My father arrived safely last Sunday in San Carlos and we have been rolling ever since. A lot has been seen and done, so I will not waste anymore time and get right to the details.
San Carlos is a nice little town at the SE corner of Lake Nicaragua, where water begins the journey down Río San Juan on its way to the Caribbean. A junction town near the Costa Rican border that has locals coming and going in all directions and by all means of transportation. Just enough tourists that there are good hotels and restaurants, but not too many that we change the town identity. We saw the same few couples that arrived with my dad on the plane multiple times while we wandered the city, drank beer along the waterfront, and ate at a nice open-air restaurant.
Monday: We set our alarms for midmorning and made our way down to the port where boats leave for El Castillo. We had thought there would be a 10AM fast boat but learned the next departure was a 12 o'clock slow boat. We killed 3 hours by eating $1.80 plates of traditional Nicaraguan breakfast (Gallo pinto, eggs, cheese, tortillas) and people watching in the boat terminal. Just before Noon, everybody got up and filed out the door to the dock, we followed. A little concerned at first if we could all fit, but the boat was very long and skinny and we had room.
Line to get on the boat
The journey took about 2.5 hours, making multiple stops along the river at embankments where people would jump off and grab random items they had stashed in the bushes (machetes, rubber boots, or horses) before beginning their trek into the woods where we assumed they lived. We had a concrete dock in El Catillo and wandered the main path along the water to our hotel of choice, Hotel Tropical. It is a very good deal for $20/$25 per night, perched right over the wide rapids with a nice balcony and restaurant.
El Castillo is famous for the fort built on the hill in town. Pirates from the Caribbean made numerous attempts to head up river and get to the wealthy city of Granada, but the rapids along this bend made it very difficult and the Spanish built the fort to make it even harder. Captain Morgan was the only one who figured out how to get through and he successfully raided Granada multiple times. Nowadays the fort is still in decent shape and we enjoyed walking up and around and through it. The small museum is informative and views are impressive.
Tuesday: Up early for our free breakfast provided by the hotel (huevos rancheros) before embarking on a jungle tour we had booked the previous day. We rented the mandatory rubber boots, skeptical that we would need them, and then hopped into a boat for the 30 minute trip further down river to the Reserva Indio-Maíz, a large tract of untouched jungle. We parked where the Río Bartola flows into the Río San Juan, and signed the guestbook guarded by military men with large guns.
The hike started a bit slowly, stopping at every tree so the guide could say stuff we didn't understand. We saw small frogs, large ants, colorful birds, interesting plant life, and we heard (but didn't see) some howler monkeys. It turned out the boots were very necessary as the trail was 6 to 12-inch deep mud for much of the 2.4 kilometers. It was a good walk and just nice to be in the deep jungle, far from civilization.
Further up the Río Bartola
After the hike, we were boated further up the Río Bartola, through thick jungle to a swimming spot. We mostly just waded in the cold water while our guide fished. Then back in the boat for the return to El Catillo. A good full morning followed by relaxing on our balcony watching a thunderstorm, then lazily wandering town in search of food.
Wednesday: Up very early for free breakfast before jumping on the 7AM slow boat back up river to San Carlos. This trip took a little longer than the way down, the river was strewn with fallen branches and heavier flow due to overnight storms. We also experienced quite the scene at the Santa Fe bridge where workcrews and military personal were recovering pieces of a helicopter crash from the day before. They were also still searching for 2 of the passengers, which we learned about later by reading stories online. Apparently, some American businessmen and a former Nicaraguan presidential minister were in the chopper as it lost control and crashed into the river. An interesting and somber sight.
After 3hrs, we arrived in San Carlos and walked to the bus terminal where we didn't have to wait long for a ride up north to Juigalpa. My dad's first chicken bus ride did not disappoint. The bus made a ridiculous amount of jerky stops, it filled up way beyond the manufacturers recommended capacity, it made 1 long pitstop halfway through on the side of the road where passengers could urinate behind a locked outhouse, and the seats left our butts longing for a speedy arrival. The good news about this bus was the helpful attendant who showed us the best place to disembark for a short walk to the town center.
Juigalpa is a very normal town with a lovely confusing central park and surrounded by rocky hills. Despite not having any signs, we found Hotel Casa Country and spent the final hour of daylight looking at the central church and strolling through the cemetery. For dinner we ate at a diverse restaurant on Parque Palo Solo. I saw Huevos de Toro en salsa de Jalepeño (bull testicles in a Jalepeño sauce) on the menu and decided I had to try it. Luckily it wasn't kept in it's original shape and had the same texture as liver. The taste was fine but I don't think I will order it again.
