Guatemala- Antigua

Yesterday we woke up at 3am to get to the bus by 3:30 for our 4am bus out of Managua heading toward Guatemala. It ended up not being too bad, 16 hour ride, we went from Managua to Honduras to El Salvador, and ended up in Guatemala City. The bus was very nice, had a/c, tvs and lots of room. They fed us lunch and dinner which was luxury compared to our South American bus rides.

There was one odd thing about crossing the border here, they made us all get off and claim our luggage(normal). When the guard came over to your luggage you would have to take everything out and show him your belongings which all of the natives had to do. When he got to Adrienne and I, he asked us if we were American and when we said we were, he said we were fine and didn't need to show him our stuff... ummm weird right?

We arrived in Guatemala City around 9pm so then we took a taxi from there to Antigua which was about an hour away. We found a place to stay then went out to a great dinner at this very Middle Eastern type restaurant with beautiful décor, live music and delicious Greek salads. This town looks so beautiful I can't wait till tomorrow to explore!

Time to say goodbye

Today I woke up early to go for a run, keeping in mind I'm running the NYC half marathon in about a week. I ran on the beach, did some stretching and went for my last swim in Playa Maderas. Then we packed up and checked out, which we are very upset to be leaving. This place was so relaxing I definitely would want to come back here!

After checking out we took a shuttle to San Juan Del Sur, took a taxi to Rivas and from Rivas took the chicken bus to Managua all getting us closer to our destination of Guatemala. The chicken bus which is an old American school bus that they pack full with locals, some sit, some stand, sometimes there's chickens on it, sometimes the windows don't go down, ya know that kind of bus. We were on here for about 2 hours which ended up being not too bad except for the locals who jump on mid ride and try to sell you food and drinks while stepping on your feet when passing by.

When we got to Managua they dropped us off in the middle of a local market where we looked a bit out of place with our large packs so we quickly got a taxi to the bus station to book our ticket for tomorrow to Guatemala. We have read that Managua is not the safest of cities so we really have to be aware of our surroundings and protect our items. We booked our bus tickets for tomorrow morning at 3:30 am, the only time tomorrow, making a connection in El Salvador then heading to Guatemala, which should be about a 16 hour bus ride.

We went to a nearby mall earlier for lunch, (I know, I know a mall, but it was the only somewhat close/safe thing around) and before we left the owner of our place stopped us and would not let us leave with our purses on because we looked like tourists therefore making ourselves targets for theft, very nice man. Now we are hanging out in our room and going to get dinner later.

Walkin on Sunshine

(Written Tuesday Night)

Last night we went to dinner and hung out with a cool couple we met from Boston, after that we laid on the beach and watched the beautiful night sky full of stars, it was breathtaking. Then we headed to bed to get a good nights sleep for a busy day today. Today we woke up, headed down to the beach to catch the shuttle into San Juan Del Sur. Not a bad 25 minute ride in the a/c since we haven't been in cool air the whole time since we've been here (I'm not complaining... just stating). I am loving this hot beautiful weather, don't get me wrong.

When we got to SJDS, we went to breakfast again at the market for about $4US and got huevos rancheros, which ended up being a pretty big meal of eggs, salsa, rice and beans and bread. Then we walked around trying to figure out how we are getting from Nicaragua to Guatemala, talking to different travel guides and locals. We think we've come to the conclusion that we have to take a bus from SJDS to Rivas or Managua and figure it out from there.

In the meantime we went to an internet cafe to catch up on our emails, blogs etc, and we ran into some locals we have met while here. It's so nice cause they always stop to say hi and catch up. Everyone is so genuinely friendly here it's really cool to be around them. Its kinda funny cause when we ask them if they've ever been to the States if they have or haven't the one place they usually want to go is New York City, so we may have some Nica's couch surfing sometime in the future.

