12 & 13th July 2008: We travel from Monteverde to La Fortuna. Dora and I decide to travel part of the way around the lake on horseback, so abandon our rucksacks and head off to meet our guide. The first thing we do as soon as we´re on the horses is cross a rather large and fast-flowing river, which is rather nerve-wracking seeing as I´ve somehow ended up in front! My horse, Rebello (not actually very rebellious, as he was perfectly behaved) seemed to kn...

10th & 11th July 2008: Travelled from Nicaragua into Costa Rica, involving the most lengthly border corssing yet! Once we´re all in Costa Rica ok we get a bus up into the cloudforest to Monteverde. The roads winding up the mountains are rough and unmade (they remind me of good old Black Pond Lane!). We pass through a thunderstorm then over the top of the mountains with an amazing view all the way to the Pacific coast. We are staying right on top of a moun...

8th & 9th July 2008: Leave Granada early in the morning (but not before getting a warm bagel and smoothie for breakfast!). Travel by bus to the port for crossings to Ometepe, an island in Lake Nicaragua created bytwo volcanoes. Apparently the lake is affected by what is known as ´short wave phenomenon´ making for very bumpy crossings, but the phenomenon is obviously not active on the day we cross as the lake is flat as a millpond. Ometepe is very pretty ...

5th, 6th & 7th July 2008: Long day travelling to Granada leaves most of us (especially me) feeling grumpy and homesick. Not really helped when we check into our hotel to find bugs in the beds!! Saving grace is that there are rocking chairs in the lobby, which help to calm our frazzled nerves slightly. Take a walk round Granada which seems very pretty in parts. Go to the square and buy candy floss. There is some kind of carnival / dance competition / fete...

4th July 2008: Long travel day from Utila into Nicaragua. Luckily the ferry crossing back was much smoother which was a relief! Catch a bus and spend most of the next 12 hours napping, reading and eating. We arrive in Tegucigalpa, the capital of Nicaragua. Greeted by a cacophony of car horns, hustle, bustle and general chaos. Hotel is nice but our room looks out over the road so am not sure how much sleep we will get above the car horns! Decide the best way t...