After bidding farewell to our island home, we had to brave mainland Honduras (which isn't very appealing to say the least) to make the journey across country to get to Nicaragua. After our brief stopover in Lake Yojoa and a change of buses in the shithole that is the capital of Tegucigalpa, we finally crossed the border into Nicaragua and the city of León. We didn't really know much about the city except it's apparently got some great colonial architecture and churches (like most other cities in Latin America), and it's where we were planning on a bit of an adrenalin rush in the form of volcano boarding. If you didn't think that was possible or even remotely a good idea - think again! After asking around at a few different companies, we decided to sign up with Tierra Tours who seemed to tick all the boxes.
The following day we met our group of fellow thrill-seekers which just happened to include a familiar face. Turns out we'd stayed in the same dorm for one night in Lake Yojoa (Honduras) with Dan, a cool South African guy. This kind of thing happens quite often on the gringo trail throughout South and Central America. We hadn't actually talked to each other in Lake Yojoa though as Kurt wasn't feeling the best and we left early the next day, so we finally got chatting. After an hour or so drive we reached the base of Cerro Negro and were faced with the rather daunting 500m or so high volcanic ash/rock covered slope we'd be racing down. On a narrow wooden board with rope handles. Oh, and did I mention it's an active volcano? Because dormant volcano boarding is for pussies. But first we had to hike up to the top carrying our boards, which was a bit awkward at times. It took about 30-40mins, stopping for photos of the amazing panoramic view and a quick walk to some steam-spewing sulphur vents. Walking up the exposed ridge was a bit gusty, but once up top we were rewarded with more spectacular views. Then it was time to suit up and get our safety instructions. We had full overalls, gloves, elbow and shin pads, goggles and helmet to protect us in the inevitable event of assing off. We'd chosen to sit rather than stand up as we didn't have any snow-boarding experience. And thank fuck for that because from the top it looks almost bloody vertical. One girl freaked out and decided to walk down rather than go balls-out like the rest of us, but she only decided this after watching us all go down. I wonder what put her off? Kurt volunteered to go first so we all stood anxiously waiting our turn, watching his descent which was interrupted by frequent tumbles off the board. You might think it would be relatively easy to control but you would be very wrong. As soon as you sit down on the board, gravity and the unstable surface makes you immediately start to take off at great speed. And usually not in a straight line. So of course your natural reaction is to plant a foot (or both) into the loose black rocks to try and control your wildly uncontrolled descent. Which only results in what can often be spectacular crashes ending in a face and mouthful of dust. When you finally stop tumbling you have to locate and retrieve your board (sometimes a few metres up/down the slope), try and get the bloody thing under you without it racing off again before you're properly seated, then promptly hurtle downhill again. Rinse and repeat all the way down to the bottom. When you manage to stay on for a decent stretch and get up some quality speed, it's a pretty good rush. However, it's over way too soon and you're left standing at the bottom covered in black ash. It even manages to get in under the overalls to varying degrees, depending on the frequency and severity of your crashes. All in all it was a unique and fun experience. If only it wasn't such a long walk back up we would've done it again. And as luck would have it we timed it just right, because for the next few days all boarding trips were cancelled due to seismic activity of the volcano. You can't get much more active than that!
After the success of our boarding trip we decided to do a volcano hike with the same company. Dan decided to do this one as well, along with a couple of people from our hostel. The big drawcard for doing this was the chance to see lava (aka liquid hot MAGMA) bubbling away in the crater below. It was a twilight tour which involved a relatively easy walk (about 2 hours) up Telica Volcano, stopping at a massive crater with a sheer drop down into the mist covered depths below. But before we made it to the top we were interrupted by a massive storm with the most spectacular thunder and lightning. We had to stop and get low to the ground, sitting and waiting as thunder and lightning crashed literally all around us. It didn't last too long, but it was an awesome show of nature. Once we got to the top we all lay down right at the very edge of the crater (safety first!), peering over the side with cameras at the ready, waiting for the mist to clear so we could get a glimpse of the fiery lava. Whenever it did clear we were rewarded with the glowing orange and red river of lava far below. It was hard to get a good photo, but at least we got to actually see it. Another successful volcano experience.
