Andando por Nicaragua

The other day I was lying on a hammock at the edge of an island listening to the waves from Lake Nicaragua crash into the shore as I worked on my ‘20 questions’ computer science assignment. The island was truly amazing. Formed by two volcanoes rising out of the middle of the lake, one volcano is still active with one side covered in lava flows.

The island was well populated with several towns surrounding the volcanoes. However, I ended up having to turn in my programming assignment late because it took me 2 days to find internet access. What can I expect when I’m on an island?

The hotel my new travel companions and I ended up staying at was in a natural reserve about a half kilometer off the main road that circled the island. We had to hike down the dirt road to the hotel that turned out to be a vacationer’s paradise. With hammocks hanging at various places around the property and a lake at perfect swimming temperature, it was a great place to relax and just enjoy paradisiacal climate.

One evening my new friends and I, along with another traveler we met from Mexico, went to eat in the little town nearby. The ‘restaurant’ we ate at was simply a table and chairs set up on someone’s porch where they served us a chicken from the back yard. The food was cooked over an open fire in the kitchen as the pig ran in and out through the house.

On the way back we met some kids who were super happy to eat some of the bread we were carrying. Here they are…

I am currently just about to leave Granada, a Spanish colonial town a bit farther north in Nicaragua. Getting here was quite an adventure. The bus driver had a crazy look in his eyes and ended up in a high-speed race with another bus along the highway. Interestingly enough, the roads are in much better condition here than in Costa Rica, and so the driver was able to achieve his dream of NASCAR racing as he barely passed the challenging bus before having to swerve back into the right lane to avoid collision with the oncoming semi. I was seriously scared for my life! I couldn’t blame the driver for the crazy driving, however… a sign posted at the front of the bus stated in English: “YOU are responsible for the safe operation and cleanliness of this vehicle”. You can see that the guy in the front seat is nervous as well because of his responsibility… he couldn’t stop biting his fingernails!

I’m just about to head off for the beach before I start back for Costa Rica. It’s been really fun here in Nicaragua, and it’s been interesting to see that even though it is a poorer country than Costa Rica, I feel much safer walking the streets around here. I still can’t quite figure out why that is, but it really is ‘tranquillo’ here.

Well, until next time from who-knows-where! Adios!