Where I've Been...

03 July 2009

Crocodile Hunter Redux

Hello campers,
Having a great time on Caye Caulker as per usual. Went out with my good buddy Ras Creek on a snorkling trip. Here's the sting rays. I'll try to download the sea horses next...
Bruce out...

02 July 2009

Lobster Festival - Caye Caulker


Lobster Fest was a blast as usual! Assortment of American and Euro visitors, locals, crazies from Belize City etc. Fun at the split. Swimming, drinking, eating lobster, what can I say? The lobster queen this year was my friend Salvador's daughter Lexi. I've known her since she was a baby. Isn't she gorgeous?

30 June 2009

Volcan Masaya



This is where the Somozas and the Sandinistas both dropped their political prisoners into the mouth of this volcano (alive). Isn't the parking sign reassuring?? (Check back for more pics - Internet is slow and spotty here. My patience with it and mosquitos only goes so far!)

Funeral for a Friend


No embalming in Granada, Nicaragua. When you croak you are buried within two days and this horse drawn hearse is your final ride!

24 June 2009

On to the Pacific Ocean

Got up Tuesday and had a leisurly breakfast. Found a place in Granada that serves four (yes four) eggs with ham, toast and potatoes for $3. They also have wonderful banana milkshakes. Next I checked out of my hotel and took Ramon out for a beer. It was father´s day in Nicaragua. (Definition of confusion??) He has a one year old son.
Then I hopped on another chicken bus back to Rivas, then jumped another one down to San Juan del Sur. Found a $15 hotel room one block from the beach and guess what? It has air conditioning! The pacific ocean here is really pretty. Lots of great pics to post when I get to Belize. Interestingly, by Friday I will be swimming in the Caribbean Sea. Two oceans in one trip!
Bonus tour - it happens to be the festival of their patron saint John the Baptist (San Juan Bautista). There was a great fiesta in the central park that night. Got some great video footage until it started pouring rain. Probably will be going on again tonight.
Side note - My hotel in Granada had internet so I am now in my first internet cafe. I´m sitting between two obnoxious German women who are carrying on a loud conversation while I´m trying to type. At least they aren´t chain smoking too. Oh the joys of third world travel.
More later...today is a relaxing beach day. Swimming, pub crawl, etc.

Isla de Olmetepe (aka more volcanos)

Monday took the chicken bus to Rivas with Ramon and four other travelers. We missed the bus in Granada by minutes so the six of us jumped into a tiny cab and raced down the road until we caught up with the bus. We then piled into the standing room only old school bus for the one hour plus ride to Rivas. In Rivas, we jumped into another tiny cab to San Jorge for the ferry ride to Isla Olmetepe. Picked up another traveler in San Jorge, Elena. Then it was on to the $3 air conditioned ferry for the one hour ride out to the island. This island is a twin volcano island rising grandly out of Lake Nicaragua. Sunningly beautiful. We rented a mini van on the island, which felt like a limo compared to our other transportations of the day. The others were spending the night so we found them a hostal right on the water. $15 for a matrimonial room with private bath and $20 for a triple with private bath. They also had really nice cabins with air con for $45-55 per night.
Afterwards, we went to a fresh water spring on a strip of land between the two volcanos surrounded by jungle. Spent a couple of hours there drinking beer, eating lunch and swimming in the cool waters.
Finally we dropped off the overnighters and Ramon and I caught the last ferry back to the mainland and chicken bussed it back to Granada. I was a tired puppy.

21 June 2009

More Volcanic Activity...

Saturday continued the volcano tour theme. Hopped on the local chicken bus for fifty cents and went to volcan Masaya. Paid the park ranger 2.50 to take us up and back near the crater. When you get to the parking lot, all the parking spaces have signs that read: Park your car facing the exit. Isn´t that reassuring? Then they hand you a handout that says in case of explosions of rocks you should protect yourself under the car. There were two volcanos at this stop, Volcan Masay (dormant) and it´s twin Volcan Nindiri (very active). Lots of sulphur smoke coming up out of the crater. Ramon told me both the Sandanistas and Somoza´s used to take political prisoners up in helicopters and drop them (alive) in the volcano. Yikes! Then we went for a swim in Laguna Apoyo, the deepest and cleanest lake in Central America. It was quite nice.
This country is really easy to get around in compared to others in C.A. Lots of chicken buses everywher about every 15 minutes. Just hop on and hop off and poof, you´re there!
Wild time Sat. night at the Zoom Bar. Met lots of new people. A group of us are going to Isla Olmatepe tomorrow. It is an island on Lake Nicaragua formed by (you guessed it) two twin volcanos. Watch for more updates soon....

20 June 2009

No UT baseball in Nicaragua

Would you believe those goofs at ESPN think the Nicaraguans (who happen to be in love with baseball) would rather watch the US Open? What a cultural boo boo. Thank goodness for the internet. More comments on volcanos coming soon. Stay tuned...

19 June 2009

Volcano Zip lining!

Wow is all I can say! Walked around Granada this a.m. It is a beautiful colonial town much like Anitgua, Guatemala for those who´ve been there. Started to get thirsty so I popped into the Zoom Bar. Ended up meeting the owners Wayne and Sheryl. Wayne turned me on to a great tour guide, Ramon Parra. Ramon is Nicaraguan but grew up in Dallas of all places and speaks great English. We will definately be doing business together. He didn´t have a tour today so he took me to Volcan Mombacho for zip lining. It is a series of nine differnet lines. I even zip lined superman style and upside down! Soon as I can figure out how to download pics and movies from here I will post. Tonight I`m going back to the Zoom Bar as I´ve convinced Wayne we need to watch the Texas baseball game and drink cervezas! More later...

Bruce in Granada, Nicaragua

Made it to Nicaragua after a looong travel day starting in Texas at 3.30 a.m. Spent most of the day in the Belize airport drinking Belikins and shooting the shit with tourists and locals. Arrive Nic. around 8.30 p.m. and got thru customs and medical screening by 9,30 p.m.

My prearranged transport, Paxeos, was right there to pick me up. Definately worth the little extra I spent over the chicken bus to go straight from the Managua airport to Granada, about one hour.

My little hotel is just fine with fan and private shower. They also have free internet and coffee!!

Now about that Nicaragua airport. They are taking this flu stuff very seriously! Every passenger had to go thru this screeening where you stood before some kind of camera that displayed an image of your body heat. Then a nurse either let you go thru or you got hauled off to some kind of quarantine. I had just enough Belikin beers in me to pass the test!!

17 June 2009

About to set sail


Greetings All,

All the hectic last minute packing, bill paying, etc. is finally coming to an end and the fun part is about to start.

Finally got a hotel room booked for my first night and transport from Managua to Granada. I'm arriving in Nicaragua around 8 pm so I didn't want to have to arrange transport to Granada and then search for a hotel. Funny thing is the transport, Paxeos ($18) costs more than Hostal Dorada ($15)! I'll be riding the 50¢ chicken buses from here on out.

Here's a couple of hotel pics from their website. Rooms look basic.