Nica Nica Nicaragua

Nicaragua proved to be a country so rich in culture that we melted into the mix of it all with submissive ease. Arriving in Leon late in the afternoon we found an energetic hostel where we met a handful of folks who had some solid recommendations about the country. Leon allowed us to relax, wonder around the city streets in search for savory street food, and collect information from other travelers. We left the backpacker scene of Leon and ventured south towards Granada. Getting an early start we decided to spend a few hours at Playa Pochomil surfing and lounging in the sun. The beach was desolate with ok waves and seemed to be a perfect stop before entering the city of Granada where glamorous architecture gleamed above the central plaza. The quite, clean and comfortable Oasis hostel became our base camp for exploring the colonial lakeside city of Granada. Wondering the streets we seemed to always find ourselves arriving in the central plaza where the night lights lit up the open plaza for friendly soccer games where broken bikes provided goals for the serious street competitors. The city was alive at night with hidden bars, international cuisine, lovers on park benches, international movies at the cultural center, greasily scrumptious street food, and music flowing out of second story windows. During the day the bustle surrounded the market and cars zoomed around the abandoned streets from anoche. Hanging out in hammocks during the mid day sun we struck up a friendship with some volunteers at a nearby orphanage who proceeded to invite us to come visit.

We arrived at San Jorge and drove the back roads towards the lake side orphanage of Casa Asis. Mary and Siri welcomed us in and began to introduce us the children, teachers, and other volunteers. The children were so full of love as they came running to hug the bearded visitors. The smiles and laughter seemed to never end as the children ran around, giggled at our accents, tugged on our facial hair and welcomed us into their community. To see these joyful children from ages 2-7 here in a safe environment where they were genuinely loved and cared for after coming from street lives, abusive families or unwanting parents overflowed my heart with happiness. After spending the day with the kids we stayed at the orphanage that night hanging out with Mary & Siri. Their hospitality seemed endless as we ate typical Nicaraguan food and shared stories before acostando en una buena cama. Breakfast with the ninos and off to la Isla de Ometepe. The orphanage looked out at Lake Nicaragua where two stunning volcanoes rose out of the waters upon the forested Isla. We waved goodbye to the kids and promised we would return within the next few days.

A choppy ferry ride over had us on the island and eventually walking 10 kilometers of dirt roads through small towns, farmland and lake side beaches to the Italian run organic farm of Zopilote. The jungle finca which attracted peace loving travelers with a desire to eat good natural food, work on the farm or just rest in hammocks became our home stay on the island. We met many friendly folks while munching on fresh bread, home made jams, organic nutella, and mud oven pizza. Days passed playing chess, swimming in the lake, comiendo bien, swinging in hammocks, reading, sharing travel stories and watching the sun set behind the volcano creating a colorful palate upon the lake water below. A couple of days of relax on the Island had me ready to get back to the orphanage and hang out with the kids. We met up with a traveling artesian / cook from France with a Mexican accent and buena onda. Riding la lancha back to San Jorge we walked the beach to the orphanage following the sounds of laughter coming from the fields below. It was “field day” and all the kids came running over grabbing our hands and inviting us to take part in the day’s activities. Mary greeted us with an amazing lunch spread; it felt good to be back at Casa Asis. A day of games, laughter, smiles and heeeelarity proceeded. It felt good to be part of something so positive, being welcomed into the orphanage was a genuinely unique experience that provided a sense of purpose and community for us. It was hard to leave the happy faces and new friendships of Casa Asis. Waving goodbye to Mary, Siri and los ninos we pilled in the car and drove to Costa Rica.

Crossing into Costa Rica we waited patiently until all the papers were in order and were soon on our way towards the Nicoya Peninsula. Just about to leave the border we ran back into Abe and Ashley from Oregon hitchhiking. They had stayed on the island for a couple days longer and now we were all re-acquainted to start our adventures through Costa Rica. Rufles, Ashley, Vic, Abe and I all squeezed into the already gear packed Blazer and zoomed south. The good vibes of Nicaragua, its people, food, new friendships, beautiful landscape, stunning structures and rich culture floated through the air on our journey towards the lesser traveled beaches of northern Costa Rica. Pura Vida man!!!!

El Salvador

A peaceful entry into El Salvador had us cruising along the coastal roads in no time. The dry deforested landscape melted into the bright blue waters of the pacific as locals waved and whistled our way. Playa Sunzal beckoned us to stay with its laid back beach vibe and the only dangers being falling mangos and runaway sugar cane trucks. We met the energetic owner of “El Hostel” and struck up a deal to work off our lodging. A seasonal firefighter from California who loved to work hard, surf and brew beer. Cody was creating his dream and it was exciting helping him shape his visions for El Hostel. Dan and I passed the days with early morning surf sessions, with the best point break in the country a meer 200m down the vine littered path where the sun sparkled through the foliage creating a mystical entrance to the perfect waves that awaited. Afternoons were spent painting, digging, building shelves, lying in hammocks and enjoying Latin tunes. Los noches came with slack lining, beach bouldering, sunset surf, and family dinners. We were reunited with Abe & Vic after a week in Sunzal and the buena onda del lugar had us staying for a few more days enjoying the beach. Day treks to waterfalls, plaza relaxation, highline antics, and grander dinners all came with the traveling group growing, while laughter echoed through the hallway and competitive foosball games brought cheers! Leaving Playa Sunzal we knew we would be back to see Cody’s dream hostel finito and explore the hidden caves along the coast where the enojado ocean had denied our entrance.

