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Hola amigos! I'm writing this from Playa Maderas in Nicaragua, having left Guatemala to head further towards my final destination of San Jose, Costa Rica. I'm trying to ignore the fact that I only have ten days left til my whistlestop tour of Central America is over, finito... :(
Five days ago I grabbed my bags and found a last-minute bus to Leon in Nicaragua from Antigua in Guatemala. Now I always knew this would be a long journey and carefully researched the "luxury" buses well in advance of my travels, so that I wouldn't have to take the dreaded chicken bus. Chicken buses are old yellow US school buses, painted all colours of the rainbow and customised with Jesus stickers, even on the drivers' mirrors - they're fun for short journeys but given the lack of seatbelts and their frequent stops, best avoided for long journeys. So naturally, I ended up on an 18-hour chicken bus. What made it worse is that the cheeky agent who sold me the ticket promised me a King Quality or Tica bus but they were all full. While I was chilling by Lake Atitlan the Guatemalans in the city were planning a big strike, causing the bus companies to slash their services in half. All of a sudden, every goddamn bus to Leon was full.
Well to cut a long story short I ended up on a chicken bus from Guatemala City, a city best avoided if you're a lone female traveller, with a bunch of locals. Everyone on the bus stared at me and when we got our passports out at the border, mine was passed around the bus like a treasured jewel. Turns out people were intrigued by my "Breeteesh" passport and wanted to have a peek. Everyone shared their food, water and I played cards with the cute kids so ended up having a blast, even if it did feel a bit dodgy at times. Travelling at night saved me time, but I wouldn't do it again on my own. Even the guard at the border asked me what I was doing travelling alone and told me to be careful. Lesson learnt.
Arriving in Leon...it has an air of faded grandeur, like a poor man's Antigua, tho it's painted as a more authentic version of Antigua. Walking around the badly paved streets, it struck me that Leon would appeal to fans of English Heritage. Me, I'm more of a National Trust kind of gal - subtle restoration floats my boat every time. Still, the cathedral was worth a visit, especially given that there was a free concert with the local choir. A kind Nicaraguan family let me sit in their pew and we relaxed to Vivaldi and Ave Maria, with frequent cheers from the crowd in the breaks.
Leon definitely grew on me after I climbed and boarded down Cerro Negro, the world's most active cinder volcano. This bad boy has erupted 23 times in 150 years and some say it's due for another eruption...but not the day I went. Hauling my toboggan all the way to the top (OK that's a lie, I needed help carrying my toboggan), we peered down into the smoking volcano and pulled some cheesy poses for the cameras. Time to get back down...one of the reasons I signed up for volcano boarding was to overcome my fear of heights and try something a little wacky. And I did! I even set a new record...as the slowest boarder ever haha. I literally went at snail's pace while everyone else zoomed down but I really felt a sense of acheivement at the end, even if I was only doing about 5 miles an hour.
By now I was missing the beach so got up early to head south towards the Pacific coast. Most people head to San Juan del Sur but an English girl I met recommended Playa Maderas so I eventually got there by chicken bus and finally in someone's truck. I was always thought I was more of a Carribbean fan but the Pacific coast has completely blown me away. Playa Maderas was virtually empty, except for a few hostels and some hardcore surfers riding the waves, and the beach is surrounded by lush greenery. I've literally spent hours these past couple of days just watching the blue waves crash against the rocks, occasionally cooling off in the sea and indulging in a bit of bodysurfing.
Last night I had one of those special moments you wish you could record and show everyone at home. Walking across the rocks to another beach with Daniel, a sweet German boy I met, a storm quickly brewed overhead. The sky turned black, thunder and lightning came out of nowhere, and a wind whipped up around us. Meanwhile, the sun was setting, leaving a pink trail in its wake. We made it to the beach in time, only to realise that the only way back to my hostel was the way we came and the sun had almost set...I tried taking a different route but ended up on private land and a scary guard dog came at me. Funny how my legs can move really fast when they need to, given how much I hate exercise. Usain Bolt, eat your heart out - I ran crazy fast.
Eventually I made it back, with nothing more than a stubbed toe and a fast heart. I was hoping for a quiet night in my empty dorm but at night it had taken on a completely different look and feel...and not in a good way. Geckos on the walls, spiders in the bed, crabs on the windowsills...I swear to god, I didn't see any of this wildlife when I checked in. For the first time in about 15 years, I slept with the light on. Yup, I was too scared to take the light off so left it firmly on and curled up into a tiny ball. I woke up feeling relieved but also proud that I didn't freak out. Then I saw the dead cockroach on the windowsill and checked out immediately.
Tomorrow, I shall trek to Costa Rica for the final leg of my Central America adventure. Missing everyone and not long til I return! xxx
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