Full Circle

Yesterday we finally got a chance to see San Jose with people and everything. 

The city has great pedestrian only streets and bustling markets. 

We stayed at the same hostel as our first time through San Jose, but this time ended up in the dorm since things were all booked up. 

This morning we headed to the airport. It was chaos at the check in, but once we got our boarding passes it was not so bad. 

After sufficient alcohol to fuel my flight, we boarded the plane home. 

Sea Shells and the Man in the Moon

Today was a travel day. I have decided that the best approach is to take the amount of time advertised and double it to come up with the actual travel time for any bus ride. It was not unpleasant, just kind of long. 

Yesterday was a wander, beach, wander, eat day. Montezuma seems designed for precisely that type of activity. 

We finally got to see some sea turtles. 

We were initially planning to go snorkeling but our plans were foiled by poor planning and weird advice, so instead we walked down the beach to find a good sitting spot. 

Some of the beaches were white sand while others were made of shells or colorful stones. We spent a long time gathering pretty sea shells on the sea shore. 

We also saw rocks writhing with crabs. It tapped into a deep part of my brain for recognizing creepiness. 

We found a spot that was populated by a few surfers and took turns letting the waves beat us up a bit. The water was almost, but not quite, too warm to be refreshing. 

On the way back to town a monkey decided to show off for us. The monkeys in Montezuma are very naughty - the hostel kitchen area has regular monkey invasions and they are fond of jumping on the metal roof and making a racket. 

Between the monkeys and the weird raccoon type animals you would think the cats would go crazy. They appeared to take it all in stride. 

We wanted to check out some good seafood and ended up at a place down the beach that usually requires reservations but we lucked into a two party table next to a woman from Texas who was very into the health benefits of Montezuma - apparently it is a "blue zone" with a strangely large number of centarians. She left shortly after we arrived, followed by a couple on a romantic date, so we minded our own business. 

The food was phenomenal.  Some of the best goat cheese ever as an appetizer, plus I had very fresh fish - I could not tell you precisely what kind besides large and tasty. On the way back to the hostel we could see what felt like every star. 

We are now back in San Jose. The weather is cool and the cab driver was singing along to REM on the radio. I have a sun burn on my right arm and one last night in Costa Rica. 

Rolling furnace down bumpy roads to paradise

Yesterday morning began with another 4:30 wake up for a day packed with travel. We said goodbye to our hotel and caught a cab to the bus station to wait for the bus that originated in Managua at 5:00. After giving some directions to a couple of hung over and confused Brits, the bus arrived right on time. 

We had a long stop at the border where it was quite hot, but at least the bus has decent air conditioning...or so we thought. 

We got back on the bus and about an hour later the air conked out. Alas, some of the windows were stuck so air circulation was limited. Plus the trip was supposed to be about six hours to Esparza but the road construction slowed us to a crawl at points, necessitating a food break. We reach the crossroads at 2ish and caught a taxi to the port, managing to miss the ferry by 15 minutes.

We settled in for a couple hours of waiting and ran into a bunch of other people waiting for the same boat, mostly kids from Germany. There seems to be a critical mass of 22 -25 year olds all on the same basic trajectory from beach to beach and party to party from Mexico to Panama and beyond. The women are all 5'8", very skinny, with long hair and tans. The men all look like they have been living under a rock and are immediately shuttled into the friend zone despite their best efforts. 

On the boat we ran into even more people traveling to Montezuma and surrounding towns. There are a ton of surfing spots along the peninsula. People travel here from all over the world to catch the waves, hauling their boards vast distances. 

We landed and caught the bus to Montezuma. I was so tired that I was borderline delirious and managed to have only limited conversation with the annoying German guy who had been on the same itinerary as us for the last several hours. It was a dark and winding road, but soon we arrived at our hotel, Luna Llena. It is cute and quiet, but last night all I could tell was that there was a bed and I could take off my sweaty pants. 

Now we are in a beautiful place with the sound of the waves all around us.  For only the third time on this trip we could sleep in, although I still woke up before 8:00. Now two days of doing pretty much nothing. 

Greetings from paradise. 

