Today, I slid down a volcano on a tiny wooden board...

Did you know that volcano boarding is actually a thing?? I would say that it takes extreme sports to a whole new level, but aside from the fact that you are sliding nearly straight down the side of a volcano at up to 90kph on a billion tiny rocks that jump up and try to eat your face, it isn't all that extreme.

(That's the slope we slide down.)

After a 45 minute minivan ride on the most bumpy and uncomfortable road in Nicaragua (in my book anyway...) we arrived at Cerro Negro Volcano, a beautiful little bump in the ground made up almost completely of black volcanic rock. 

We were given a board...

...and a backpack, and for the next 40 minutes our team hiked up to the peak while carrying our equipment. Beneath our feet, we crunched stones that sounded like packing snow or tiny little shells, and stepped carefully between loose boulders that at any moment could roll away and crush us all. 

Cerro Negro is one cool volcano! (Er, hot.) It is an active, smoking, sulfer smelling volcano that is overdue for an eruption. In 1999, it had a little mishap and lost some of its lava. It left a neat "frozen" river though!

As we walked, we discussed our sanity and wondered what on earth would posses people to seek entertainment in such a way as to speed down a volcano on a little board. We didn't come up with any answers, but our guide assured us there was a Bible in our equipment bag so we could pray before our decent. He was kidding, but it didn't really make us feel better about what we were going to do.

At the top of the volcano, the wind threatened to to tear our boards out of our hands, and we could see several other volcanos. The photo doesn't do it justice, but the view was incredible.

We paused for some last minute photos...

(It looks like a fake background, but it's really not!)

...and opened our equipment bag to find our sledding gear!

Oh yeah, sledding ready! The suits are necessary to keep the flying sand and pebbles out of your clothes. It did an awful job, so I can't imagine how dirty we would be without them!

We put on the jumpsuits, knee pads, an elbow pads, and started to get the rundown on controlling our boards...

The rules were simple: lean back, feet back for breaks, pull rope, and keep one hand behind to steer. Sounds simple enough, right? I was pretty excited to be wearing such an awesome costume...

Or maybe because I was gonna slide down a volcano in 30 seconds - when it took 40 minutes to go up. Originally I and two other guys had been planning to actually "snow board style" it down the hill - standing up with a board strapped to your feet - but our guide said its not nearly as fun, so we settled with sitting on the sled.

There were two trails to choose from: a fast and a slow trail. Of course I opted for most extreme. After a bit of hesitation to push myself off the top of the volcano, I was off, sticking my feet in the gravel in front of me and my hand down behind. Rocks flew in my face and my goggles made it nearly impossible to see; I felt as if I was going to slide faster than my board, and slide off the front to roll to my death. At one point, the sled trail took a nose dive and I wondered who on earth came up with such a sport...

But just like that, it was over, and I survived!

Seriously, though! The things we humans  do for a little adrenaline! 

At the bottom of the hill, we took our suits off and shook pounds of sand out of our clothes, shoes, ears, and hair. I'm pretty sure I still have some in my hair though...

Besides that burst of adventure, I have been staying in Leon and loving almost every minute of it. It is such a beautiful, active yet peaceful town. There is so much to do and so much to see!

My favorite part, I ran into a good friend we had met in Guatemala!! It is so incredible that the world can be so big and yet small enough to run into people in different countries more than once. So, I have been spending time with wonderful people from the hostel as well as Chapi and his Nico friends! 

Last night we went dancing and had such a great time. One of Chapi's friends happened to be a dance teacher and taught me some more meringue! I absolutely love dancing meringue (mer-ang-gay) and its so fun to watch people who really know how to dance! And these people definitely know how to dance, especially Chapi. Seriously the best little dancer in the world, and he is such a happy soul, always. 

In the morning I again ran I to him on the street and he invited me for breakfast - I wish I had pictures of it, but he made the strangest meal ever. It was good, of course, but I have no idea what it was! Something that looked and tasted a bit like a mix of tofu and potatoes...as well as a drink made by soaking "tamarindo" beans in water. So weird, but so good. 

Then, for quite awhile we sat around and the Nicos played guitar and drums and sang for me. They would make up songs that made no sense and we would all end up laughing and rolling our eyes.

Such happy times; such great people.

La Boquita - Tranquilo Beach Review

I promised the hostel worker in la Boquita that I would tell everyone how wonderful the place is. So, here is my attempt at a review thanks to too much down time on the beach. :)

....................

I just stumbled upon (this far) my favorite place in Nicaragua. It's similar to a lot of my favorite places in Central America - not exactly white sand beach, palm trees, huge crashing waves that roll into nothing by the time they reach shore, thatch roof buildings, plenty of local food restaurants....and not a single tourist. 

It was a last minute decision. I had never heard of the place, but after an online map search, I saw the name, and for some reason it stuck with me. I did some research, figured out how to get there, and here I am.

I found a hostel (completely empty besides two surfers) for $15 a night (but then when they found out I was cool they changed it to $10) that has incredibly clean, comfortable, safe rooms, a huge bathroom, a kitchen, and a porch with hammocks overlooking the ocean. 

"Olas Escondidas" is owned by a guy who lives in the states, but it is run by an amazing, incredibly sweet young couple that lives here with their four year old son. The hostel is right as you come into town and there is no sign, but everyone knows where it is.

The town is such an interesting place, and in my book it is nearly perfect. It is almost like the whole town is a tourist resort - with no tourists. I can't figure out why, and after talking to people, they can't either.

