Nicaragua

Pineapple fields in Nicaragua

Nicaragua took on a different feel than other countries we had visited. After reading about the chain of 11 volcanoes lining the Pacific coast, the beautiful surfing beaches, and the largest lake in Central America, we were ready for some great experiences. The journey started a little rocky when we were forced to spend a night in the capital city of Managua - which is perhaps the scariest city we have visited since Belize City. We were told of the dangers and encouraged to take a cab 6 blocks to the ATM. This seemed ridiculous, but we heeded caution and took the prudent route. The taxis of course took advantage of this fear and overcharged to ensure our safety. This somewhat started to lay the groundwork for our experiences in Nicaragua. At this point in the trip, we needed a little pampering...

A much needed American meal at Pizza Hut
Scott getting a shave and facial

After the pleasantries of Managua, we headed to Granada which is a colonial city situated on Lake Nicaragua. Although the city was beautiful, the hotels were expensive, the market was incredibly stinky, and it was hot as hell. We noticed a different vibe in Nicaragua that perhaps is due to being the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere (after Haiti). Actually the vibe wasn´t really that different just perhaps a bit more concentrated... the vibe was desperation. Cab drivers, junk peddlers, store owners, were all a little too desperate for our gringo dollars. The cab drivers would lie about directions and schedules while street kids would haunt you with souvenir whistles. One restaurant so abused the description of the food that we couldn´t eat it and gave it to one of the old ladies on the street. So you pretty much had to watch your back. At this same time, our Spanish skills were really paying off as a means of ripoff insurance. By asking several people about schedules and directions we were able to meander our way through the country pretty easily.

One highlight of our trip was Isle de Ometepe, a volcanic island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua (huge freakin´ lake). We boarded a cargo ferry and tried not to barf (or fall off) on the stomach-churning journey. We hired an 18 year old kid to guide us up Volcan Concepcion, who kicked our butts running up the nearly vertical trail. Luckily, we could not hike to the summit because it has been active in previous years. Our aching quads and biceps were rewarded with an incredible view of Lake Nicaragua through the misty clouds. That's the one downfall of a cloud forest - you can't expect to have a clear view. We also saw an entire gang of howler monkeys and the elusive white-faced gringo monkeys (a smarter type of monkey than the typical gringo monkeys who climb the volcano).Our final desintation in Nicaragua was the Pacific Ocean. Supposedly, San Juan del Sur boasted one of the finest beaches (easy to get to) in the country. We realized our guidebook was sadly mistaken when we sat our fatigued, emotionally-depleted selves down on the beach for a view of boat after boat blocking the Pacific. Not exactly what we had in mind... This was a surf town full of bleach-blond surfer dudes and dudettes who "like totally caught a bitchin' wave" type of town. Perhaps we just weren't in the mood or were affected by the rising temperatures with a stuffy hotel room, but we needed the mountains of a different country for recovery. We headed for Costa Rica for some relief, although these kids in Nicaragua really lifted our spirits. The picture below is one of many throughout the trip where we play with local kids new to digital cameras. Rachel amused them for about a half-hour amid the deafining cry¨otra vez, otra vez¨ ... again ... again ...So we weren´t super impressed with Nicaragua as compared to Guatemala or Honduras. To be fair, we did meet some travelers who said they loved Nicaragua (though they hadn´t been to Guatemala) and we pretty much stuck to the gringo-circuit (which attracts the more aggressive turistivore types) but... when we crossed that border to Costa Rica... it felt like we had found the promised land!