!) as well as watching yet another great sun rise.

The great plan was to stay in Granada for Semana Santa (Easter in Latin America is the biggest festival of the year) and watch the processions. After seeing one or two and realising that some of the days, being public and family holidays....NOTHING much is happening, we decided that 5 days in and around Granada was enough and decided that we would head for Isla de Ometepe on Lake Nicaragua.

Hope you are all well....love Mel x

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Photos

The flying fat man
At lake Apoyo.

Some old building
The photo you take to try and look like you are interested in the history.

sundowners
At lake Apoyo.

What make the long bus ride worth it.
At lake Apoyo.

Comments

[katrina]

looks stunning guys...tho I don't feel too jealous...we finally have some sunshine and heat and I even got burnt while sitting in the garden today...yipeeee.. lots of love