This is a story-style travel blog featuring my adventure through Central America in the fall of 2023. I did a 17-day tour called Central American Journey, from the company Intrepid. We visited Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. You can read the blog in order, or about whichever destination intrigues you! Within my stories, I’ll offer some recommendations and some tips and tricks for a smooth journey. When I travel, I mostly do group tours and the reasons are:
* As a solo woman traveler, it is much safer especially if traveling long distances or to countries that can be dangerous in some parts
*The itineraries are amazing and usually include all of the things you’d want to see and do…and if not, there is free time to do as you wish;
*You don’t have to worry about booking transport, finding hotels, etc. Sometimes that can contribute to the adventure, but it’s also nice to sit back and relax and let your tour leader be in charge
* And finally…the new people you meet on your tour become your family, and I’ve made lifelong friends in these journeys. For myself, this has equal importance with exploring new countries.
This morning comes with a very early start. We leave the resort in El Salvador at 4am. Oh. My. God. And last night, there were thunderstorms so I could not sleep due to being jolted awake by the loud thunder booms. And my paranoia of our hut being struck by lightning. And since it’s still raining when we leave, we have to truck through mud with our suitcases so we dirty up our shoes and our van in the process. We’ve got a bit of a journey today, so the early start is necessary. First, we have to cross back into Honduras since El Salvador does not share a border our next destination – Nicaragua. We stop at a gas station in Honduras with a decent café, but it’s still way too early for me to eat breakfast. I grab some yuca chips and a juice.
Crossing into Nicaragua is a bit of a long process – the whole building is empty yet it still takes about an hour to get everything in order because there’s only 1 border agent.
Rather than just looking at our passports and giving us an entry stamp, they also want to know our occupations. The easiest explanation for me is makeup artist, and our tour leader Marvin has fun describing this in Spanish. Haha.
After we’re permitted to enter, we need to carry all of our belongings to the van – a 10-minute walk in the scorching heat and I’m having a few minor regrets about the size of my suitcase.
Luckily our next van is airconditioned and we crank it to high as we make our way to the city of Leon.
Nicaragua is the largest country in Central America. Since it gained independence from Spain in the 1800’s, the country has had many periods of political unrest, fiscal crisis, dictatorship and occupation. Nicaragua has a diverse culture from the multiethnic population, which shows in its cuisine, folklore, music and literature. It’s known as the land of lakes and volcanoes, with some tropical rainforests.
Leon is the second largest city in Nicaragua, and is known as the political and intellectual center of the nation. The city has been moved and rebuilt from its original location, when it was destroyed by earthquakes and a volcanic eruption. The people were tired of worrying about that damn volcano! Leon was founded by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba, and the national currency is named for him. It used to be the capital city of Nicaragua, but then the city of Granada took over. Then for several years, it went back and forth until finally someone said “F This” and moved the capital city permanently to Managua.
There is so much to see here: stunning churches, historical locations and monuments, and the abundant street art scattered throughout the city. The architecture is colonial with a mix of opulence and simplicity, and according to Marvin, the city is “hot like a frying pan”. Haha. He is not exaggerating.
We are staying at Hotel Real; the décor in the rooms have a sort of antique-y vibe to them and there is a cute pool in the back courtyard.
Just after we check in, out comes a birthday cake for Bill! So fun to celebrate a birthday while traveling! Marvin is supposed to take us for a quick walk into the centre of town for a basic orientation, but he’s caught whatever sickness is going around. He needs to stay back at the hotel and rest up. Instead, one of our local guides Danny takes us on a 20-minute walk from the hotel to the main square. We need to find a place for lunch, so me, Ivonne, Bill and Kelly break away to find this cool place I had heard of. It’s a smoothie joint called Batidos Pitaya. They do not disappoint! Look at these things!
After lunch we head over to the Plaza Parque Central, and there are food vendors and shops set up in the park.
We pop into to the main church, The Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary.
It is the largest cathedral in all of Central America, with its distinct architecture and cultural importance. It was designated a UNESCO site in 2011.
Fun Fact: this church has 7 cellars that provide stability in the event of an earthquake, and has 7 tunnels that start under the church and lead to other churches in the city!
There are many notable Nicaraguans buried here, and this is the tomb of the famous poet Ruben Dario, who created the literary movement of modernismo.
We make our way over to El Mirador for dinner/drinks for Bill’s birthday. We walk up the VERY steep steps to the top where there is an outdoor deck. There are fans, but no air con. I have 2 fans of my own (manual and battery powered) and this is still not enough. I am super uncomfortable, as I cannot cool down. I order a beer, and try to make the best of it. A great local beer to try is Tona.
