Holiday Travels Part 2: Nicaragua

After making it across the border with little difficulty, we spent the night in Rivas which had a distinct feel from Costa Rican cities. It was a little more laid back and less touristy. Next morning we took the ferry from San Jorge to cross to the Isla de Ometepe, which is an island formed by 2 volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua. It is really beautiful. We stayed at an old farm house which is now a cooperative of coffee farmers. They produce organic shade grown coffee and run the hostel. The building is huge and somewhat dilapitated, but really cool. This is where we spent Christmas with good views and lots of gallo pinto (rice and beans). We also took a tour of the coffee plantation and the petroglyphs (rock carvings done my the mayans and incans).

Next we headed to the colonial city of Granada. I really loved it there because the buildings had so much character and the colors were so vibrant. It definately has a tourist scene (with everyone carrying the same lonely planet guide), but is still really cool with lots to do, see, and eat (Including tasting a pink coconut sweet). We also took a day trip to Volcan Masaya National Park. We got to the top of a fuming crater and were surprised at how strong the gas was. They suggest you only look for about 15 mintutes (how is this determined?) Not only was there the active volcano but a series of gorgeous inactive volcanoes and panoramic views.

After Granada we headed to Leon, which is rich in Sandanista History. We went to a museum where our guide fought with the Sandinistas and told us all about it. This is also a colonial city with the largest Cathedral in Central America, but is pretty run-down. This is where we spent New Year Eve. The main plaza was filled with families and couples eating at food stands and people watching. Everyone else was getting their eardrums destroyed by blasting music in the discos. The 1st was also when we needed to head back to San Jose via managua. Our bus was at 630 am for the 9 hour ride back. Therefore we had to get up at 330am to get the bus to managua! Needless to say there was no sleep to be had New Years Eve. The trip was amazing but flew by so quickly!