Giving up Wifi for a stay in the Cloud Rainforest

As I stated in my status, I was wifi deprived for our stay in La Tigra, but not to worry, I will back track to Wednesday’s stressful adventures.

We left Nicaragua on Wednesday, and the travel from Esteli to Honduras is not an easy one on Easter week. I woke up early to gather information about this chicken bus we had to take. It seemed like an easy plan to take local transportation and if all failed we would be able to just take a taxi to the border for 50$ total and walk across to Honduras. So I thought…

We left for the bus at 9:00 am, for the 9:20 bus. At 9:30am, a bus pulled up fill to the brim with people. As Americans, we figured it was full, yet Nicaraguans were walking into the bus and we were left on the curb. We agreed to just suck it up and take a taxi. Of course, no one had any desire to wait another hour for the next bus, so we asked taxi after taxi. We had an offer for 80$ which we refused and then 100$ which we were trying to bargain down. Sam noticed another bus coming for Ocotal and we ran towards it, handing our backpacks which were strapped down to the top of the bus and we walked in. I thought we were safe.

Let me describe to you what a chicken bus in Nicaragua looks like. If you have ever seen an American school bus, you have seen a chicken bus. Now add some religious stickers, some paint, some crazy destination font, and about 200 people and bam, you got yourself a Nicaraguan chicken bus.

The ride to Ocotal was over 2 hours long. I stood, for two hours long. Brodia, Sam and Tori sat on top of each other with another woman next to them. After about 2 hours, the bus was much less crowded and I was able to leave a spot next to a puking child and move myself by Sam, Tori and Brodia. Just in time to have a panic attack. I crouched down in the aisle while Sam and Brodia hugged me and petted me. We arrived in Ocotal and I was drained. I couldn’t think about the next step. Luckily, everyone stepped up, got some food in me and even got a taxi. It was all orchestrated by this Nicaraguan 24 year old man who Brodia accidentally talked to and it all worked out. We took a taxi to the border (Las Manos), paid our 1$ exit tax, the 2$ immigration tax, walked over to the Honduran flag and paid our 4$ entrance fee, got our stamp and started looking for mini-shuttles or taxis. The only thing we could find was another chicken bus. I was still exhausted and could not see the end of this journey, but we exchanged some money from whoever had the biggest stack of Honduran money and got on the bus to El Paraiso. There we got a mini-shuttle (a little pricier) to Tegucigalpa, where we were supposed to have a rental at the airport. Can you guess what happened to the rental car? It was very obviously given away, so we were left stranded without a car.
I had it with the rental cars at this point, and so we headed towards a taxi driver. He quoted us 60$ to go up to La Tigra, to our cabin (El Rosario). We argued it down to 50$ and after the 1h30 drive up a steep hill in a mini-van, we agreed that he should be paid the original 60$. He argued with us and got 70$ out of us, but we were exhausted and ready for our home cooked dinner.

Our hosts cooked us this beautiful vegetarian dinner which we ate three servings of each. Then they had lemon grass tea waiting for us, and banana bread for dessert. We even got to enjoy the home made raspberry wine and taste the honey mead and the blackberry wine. Monika is a vet, so there is enough pets on the propriety to satisfy everyone, while Jorge is a horticulture engineer.

It was a fabulous way to end a very emotional day.

On Thursday, we woke up in the jungle to the sound of birds and the sight of the little town down the valley (San Juancito). We had planned that day to hike in and out of La Tigra national park. So after a healthy breakfast with homemade jelly and home cooked bread, we took a warm shower (rare in Central America and set off to the trail around the park. The altitude almost immediately took me down. With Sam’s expert instruction, I managed to get my body to accept the fact that we were above 5000 feet above sea level and to be okay with it. We hiked in the primary jungle and after a photo shoot at the waterfall and exploring some old mining caves, we got home around 4:30pm. Our host, Monika, cooked us what she called a quizza (A quiche/ pizza), and we devoured it while Jorge talked to us about the history of their property. It was heartwarming to see the passion he holds for his projects in his life. We finished the night with some mead and blackberry wine at the candle light. We tried to wake up for the sunrise, but it was so cloudy that we went right back to bed.

