Time warp - fast forward 7 days! Granada (Nicaragua) to Monteverde (Costa Rica)

I can t believe my last entry was in Leon. This blog is long overdue an update. So after Leon we travelled down to Granada, a charming colonial city with yet another volcano to climb (this time we had to wear gas masks because of the sulfure!), we topped that with a visit to Lago Nicaragua and finished the day with a visit to Coyotepe prison, a gory Nicaraguan prison where the government would send anyone that disagreed with them (ie Sandinista rebels!). It was a packed day, made even harder by the fact that most of us were hangovered having played far too many drinking games in an american-owned dive which boasted a speaking mose. I did meet a cute american from Austin TX..Go Longhorns!!!

After Granada we moved on to Ometepe, the biggest fresh water island ever (supposedly). This place was remote with no internet access or laundry facilities. Thank God for the hammocs! We chilled, drank a little Flor de Cana, went horseback riding (yes I did get bruises in awkward places!) and enjoyed the fact that we had nothing to do for a few days.

We then entered Costa Rica. Bear in mind that this was done over a few days. For a few Facts Non Facts, Costa Ricains are called Ticos, their favourite expression is "Pura Vida!" and they are bloody cute (well especially our Adventurous guides!). The border crossing was hectic and I did wonder how on earth I would do it alone! We were hassled by a lot of touts, we endured long queues for basic administration (our stamp) and bag searches ... but we got through it ok (although I did see a cab driver with a revolver in his trousers!). So much for first impressions.

Costa Rica is probably the richest of the countries I ve been to so far - the biggest indicator being that the houses actually have lawns. We saw many americans travelling (think OAPs with an inclination for a bit of adrenaline) which has resulted in the country being very easy to travel and the people tourist friendly.

Our first stop was Monteverde, a small town nested high up in the rainforest. Supposedly they have consciously decided to leave all the roads up the mountain unpaved so as to limit the tourist flow and protect the ecosystem. How incredibly illogical. The result being a painful one hour ride on unpaved mountain roads. Once we got there, we braced ourselves for two days of cold rain (you know the one, a bit like in England, where you feel wet to the bone and can never get dry). But the flip side of the horrible weather is that the cloudforest was spectacular. Visibility was low due to the fog but it gave our expedition a very eerie feel. We missed out on most the animals but had loads of fun walking on "sky bridges" through lush, wet rainforest. This however was surpassed by our decision to give the zip lines a go. Zip lines are cables that run through the cloudforest. You climb up some massive tower (we started off at 40m) and zip down cables through fog and vegetation, attached by a harnest. I really felt like Taaaarzan ....or was it Cheetah?

Heaps of fun yet again. Shame John had to leave our group.

Leon, Nicaragua - " Volcano Boarding"

Arrived in Leon, Nicaragua after a very long bus journey from Utila. The journey was strenious to say the least. It involved a ferry, a few taxis and a bus across the border. The border crossing was quite eventful with money touts brandishing wads of cash and trying to jump on the bus to change our money.

We drove through the countryside once again, but this time I saw a lot more poverty. The roads were pot holes ridden and there were (too) many barefoot children running after our bus begging (I assume) for money. I definitely felt that the country had suffered a lot in its history and that it was still not out of the woods.

Leon is (i think) the second largest city in Nicaragua. It has a cool colonial feel to it, a bit like Antigua (Guatemala) but less touristy and with rougher edges. I also felt like the people were more aggressive, men staring and whistling frequently. But i guess that's part of the culture here.

Leon is surrounded by volcanoes and what better way to explore the region than by going Volcano Boarding on an active volcano called "Cerro Negro". We hiked up along the crater (yes it was exhausting), carrying our 'board' (it was like a luge) and bright orange suits complete with plastic goggles and gloves. We thought we looked so cool, but I think that the reality of it was that we looked like funky Bob the Builder wannabes on a volcano. Our aussie guide went through the safety procedures (very little!) and as he talked about the volcano and how to brake without breaking your neck, I thought to myself ..."why?". The end result was an exhilirating rush of adrenaline as we zoomed down a 400m black sand slope at a 40 degree angle. It was an amazing experience.

The next day we were off to Granada.

Apart from that, you will be happy to hear that my belly is fine, the chicken - rice and beans combination is not doing me any harm (as yet!).