Panama City, Panama

 

El Diablo

As I put in my backpacks, I realized how a pack mule feels. This bag felt heavy today. We had a downhill walk through the jungle to the bus stop. We had been lucky and got our bags driven up to our casita. We were not so lucky for our departure from Eco Venao. As we hiked through the jungle to the bus stop, we both realized we were ready for the city. I wanted to go to a movie and have popcorn while Chantal wanted to go to a bookstore and drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day. We both wanted fresh fruits and veggies. Mmmm. We sat at the bus stop talking about all the things we wanted to do when we arrived in Panama City.



Chantal waiting for a bus....again.

We got on the early bus from Eco Venao to Las Tablas. It was full. Then it stopped over and again as more people climbed aboard. At one point I counted 35 people, 2 chickens, 14 air fresheners, no air conditioner and no back brakes on board.

Panamanian bus

The brakes squealed as we went around corners and downhill. I saw the bus driver make the sign of the cross. That was not good! Two hours later, we arrived safely in Las Tablas and a bus to Panama City was waiting. That never happens! We got in line to buy tickets then gave our bags to the conductor. We asked of we had time to buy some foods and he said yes. So we ran to the market next door and bought orange juice, apples and chips. It would have to do. We got back 5 minutes later and he would not let is board the bus. I showed him my ticket and he asked if I had a seat. Yes, I bought a ticket and gave it back to him. Then he said "No that is a ticket not a seat." Huh? I asked "Where do I buy a seat?" He explains to me that I was suppose to leave my backpack on the ground, get in the bus and find a seat with no belongings, leave my daypack and then get off and go buy a ticket. I couldn't help but laugh when I heard this. Wow! Logic is not a strength in Panama. This was stupid and again support of my motto "Panama puts the F-U in FUN!" We had our bags taken off the bus and waited for the next bus. It arrived and Chantal jumped on and got us seats while I gave our backpacks to the conductor. I was tired of Panama buses and ready to get to Colombia. Panama has some beautiful places but the bus system was awful, the worst in all my travels. 

We arrived in Panama City at Allbrook Transit Terminaljust after noon. We were starving. We lucked out, this was also a mall! We saw a Pizza Hut sign and decided a vegetarian pizza sounded delicious before heading to the hostel. It was better than I had expected. We devoured it and then headed to the city.

Panama City Skyline

A quick taxi ride and we arrived at the Panamericana Hostel. We had decided we wanted our own private rooms since we would be on a boat with 8 other people for 5 days. It was time to start preparing for the sailing trip and stock up on sea sickness medicine. But first a little relaxation. I sat on my patio watching the boys playing street hockey and soccer in the basketball court. 

Chantal and I decided to take it easy an get beer, tortilla chips and salsa for dinner. We walked to the nearby market and then went to the sunroof of the hostel to relax and watch the sun go down. It was just what I needed.

 

Plaza Herrara view from Panamericana Hostel

We met Rick, a guy that just moved to Panama City for 6 months. He told us to just enjoy Casco Viejo neighborhood and relax. We decided that was a great suggestion and exactly what we did! Casco Viejo is the old section of Panama City which is going through a revitalization. Rick compared it to Havana, Cuba. There are many old dilapidated buildings with refurbished buildings next door. In 5 years, it will all be refurbished and beautiful. I loved the vibe of the old city, it has a nice mixture of locals and tourists.

Life in Cusco Viejo

As we walked around the area, we saw typical life.

Laundry day

And some beautiful street art mixed in with the old buildings and newly remolded hotels and apartments.

Street Art in Casco Viejo Panama City

The city comes to life with the art, music from clubs and bars and food trucks that pull up at diner time.  

The neighborhood was fun to walk and explore. Policemen were on every corner for protection. It took a little getting use to but I always felt safe. The president of Panama lives in this area and many tourists spend time here. We only had one time a police officer that told us to take a taxi instead of the local bus. As we walked Casco Viejo, we stumbled upon delicious cafes, restaurants and bars mixed in with the churches and government buildings. We definitely had our fill of coffee in Casco Viejo.

