round-the-world in 2005
previous country : index : next countryNicaragua
Mar 3 - Mar 7 2005
We are starting to get the hang of traveling, but Nicaragua will be a little different from the westernised Costa Rica.

03 Mar 2005 Crossing the border
We caught the bus from Liberia to the Nicaraguan border. After getting our papers processed, we then had to walk about one km across the border for more processing. The process was pretty hassle free. We then negotiated in broken Spanish to get a taxi to San Jorge, were we caught a tiny wooden ferry for a one hour trip to Ometepe Island. It is an island composed of two large volcanoes which stand impressively in the centre of Central America´s largest lake. It is also the only freshwater lake to contain sharks! As we rushed to catch a bus to another part of the island, our vital spanish phrase book was left behind. How do we ask for it back?
04 Mar 2005 Hiking up Madera
After arranging a guide last night to take us to the volcano peak, we arose at 4 am to catch a bus to the start of the trail. From here, after a hearty breakfast, we hiked 4.5 hours up a grueling trail to a muddy lake in the crater of the dormant volcano. Amazing. It felt like a survivor episode. The hike down was marginally easier. A swim in Lake Nicaragua was in order while we waited 2.5 hours for a bus to take us back home. It took a while to wash the volcanic mud off our clothes and bodies.

05 Mar 2005 Transport to Grenada
Nothing like a long day of buses, boats, taxis, and more buses. After no success trying to find our lost phrase book, we took a bus to the ferry pier, a ferry to get off the island, a taxi to the bus station, and another bus to our next destination, Grenada. Along the way there was some beautiful scenery to see, as well as encountering many locals trying to sell us things. It seems like on every form of transport there are locals trying to flog foods of all descriptions, drinks, pens, or just asking for money.

06 Mar 2005 Exploring Granada
After yesterday´s day of traveling, we decided to stay in the one city all day. Granada seemed the perfect place for this, as it is one of the most architecturally interesting places in central america, with heaps of colonial building that are still in good shape. We visited several old churches, and being a Sunday, they were all full. We also took up a few hours wandering the streets trying to find a bank that was open so we could exchange some money. It was a hot day as usual, and unfortunately the water at the beach is polluted and not suitable for swimming.

07 Mar 2005 Ocotal
Today we traveled to Masaya to some old markets where Clare went on a shopping spree - a pair of sandals, a necklace, and a skirt. We then traveled to the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. We found a bookshop but no phrase book, instead we bought a spanish-english dictionary which should help a little. We also stumbled across a vegetarian health food restaurant, and enjoyed an excellent lunch. A little different from the standard rice and beans.
A few hours further north we came to Ocotal, a town close to the border. It was a mission to find a place to stay, as our guide book gave directions from the bus terminal, but we were dropped off elsewhere in town, and it was dark. As we walked around, we were also harassed by a mad, midget, muzzled mutt in the streets. We also helped a young local to translate an english `mailer demon auto reply` that he couldn`t understand the techno speak. We survived and found a good place to rest our bodies. The hot water for the shower's in central america are often generated in the shower head, so it is not uncommon to see some dodgy wiring coming from the shower head in the shower recess - a little disconcerting.
next we cross over the border to Honduras.