Nothing is really appealing to me for dinner and I’m so damn hot; I decide to cut these festivities short and head back to the hotel. As soon as I leave, it starts to POUR. I don’t have my raingear with me so I wait it out under a covered area but eventually I have to just accept that I’m getting soaked. This experience cools me down, so I’m feeling like I should go for dinner. I stop at a place called ViaVia; it’s not as hot in this joint. I order the Indio Viejo; it’s a very old traditional dish that is basically a cornmeal stew with chicken and veggies.
Seems dumb to have a hot soup on a hot night, but oddly, it works for me. I make it back to the hotel and the rest of the group isn’t far behind. It looks like they had a great time!
PRO TIP: In addition to Indio Viejo, there are many cool traditional dishes for you to try in Nicaragua. Nacatamales (the Nica version of a tamale), Gallo Pinto (fried rice with beans, herbs and veggies), tajadas (fried plantain), Carne Asada (beef strips cooked on the grill). Some drinks that are not to miss are Flor de Cana rum, beer (Tona or Victoria), and Pinolillo (sweet cornmeal and cacao).
Up early this morning so we can enjoy more of Leon before leaving this afternoon. It’s too bad because there is so much to do here! (after 2023, this tour includes more time in Leon. Yay!). We can choose to do a city tour, or go volcano boarding. Initially, I wanted to go boarding but the thought of hiking up that volcano in that heat does not sound fun AT ALL and I don’t want any injuries. Ivonne, James, Paige and Eilidh go boarding….
The non adventurous lot of us – myself, Poline, Adam and Manuel – do a city tour with Leo from Leon. Haha. He takes us back to that awesome church and this time…we go up on the roof! So cool.
We must remove our shoes, and I’m wishing I had worn socks. I’m thinking my feet are going to get filthy, but they actually don’t. It’s a bit hot on the feet tho, and I am sure I am getting a bit of a sunburn. The views from up here are stunning, and the architecture of this church is amazing.
Then Leo takes us to an art school, where we peek in on some kids learning traditional dances.
Next stop is the large central market, and Leo takes us around to try some local foods.
First is a dessert called sopa de leche…so yummy. It’s like a milky flan/pudding; you’ll probably only find this dish at street vendors/markets so take advantage!!
Then we go to another vendor, and she makes these awesome corn chips with a bit of a spicy kick. Leo then grabs a fruit that I’ve never seen before…a sapote! There are different varieties and I’m not sure which one this is, but the flavor is sweet and creamy. Finally, we try a drink called pinolillo, which is sweet cornmeal with a bit of cacao served with milk. Very refreshening on a hot day!
After the market, we make a quick coffee stop at Manana Manana Café before making our way over to Iglesia La Recoleccion. This is considered to be the most beautiful church in Leon, and that’s no exaggeration.
We don’t go inside, but just down the street is another cool church, La Merced.
We have a quick look inside, and then it’s on to an area where there are many historical murals, and now Leo will attempt to sum up the complicated history of Leon and Nicaragua.
We stop at 2 murals that represent Augusto Sandino, who was a revolutionary and a leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933, against the US occupation in Nicaragua.
He was considered a hero and a symbol of resistance for the people. His movement and followers were called Sandinistas. After the US left the country, the National Guard was in power under the direction of General Somoza, and he ordered Sandino to be executed in 1934. Somoza went on to be the leader(dictator) of Nicaragua until he was assassinated in 1956 by poet/artist Rigoberto…..more on him shortly.
Now we head over to the museum dedicated to Rigoberto, a young poet and artist who was a member of the Sandinista movement.
The museum is located in the former Club de Social de Obreros de Leon. Rigoberto snuck into a party here in 1956, and found Somoza and shot him dead. In response to the assassination, Rigoberto was also shot and killed. He is considered a national hero.
Our final stop today on this city tour is at the Hotel el Convento, which has a beautiful garden area.
Leo sums up the day for us, and now we say adios and are off to kill a few more hours in this intriguing city. I end up at the market in Parque Centrale , where I find some cool souvenirs.
PRO TIP: some neat things to pick up here in Nicaragua are: Flor de Cana rum, hammocks, coffee, Primivista art (I found some at a market outside of Granada), and local ceramics
As I’m shopping, a super loud siren goes off and I’m like, holy crap what’s happening? None of the locals seem to be alarmed, and then I recall being told that these sirens go off a couple times a day….7am to signal school/work time, and then at lunch. Haha.
I find a couple more cool churches as I continue on…
I figure I had better grab some lunch before we leave for our next destination this afternoon. I look around a bit and I cannot decide so the easiest option is… McDonald’s. I know, not super authentic but I’ve tried a lot of local food too so I don’t feel guilty at all. Haha.
Leon has been amazing, and is a must see when visiting Nicaragua…..
Everywhere On Earth With Erin 