A Kuna woman walking in Panama City

As we walked the neighborhood, I saw the beautiful Kuna Indians that were now living in Casco Viejo and selling their handmade molas and beaded bracelets. These were the indigenous Indians of the San Blas Islands. Many have moved from the islands and work in the tourist areas. I was careful taking pictures as they typically ask for a dollar for each photo. I read this started because the Kuna's came to Panama City and saw a postcard with tem for sale for a dollar. So, they decided to charge a dollar for their photos. Clever, huh?

Kuna women selling handmade items

One afternoon we went to the mall to see a movie. I had not done this for over a year. I was excited! I did not know any of the movies. We decided on Las Vegas because it was in English and a comedy. I was more excited to get popcorn. This was pure heaven! The movie was funny and I left felling spoiled and happy! A small pleasure from home.

On our last day in Panama City, we went shopping for sea sickness medication. Chantal and I bought drowsy and non-drowsy formula and decided we had plenty to get us through the 5 day sailing. We stopped at a department store to buy me some flip flops. I ended us with a sailing hat, cover up  and flip flops ($12) and a brush to clean my water bottle. I was happy to find all of it in a nearby market. I was ready for the sailing trip to Colombia and excited to see the San Blas Islands. The next morning we were leaving Panama City for Portobelo. It was a good couple of days but I was excited for the next adventure.  

Playa Venao, Panama

This is going to be fun! An adventure! I was psyching myself up for traveling by bus from Boquete to Playa Vaneo. Lonely Planet said it was off the beaten path and part of the fun is getting there. Travel days are always the hardest days. I have to give up control and go with the flow. Bring food or go without. Ration water consumption because who knows when you get a bathroom break and I don't want to wet my pants! And try to be on the least number of buses. But the most important is to start out early.

Chantal excited for the Chicken bus.

Chantal and I arrived at the Boquete bus stop and excitedly jumped on our first Chicken Bus!!! I had been looking forward to this! The Chicken buses are school buses used for public transportation of people, luggage and animals. We gave our backpacks to the driver, boarded the bus and were off to David. We were told it was a half hour. We realized Panamanian time is never right so we had planned an hour to arrive in David. The bus rolled out of the station!  It went 50 feet and stopped to pick up a couple people. Again and again. We never really gained speed because the bus stopped every 50-100 feet. Ugh! This was going to be slow! At one stop, a 13 year old boy from Tennessee got on and started talking to us. We found out he had a vivid imagination when he asked where we were going. We told him Playa Venao and then to Colombia on a boat. Big mistake! He started telling us how we were going to be shot and killed. He was making up crazy stories. All of his stories started with "Imagine you are walking down a street and there is a sign that says to stop or you will be killed..." It always ended with me getting killed in some horrible way. He told us Egypt and Iraq where safer then Colombia. I told him he was creative and should get an agent. He asked if I knew one. I told him "of course because everyone in Los Angeles has a psychiatrist and an agent." He proceeded to ask for my agents number, which I made up with the typical movie telephone number of 555-1234. He asked me to repeat the number and I did. Yes, I probably destroyed the poor boys dreams but he was going on and on. I was tired. Why not play along with him?
 

We finally arrived in David after an hour and 20 minutes. We were behind schedule and needed to make up time to get on the 14:00 bus to Eco Venao. It was unlikely that would happen. We stood in line for 60 minutes before getting the next bus. We were 1.5 hours behind schedule. We still had a couple more buses on this journey. The next bus dropped us off at the Divisa "bus station" which was actually a bus stop. We asked where we get the bus to Las Tablas and were told "short walk, turn right to bus stop." Off we walked with our packs up the hill looking for the next bus stop. We dropped our packs and waited by the side of the road for a Las Tablas bus.

We waited....and waited...and waited. Finally, a Panamanian guy convinced us to follow him and take the Chitre bus and get the Las Tablas bus from there. We arrived 2 hours later in Las Tablas. We had missed the Eco Vaneo bus and had to decide if we would take a taxi the next 33km or take a bus to Pedasi and then a taxi. We negotiated a taxi for $30 with a stop for a six pack of beer and chips and salsa. Expensive? Yes, but we were exhausted, hot a sweaty. We were going to need something to celebrate our arrival. The beer, chips and salsa were waiting. When we passed this sign I knew we had to be getting close.

Finally, we saw the sign to Eco Venao, 12.5 hours after we had departed. Yippeee!