After a few days in León we headed to Granada, which is a popular stop-off for tourists because of it's colonial architecture and churches (again). Dan had left earlier the same day, and when we arrived in Granada we of course ran into him so we checked into the same hostel. Not being massively into architecture or churches by this point, the three of us decided to make an overnight trip out to nearby Apoyo Lagoon which is in a nature reserve and a perfect place to chill out. We spent our time swimming, kayaking and reading but then it was soon time to head back to Granada. Not for long though as the three of us - along with Aussie Tess and Dave, the legendary Englishman we'd met in our León hostel - had decided to leave straight away on a ferry across to Isla de Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes in the middle of Lake Nicaragua.
The ferry arrived in Moyogalpa, which is the main harbour village on the western end of the island, and we had to stay a night before getting a bus a couple of hours to stay at an ecological farm and hostel called El Zopilote. It's a cool permaculture farm with dorms and cabins made of natural materials, and a very tranquil place to stay for a couple of days.
The food is also fantastic, including their famous pizza nights which people from other hostels come for. Of course the main thing to do in the island is hike up volcanoes, so we all decided we better make the effort. We chose Volcan Maderas because it was closest, but also because it wasn't as high as Volcan Concepción (only by about 200m). That didn't mean it was easy though. On the morning of the hike we met Gillian, an English-Italian girl staying at El Zopilote as well, and she ended up joining us for the climb. So armed with our packed lunches we set off for the big hike, and it was a long, steep, sweaty climb that took about 4 hours. Once we got to the top we then had to climb down for about 10mins to the crater lake, which was the perfect spot to sit and eat lunch before the hike back down. There were a few other people up there at the same time, including a crazy German guy who obviously didn't find it too strenuous as he rewarded his lungs with a couple of ciggies. If only I was that fit. We spent our final night on the island back down the road from El Zopilote at a party hostel called Little Morgan's where drinking games were played and many beers drunk. We then made the mission across the island back to Moyogalpa to get the ferry to Rivas, where we hopped on a bus to the popular beachside town of San Juan del Sur.
This once sleepy little fishing village is now a firm favourite on the gringo trail through Nicaragua, and it was where we happily spent the final two weeks of our time in Central America. The five of us had chosen to stay at Casa de Olas, a popular hostel up on a hill just outside town. Gill had gotten the earlier ferry on the same day so she was already there ahead of us. But it's not your everyday, run of the mill hostel - how many can boast a selection of dorms and private rooms made of whitewashed walls, set in a semi-circle around an infinity pool overlooking town below? Oh, and of course there was the resident monkey, Buzz. Next door is the famous party hostel the Naked Tiger, so combine that with the pretty social vibe at Casa de Olas, and after 4 nights we were pretty wrecked. So us oldies (me, Kurt and Dave) had to retire to the much quieter Casa Oro downtown to rest and recover for a few nights. Not before booking back into Casa de Olas for the following weekend though! Gluttons for punishment we are. And after yet another massively successful party weekend it was back for some quiet time again, and a Game of Thrones marathon (just because we're travelling doesn't mean we have to miss out!). Dan eventually joined us there after surviving a few days longer up the hill than us and we made a couple of day trips out to nearby Playa Madera beach. So basically, our final two weeks were spent drinking and relaxing by the beach in this little town. Eventually we had to part ways with Dave and Dan (the biggest downside of travelling - meeting legendary people for a short time then having to say goodbye) and leave Nicaragua, which had turned out to be a surprising little charmer of a country. And just in time too - Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua make up the C4 region in Central America, and as tourists we're only allowed a total of 90 days across all four countries. We timed it perfectly (without much planning) and left on our 90th day. Gotta make the most of it!
