We know you are all dying to know "what is Nicaragua like". Well, picture Canvey Island at low tide and you'd be close.
Perhaps thats a trifle unfair on Nicas, which does offer a few visual highlights. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, pipped to the post only by Haiti. With the vast majority of the country consumed by inpenetrible jungle, the population is restricted mainly to the Pacific rim.
We took root in Granada - a beautiful old colonial city, in many ways similar to San Christobal in Mexico and Guatemala's Antigua. Now the idea of a nice room overlooking a pleasant courtyard, sub 50p beers in all the bars and western quality restaurants handing out mains for under three quid, might make you think this would be a relaxing and enjoyable stop. Take electricity and running water out of the equation for most of each day however and you will be closer to reality! We learnt to wake up at 5.30am when the fan stopped and jump in the shower before the pressure went.
A canopy tour tore us around a forest on 14 zip lines and at 18 meters above the ground. Phill not being a great one for heights found the whole experience rather traumatic. The final descent, a terror drop on a rope back to terra firma.
After 4 weeks travelling with Rick and Dolly, the time finally came to part ways. Their company probably saved us from going completely loopy.
The final two night in Nicaragua was spent at the Pacific resort town (we use the word resort in its loosest sense) of San Juan Del Sur. We had a new pattern of water and electricity shortages to suss out - which we didn't and again it was just too hot to move. To add to our woes, we were woken each night by revelers in the street below our window - revelers who on a local budget were unable take their socialising to bars.
By 7.45am on Sunday, we had already been on three buses, paid a modest bribe to cross the border. We now look forward to our final two weeks in Central. Now in Costa Rica and still sweating bullets in unbearable heat. The picture here is of Antarctica. Please someone dump us there - preferably naked. PaSx