torstai 15. joulukuuta 2016

Hello Nicaragua

So I visited Nicaragua. That's it. This is how I am going to start my blog. Very boringly (if that even is a word).
Maybe I am just not in a good mood to write anything because I know I have to leave soon. Soon I have to go to the airport and leave. I don't want to. Please.

But okay before all the good ends, let's talk about all the good that I had.

So I visited Nicaragua. Why? Because I had already seen everything I wanted to see in Costa Rica and I had free time, so why not. Why not go there, when it's so close and easy to go.

I took Ticabus from San José and it took me straight to Granada for only 29$. Crossing the border was surprisingly easy. I had heard "horror" stories how Nicaraguan border is a mess to cross (it takes forever etc). But for me it was easy. Just get the stamp on your passport and cross.

It took about 9 hours to go from San José to Granada but it didn't feel that long (mostly because I slept in the bus hah). I didn't have any reservation to any hostel because I knew there are so many hostels that there must be a room for one person. And luckily the hostel that I was aiming for had bed for me! Hostel Oasis and it really was one. The biggest hostel I've been so far. The dorm room cost only 9$/night and it included all you can eat pancakes and bananas breakfast (score!). It's middle of everything so it was easy to walk from place to place (not that Granada isn't easy to walk around from anywhere hah). It also had super good wifi (which is very important to travellers nowadays). Very good hostel and I totally recommend it to all.

I didn't do that much in Granada because, even though Nicaragua is super cheap, I was running out of money to do any tours. First day I just explored the city and relaxed. I absolutely love how colorful all the houses are. Granada truly is beautiful. Second day I spent in Laguna de Apoyo. Beautiful beautiful laguna where you can relax, swim, take a kayak and just enjoy.

My third night I stayed at the treehouse hostel. And I must say that go there! So beautiful and relaxed place. You get a free shuttle from center of Granada to there and back. Also it's a party hostel so it offers "party shuttles" at 8 and 9pm (and of course back ar 12 and 2am). It's only open from Wednesday to Sunday so make sure you are there around that time (Thursdays they have open mic night!). You have the opportunity to sleep in a normal dorm or do it like I did: night in a hammock! Truly truly recommended even though they don't have wifi! But hey it's a treehouse, what can you expect.

Saturday I headed to San Juan del Sur because I wanted to do Sunday Funday (heard too much about it to skip it). I took a shuttle there because it was easier and not that expensive. It's also easy just to take chicken buses to San Juan but I didn't want to change the bus at Rivas. Wanted to take the most easiest way possible.

Yet again I didn't have reservation to any hostel but yet again I got a room from a hostel that I wanted to go to (Coconut Surf hostel). Only 10$/night and breakfast included. There's not that many hostels that have breakfast included so when I find one, I am the happiest person ever. I am just so lazy to make my own breakfast that if I don't get it from my hostel, I often skip it (I knoooow, breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I shouldn't skip it).

And then Sunday came. I was expecting a lot from Sunday funday. I heard so many good stories that made it sound the best thing ever to do in life. To people who don't know what Sunday funday is: you pay certain amount money (30$) and then you go from hostel to hostel to party (hostel to hostel aka 3 hostels and a club)! All the hostels have a pool so basically it's huge pool party which starts at 12pm till... Well till you can't continue anymore hah.
I was a bit skeptic first to pay 30$.
Is it really worth it?
Was it?
Let me tell you...
It really was!
The music is so good. You meet so many new people. You just have the best Sunday ever!
Some people "gave up" already around 9pm but I found myself in bed at 2am. So basically I partied almost 14 hours. Not bad if I may say so hah!

And on Monday I woke up 7am feeling as good as any other day.

I didn't have any plans what I wanted to see or do in Nicaragua because I went there only because I had free time. So on Monday I just went to see Cristo de la Misericordia. If you walk there it's nice at least hour walk but half of it you have to walk really steep up. Luckily guy from my hostel wanted to drive there with his bike so I got a ride there! And it's good that I got a ride because the walk would have seriously been really steep and I'm too lazy to walk it hah. The view from there was so beautiful. I could see the whole San Juan and more. So pretty.
Rest of the day I just relaxed and bought some souvenirs.

On Tuesday everyone from my hostel went to have a bbq to a private beach but because it cost 20$ I couldn't afford it and go there (yes yes I know I just had spent 30$ to do Sunday funday). But I had nice day at my hostel trying to teach English to one of the workers there haha.
When others came back from the beach we went for a dinner. The restaurant we wanted to go said they are closed/closing but when they saw all of us (13 people) they didn't close it after all and let us eat there (smart move restaurant, smart move). The food was amazing so it's a pity I have no memory what the place is called.

Wednesday I headed back to San José. I took a chicken bus to Rivas and from there Ticabus to San José. Crossing the border took longer this time because when you go back to Costa Rica you need to show them a document that you are leaving the country and oh so freaking many people didn't have a ticket to show. So it took forever for people to buy ticket or something.. I don't know I was just so pissed because the line wouldn't move forward. So if you ever go from Nicaragua to Costa Rica by bus, pleeeeease have a ticket to show that you are leaving Costa Rica. Please.
In the end it took me 8 hours to get from Rivas to San José.

So that was my trip to Nicaragua. Many more small or not so small things happened but don't want to bore you more with small details. I met so many new amazing people and I really hope I will somehow meet them again. If you ever wonder if you should go to Nicaragua: go there. You will have a blast!

Oh yeah.. I was couple of days in Cahuita before I went to Nicaragua...

Cahuita is small, beautiful town. I just walked around Playa Negra and the nacional park. In Cahuita you can snorkel by the coral reef and do other tours if you want to. You don't need more than couple of days there though. It's beautiful and if you only want to relax it's perfect place to do that.

My flight back to Finland leaves day after tomorrow. Too soon. But all I need to do now is to enjoy my last days here and be happy to be able to see my friends again.

So see you soon!
Hasta luego!

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