After fulfilling our alcohol & andrenalin needs in Leon we decided to head back to the beach for a bit of a breather. Only 30 minutes away was a beautiful beach town called Las Penitas where relaxation, sun & surf would undoubtedly ensue.......right! After answering the age old question "how do you fit 4 people & 4 rucksacks into a car that comes with a McDonalds happy meal?"* we arrived at the beach. We promptly checked into small hostel with beaut...

So Volcano boarding… for those who aren't sure.. is the act of climbing up an active volcano with the intention of hurling yourself down it on a wooden board. Toootally safe, right? Obviously, new years day was ruled out. So the following day, a truck load of adrenaline fuelled tourists rode the bumpy road out of Leon towards Volcano Cerro Negro. The last eruption of this volcano was 1999, and before that 1995 and 1992. The steep hike (carrying our boards!) ...

Arriving on New Years Eve, we had little time to get the lay of the land. With the Christmas hangover only just faded, we opted for a 'grown up' NYE. Dinner was at a posh italian, with a shared pizza as a starter (the closest we could get to Strada!!) with steaks all round. Goodbye backpacker budget! The company and atmosphere were fantastic, but unfortunately let down by the second worst service of the trip - following the chicken incident! Its quite impressiv...

After San Juan & Granada our next Nicaraguan location was a very welcome change of pace. We headed to Laguna de Apoyo, where our hostel was situated on the shore of an amazing crater lake. A transformed lakeside house recently made into a hostel, it looked like the kind of place you would find a Bond villain planning his next move, complete with floating docks & a catamaran. The area is also home to all kinds of wildlife including monkeys & bats &am...

Our next destination was Granada, an old colonial town with huge street markets. We checked into a large hostel called Oasis complete with swimming pool (hell yeah) & full kitchen, a real treat after the last place! We headed out to explore the town while it was still sunny and settled in a traditional looking place on the edge of the central square for a quick snack & move on. Error! We all decided to have soup (clearly our 2nd schoolboy error) thinkin...