Leaving the beach we traveled up north to the quaint mountain village of Suchitoto. We spent the next couple of days eating fresh bread, enjoying the peaceful lake views offered by our hospedaje, exploring the quiet colonial streets as locals greeted us with kind smiles and open arms. The pace of life seemed to be frozen in a state of tranquilidad with the revolutionary history of the area having a nubloso effect on the townsfolk, and hope for a peaceful future provided smiles that helped clear the countries darker past. The state of delirium was broken when we left for San Salvador and said our good byes to Dan and our new El Salvador traveling amigo, Chris from Montana. They were heading north back to Guatemala while we drove south to re-coger Abe and head towards Nicaragua via Honduras.

The most feared, corrupt and loco border crossing awaited us at El Amatillo. Leaving the El Salvador section wasn’t too bad but the amazingly coordinated Mafioso-like entrance into El Honduras proved to be muy caro. Cabrones!!! After much hassle, fast talking, running around in circles, and finally giving in to the realization that everyone was “in on it” we paid the fees and crossed into Honduras. The southern tip of Honduras allowed us to see very little of the country in under 2 hours before crossing into Nicaragua. During that time through Honduras we reflected back on the amazing time we spent exploring El Salvador with its friendly villagers, greasy pupusas, epic surf, family dinners, afternoon hammock meditations, sense of purpose and overall good times. With little knowledge about the country and its pasaje we entered Nicaragua open-minded and in need of a good rest after driving from central El Salvador.

Guatemala

Crossing into Guatemala proved to be less hectic than expected as we were soon on our way toward Coban. The pavement turned to dirt as late night construction had us breaking the cardinal rule; NO driving at night! Entering Coban, we chowed on some tasty street food and walked around. Our first morning in Guatemala brought delicious pastries and a little bit of backtracking to the highland village of Lanquin. Set among the layered mountains of north eastern Guatemala, Lanquin sat amidst the turquoise waters of the mighty Rio Cahabon. A friendly and unique hostel with an energetic international vibe provided a picturesque eco-lodge atmosphere for the next few days. One could camp by the river, wake up to an amazing desayuno and slide the kayak into the cool waters for some exciting Class III-V rapids ranging from 1hr to multi-day runs. Nights were full of traveler talk, games, good food and wild stories. We had fallen into the “gringo” trail which encompasses southern Mexico, and Guatemala. Everyone was going our way or coming from that way, recommendations por todos lados. El Retiro came out of the travel channel which made it that much harder to leave the thatched roofs, Mayan art, swinging hammocks, veggie conscious menu, colorful gardens and captivating crowds.

Leaving the green mountains we lost elevation as the colonial capital of Antigua had us gazing up at the mighty volcanoes that surrounded the beautiful city. Entering Antigua we listened to the instructions of our new traveling amigo Kurt. He had us safe and sound in a cozy Posada in no time. His friendly demeanor, engaging conversations, interesting history and hippied out, eco-conscious vibe made the long ride seem short and restless walks more enjoyable. Meandering around Antigua we were struck by the similarities between the other colonial towns we visited, yet Antigua seemed to have lost some of its magic with the amount of tourist traffic that bustled around the cobblestone streets. Waking up to the smoking volcanoes and esperanza for some good coffee, only brought theft and broken spirits. The “oh so peaceful” atmosphere of Antigua turned out to be a cloud covered hot bed for car robberies and we became yet another victim of the street. The theft led to some changes in plans and soon we were running around town trying to find the culprits. With no leads and many unhelpful shrugs we packed up our remaining gear and escaped to the quite Lake Atitlan.

The colorful, free spirited, peace loving village of San Pedro comforted us from our mishap in Antigua. We rested by the tranquil lake nestled among green volcanoes, ate amazing food, met up with traveling friends, hiked up sacred Mayan routes, and established some new plans. Leaving San Pedro we cruised up north to Xela where cool mountain breezes had us bundled up at night ready to climb in the surrounding hillsides. La Chicua and La Muela provided a dramatic climbing landscape among old lava flows, where clouds covered the valley below and religious chanting echoed through the hills, giving one an eerie spiritual feeling. It felt good to be out camping again and with a new traveling buddy named Dan, who hailed from Canada and studied at Columbia, whose scholastic roots and laidback vibe seemed to mesh well with our dynamic. After climbing and enjoying the cool volcanic atmosphere, the group spilt up as Vic and Abe went back to Lake Atitlan to study Spanish for a week and Dan and I rolled south.

Another night in Antigua had us camping in the police compound and exploring some possible robbery leads. With no new information about our stolen gear we headed towards El Volcan Pacaya where a horse ride up to the magnificent peak and jumping around an active lava flow had us gazing into the sunset towards El Salvador as the lava blazed among the dark volcanic rock. A day of climbing around Lake Amititlan where crack lines and an overhead gondola for spectators had us good and tuckered out before leaving for El Salvador the next day. While zooming through the mountain roads, towards the border, images were evoked of active volcanoes, raging rapids, eerie climbing, tasty street food, friendly travelers, tranquil lakes, peaceful towns and breathtaking landscapes. Guatemala is a country so rich in its diversity of terrain and colorful culture, an amazing pais with countless possibilities for exploration.

The little known El Salvador loomed on the horizon. Would it be the El Salvador that people warned us not to enter with highway robberies, kidnappings, bribery, and not so scenic landscape? Or, would it be endless black sand beaches, generous locals, untainted villages, great surf; a recuperating gem? Let’s hope for the latter. Vamos a El Salvador!