We checked into our casita overlooking the hillside and cracked open the beers. Cheers to us! We watched as howler and spider monkeys jumped through the branches overhead.

It was fun to watch them from our hammocks. They swung from one branch to the next. Typically we could hear the howler monkeys before we say them. My first night I thought it was a dog howling. Nope! Big male making too much noise as the sun was setting. I guess he was the party animal. Eventually, I got use to it and just laughed when I heard him. This was living the good life! I enjoyed the jungle and my little casita on the top of the hill. 

Eco Venao La Casita

Chantal and I decided to hike to the waterfall one morning. We had been told it was a short 15 minute hike. We followed the two signs and went hiking into the hillside.

We hiked up over the first hill. We rounded the hill and down to the river. Obviously, this was correct. A waterfall should be near the river. I swore we could hear it. We crossed the river to the path on the opposite side and continued up the hill and through a barbed wire fence. We walked for an hour but no waterfall. Huh?!! There was no other path. We eventually gave up when we were walking a fence line and the path disappeared. We decided to backtrack and see where we had missed the path and signs. We never found the waterfall but we came across this happy cow!

 

 

 

We continued walking to the top of the hill and found a hut with two hammocks overlooking the bay. This was fantastic! We made ourselves at home in the hammocks. As we lay swaying in the wind, we had a visitor. Another cow. He walked up to the hammocks and checked us out. It was a beautiful spot and I think we scared him a little by intruding on his space.

 

 

As we hiked back to our casita, we passed more monkeys in the jungle. It had been a great day even though we never found the waterfall.

 

Chantal and I were exhausted and decided to spend the evening reading. As I sat on my bed enjoying my mystery, Chantal asked if I wanted to see something really cool. Sure, why not. I waited to see what crazy thing she was going to say. Was she going to put on her latest mix-matched colorful outfit while I laughed and called her Skittles- A rainbow of color? She points to the floor and tells me a scorpion just crawled into our room and was going under my bed. A scorpion?!?! Cool to see? Yes. But I did not think it was cool when it was now living with us. Suddenly she realized what this meant and told me to google search if they climb walls. I grabbed my phone and started searching. Yes, it was a scorpion. Yes, they do climb walls. Yes, they do sting. Chantal asked "how poisonous is a scorpion?" Really?!?! I don't want it in the room. She agreed to watch it while I walked down the hill to get help. I stopped at the Big House and asked a group of retirees to help and they refused to leave their domino games. Darn! Then I walked down to the main lodge/restaurant. I got a guy willing to come kill it. He told me he had killed several and was good at stomping them. Great. He turned and walked to the dorms. I stopped him and told him I was at the top of the hill in the casita. He refused to walk the hill at night. Lazy jerk! I turned and saw the couple staying next to us and they agreed to help us. We walked up the hill with our headlamps on. Half way up, I hear rustling in the bushes to my left. Suddenly, I see a large armadillo bounce across the road. I screamed! I look at our neighbors and we are all standing in the road with our mouths dropped. What the hell!?! We could not believe it! I never knew armadillos bounce. We laughed as we continued up the hill. Out of breath and scared from a bouncing armadillo, we now had to kill a scorpion. Chantal was sitting on the bed. Our neighbors said they had spray to kill a scorpion but none of us knew if it would work or how long it would take to work. We pulled the bed out from the wall to get close enough to spray. It seemed to slow it down. Then it was Chantal's turn to kill it. She put on her hiking boots and stomped it flat.

No more scorpions in our room. I was going to keep my eyes open for scorpions for the next few days.

 

Playa Venao has become known as a surf beach.  There are 4-5 hotels in the area but it is relatively quiet. A beautiful bay with stretches of sand and surf.



Locals surfing on Playa Venao



It was a nice beach to walk and enjoy the sunny days.  Playa Venao had a beach with sand volleyball, hammock hut, yoga hut and places to relax. It was great for relaxing and being a beach bum for a few days.

 

The remainder of the time, we spent reading or blogging in the tree house, lounging in the hammocks and playing with the 5 month old puppies. The puppies were full of energy and loved any attention. I laughed the day I found this guy exhausted and sleeping in the lodge by the children's play area. This is how I felt when I went to sleep each night.

