Duncan and Katy from the airport and crossed the highway back to the hotel. We ate there- Ciara and I split the imitation pizza.
The next day, Sunday, we caught a taxi and a bus to the city of León in the Northwest of Nicaragua. We dropped our ample baggage off at the very backpacker-y hostel Bigfoot, which could have been León's response to The Bearded Monkey, but with a foot shaped pool and a much better tended bar, and set off in search of food. Somehow, almost every restaurant we looked for was closed because it was Sunday, though one that we were seated in had just run out of food. In looking, we stumbled upon a skating competition set up on a basketball court. Finally we found a pizza place, which got closer to the real thing, at least, and devoured a pizza. We ate dinner across the street from Bigfoot at Vía Vía, a hostel with a great menu of typical food from nearby countries.
The skate park in León.
Monday, we ate at a restaurant attached to Bigfoot, in which Ciara enjoyed a bagel almost too much, and contracted a taxi to take us to the nearby beach-town Las Peñitas, where we stayed at the high class, but reasonably priced Barco de Oro. Of Las Peñitas, no apparent aspect can escape absorbing and radiating the immense heat beating down. León was hot, but here the sand was scalding, the ocean like a warm bath, and the sweat a stream. Even the showers, sometimes unpleasantly cold in Matagalpa, in Las Peñitas, when the cold would have been most welcomed, were terribly warm. The only shelter was Duncan and Katy's air-conditioned room. That said, the town and the beach were very beautiful, a nature reserve within was in walking distance (but remained, regrettably, unexplored), and our hotel and its restaurant were great.
The beach at Las Peñitas.
On Tuesday we returned to León and made the long, hot, and burdened walk from the bus station to Hostel Lazybones, which we had be seeing fliers for everywhere and which looked promising. The hotel was opened fairly recently, offered us two nice rooms in a secluded upstairs area, and had a nice, big pool. We dined first at a Comedor (sort of like a buffet), which was cheap and fun, walked around a bunch, bought a ton of pastries, and dined a second time at the Restaurant Sacuanjoche, which had terrible service, but great food.
One of the numerous beautiful cathedrals in León.
The next day we got up and broke fast early, and took a taxi to the bus station. Duncan, Katy, and I took a bus to the scorching Chinandega, Nicaragua's hottest city, if you believe everyone we have talked to about our trip, and from there a bus that crawled up North to Jiquilillo. For unclear reasons, we had to check into our hotel there before 1:30, and we made it just in time. Ciara took a bus South to spend some unfortunate time in Managua, picked up our friend Sara from the airport, took a bus up to Chinandega and met us at 6:30, just as dinner was served.
Hotel Rancho Esperanza, where we stayed, is a very cool set of cabañas located a convenient two minute walk from a beautiful beach. The thatch-roofed cabins have sand floors, and the hotel offers three pretty tasty meals a day. It's also the center for a number of community service projects, many of which were run by its owner Nate, who seemed like he should have been cool, but was actually quite unfriendly. Outside of that, and the surprisingly high price at checkout, staying there was a great experience. The beach was great, and pleasantly cold, and you could see fishermen as they motored out for the night every day around dinner time. Duncan got a serious sun burn, and we all bonded with other travelers of Nicaragua.
One of the cabañas.
Fishers heading out for the night.
Friday we took the long trip home to San Ramón, first from Jiquilillo to Chinandega, then from one part of Chinandega to another, then to León, then to Matagalpa, across Matagalpa, and finally home on a packed bus. We helped Duncan and Katy check in at their hotel, up a steep hill, and got Sara settled in our house. On Sunday we went back into Matagalpa, walked around, and ate at Comedor Oasis. And at night we went to our friend-boss Beth's house to paint her new pool. Monday morning Katy rode our host family's horse, and Sara, Ciara, and I went to teach swim lessons. In the afternoon, in an unfortunate rush, we got Duncan and Katy onto a crowded bus to Managua, so that they could spend the night before their early flight home.
Tuesday and Wednesday we spent bumming around San Ramón, eating pastries, and enjoying Beth's new pool. Thursday morning we went to El Chile, and came back with a mountain of woven goods. Good Friday at midday we sent Sara back to Managua via taxi. Since then, we've just been chillin' and watchin' the Easter processions rollin' by.
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