Thursday: We quickly walked around a small arquelogical museum in the morning before eating another cheap Nica breakfast in a bus terminal marketplace. Then threw on our packs and made our way down to the highway to flag down a passing bus to Managua. This bus was a little nicer but the speaker directly over our heads blared music at a slightly painful volume. The music was in English and it is possible Julia and I sang along with the 4 Non Blondes tune "What's going on".
In Managua, we took a cab to a different bus terminal and were immediately greeted by a man asking where we were going. He walked us over to the back of a bus he said was going to Granada and then showed us where the restrooms were. He then ushered us onto the bus, we assumed he worked for the bus company until he asked for a tip. Our policy is to generally refuse these requests because we find them annoying and deceitful. I told him we didn't really need his help and in the back of my mind questioned whether this was even the right bus. After he left empty handed, I walked to the front and asked the driver if this bus was indeed going to Granada because the front said destinations further south. He said it did and even seemed to confirm that it would drop us off at the bus terminal. I was satisfied with his response and walked back to our seats.
After we started rolling and the helper came around collecting money, we learned that this bus was not going through town and that they would only drop us off at the crossroads, 11kms from Granada. Also, this bus costs almost twice as much as it should. Needless to say this upset us very much (also read embarrassed, we knew the Granada direct buses were on the other side of the terminal and don't know why we followed the guy). If my Spanish was better, I would have walked up front and had a conversation with the driver. But we had to just sulk for a few minutes before accepting our fate and try to enjoy showing my dad the complications that can arise while backpacking on a budget. The only positive that came out of this situation was the fact we got to take a fun cheap Tuk-Tuk (3-wheel cart taxi) ride into Granada and got dropped close to our hotel.
We know the city of Granada fairly well now, having shown Julia's parents and our friends Megan & Brock around town earlier this year. We stayed at the same hotel (Hotel Jericó) and partook in the same happy hour deals (2 mojitos for $1.80). We climbed up the tower of Iglesia La Merced and took cover during rainstorms that dampened the normally lively outdoor eateries.
Friday: In an effort to do something different in this town, and to try and cater to my dad's interests, we did a chocolate making class at the Choco Museo. The instructor was nice but a little too pushy trying to get women to "dance sexy" while they stirred the roasting beans. He had his rehearsed stupid jokes about Ricky Martin and needing blood from a participant for a drink. The group chanted and danced for him, but only in an effort to win free chocolate. Despite this, the whole process was interesting and the drinks he made were tasty. I won a free chocolate bar for my skill at grinding up cacao beans into a smooth paste (which I awkwardly had to walk back to the Museo to request and am not entirely sure if he was joking about the prizes). At the end of class, we chose ingredients and formed our own bars to take home, which was the most rewarding part. I really love chocolate.
That afternoon we did the customary boat tour of the Isletas (tiny islands) on Lake Nicaragua for $17. We saw the monkeys, the nice houses, and didn't get rained on. Back on land we snacked on Quesillos (sour cream & cheese filled tortillas) and Raspados (shaved ice with thick fruit juice). We did the cheap happy hour thing again that night and ate some good brick-oven pizza.
Saturday: Free breakfast was followed by a quick look around the shops in the central park. Then the walk to the terminal for a bus to the town of Masaya. Our timing was perfect as the bus was just about to leave, the not so perfect part was we had to stand in the back for the entire 40 minute ride. My dad handled it like a champ. In town, we were dropped off at the busy market terminal and the bus helper tried to get me to pay for him having put my heavy bag (recently weighed-in at 47lbs) on the roof. I declined as I have never been asked for this before, and we walked away in search of the town center.
We found our way around the town of Masaya and eventually to a grouping of hotels. The 4th one we inquired at had A/C and was the right price (Hotel Madera's Inn). We ate lunch in the central park and walked down to the waterfront for views across Lake Masaya out to Volcán Masaya. Those things were nice, but the major reason we came here is for their famous artisan market. Shopping is easy here, especially now that our backpack luggin' days have come to an end. Large portions of Chinese food were had for dinner.
My dad on the ride to Masaya
Tomorrow: No souvenir is too big or too heavy. We will be picked up in a car by Angela and Kaiden, and will return to Gran Pacifica. Although we have already acquired many things, we will still spend the morning wandering through stalls and negotiating prices. The next week will be spent golfing with my dad and trying to get in the Thanksgiving spirit. We hope everyone has a wonderful holiday week.