Interlopers at the Gates of Hell

Yesterday, on the advice of a Canadian photographer we contacted a tour guide named Ramone about visiting the Isleteas. Alas, he was booked, but said that if it was alright with the group we could join in on a tour including the volcanos, the market, the lagoon, and the Isleteas. Apparently it was alright with everyone so we joined the group today. 

It was an interesting bunch from Australia, Switzerland, Canada, and Italy who were on a tour across Central America. It included a wide range of ages from two students to a couple of retired teachers. They were very nice and generally a fun group. 

Our first stop was a volcano that became know as the gates of hell. It had been used over the years for sacrifices and for executing political prisoner. Still active, it spews surpher.  We also visited a now dormant crater. 

Next we visited a market for some haggling and the had lunch above a crater lake that was created by the eruption of one of the volcanoes. There was an amazing view.  We also spent some time swimming in the lagoon. I am not much of a swimmer but it was quite beautiful. 

Last but not least we visited the Isleteas. I used the camera so you will have to remain in suspense about the pictures, but we were there for some spectacular sunset action. Also, if anyone is looking, you can buy your very own island - there were several for sale at quite reasonable prices. 

We the returned to the hotel and prepared for our next early morning bus ride. I am afraid I am becoming accustomed to waking up very early. Also I am now quite blasé about taking three busses and a boat - no big deal, that is how every trip happens, right?

And so we bid farewell to Nicaragua. I suspect I will be back some time, hopefully before the canal changes everything. If you love art, music, food, and history I would strongly recommend a visit. 

Next stop, Montezuma. 

The night the lights went out in Granada

This morning we had to check out of the Hostel las Hamacas. We initially only booked two nights, and by the time we knew we were staying longer they were all booked up.

I have noticed that there is a bit of a run on budget accommodations - we ran into several couples working their way from place to place with no luck. We had a choice of some bunks in a dormitory or doing a splurge and getting a room with air conditioning. 

This is the view from our balcony and we have our own bathroom which is fairly magical. 

Before we could check in we had a couple of hours to kill. We grabbed some coffee and talked to a guy from Argentina who lives in Massachusetts and had recently sold his business and was traveling about avoiding the cold. 

We visited an artist collectivo and walked down to the square for some traditional food involving yuca, slaw, and pork rinds. I was not a big fan and my body appears to be rejecting it in an authoritative manner. 

After lunch we checked in and rested, like prettyuch everyone else when the heat of the day peaks. 

We ran some errands and did some planning for tomorrow and more importantly for what appears to be another complicated journey on Tuesday. I have concluded that the shortest distance between two points is the exact opposite of the actual transit routes. 

We grabbed some dinner and, just as we were leaving the restaurant all of the lights went out. The street was pitch black, with only the headlights of cars and motorbikes. Fortunately we were only a couple blocks away from the hotel, but it was still a creepy walk. Beautiful though to look up in the city and see the brilliant stars with no light pollution at all. 

The only building that appeared to have light was the cathedral, but as we got closer a building stood out like a beacon in the distance - our hotel. For some reason our hotel has power when the rest of the city is in darkness. It makes the minor splurge - because Granada is very inexpensive- seem particularly worthwhile. 

Magnificent

Granada is magnificent. 

To get here we took the 4:20 bus from Monte Vetde to Irma and then hopped the bus to the border. The border was chaos but we caught a bus to Granada. It was relatively easy. 

We got into town just past noon and wandered about. Today we did a tour of the city. 

We learned some of the history of Granada. The city was constantly destroyed by earthquakes, pirates, and various political factions. 

We met some interesting people, ate good food, and saw a performance of the 6th international street performers festival. 

We then had food and drinks and watched the amazing street scene pass before us. 

Birds and busses

Today we saw the Monte Verde Reserva. There were trees, birds, monkeys, and a waterfall. 

There were also hummingbird feeders. I have never seen so many. They would land on your hands as evidenced by the hand selfie below. 

We spent the remainder of the day figuring out how to get to Granada. Apparently it involves catching a bus very early in the morning. So, after a fine dinner of wine and cheese, we are turning in early so we can catch the 4:20 bus to Irma in hopes of catching the 6:30 to the border. 

I am excited to see some small part of Nicaragua after seeing far too little of Costa Rica. In the meantime, here is some sugar cane. 

And some more wildlife for good measure.