And with that we said goodbye to another amazing part of the world and crossed back into Costa Rica, where we'd only spend two nights before flying north to the USA. Thanks Latin America for an unforgettable, eye-opening 18 months of incredible adventures and amazing people. A word of advice to you all - get there.
The following day we met our group of fellow thrill-seekers which just happened to include a familiar face. Turns out we'd stayed in the same dorm for one night in Lake Yojoa (Honduras) with Dan, a cool South African guy. This kind of thing happens quite often on the gringo trail throughout South and Central America. We hadn't actually talked to each other in Lake Yojoa though as Kurt wasn't feeling the best and we left early the next day, so we finally got chatting. After an hour or so drive we reached the base of Cerro Negro and were faced with the rather daunting 500m or so high volcanic ash/rock covered slope we'd be racing down. On a narrow wooden board with rope handles. Oh, and did I mention it's an active volcano? Because dormant volcano boarding is for pussies. But first we had to hike up to the top carrying our boards, which was a bit awkward at times. It took about 30-40mins, stopping for photos of the amazing panoramic view and a quick walk to some steam-spewing sulphur vents. Walking up the exposed ridge was a bit gusty, but once up top we were rewarded with more spectacular views. Then it was time to suit up and get our safety instructions. We had full overalls, gloves, elbow and shin pads, goggles and helmet to protect us in the inevitable event of assing off. We'd chosen to sit rather than stand up as we didn't have any snow-boarding experience. And thank fuck for that because from the top it looks almost bloody vertical. One girl freaked out and decided to walk down rather than go balls-out like the rest of us, but she only decided this after watching us all go down. I wonder what put her off? Kurt volunteered to go first so we all stood anxiously waiting our turn, watching his descent which was interrupted by frequent tumbles off the board. You might think it would be relatively easy to control but you would be very wrong. As soon as you sit down on the board, gravity and the unstable surface makes you immediately start to take off at great speed. And usually not in a straight line. So of course your natural reaction is to plant a foot (or both) into the loose black rocks to try and control your wildly uncontrolled descent. Which only results in what can often be spectacular crashes ending in a face and mouthful of dust. When you finally stop tumbling you have to locate and retrieve your board (sometimes a few metres up/down the slope), try and get the bloody thing under you without it racing off again before you're properly seated, then promptly hurtle downhill again. Rinse and repeat all the way down to the bottom. When you manage to stay on for a decent stretch and get up some quality speed, it's a pretty good rush. However, it's over way too soon and you're left standing at the bottom covered in black ash. It even manages to get in under the overalls to varying degrees, depending on the frequency and severity of your crashes. All in all it was a unique and fun experience. If only it wasn't such a long walk back up we would've done it again. And as luck would have it we timed it just right, because for the next few days all boarding trips were cancelled due to seismic activity of the volcano. You can't get much more active than that!
After the success of our boarding trip we decided to do a volcano hike with the same company. Dan decided to do this one as well, along with a couple of people from our hostel. The big drawcard for doing this was the chance to see lava (aka liquid hot MAGMA) bubbling away in the crater below. It was a twilight tour which involved a relatively easy walk (about 2 hours) up Telica Volcano, stopping at a massive crater with a sheer drop down into the mist covered depths below. But before we made it to the top we were interrupted by a massive storm with the most spectacular thunder and lightning. We had to stop and get low to the ground, sitting and waiting as thunder and lightning crashed literally all around us. It didn't last too long, but it was an awesome show of nature. Once we got to the top we all lay down right at the very edge of the crater (safety first!), peering over the side with cameras at the ready, waiting for the mist to clear so we could get a glimpse of the fiery lava. Whenever it did clear we were rewarded with the glowing orange and red river of lava far below. It was hard to get a good photo, but at least we got to actually see it. Another successful volcano experience.
