Nicaragua!

Border run to Nicaragua!

We took a bus at about 3 AM Wednesday morning- the first one from San Jose. Unfortunately it was also the kind of bus without the padded seats, but I still managed to sleep most of the way to the border (though I had all kinds of bumps on my head when I woke up from the window!) After getting through the border miraculously, as you may have to ask 10 Nicas before you figure out what line you should be in and in what order, we took a crowded "chicken bus" to Granada, standing amongst many Nicaraguans for most of the ride. Granada was a beautiful city- the Spanish influence on the architecture is immediately evident, and we explored much of the city for an afternoon. Photos of Granada are further down.

These photos are of me water skiing on Lake Nicaragua. It is a very large like, almost comparable to one of the great lakes in the US. The Island that we travelled to, called "La Isla de Ometepe" or the Island of Two Volcanoes, is located in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. On our last day on the Island, after having hiked and biked for three days straight and when my body felt like it couldn't take anymore, the owner of the Hacienda Merida, (Haciendamerida.com) asked if anyone wanted to water ski behind his boat. He had just gotten brand new skis, and wanted to take some photos of someone water skiing for the hostel's brochures. So oh course I couldn't resist :) The owner, Alvaro, said that noone had ever skiied on Lake Nicaragua before- I don't know how much truth there is to this, but it would be pretty awesome to be able to say I was the first to waterski lake Nicaragua!

This is Playa Domingo, the beach we biked to on the Island. As it was the end of Semana Santa (Easdter week) everyone and their grandmother was at the beach- or should I say everyone and their livestock?

At a particularly steep part of the climb, a rope was tied between trees to give you something to hold on to

me and matt with the bikes







This is a random couple that happened to make it into my sunset collection

This is Volcan Maderas, the Volcano we hiked (8 hours, very strenuous!)

The Norwegeian couple that hiked with us descending the steep jungle trail

View from the Volcano Maderas of the other volcano on the Island, which is active, Volcan Concepcion

The laguna at the base of Volcan Maderas- when we got to the top we couldn't see it through the clouds, but as we ate our lunch it cleared completely!

We made it! Me, Maria, Matt

Lunch on the summit! (la cima for those spanish speakers)

A friendly Island dog who accompanied us for some of our hike with our guide, Bradon

Only the beginning (of the hike)

Sunset, view of Volcan Concepsion (I watched the sunset every night from the dog in front of our Hacienda)

View of dock

View of one building at our hostel

Cows on the roadside

Horses and cattle in road

Day one on the la isla, hike 1 to waterfall (4 hours)

View of Cascada (waterfall)

siesta

This is Granada

Well I made it across the border and back! I will spare everyone the gruesome details of my border crossing back into Costa Rica... but lets just say if it had been a few weeks later during the time of this whole "swine flu" scare I doubt that they would have let me back into the country. A note of caution- avoid ANY suspicious food when you know you have a day of travel ahead.

Coming soon- Jungle Theme TEFL party photos and family dinner at my lovely international house!

Running for the Border!

Well, my 90 day tourist Visa is almost expired, so I am off to Nicaragua for a few days. This is what we illegal workers here refer to as the "border run," and fortunately there are many like me who also must exit the country every 90 days, so I have others to travel with. Contrary to my father's poor perceptions of Nicaragua as nothing but a 3rd world country, I have heard many wonderful reviews of the country, some actually prefer Nicaragua to Costa Rica. Though the people, commonly referred to as "Nicas" are affected much more profoundly by poverty, the average Nicaraguan living off a mere $2/day, Nicaragua is much less affected by tourism, large scale resorts, and North American culture than is Costa Rica. We will first be travelling to La Isla de Ometepe, an island in the center of Lake Nicaragua that is home to two large volcanoes. After two nights on the island, we will head to San Juan del Sur to hit the beaches and the fiestas of Semana Santa (the holy week, when locals and tourists alike flock to the beaches- San Juan del Sur is a Semana Santa hot spot!)
I will be sure to take photos, though I have been warned against brining along my nice digital SLR because apparently in Nicaragua cameras are the "thing" to steal....so I will bring along my slight less functional canon. Muchas besas por todos!


Erica

Fun in San Pedro

This past weekend was the TEFL party for many of my new friends, so I just had to attend another one. The theme was the 80's, though teacher dressed in drag. On left, from L-R are Kaitlin, Jaci, Marcella, Heather, and teacher Natalie (all in the TEFL class that came after my own)

Me and Jaci after she beat me in the limbo contest (it wasnt fair, she was a gymnast)

Me and Heather

me and Jayme's Tico friend Alvaro (I dont know who the guy in the scarf is)

Tica train to a karaoke bar in San Pedro

Singing "total eclipse of the heart"- me, Natalie, Heather, Jaci

Superstition

Ridin' the tica train to the karaoke bar

4 ticos and a mexican (well, she's actually from California)







Kaitlin's last night- we'll miss you

Enrique and Jessica (Ticos)

Kaitlin's last night dinner party- L-R Jaci, Derrick, Natalie, Marcella, Katia, Kaitlin, Heather, me

Puerto Viejo and Calhuita

Whilst waiting for my visa to be processed (no idea how long this could go on!) I decided to head out to the Caribbean (how nice...only 4 hours to get to paradise!). I stayed in Puerto Viejo, a town that first attracted surfers for a good wave, known at "salsa brava" (meaning brave sauce). Now the little town has been somewhat touched by tourism, but is still much undiscovered in comparison to the resort-jammed pacific coast. I stayed at a hostel called "Rockin' Jays" which has everything from a hammock hotel and tents for rent, to a tree house. There are always tons of people around to chat with, and J's is located right on the beach.

The town of Puerto Viejo. My friend Kaitlin, now scarface. We were trying to bike back to the hostel on the beach, and Kaitlin broke a branch with her face. It was pretty bloody but at least it didn't get her eye!

Rockin' J's- decorated all over with colorful mosaic artwork and paintings.

We could bike everywhere! (Thats Derrick on my left, he's from Michigan.

Lunch on the beach - peanut butter and jelly with a little sand.

This was actually in San Pedro at the Jazz cafe- Marcella is on the left, another TEFL student in Kaitlins class.

Hammock pavillion, great place for a siesta!




Gorgeous beach.

Time to hydrate!

After my friends had left, I spent my last day in Calhuita with a couple guys I had met in the hostel.

Howler monkey in Calhuita Park.

Playa Blanco in the park, Calhuita.

Sloth.

From Rita's house to the new place

This is my new apartment and bedroom.... shared house with 3 other americans at the moment.

My old place at Dona Rita's, my Tica family.

The family dog... can't say I miss that thing barking out my window every day!



Family turtle- named Rita.

Me and Tica Mamma Rita.







Rita with Kaitlin and Lois, TEFL students living in the house.