Nicaragua

By Alyssa and Brittany

If I had to pick one word to describe my experience in Nicaragua it would be: ADVENTURE.
Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America, and my international travel experience to westernized, modern countries in Europe and South Africa lent no help. When we landed in Managua we were instantly harassed by cab drivers in the blazing hot, muggy weather. My first thought was “Oh my gosh what am I doing here???”  Needless to say, as young, petite, non-Spanish speaking girls, we had targets on our backs that said “take advantage of my naivety!”

LEON
Luckily, when we got to Leon I was pleasantly surprised when we pulled up to the bed and breakfast-esque Hostal Mariposa, which was more like a tropical oasis. We ended up heading into town later than I wanted, which meant by the time we got a bite to eat and set up our volcano boarding reservations for the next day, it was dark out. First lesson learned: NEVER get stuck somewhere after sundown if you don’t know where you are or where you’re going.This was a big mistake that led to a series of hectic events and eventually a cab driver taking us down a dark deserted street where we were forced to hop out of the moving car. Luckily, the worst that happened to us was being panic stricken and already hating Nicaragua after only being there a few hours, but we never made that mistake again.

The main reason we went to Leon was to go boarding down Volcan Cerro Negro. Tierra Tour picked us up from our hostel, supplied everything, and gave us fresh fruit and water afterward. Volcan Cerro Negro is the youngest and most active volcano in Central America. We got giant wooden sleds and Ghostbuster-esque jumpsuits and slid down the 2,400 foot volcano. It was HOT, dry, steep uphill on loose gravel, hot, plus we were carrying heavy sleds. Oh ya, did I mention it was hot?  Half way up you take a little pit stop in the crater to see (and smell!) the sulfur rocks. There was a nice panoramic view at the very top, and I wasn’t prepared for just how steep that volcano was. Boarding down the volcano at 50mph is quite the experience-- at some points you’re boarding down at a 40 degree incline!

GRANADA

Typical Chicken Bus

We took chicken buses into Granada and it’s actually kind of fun! They take retired school buses and pack people in them to get from one city to the next. People are constantly hopping on and off the bus to sell homemade foods and drinks in baggies. It’s cheap, dirty and uncomfortable, but totally essential for the Nicaragua experience.

Abuela making Gallo Pinto

Instantly I felt more connected to the energy in Granada and enjoyed my time there more than Leon. They have a huge market set up in the town square with anything from jewelry, to local Nicaraguan wine and clothes. The curio stands gave me a chance to see the local handicrafts and get a better sense for the Nicaraguan style. We also tried our first authentic Nicaraguan meal of Gallo Pinto in Granada. Gallo pinto....need I say more? We kept eyeing this card table in the town center with this old woman who we nicknamed “Abuela” making meat, rice, beans, and cabbage, served in a giant plantain leaf. All for $1.50. This is what I live for. When I spotted her I could hardly contain myself. She was old and toothless, handling money and then the food, but her food was fresh, local and authentic...it was perfection.

We went kayaking on Lago Nicaragua and zip lining through a plantain forest when we stayed in Granada and booked it through Leo’s Tours. They were able to work a deal for us and they were very professional. We rode bikes to Lake Nicaragua and kayaked on the lake for a few hours, stopping at Monkey Island and an island bar for some Tonas before heading back. We did notice that unlike in the States, you don't sign any safety consents in Nicaragua!

SAN JUAN DEL SUR

San Juan Del Sur was our last stop in Nica and I think my favorite place. It’s a total laid back beach town with tons of young people and a lot more travelers than Leon or Granada. Beautiful views, travelers selling handmade jewelry, and beachside restaurants. Some things to do:  

Playa Madera

-Take the rickety ride in the back of a truck to Playa Madera and spend the day surfing (board rentals are super cheap) and laying out at the beach.

-Hike to the Jesus Statue on the hill. The locals told us not to bring any valuables with us up there because there are sections of the trail that are not very public and you could easily get robbed or mugged.

-Do sunset yoga. If you ask around, they usually have donation based yoga classes. It was magical to do yoga in a hut, breathing in the fresh beach air, and watching the sunset our last night.

-They also have a great mercado in SJDS with dirt cheap and tasty food. They had the BEST breakfast (french toast sticks, gallo pinto, fresh avocado and fruit, and homemade tortillas) for less than $2. We were eating on tables with baby cockroaches running around but I was weirdly at ease with it...it just seemed to be part of the whole experience.
-SJDS is a total party town and we took advantage of Ladies Night at Henry's Iguana Beach Bar right on the water. We made friends with the bar tenders and spent a couple of nights there people watching and sipping on free Nicaraguan rum. (And I may or may not have gotten a dreadlock from a local).

Alyssa getting dreads

A2B POINTERS
-Don’t go anywhere desolate or stay out late. We talked to several people that had been robbed or mugged. One woman's arm was broken by 5 men who attacked her. They all admitted it was something dumb they had done (ie out late at night, leaving the crowds, etc).We didn’t go out late at night or wander off by ourselves, we were on constant alert and aware of our surroundings, we didn’t flaunt any jewelry or expensive cameras, but we still felt like we got ourselves into a few dangerous situations.
-One mistake I made in Granada and never did again was wear shorts out in public. Everyone says not to do it if you’re a female but it was so hot that I said screw it. The amount of cat calls and slimy looks I got was worth bundling in a snow suit in that weather.

-Don’t be afraid to haggle. Most people are willing to work a deal for you at the market, hostels, taxis and adventure companies. We made sure we agreed on a price beforehand with the cab drivers and that we only got into cabs with specific license plates.

Overall Nicaragua was an amazing experience and I highly recommend going before this hidden gem keeps gaining more and more popularity and prices go up!