After flying back to Managua we had to spend a night back in Granada due to timing and to give us a chance to plan leaving Nicaragua and heading to Costa Rica.

We returned to Hostel Oasis and although only planning on staying the one night we were talked into visiting Laguna de Apoyo by Fiona, an English girl we met on our last night on Ometepe. So stayed two!

Laguna de Apoyo was amazing it is a huge lake (7km diameter) formed in the cone of a massive volcano. The feeling of swimming out and looking around to see the jungle clad sides of a volcano all around you was pretty cool. The bottom of the cone/lake is 100m below sea level making it the lowest part of Central America and apparently the water is kept at a warmer than normal temperature by thermal vents deep in the volcano. Oasis hostel have an agreement with a hostel on the shore to run daily shuttles back and forth so people can visit for the day or stay a few nights. We spent the day there enjoying the view and the crystal clear, pure water before heading back to Granada.

That night we met a couple of local guys who offered to show us some traditional Nicca food. We ended up at a street vendor selling Chicken or Beef with fried plantain, plantain chips and Gallo Pinto (rice and beans) all served in a couple of Banana leaves. Probably the biggest and cheapest meal I have eaten in weeks, proof that it serves well to get in with the locals!