Playa Venao was relaxing and I am finding I am enjoying the slower pace of life. I spent the first 3/4 of my trip traveling at lightening speed. Now, I want to slow it down and savor every precious moment. I realize time is running out and I will be returning to the "real world" soon. Playa Venao was a nice beach getaway. After 5 nights, we left Playa Venao for Panama City. Time to get supplies for the sailing trip to Colombia.

 

 

 

 

 

Boquete, Panama

 

Ahhh....the cool temperatures of Boquete were a welcome relief from the heat of the last few weeks. Boquete is in the Panamanian highlands and is known for flower gardens and coffee plantations. I was planning to stay here for 2 nights before traveling south to the Pacific beaches. Chantal and I arrived late in the evening at Casa Pedro outside of town. I was also meeting up with Mario and Marsha (worked with her at Nutrilite), it was pure luck that our travels crossed paths. It is always fun to meet up with friends on the road. I caught up with Marsha over coffee and shared travel information. She was feeling a little sick and I was exhausted from the long travel days. Chantal and I decided to have a relaxing day and then walk into town in the afternoon.

We walked along the road enjoying the flora and fauna. The hills were covered with clouds and the wind was refreshing.

As we walked down the hill, we passed beautiful flower gardens.

Suddenly, we smelled the delightful aroma of roasted coffee beans. As we walked around the curve, we saw Cafe Ruiz. It was that time...time to enjoy a delicious iced coffee. I have definitely become addicted to a couple of cups of coffee a day. I was on a search for the best coffee as I traveled Central America and towards Colombia. We sat and savored the icy cold brew and reminisced about our adventures. Afterwards we continued to town where we bought a few necessities (peanut butter, batteries, SIM card and apples) and shopped in the boutiques.

We eventually made our way to the Flower Festival. We walked through the gardens enjoying the beautiful views.

Children were performing traditional dances and playing music.

We relaxed as we strolled the grounds before returning to our B&B. 

At breakfast the next morning, Mario and Marsha asked what we had planned for the day. We had planned to hike La Pianista in the morning and then go to the hot springs in the late afternoon. We all got busy chatting and lost track of the time. Mario discussed our interest in going to the hot spring with the owner of the B&B (Peter) and arranged a van to take us and guide us on the 15 minute hike to the hot springs. We all changed our clothes and were ready to go in a half an hour. We made a quick stop at the market and bought beer and snacks. Who goes to a hot springs without beer? We were driven to the entrance and then got out to walk.

We walked along the river bank and up into the hilly farmland.

We passed cows, farms and a cemetery. After 30 minutes we came along side the river. Chantal and I laughed because if we had done this alone we would have given up and stayed here to swim.

Our 15 minute walk was more like an hour and 15 minutes. We were all hot when we arrived and wondered if we really wanted a hot spring. We crawled in and relaxed in the lukewarm water.

Mario handed out cold beers and we relaxed. Everyone shared travel stories and enjoyed fresh fruit, chips and beers throughout the afternoon. It was a beautiful day in nature. After a few hours we hiked back to the van and returned to the B&B.

 We decided to stay in and eat dinner with Mario and Marsha. They gave us great advice for our sailing trip and encouraged us to get sea sick medicine in Panama City. I said goodbye to them, we were all headed in different directions in the morning. My next journey was taking me southwest to Playa Vaneo. 

Panama Boarder Crossing ....Gateway to Hell?

Go to Panama. It will be fun! Not the boarder crossing!

