Laguna de Apoyo and San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua
After leaving Granada we headed out to Laguna de Apoyo (about a 20 minute ride from town) for a stay at Crater's Edge. The laguna, a lush crater lake, was formed by one of the largest volcanic eruptions in Nicaraguan history over 21,000 years ago. The laguna is 6km in diameter with a depth estimated to be 200m at its center (supposedly the deepest body of water in all of Central America). Crater's Edge is a small (6 rooms and a separate dormitory), but quaint hotel run by a very friendly Canadian named Anne. The hotel offers spectacular panoramic views of the lake combined with activities like kayaking, swimming, tubing, or if you prefer, just hanging out on a hammock. We did some kayaking around the lake for a little while, but soon opted out of the boats and into inner tubes as we cruised out to the floating dock to hang out for the afternoon.
Crater's Edge Hospedaje
The lake water remains at a nice bathtub-like temperature all year round due to the heat which continues to emanate from the depths of the crater. It also provided enough minerals to your skin as you swam, that as you left the water, it felt as though you had been through a fancy spa skin treatment. The best part of all...although it contains trace amounts of sulfur and other related volcanic chemicals and minerals, it lacked the typical rotten-egg smell that often accompanies natural hot springs.
A nice place to watch the sun set
The meals are prepared by a small staff using all locally grown ingredients, and consisted of a sumptuous breakfast buffet, vegetarian pizza for lunch, and a delicious stirfry for dinner. Dinner was served by candlelight on a patio overlooking the lake with stars lighting up the sky overhead. It was definitely a great place to kick back, relax, and enjoy yourself at your own pace...which, we did.
The dock where we spent the better half on an afternoon; a brief rain shower rewards us with a beautiful rainbow over the lake
After leaving Laguna de Apoyo, we headed west to Rivas (the last major town before the border). While in Rivas we attempted to navigate our way to the TICA bus station prior to heading over to the beach town of San Juan Del Sur. We met a number of weary travelers and many naysayers who all talked at great length about the craziness and confusion of crossing the border on foot. Well, as it turns out, it was just way too expensive to purchase an onward bus ticket to Liberia, Costa Rica ($23 each for a 2 hour ride. Turns out that you must purchase a full-fare Managua to San Jose ticket, even if you alight earlier in the ride...no thanks!). So after a bit of confusion, a little over an hour of wasted time, turning down offers from about 35 different taxi drivers (Not an exaggeration, we swear!) that wanted to take us to the border, San Juan Del Sur, and who knows where else, we ended up catching the next bus for the coast that would finally get us to the beach.
The beach at San Juan del Sur; Ginnie taking it all in
After a short and quite pleasant one hour trip, we reached San Juan Del Sur and checked into Casa Oro.
One of the many surfer transport vehicles at Casa Oro; a small church at the end of town (not only had a full-on manger scene in the back, but many snow globes and other festive arrangements all around the surrounding park
Casa Oro was sort of a combination of a surfer hangout/backpackers last chance stop. It's a great looking place with lots of information on tours, surfing, ziplining, etc, but its rooms are more than rustic. What makes up for the lackluster rooms though, is an amazingly friendly staff and all around festive atmosphere and positive vibes. Casa Oro is close to the center of town, only a block from the beachfront, and offers shuttles to just about every beach in the area. We stayed in San Juan Del Sur for three days and had plenty of time to see a lot of things. The town sits on a horseshoe shaped cove and is framed by dramatic cliffs all around. It remains a tranquil fishing village, but is slowly starting to turn into an outpost for all types of recreation.
A pre-columbian stone statue stands watch over the beach below; local kids building sandcastles and slinging mud
Most people come to San Juan to surf, we were no different. After renting our boards and gearing up, we jumped into an old beat up Range Rover and were driven over to Playa Remanso where we began a day of surfing. This was Ginnie's first attempt to become one with the ocean, and only Anthony's second. Our instructor, a man named Fred, came all the way to Nicaragua from the sandy shores of Peru. He was a total surfer for life, spending most of his days in the water either giving lessons or surfing killer waves (he'd traveled as far as Indonesia, and actually was rejected a second visa because he overstayed his first, saying the waves and surf was just too incredible to just up and leave). We paid $20 for a one hour lesson, and as it turns out, he spent almost 2 1/2 with us - teaching, practicing, and reviewing everything until we were confident (semi-amateur) surfers. Fred believes that, as an instructor, it is his duty to insure each of his students is able to learn and understand the various aspects of surfing prior to being let go on his/her own. The lesson was really amazing, and by the end of the afternoon we were not only standing up and riding in many waves of all shapes and sizes all on our own, but we immediately began thinking of when we could surf next. Sadly, the next day, we had to leave San Juan del Sur, but on the bright side we were heading to Costa Rica (on the not so bright side...the infamous border towns of Sapoa and Penas Blancas, a story in and of itself!!! Cue the dreadful music.)