Friday was our departure day from El Rosario, and our arrival for our 18 hours stay in Tegulcipalga. Jorge brought us down to the capital all the while sharing with us stories of his travels to Hawaii. During our drive down the mountain, he also showed us the many different trees which inhabits Honduras. We had a little over an hour of driving, and once we got in the city, he remarked how the city resembled a ghost town. Good Friday is considered a national holiday in Central America and each country celebrate differently. Honduras is known for a procession down the main church in town and their "carpet" displays. Volunteer artists create beautiful religious scenes using colored sands and little rocks. The two most famous towns to have those displays are Tegulcipalga and Comayagua.

Originally, we wanted to go up to Comayagua to see the carpet display and then to the Lake Yojoa for some water activities. Without a car and with the holiday, we were stuck in Tegulcipalga, which in the end worked out best for us. We went to the town center to see the Easter carpets Tegulcipalga had to offer. The vibrant colors used to create the "carpet" display contrasted with the rundown buildings. The volunteers had been working on the biblical scenes all morning now, and we were able to see their finished work all the way down the main plaza, where we enjoyed some local "baleado"- tortilla, refried beans, chicken/eggs, sour cream and cheese. Sam, Tori and Brodia had some street corn topped with cheese, mayo, and salsa rojo. We walked back while enjoying the little side streets of the capital. We saw nothing but beautifully dressed children and locals admiring the artists at work. Once having our feel of culture, we got back to our hostel to enjoy some time with high-speed internet.

Tomorrow, we head to El Salvador for a quick 24 hours in the country and then I head back to the East Coast.

It wouldn't be Central America if sunburns weren't involved...

Canyoning Somoto Canyon was an absolute gem. In the last 48 hours, we have made nothing but the right decisions.

We had the choice to book out trip through one of the big companies such as Somoto Canyon Tours, but due to our general fatigue upon arrival at Esteli, we chose to go with our hostel. So we booked it at 6pm, for the next day at 8:30am.

We woke up on this tuesday morning incredible early (for most)- 7:00am. We decided to take our car to Somoto Canyon to gain an hour of sleep, rather than take the chicken bus down the winding roads through the mountains. We were suppose to meet our guide, Jancy, at a gas station. Well, between the late departure, the accident we witnessed on PanAmericana Highway (the highway that crosses all of North America), and the police stop to check for drugs and human trafficking, we didn't notice either the guide, or the gas station. We arrived at 9:30am for a 8:30am tour.

Luckily, Jancy was patient. She had seen us drive past her. It turns out, we love Jancy. She climbed in our car, took us to the bus station for some coffees and then to her family plot, where her and her cousins live. They made us this the heavenly breakfast made of gallo pinto, fresh eggs, tomatoes, cheese and tortillas. Brodia fell in love with the little puppy there. She would sneak little bits of eggs under the table to make sure he was well-fed for the day.
We had another cup of coffee, which turns out Nicaraguan love their coffee with a (non)healthy amount of sugar. Listen, coffee is coffee is coffee when you have to hike and swim for 6 hours.

We walked 1Km to the entrance of the park. On the way, Jancy showed us guava fruit and climbed the tree for us to taste it. We saw a herd of cattle lead by two cowboys- a big one and a little one. We are in the middle of Semana Santa, so all the children are on vacation, or out helping their parents with work as there is no TV, no video games for them to play.

Once at the entrance, we saw some plantations of coffee, bananas, mais/corn, and rice. Jancy only spoke Spanish but everyone started to be able to understand her, and communicate with her one way or the other. She told us about her studies as a tour guide, and how she does the 6 hour hike twice a week, and the smaller hike of 4 hours three times a day. She told us about the changes in the canyon throughout the dry season and the rainy season. She showed us the plants growing along side the cliffs, and the many "bebe" jumps we could do to get that adrenaline rush we wanted.

We hiked, climbed up 45 sets of stairs, and swam until our arms felt like falling off. We jumped 8 meters high cliffs (it is really not that high, don't be too impressed) and we slipped on many rocks. We got in caves, saw some bats, and walked among the cattle. The best part was at the end, when unexpectedly, we were greeted by Jancy's family and horses. I have yet to have a truly horseback riding experience, I greeted those horses with arms wide open. After trekking for 12.5 Km, I was done using my legs/ arms for anything.