It was 8:00 PM and we were standing in line to enter Panama. The last 2 days of travel on buses had drained me. I was delirious. Everything was funny now. Chantal and I had traveled from Managua to San Jose, Costa Rica (10 hours by bus), slept at the Tica Bus station hotel and then boarded another bus to David, Panama. As we were in line to board the bus, I was told I needed to buy a return airplane ticket to the USA before I could board. What?!? I had arranged a bus ticket to cover the issue but they said the USA government required I had a flight home. I looked at my watch. The bus was leaving in 28 minutes. Ugh! I was not happy but realized I needed to buy a refundable airline ticket. I went online and bought it with plans to cancel the next day. I boarded the bus to Panama and was ready for the boarder crossing. Everyone we met had stories about the boarder crossing. Several people were on boarder runs and had been using the same "airline ticket" they had been doctoring for months. Wish I had known about that, I would have made a fake one too! They also told us we needed to show USD $500 cash to enter. Ugh. I hate stupid rules like these. It makes me never want to come back to a country that is not easy to travel. As I stood in the long line waiting, I was even more certain I did not want to do this again. We were the third bus in line. Everyone had to get off and line up at the counter. There was a long line of people in front of us. A gentleman walked up and handed us the forms to fill out in line. Everyone was trying to balance the form on a bag and answer the questions. We had to account for all the money we had in every currency. Locals were standing around watching as tourists pulled out money and counted it. Yeah, I felt safe! Then  someone walked up and said we had to pay an entry tax ($1) and placed a stamp in our passport. We stood in line for 2 hours. Finally, I reached the window. I handed the gentleman my passport. He asked me to show him $500. I pulled it out of my money belt and handed it to him. He motioned for me to fan it out. Then said ok. Then he asked for my airline ticket. I gave it to him. He saw it was out of San Jose, Costa Rica and asked for a bus ticket from Panama to Costa Rica. Seriously! I pulled that out. This was ridiculous! Next he asked where I worked, my degree, when I was going back to the USA and where I was traveling. When he opened up my passport he noticed all the stamps and asked when I had left the USA. Ugh! I had a bank statement prepared to show him if needed.  I was contemplating if I would have to give him some money to stamp my passport. Luckily, he had enough information and stamped my passport.

 

You would think this was sufficient to get us through the boarder. Nope! Now we had to wait for everyone on the bus to get stamped and then they would open the bus for us to remove our luggage for search. I decided to find a bathroom. Unfortunately, they were closed for the day and we would have to wait. Nope. I needed to go. I was irritated at this point. I asked the bus driver if I could use the one of the bus. After promising I was only going to urinate, he let me. Then I returned to the curb to sit and wait. Chantal and I started making up Panama tourism ads. We decided they should start one that is "Panama...it puts the FU in FUN!" I have been to 22 countries and Panama was the most difficult and costly to enter. Why? Who knows. Bureaucracy gone bad. It is not a country made for backpackers. We finally got the ok to get our bags and enter a small room. Everyone rushed to get a place on the tables. I sat on my backpack on the floor waiting. I looked around. All the backpackers were chilling on the floor. Everyone at the tables was forced to open and unpack their bags for the customs agents. When there was space, I moved up and lifted my bag. The guy said ok. I never even opened it. Huh?!?  Just another checkbox requirement with no real purpose. I was happy to finally be back on the bus. It was late and we still had an hour to David and 45 minutes to our hotel in Boquete.

 

When the bus pulled up to the stop in David, Chantal and I were happy to see our guesthouse waiting for us. We jumped in the truck and were happy when we arrived at Casa Pedro. I was ready to sleep off 2 days of long bus rides and boarder crossings. I knew I would feel better when I got some rest. Panama had better be good, the boarder crossing had already put it in a bad light.

 

 

 

Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

 

