Nicaragua

View from Volcan Cerro Negro
Church in Leon
Our suits and volcano boards
Volcan Cerro Negro
New Friends before the hike

Alas, I am in Nicaragua. I stayed an extra few days in Honduras between Lake Joyoa and Tegucigalpa, the capital. Tegucigalpa was overwhelming...huge, loud, polluted, yet a welcoming city. I was with 2 other travelers when we were dropped in the middle of the city. We caught a taxi to downtown where we stayed for a night. We wandered around the colonial center which has a very western and bustling feel. One night there was plenty for me. The next morning, I headed out to make my way to Nicaragua with another traveler. After half a day on buses, we made it to Esteli, a small town in northern Nicaragua known for its coffee farms. We spent a day there and stayed in a scary hospedaje. The next morning, we headed to Leon which is where the adventures started. My first full day in Leon, I went up to Volcano Cerro Negro with a group to volcano board. We hiked up the youngest and most active volcano in Central America, had a 360 view of Leon, as far as the Pacific coast. At the top, we suited up into orange jump suits and goggles and got our boards, which look like sleds, ready to go down the volcano. I stepped up and went first with a guy from Australia. After a quick tutorial, we raced to the bottom on the gravel lava rocks. Going first was the best thing as I got to sit at the bottom and watch the other people come down...many of whom ate shit (pardon my language) but it was hilarious! One guy tumbled so hard that he scraped his nose and bruised his forhead! Opps! We had a long drive back into Leon, but they provided us with beer, granola bars and mojitos as soon as we got back to the hostel. A good day.

Two days ago I headed down south to San Juan Del Sur where I have a friend from college living here and working at a hostel. I spent all day yesterday at the beach, attempting to surf but mostly swimming around. The beaches are wonderful, but there are very tiny jellyfish that sting like crazy. Makes the water a bit unappealing, but the sun is so strong that you want to get into the water. Ill be here for a few more days before I head to the next desitination.

Still working on uploading picutres!

Thats all for now...