The horses took us all the way back to Jancy' s house where we had left our car. We could not believe the authentic, local experience we just had for so cheap. We tipped everyone heavily. Sam told her children how great their mom is, and we hugged and left as the storm was setting in. On our drive back, Tori found us a falafel restaurant (restaurant Jerusalem Kebab grill) and once we dropped off the car at the rental place, we headed straight there. The owner greeted us and took our orders and also cooked for us. We were so happy to taste homemade hummus, pita bread and have a good falafel sandwich. This was the first time on the trip that Sam and Tori really finished their meal!

We took a taxi back to the hotel and started drinking the beers that we had brought back and talked until 1am about the catcalling, the general feeling of safety and our experiences abroad. We've witnessed a good amount of harassment aimed at us. Whatever it'd be general stares or whistling or cat calls, it has created a climate of uncertainty when we walk the streets of Nicaragua. We are in a different country where the dress code is very different and we have not fully respected this, but the feeling still resides. Maybe honduras will treat us a little better.

Today we are heading to Honduras, and my sunburns and I must make peace as we will be in a bus for 2 hours, to then cross the border for 1 hour and then hopefully catch a minibus for 4 hours. There is only hope that the more Aloe Vera I put on my shoulder, face and back, the quicker my body will heal.
Then again, the sun came back out today...

The road tripping start!

Our first full day in Nicaragua is most likely going to be our most and only cultural day in this country.

I woke up to the sunlight and to birds battling it out at 5am. It was everything that I dreamed and feared of. The noise resembled mice fighting in our room, and the sun was burning my baby white skin. The sun rose and little by little the day became hotter and hotter. It reached a whooping 96F yesterday BEFORE we even stepped into the colorful city.

The hostel offered us free breakfast and coffee, which got us ready for the day. We packed our bags, left a towel behind (accidentally) and left to explore Granada. The town is made out of building painted in all different colors, creating almosst a cartoon feel to the streets.

Our first stop was Granada Cathedral, where we stopped and admired the contrast of the orange-yellow wall with the blue sky. The building looked new, repainted with the lively color to mask its not-so-radiant past. The cathedral was built in the 1500's and burnt twice before the year 1600. Then in the time of pirates (William Walker, to be exact)- 1800's, it was raided and destroyed. Finally, the reconstruction was finished in 1915, which is why the building fits in the skyline so perfectly, unlike Notre Dame De Paris. Within the cathedral, you can go up the bell tower, but we decided to save this for a little older and unsightly church. Inside Granada Cathedral, they are painting the ceilings with biblical scenes, including some Michelangelo and a scene from Noah's ark, where Noah clearly saved a pug from the flood. We stepped back outside into the sun to quickly explore the city for the most picturesque street.

I had looked up a few monuments and places to be, but as four Travel for Teens girls would, we wandered in and out of the little streets until we reached the Lake Nicaragua. The sun was beaming and we were sweating, but we were at awe with everything.

From the colorful walls to the lively streets to the little square our hostel was on, we barely noticed how little water we were really drinking. On the way back to Granada Cathedral, we stopped at a little juice bar were we met a Californian family who had just arrived. We chatted it up, talking about their daughters (mother was very proud, dad was embarrassing them with the dad jokes), education and travel of course. We gave them Sam's business card and went back to Parque Central to head to Merced Iglesia which is another church, with a similar history as Granada Cathedral.

We climbed up the bell tower of the dilapidated church to appreciate Granada at a bird's view. The view was completely different as the roofs were identical clay tiles. As we climbed back down (after Sam rang the bell, clearly a forbidden act), we headed back to our hotel, ready to embark to our next town: Esteli.

Brodia and Sam drove for about 4 hours and a half. We passed trucks, chicken buses, pick up trucks with cows in them, pick up trucks with people in them, motorcycles with too many people on them and other slow cars. We made it past a fake construction site, which was really a ploy for beggars to demand money and a small 9 year old to flip us the bird.
We stopped at a trucker's stop and enjoyed our first Nicaraguan meal, which consisted of ... Rice, meat, plantains and beans! It wasn't the most admirable meal, but it filled us up (honestly, the point of Central American cuisine).
We arrived at our destination, and got into our hostel. It is nothing fancy, two private rooms in a what looks like use to be a residential house. Our first night was spent talk to the Mexican worker, Jon Christian, where Brodia got to relieve me of my Spanish speaking duties and he made us all michelada: a beer mixed with crushed chili peppers and lime juice. He walked us to his favorite comida tipica (Nicaraguan food) because he couldn't point it out on the map. And so for a whole 1$ each, we ate our "carne asado" (tacos) and "enchilidas" (empanadas). On the walk back, Sam stubbed her toe, adding out first injury to the trip. Jon Christian made us another round of michelada and we sat outside talking about our aspirations, texting our parents, friends and reminiscing on our connections with each other.