After that we did some shopping, bought some of the well known Nicaraguan rum, Flor de Cana. then headed back to Playa Maderas and walked to a nearby beach where the sunset is supposed to be and was just outstanding. We took lots of pics, I got in the ocean, then we headed back to get ready for dinner. We went to dinner down the road and got a delicious Nica dinner. For an appetizer we got tostones con queso, which is basically fried cheese on top of fried plantains and for dinner we got a platter of fish. A full large fish(similar to red snapper), (eyes, head, tail and all) rice, salad (which is like coleslaw without mayo) plantains and a beer... soooo good, all for about $7 US. Now we are hanging out in our hammocks catching up on our journals etc.

Paradise

(Written Monday night)

Today we woke up, went to breakfast and headed to the surf beach. It was awesome when we got there, cause we got there early enough when no one was really there... the only problem was the waves weren't either. So we chilled out for a bit on the beach, I went swimming and body surfing and when the waves started picking up I rented a surfboard and tried out the waves of Nicaragua. I wouldn’t call me a pro yet... these waves sure are no Ocean city, Maryland waves that's for sure, but it was super fun and a great experience.

After a long beach day we headed to lunch, chilled out in the hammocks and are now getting ready to grab some dinner, hang out on the beach by the bonfire, drink or do whatever.

Playa Maderas

(Sorry I haven't posted lately... we headed out to an area with no internet, phone service etc. No means of communication, and I must admit I kinda like it. Its a bit cool not having to/ wanting to get online and check my email or facebook.)

This was written Sunday Night:
Last night we ended up going out to a couple of local bars/clubs. Today we got up and went to the market for a cheap and local breakfast. Then we checked out and got a shuttle to Playa Maderas, about 25 back road, bumpy minutes from SJDS, where most of the the good waves and surfing takes place. We got a cute little private villa on the beach just steps from the bar/restaurant. I went swimming, wrote in my journal and took a nap on the beach, its truly a paradise here.

After laying on the beach for a few hours, we went back to our room, laid around in some hammocks for a while, met some really awesome people and then decided to get ready for dinner. As we were walking to a place to look at a menu we ran into this guy we met earlier at his camp ground. He's from Canada where he is a chef 6 months out of the year and camps out in Nicaragua the other 6 months. He cooked us dinner at his tiki-like kitchen and after we made “smores” for dessert, Adrienne and I toasted the marshmellows... and he made the beautiful, luxurious looking sweet treat, like I've never seen a smore before, delicious

Then we headed back to our place, chatted with more people while looking up at the beautiful, clear sky full of stars, like nothing I had ever seen before. I could get used to this...

San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua

This morning we woke up, and went to breakfast at Kathy's Waffle house where I got a delicious omelet with homefries and homemade toast. We then headed out on the shuttle at 11am to San Juan Del Sur (SJDS). It took about an hour and 45 minutes to get here and it is such a cool, chill beach town. The beach is beautiful, we walked around town for a while then went to the Iguana bar with some of our fellow hostel mates where we drank beers, hung out with some of the local kids and swam in the ocean during the sunset.

One of the guys we met is opening a hostel up the street and is having a party there tonight so we may stop by, but we will see where the night takes us.

San Juan Del Sur temperature high= 95 degrees

Granada, Nicaragua

Finally! Out of the cold weather of NYC and in the beautiful 90 degree weather of sunny Managua, Nicaragua.

Ok, to make a long story short we almost had a minor heart attack when our airline called us yesterday and said our flight was going to be delayed by 2 days because of a maintenance issue on the plane. Anyway, we worked it out and arrived at the Managua airport this afternoon and made it to our hostel(with a pool) with no problems.

We went out to lunch for about $7US each or about 110 Cordoba which is Nicaraguan money. I got an amazing dish of chicken fajitas, peppers and onions, rice, plantains, a salad and a liter of Victoria beer... very yummy!

Then we walked around the town for a bit, walked down to the water and headed back to do some research on our next move to San Juan Del Sur. We booked a shuttle to SJDS, which is supposed to be a beautiful, fun beach town tomorrow morning about 2 hours away. Then we went to dinner where we got amazing, huge burritos and had lots of entertainment from the local mariachi bands, fire twirlers and other performers.