On second thought

Five nights in the Corn Islands was fascinating. Eventually I got up the nerve to boat out to Little Corn for a day trip. The maturity of the jungle was absolutely mind boggling. There are no cars or motorbikes on the island. Just walking trails, wheelbarrows, horses and bicycles.

Touristy but not lacking culture. Not as authentic as Big Corn, but much more beautiful. I mean the water is stunning from anywhere but the actual beaches were pristine.

And there was yoga. Which means there was clean, delicious food. And fresh coffee. I didn't feel the need for pizza. So I went back to Big Corn, packed my bags and left the next day to spend a night on the island. It was extremely rustic and expensive, but an experience that's worth it.

The night before I left Little Corn, I booked a flight, without a map or a plan, to San Carlos to travel down the Rio San Juan, which is the border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica. It's advertised as being similar to the Amazon, and the most pristine wilderness of all of Central America.

9 seater plane with only two other passengers. Wow. Dirt landing strip. Whoa.

The Río San Juan was a magical place. From the tiny plane I took a lancha to my hotel- Hotel Sabalos, about an hour east. The hotel is perched over the river and the views were astounding. For three beautiful days, I went to sleep to the sound of frogs and woke up to the sound of howler monkeys. I awoke before dawn to tour the river wildlife. Three types of monkeys, river otters, more birds than I could begin to describe. Different types of frogs, lizards, bats. So far, it is the highlight of my time in Nicaragua.

It's Christmas Day and I am on isla de ometepe. It took me 16 hours to get here from San Carlos. It's an island comprised of two volcanoes, one still active, in the middle of Lake Nicaragua. It's pretty. Isolated. Rustic. There are no busses running today so I ventured out of my crappy hotel to find somewhere nice to land for a few hours. Hiked 6 hours to a waterfall and back yesterday off of one of the two volcanoes.
Looking forward to heading to San Juan del Sur tomorrow and then to finishing my trip in Costa Rica.

Maybe when I'm a little more comfortable I will be able to write something more entertaining than a report of where I am.
Merry Xmas to all who celebrate.
Peacd