 |
| Magma! |
After a few days in León we headed to Granada, which is a popular stop-off for tourists because of it's colonial architecture and churches (again). Dan had left earlier the same day, and when we arrived in Granada we of course ran into him so we checked into the same hostel. Not being massively into architecture or churches by this point, the three of us decided to make an overnight trip out to nearby Apoyo Lagoon which is in a nature reserve and a perfect place to chill out. We spent our time swimming, kayaking and reading but then it was soon time to head back to Granada. Not for long though as the three of us - along with Aussie Tess and Dave, the legendary Englishman we'd met in our León hostel - had decided to leave straight away on a ferry across to Isla de Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes in the middle of Lake Nicaragua.
 |
| Apoyo Lagoon |
The ferry arrived in Moyogalpa, which is the main harbour village on the western end of the island, and we had to stay a night before getting a bus a couple of hours to stay at an ecological farm and hostel called El Zopilote. It's a cool permaculture farm with dorms and cabins made of natural materials, and a very tranquil place to stay for a couple of days.
 |
| Just chillin at El Zopilote |
The food is also fantastic, including their famous pizza nights which people from other hostels come for. Of course the main thing to do in the island is hike up volcanoes, so we all decided we better make the effort. We chose Volcan Maderas because it was closest, but also because it wasn't as high as Volcan Concepción (only by about 200m). That didn't mean it was easy though. On the morning of the hike we met Gillian, an English-Italian girl staying at El Zopilote as well, and she ended up joining us for the climb. So armed with our packed lunches we set off for the big hike, and it was a long, steep, sweaty climb that took about 4 hours. Once we got to the top we then had to climb down for about 10mins to the crater lake, which was the perfect spot to sit and eat lunch before the hike back down. There were a few other people up there at the same time, including a crazy German guy who obviously didn't find it too strenuous as he rewarded his lungs with a couple of ciggies. If only I was that fit. We spent our final night on the island back down the road from El Zopilote at a party hostel called Little Morgan's where drinking games were played and many beers drunk. We then made the mission across the island back to Moyogalpa to get the ferry to Rivas, where we hopped on a bus to the popular beachside town of San Juan del Sur.
This once sleepy little fishing village is now a firm favourite on the gringo trail through Nicaragua, and it was where we happily spent the final two weeks of our time in Central America. The five of us had chosen to stay at Casa de Olas, a popular hostel up on a hill just outside town. Gill had gotten the earlier ferry on the same day so she was already there ahead of us. But it's not your everyday, run of the mill hostel - how many can boast a selection of dorms and private rooms made of whitewashed walls, set in a semi-circle around an infinity pool overlooking town below? Oh, and of course there was the resident monkey, Buzz. Next door is the famous party hostel the Naked Tiger, so combine that with the pretty social vibe at Casa de Olas, and after 4 nights we were pretty wrecked. So us oldies (me, Kurt and Dave) had to retire to the much quieter Casa Oro downtown to rest and recover for a few nights. Not before booking back into Casa de Olas for the following weekend though! Gluttons for punishment we are. And after yet another massively successful party weekend it was back for some quiet time again, and a Game of Thrones marathon (just because we're travelling doesn't mean we have to miss out!). Dan eventually joined us there after surviving a few days longer up the hill than us and we made a couple of day trips out to nearby Playa Madera beach. So basically, our final two weeks were spent drinking and relaxing by the beach in this little town. Eventually we had to part ways with Dave and Dan (the biggest downside of travelling - meeting legendary people for a short time then having to say goodbye) and leave Nicaragua, which had turned out to be a surprising little charmer of a country. And just in time too - Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua make up the C4 region in Central America, and as tourists we're only allowed a total of 90 days across all four countries. We timed it perfectly (without much planning) and left on our 90th day. Gotta make the most of it!
And with that we said goodbye to another amazing part of the world and crossed back into Costa Rica, where we'd only spend two nights before flying north to the USA. Thanks Latin America for an unforgettable, eye-opening 18 months of incredible adventures and amazing people. A word of advice to you all - get there.
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