Welcome to Little Corn Island

"Oh my God! I am going to die!" I uttered those words as the boat bounced from large wave to the next. We hit a wave and gallons of water rushed over the sides and drenched me. I spit out a mouthful of sea water as I rubbed my eyes. They were burning from the salt water. The girls in the rows behind me screamed and I knew another large wave would crash over me in seconds. I was going to drown at sea! This is how my life was going to end!! We were a third of the way on the panga (speedboat  that holds 40 people) ride from Great Corn Island to Little Corn Island. I had left the Hostal De La Casa de Los Abouelos before sunrise. Fabby's father gave Chantal and me a ride to the La Costena airport. We boarded an hour flight to Great Corn Island on the Caribbean side of Nicaragua. As the plane landed on the island, we saw children looking over fences at the plane and an armed gunman (military I assured myself) watching as the plane taxied to the airport. We walked down the steps to the tarmac and past the drug dog while we waited for our luggage. Our checked bags were also sniffed for drugs. As we waited, 2 horses snuck onto the runway and were happily galloping on the black Tarmac. A local gentleman explained this is a frequent sight and the planes typically do a fly over to make certain there are no lose cows or horses roaming free. Ha ha! Chantal and I grabbed our bags and found a taxi driver to take us to the dock. He told us we had plenty of time and asked if we wanted a breakfast first. Sure, why not. We had 2 hours before the boat left for the island. We sat at a restaurant looking out at the calm blue sea and waiting for our breakfast. We never expected it to take 1 hour and 10 minutes to get scrambled eggs! It was time to really slow it down. Island time. We got our food and the taxi driver waved to us. We had 5 minutes to eat. We hurriedly ate our food and got back in the taxi.  We arrived at the port as the boat was loading. We asked about tickets and were told to buy them on the boat. We got in line for the boat and were asked if we had tickets. Huh?!? Someone was messing with us. We were sent back to buy tickets and told we would be on the next boat. As we waited on the dock, a guy told us to get in the first boat. I was confused and just did as I was told. He had a row scoot together and had me squeeze into the side. We were squished into the boat like sardines. After 20 minutes, we finally left. It seems they have the 2 boats go at the same time for safety. The 30 minute ride was rocky and I really did believe we were going to drown at sea. It was the wettest roller coaster ride I had ever been on. On the right side of the boat was a plastic tarp that people were trying to hold over their heads. Half the people were crouched under it and the rest of us had given up and were getting drenched by the large, rough waves. I was grateful when I could see shore. Finally! As we exited the boat, I found the boy from Carlito's Place who was sent to take us to our casitas on the east side of the island. We grabbed our backpacks and followed behind his full wheelbarrow. There are no cars on the island. The only transportation is walking.


Roads on Little Corn Island

It is peaceful and I was happy to be back on the water. As we walked the dirt path, we passed signs for other hotels and restaurants. I was taking notes of who had food and Internet.


Road signs

We arrived at Carlito's and had to do a little negotiation. I had reserved 2 casitas. One was fine but the second was in the back of the propoerty. I asked to see it. It was awful. A little treehouse by the swamp. There was no way I was staying in it next to what I assumed was a snake filled swamp, not even for $15! Chantal did not want it either. We finally decided to take a double for $30. We dropped our belongings and headed to the beach. The water was refreshing! We lounged on the beach and in the hammocks giggling about how lucky we were to be relaxing in paradise for a week while friends and family were freezing in the "polar vortex!"

We spent a week swimming, reading, writing and relaxing on the beaches. We walked the island trails each day. It is a small island but fun to explore. I found my favorite house on the beach, Casa Flip Flop. I was impressed with the flip flop Christmas tree out front.

 

Grace's Cool Spot had my favorite Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas in Corn Island

But most of our time was spent walking to different beaches and relaxing in the sand.

This was the high tourist season  but we did not see many tourists. The only time we saw a lot of tourists was when you went to a café or restaurant that had Internet. In our time there we liked the food and internet speed at Café Desirae and Casa Iguana. We became regulars and got to know the other tourists that frequented these spots.

 

As we explored the island, we came upon the windmill used for power at the Peace and Love Farm.

 

Later, we explored the southern end of the island and wandered through flower gardens and coconut groves. We were reminded not to take anything.

As we walked through the jungle, we started to wonder if we would find a beach. We looked out through the jungle and saw a couple beaches. We hiked down the side of the small cliff to a beach. Then we saw rocks. We crawled over the rocks and around the point to the second beach....it also had rocks but the view was great!  We were often the only people on the beaches.

We celebrated that evening with fresh coconuts and huge salads at Café Desirae. Mmmm!

I woke up early in the mornings to enjoy the quiet on the beach. I was usually joined by one of the local dogs. I named this guy Chelle but my favorite island dog was Bushman. He had a colar that read I am Bushman. Each time you said his name he would bark at me. He walked with me several mornings.

 

At the end of the week, I was ready to make the journey back to the mainland and south to Panama. I had decided to skip Costa Rica because it was much more expensive than Nicaragua and I needed to watch my budget.  I packed my bags and said goodbye to the beautiful Little Corn Island.

 

 

A quick and less eventful boat ride back to Great Corn Island and then to the airport.  I was flying back to Managua for one night. Then taking a bus to San Jose, spending a night there and on to Boquete, Panama. 

 

Day Tripping from Granada

What a New Year's celebration! We were all still laughing and amazed at the craziness from the previous night. Christy, Steve and I sat at breakfast reminiscing and laughing. Granada definitely knows how to welcome the New Year! As we were walking the Parque Centro, we stumbled upon one last soul that had decided to make the sidewalk his bed for the night. He looked like he needed a little more rest.

