Nicaragua and Costa Rica

Nicaragua: Guasaule, Managua, Granada, Ometepe, Penas Blancas, San Jose

02.04 Domingo

Guasaule Managua Granada Ometepe

T: Bus Guasaule Managua  50 NIO
S: Managua
T: Bus Managua Granada 35 NIO
S: Granada
T: Granada Rivas 30 NIO
T: Rivas San Jorge $3
T: San Jorge Moyogalpa ship 50 NIO
H: Life is good $10

03.04  Lunes Ometepe
T: Bus Moyogalpa El Chimo 35 NIO
T: El Chimo Dalgue 15 NIO
S: Volcan Maderas $3
T: Bus Santa Cruz El Chimo 13 NIO
T: Pickup to San Jose 20 NIO
T: Scooter to Moyogalpa 50 NIO
H: Life is good

04.04 Martes

Ometepe San Jose

T: Barco Moyogalpa San Jorge 50 NIO
T: San Jorge Rivas 7 NIO
T: Bus Rivas Peñas Blancas 35 NIO

F: Costa Rica $2
T: Peñas Blancas San Jose 4410 CRC 5h
H: Casa Joses $10

05.04 Miercoles

San Jose David

S: San Jose
T: San Jose Paso Canoas 10:15 16:30 Tracopa bus $13
F: Costa Rica impuesta de salida $8
T: Buseta Paso Canoas David $3

T: David Panama City 22:45  $18.5

100 NIO = 3 EUR
1000 CRC = 1.7 EUR

The schedule in Nicaragua was quite busy. I got off in Managua near the Augusto Cesar Sandino monument towering over a lake.  Sandino waged a guerilla warfare against the US marines for nearly 6 years, until the US finally retreated in 1933 and became a hero for Latin America. The Somosa dictatorship followed, overthrown by the sandinistas FLSN in 1979. Much of Managua was destroyed by several earthquakes so there is nothing left of the Spanish city.

Monument to Augusto Sandino

Managua Cathedral

Withdrew some cash at a gas station and on to Granada, which lies about 50 km east on the shores of lake Nicaragua. Granada is a very well preserved example of what is called "colonial" architecture with a superb cathedral and one storey buildings in lively colors.

Granada Cathedral

 I spent about 2 hours in Granada and wish I could have stayed more but had a ship to take so hurried on to another bus to take me to Rivas. From Rivas I shared a taxi with a badly sunburnt English girl to the San Jorge port and from there a ship to Moyogalpa, which is the port of the island of Ometepe.
The island of Ometepe in lake Nicaragua is popular among tourists for its beaches and the two dormant volcanoes Concepcion and Maderas. The ship took 1 hour, enough to feel at sea and put a life belt.

The ship to Moyogalpa with Concepcion volcano

I finally gained my hostel and really felt "Life is good".

But the day was not over, as there was a local holiday, with dancing, singing, eating, drinking (my respect to Nicaragua where a beer bottle is 1 liter) and even a rodeo. So besides the Ometepe photo album also check the video clip. As it was low season and the hostel a bit out of town, I was the only guest. The hosts - Margarito and a girl from Slovakia advised me to climb Maderas rather than Concepcion. Given the dog wound (only 24 hours before but seemed such a long time already) I agreed. Here is the map of Ometepe to help understand next day adventures.

From Moyogalpa on the west there is a bus round Concepcion volcano going to Alta Gracia, a port on the west, where ships from Granada used to stop. There is a junction on the way where one can take the bus going to Balgues, to the north of Maderas volcano. I missed an early morning direct bus to Balgues and had to change buses, but still climbed Maderas to a wonderful viewpoint, overlooking the Playa Santo Domingo.

View from Maderas volcano, Ometepe

In the forest there was an animal roaring and I wondered if it is not a jaguar preparing to jump me, but the Maderas parque guards told me it is just some monkeys. Once down, I went to the Playa Santo Domingo to take a swim and took a wonderful shot at Concepcion's cloud cap.

Volcan Concepcion

I had inquired explicitly about the last bus, but it turned out it is not going to Moyogalpa, but to Alta Gracia. So there I was again at El Chimo junction with no buses till morning. Fortunately a truck came which already had some hitch hikers and took me to San Jose, the last stretch to Moyogalpa  I had to make on a scooter that came by in the night. I gained my hostel, washed and  had enough  energy left to go back to Moyogalpa and have a well deserved dinner. Next morning Margarito took me on his scooter to the port and I sailed back to San Jorge. This time I wasted no time for fear I could spend another night at a border. The bus from Rivas took me to Penas Blancas, I paid $2 Nicaraguan border fees and stepped into Costa Rica.

San Jose, Costa Rica

At the border it was still noon. The ticket to the capital with Transportes Deldu was 4410 CRC which looked like a tremendous amount but was actually less than 8 EUR. After 5 hours we gained the bus  terminal and I walked to the center. I tried to catch a city bus to my hostel but the driver could not read my map, nodded affirmatively and darted in a different direction. So finally I walked there and it took less than half an hour. Over and over I find myself walking several kilometers on this trip. This is nothing much, I did the Camino de Santiago in Spain twice, where the daily ration is 25-30 km.
The Casa Joses has a nicely decorated interior and a nice bar, which was conveniently taking cards. But there was a problem with the internet. There was breakfast included and one could make his own tortilla. I failed, pitifully, and ended up with some gruel, which I nevertheless ate. Next morning on the way to the center I passed the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus church, modern and beautiful.

In front of the Cathedral in the City Center there is a monument to Pope John Paul II

Levantaos! Vamos! No tengais miedo!
Cristo esta con vosotros!

So I gained the bus terminal and on to Panama. Another border fee, by now  I was getting used to these. Fortunately no visas for the whole trip except for Bolivia, and even this was free. I made the Paso Canoas at 5 PM, took a shuttle to David and then a night bus to Panama City. All this hurried itinerary because the flight to Armenia, Colombia was on Friday and I arrived to Panama City on Thursday morning.