I just got in last night from Granada, Nicaragua, and let me tell you, that place was amazing. I think the trip up there was just what the doctor ordered. I set up shop in a hostel there, stayed for three nights, and then switched over to a hotel for the last two. In the beginning, I told myself that I'd maybe try to get up to Managua or Leon, but in the end, and because there was so much to do, I just decided to stay.
Upon arriving into town, I found an American sports bar and immediately met the owner and some of his regulars. Later that night, he introduced me to a friend and worker of his, Ramon, who organizes private tours on a "tip" basis. I basically spent the rest of the week doing day trips with him, which was pretty sweet. On day one, we went to an awesome lookout point, swam in a crater lake, hit a local market (local meaning completely authentic=no gringos), and finished with a trip to Masaya Volcano, which is Nicaragua's most active volcano. I met Jill and Brian, who are Canadians living in Costa Rica. They were a ton of fun, and we got along so well that we spent the evening hanging out and drinking the world's strongest mojitos and cuba libres (rum and coke). Fun night...
Day two, Ramon and I went to go hit "Las Isletas," which are a series of islands that were formed by a volcanic explosion some 2000 years ago. Simply put, they were the most beautiful thing I've ever seen, plus with the volcano in the background and a killer sunset? Enough said.
Day three brought a little rash of water sickness. I think some Nicaraguan bastard slipped a piece of local ice into my rum and coke. This is the day that I moved into my new, fancy hotel, so I decided to get my money's worth and utilize the pool, cable tv, and beyond-king-sized bed.
On my last day, I again went with Ramon up to Mombachu Volcano, which was just incredibly beautiful. We were basically in a cloud forest for a few hours and I got some great pix. After going down, we did a quick city tour, and then later, met up with a nice family from DC and went back to Masaya Volcano for a lava viewing and a trip into some caves (with bats). I didn't go out that night...LONG DAY!
So I left yesterday, and after a hellish bus ride and an even more hellish night at a local "guesthouse" (which I subsequently left this morning @ 5 AM, ferociously angry), I am back at the school packing up my belongings. I'm heading off to a REAL hotel that got great reviews on Trip Advisor, so I'm hoping to not have a repeat of last night. I leave tomorrow morning at 7 AM and will get back into SFO in the evening.
And the timing is just right...I'm absolutely ready to come back, but not so sick of it that I'm dying to get out of here. I think five weeks, in the end, was a bit long, but now I know for next time. I'm thinking 3-4 weeks in Guatemala next summer. Stay tuned...
Thanks to all of you for reading and keeping in contact with me for the last month or so. I really appreciate it!
Looking forward to catching up with everyone when I get back:)
Ben