Some fun shots from in and around town in San Juan del Sur
A lee bit of a side note...THE DREADED BORDER CROSSING at Sapoa, Nicaragua to Penas Blancas, Costa Rica - To put things briefly, and hopefully into perspective for all of our readers, this border crossing was, by far, the longest, most confusing, chaotic mess that we have ever experienced in all of our travels. The border consisted of a single building with four windows, no signage, and no order whatsoever, had we not spoken Spanish as well as we had, we probably would have spent the New Year in Nicaragua rather than CR. After all was said and done, we had waited in three different lines, for a total of a little over three hours. Thankfully, we arrived early in the morning, it could have been worse. As we crossed to Costa Rica we followed the line as it snaked in and around things for almost a 1/4 of a mile. We can't even begin to imagine how long these people must have had to wait. Be afraid...be very afraid. You've been warned!
Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica
As we left the border, we were lucky enough to catch a bus heading south to Liberia, CR. After about an hour or so, we reached, caught another transport, and finally arrived at Playa Tamarindo around 3PM. A long day of travel, but what a relief it was to get to our next stop. Playa Tamarindo sits atop the Nicoya Peninsula on the Pacific side of Costa Rica.
What was once a small fishing village of only a few thousand people, has turned into a sprawling town of hotels, restaurants, surf shops, cafes, a bookshop, and a bit too much touristy-ness.
Christmas Eve dinner at Bruno's Italian Restaurant...AMAZING!!! The owner gave us glasses of wine for Christmas, then wouldn't take the picture without them
We spent three days, including Christmas Eve, enjoying the sights, sounds, and food of Tamarindo and the surrounding beaches. As it snowed back in New England, we body surfed and lounged in the warm waters of the Pacific...it was the good life indeed.
We spent three days, including Christmas Eve, enjoying the sights, sounds, and food of Tamarindo and the surrounding beaches. As it snowed back in New England, we body surfed and lounged in the warm waters of the Pacific...it was the good life indeed.
While in Tamarindo we had the opportunity to venture out on a night time tour in Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas (Leatherback Turtle's National Park) to observe the ancient nesting ritual of the leatherback turtle. Las Baulas National Marine Park supports the largest nesting colony of leatherback sea turtles (baulas) on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica, with a population size of about 800 female turtles nesting per year. Nesting season is approximately November through April. Leatherback Sea Turtles have been here for over 65 million years. They have witnessed the fall of the dinosaurs and the rise of humanity. Their habitat spans the globe from the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle to the South Pacific around New Zealand. Extraordinary creatures, they hold important secrets about biology and medicine. Leatherbacks are the largest turtle, reaching a shell length of 1.7m and a mass of 700kg. In 1980 there were over 115,000 adult females, but there are now less than 25,000 worldwide, and they are close to extinction in the Pacific Ocean. If action is not taken soon to protect leatherbacks in the ocean and on nesting beaches the leatherback will disappear in our lifetime (information from the Leatherback Trust). We arrived at the park around 9PM, took a short boat ride across the bay, and trekked about 1.5 miles to the nesting site of one particular female who had been spotted earlier by local biologists. {All photos of turtles come from the previously mentioned site since ambient light bothers them and we were not permitted to carry cameras.}
When we arrived, the adult turtle was in the midst of a second attempt at building her nest. Keeping in mind the size of these turtles and the frailty of the sand below them, it was quite an amazing feat to watch this enormous creature slowly and methodically build her nest (using only her lower body flippers/feet and digging solely by touch). As we looked on she continued to the point of almost finishing, when suddenly, the soft dry sand collapsed from underneath, and she was forced to begin all over again. We sat under the stars (witnessing many meteors fly through the sky) for a couple of hours as she continued with a third attempt. Unfortunately, the earth was just not cooperative and as a result, the turtle decided to take a break and return to the ocean, perhaps to make another attempt later that night or the next day.
The process is a very sensitive and complicated one, as the turtle builds her nest, lays somewhere around 100 eggs, and buries them before returning to the sea. As these baby turtles hatch, the trek from their nest to the water is imprinted on their memory and is used later on in adult life as they will return to the same nesting area to lay their own eggs. We definitely recommend this trip. It was amazing to witness nature just as it has been for millions of years before human beings inhabited our planet. Although, we would have appreciated being provided with a bit more information from our guide. Check out the Leatherback Trust for more information. Next, we're off to Monteverde and Santa Elena...
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