After going to bed, I couldn't help but realize how much we had done within our first 24 hours in Nicaragua. We drove across the country, we tried new foods, we explored two towns and we made a new friend.

It is only fair that today we go canyoning in the scenic Somoto Canyon in wild Nicaragua!

The typical travels of a girl who loves to eat

And I am off on another journey through Central America.
This spring break will offer a whirlwind of adventure through Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. But adventures always start the same way, with a passport, a boarding pass, and something wrong with the plane.

I flew out of Philadelphia to land in Miami, as I always do to get to Central America. This was not the eventful part.  American Airlines completely screwed the pooch on their bookings (as they always do) and had delays for the last three days which created a backup of 27 people trying to get on our plane to Miami. I wish I could say I felt bad for them, but my spring break is starting and I have not only a limited amount of time to get to my paradise, and I also don't trust American Airlines to actually have a seat for me later one. So I boarded my plane, as 25 pairs of eyes glared at me.

Tori and I landed in Miami. We were not that hungry, but we were thirsty for some beers. We stopped at my favorite bar called.... Irish bar. It is in the middle of D terminal so you can get to any gates relatively easy.
We were craving burgers, as one does on a daily basis, and found this restaurant online called " The counter custom burger". So, we wrapped up our check, drank our lagers and walk the whole ten feet to this burger heaven. We ordered more beers (without realizing that the normalcy is to have a 20oz pint instead of 16oz pint) and enjoyed our little dinner.

Then suddenly, I hear " jkshaduaksdh Vila". Well, that' s weird. Our flight doesn't end boarding for another ten minutes. I had already asked for the check, and then Tori gets a sudden phone call. "Yeah, we will be right there. Yeah, two minutes. Allison Vila is with me." Panic sets in, burgers settle in my belly. I ain't running for this one.

We make it, with three minutes to spare and a stern talking to by the flight attendant in charge. Whatever, we get on our plane and hear the announcement that our CO-PILOT has been spotting walking down the corridor to the gate. So we weren't the last one on our plane...

Once landed, I had a strong feeling that this travel day was going to continue with the regular "let's make sure Allison gets to practice her Spanish by giving her problem after problem". Big mistake universe. I have been wearing hiking boots on a plane for the last 9 hours, I am on fire.
The car rental agency had canceled our rental due to the delays in our flight. So, they had no cars for us. I stood there and smiled and said "que?" he tried to repeat slowly and I cut him off with a "Yo entiendo. Pero.... que? No coche? Nada? Y.... porque?"

See, it wouldn't have been a big deal because plenty of other car services would have rented me a car, but we were dropping off this bad boy in Estile, which meant only few agency would allowus  to have a car... and it is, of course, Semana Santa which only aggravates the problem.
Finally, I take my little device called an Iphone charged with an International Plan and find myself a car with budgetCar. I get the car at 9:30pm. We landed at 7:30pm. I had taken off my hiking boots at the counter.

Sam lands, Brodia arrives and the car keys arrive. We climb in the car (which is now a manual so 50% of the passengers can drive it and that's it) and feel on top of the world. Until our GPS takes us down the strangest roads and in circles around Managua. Sam's amazing navigation skills came in handy and she got us on the highway; where we realized that passing a car at nighttime meant flashing your beamers STRAIGHT at us. Just a friendly blinding "hello, I am here!"

It was a relief to find our hostel in Granada, to find our beds, to be able to put on shorts and to know that for the rest night nothing more could go wrong. We took a little stroll around the city, which seems beautiful and charming, and filled with colorful people who know three words in English "Sex, Cocaine, Fuck you".
Needless to say, I laughed at their bold attempt at catcalling and will see if the day population is a little more educated.

Having said that, it is 5am and I am ready for a quick nap and free banana pancakes at our hostel! I will keep you updated, and maybe even post pictures this time around :)

Buenos dias y hasta luego!