After breakfast, we decided to drive an hour to Laguna de Apoyo, a large volcanic crater that was now a lake. Our hotel recommended a hotel that where we could pay $15 and spend the day using their beach facilities.

It was the perfect way to relax after New Year's celebrations. We were all moving a little slower and ready to relax on the beach. The water was refreshing. I lounged on the shore reading while the McCrosky's took the catamaran out for a ride around the lake.

After a small rain storm and lunch, we each curled up for reading and naps in hammocks overlooking the lake.

I made the mistake of sleeping with my backpack as a pillow and messed up my back. I noticed a stiffness as we walked back to the car but the next morning I was a mess. I had to get a deep tissue massage and some pharmaceutical products to help ease the pain. No climbing a volcano for me! I sent Christy and Steve to Mombocho while I waited for the masseuse to arrive. Luckily, the hotel had recommended a guy that would arrive in an hour. I needed some major work. He arrived and walked into my room.  Jose opened his bed and put a sheet on it. He told me to remove my clothes. I waited for him to leave the room but he was doing his stretches and preparing to work over my muscles. I decided to go ahead and remove my clothes. I quickly laid down on the table and waited for a towel or blanket. None. It was naked massage time!  Fine. I hurt so bad I did not care. Jose was a professional...or so I hoped. He asked how I hurt myself and I told him I fell asleep in a hammock. He made a tsk, tsk, tsk sound and instructed that I never do that again. Then he went to task massaging my bum, back and legs. After a while, I thought he told me to turn over. He stopped me half way and twisted and cracked my back. Ahhh! It released pressure. I was feeling better. Then he told me to get up. He removed the sheet from the bed and placed it on the floor. He told me to lay down and pull my knees to my chest. I was naked and this was definitely awkward. What the hell was he going to do to me?!?! He rolled up a towel and placed it under my back. Then he put his weight onto my legs. Craaaackkkkkk! More relief! He rocked me towards him and rolled the towel higher under my back and rocked me back. This was odd but my spine cracked. The pain in my hip and leg went away. After a few more times he had me back on the table and started massaging a cream into my sore muscles. It heated up and felt good. Before he left, he saw a Icy Hot patch on the table and put it on my bum/lower back. Then he told me to take the pills I had bought, drink lots of water and sleep the day away. I felt 60% better when he left. That was a great 90 minute massage for $33!! I slept the day and night away.

 

I woke in the morning feeling much better. I was hungry and needed to find the McCrosky's. My bag was packed. This was my last day with them. I was going back to my backpacker lifestyle and flying to the Corn Islands in the morning. The McCrosky's were flying back to the states. :( I found Christy and Steve at breakfast. They had a great day at the volcano and had done some rough hiking...I never would have made it! We decided to go to stop at Masaya before returning to Managua.

 

The Masaya market was the nicest one I had visited in Nicaragua. We strolled shopping and bartering for artwork items and then rewarded ourselves with smoothies. Afterwards, we drove a short distance to the Masaya Volcano. We stopped at the information center and learned the history of the volcano (including the sacrifices of women and children).

Then we were prepared for the drive to the ridge. This was an active volcano with gases and lava!! We read that we were only allowed 5 minutes at the top. As we arrived at the top, we backed into a spot so we could leave ASAP if the volcano erupted. I hoped that would not happen but, you never know!

 

 

The gases were thick and we could not see any lava. Bummer! We looked around and hiked up a small path. After a few photos we left as rain started to fall. We drove to Managua. Christy and Steve did not have a reservation so we tried to find an area with hotels listed in the travel book. We saw a Crown Plaza and Steve went in to work out a price on a hotel room. They decided to stay the night. I was getting a taxi across town to my hostel. We said our goodbyes. It was fantastic having the McCrosky's travel with me. I have missed them so much! I was sad to say goodbye but I know I am on the downside of this trip. I will have to start thinking about going back to the "real world." I will see them back in the states.

 

I arrived back at the Hostel De La Casa de Los Abuelos and waited for my friend Chantal to arrive. I repacked my backpack and decided to leave a few items here in Managua that I would not need on the islands. I was ready for the next adventure, 7 days relaxing on Little Corn Island in the Caribbean.