Walking down the hill after you enter, there is a pulperia (little store,) a park, a simple hotel, and a parking lot. To the left is a long line of beautiful restaurants, and beyond them is the beach. The restaurants have thatch roofs, and many have a balcony and hammocks right on the beach! 

A few of them are a little pricy, but it is to be expected: their food is SO good!! I had dinner with a Canadian family I had met and we shared rice, fish, lobster, salads, and fried plantains. There were huge portions and everything was cooked to perfection.  The staff at the restaurants seem sweet and very accommodating and speak some (if little) English. And despite being in the middle of nowhere and having no wifi, most places take credit cards as well as cash.

On the other side of town there are some little comedors and bars that play loud music at night, but not to the point of overbearing or causing sleep loss. They are probably quite a bit cheaper but I didn't get a chance to check them out.

The town itself is almost completely paved which is a downside for me, but it doesn't matter if you're going to be spending your time on the beach. Exiting the restaurants onto the beach, I walked for hours in both directions and came across nothing but absolutely gorgeous beaches. Very occasionally I would pass some kids playing or looking for crabs, or someone riding a horse or bike, but for the most part I was alone with the ocean.

To the right is only empty, sandy beach just a short distance from trees, some typical shack-like houses, and an occasional cow or horse pasture.

To the left, it is completely different, and my favorite part about la Boquita. As you walk, there are huge cliffs with staircases winding down to the beach from fancy beachside houses, most likely owned by foreigners or rich nicos. When the tide comes in it looks like a normal beach, but as it goes out you can see more rocks that the waves crash over and into, leaving little pools with little fish and absolutely beautiful shells. As the waves crash the rocks, the water shoots through cracks and makes hundreds of tiny waterfalls. i have never seen anything quite like it, and for quite awhile I just stood there watching.

Further down the beach, the sand disappears for a short while and you are left walking on billions of pieces of tiny, colorful shells. 

Even though I didn't see any, I have heard that a few kilometers further is an area well known as a place for turtles to come to shore to nest.

Another downside for me is the general male population in the town. I haven't had any problems at all elsewhere in Nicaragua, but because it is so unusual for a blonde gringa to show up in this town, there is definitely a ton of attention. Nothing dangerous (though I wouldn't go out alone at night) but endless stares and "psst" to get your attention. The Nicos here are very shy, but if you talk to them first they definitely like to talk.

Besides that, it is so relaxed and wonderful here; in the morning the couple made me a papaya shake and we sat talking, (they don't know English, which was perfect to help me learn Spanish!) enjoying the incredible weather.

So, in summary: go to la Boquita. Even if just a day or two, it is definitely a wonderful place with everything you need for a relaxing vacation. :)

Homesickness and humor...hahah

Alright all you jokesters, I have one for you How many people can you fit in a Nicaraguan chicken bus?

Answer: one more. Hahahah. Just kidding. It's not actually a joke.

Every time you travel, prepared to be squished, because I'm sure you can make it on.  Even your luggage can fit somewhere, guaranteed!

Alright, now that that seriousness is over, it's been a pretty crazy few days. Somehow, my angels always manage to take good care of me and put people in my path that just make life better.

After spending a day on the absolutely deserted but beautiful la Boquita beach, dwelling in my terrible case of homesickness (it was my first time being seriously homesick since I started traveling, and it was bad.)

(But on the plus side I got to stay at a beautiful beach and I found a live sand dollar! So cool!! :D)

 I was ready to switch my flight home to ASAP and was hating everything about my life and traveling and being away from anyone who cares about you. Yes, as much as I hate to admit it, it happened. But now I am back to my normal self and being in love with traveling and can't begin to wrap my mind around the fact that I have a week and two days left of this adventure.

 I was rescued by a sweet family from Canada that happened to own a tropical paradise home a few miles away. 

They took me under their wing and welcomed me into their vacation home, giving me a free night in a wonderful private room with a warm shower (though I preferred cold thanks to the billion degree heat) and fuzzy towels as well as hammocks on a second story bungalow to watch the sunset and amazing all-you-can-eat meals and my personal favorite, family time. My two day adopted mother from Canada said they would be my family and make it a little better, and they definitely did. I absolutely loved hanging out with Dom and Zav (22 and 26) and talking about everything under the sun.

Besides that, I was introduced to Dom's local friend Carlos, who introduced me to more people, and...I love the way life works.

Dom is a DJ who, thanks to Carlos, got a gig in Managua. I had to pass through Managua to get to my next destination, so they invited me to ride along. 

(We enjoyed the slow moving because of bovines in the road...)

Then, since it was getting late, Carlos invited me to stay at their house with them, and we went out to dinner where Carlos insisted on paying for us all. Then, we went to Dom's event and got introduced to several other girls from the states. Long story short, thanks to this Canadian family who temporarily adopted me, I am no longer homesick and have new friends that I (unfortunately) fell in love with. 

Seriously. There is no way around the "falling in love with people you meet as you travel" thing...

In the morning, (after waking up to loud bass and screaming every few hours- they are they craziest partiers. Their parties literally last until ten in the morning. Personally, I would rather sleep...) they fed us an amazing Nica breakfast with gallo pinto, pancakes, cheese, and fresh orange juice...

...and I sat talking with Carlos for quite awhile (Nicaraguans are really shy, but once you get to know them they literally never stop talking.) He told me a lot about Nica culture and how all of Central America really dislikes Costa Rica because they think they're better than everyone else (....) and how there is such a huge gap between the poor and rich in Nicaragua. I made a mental note to remember everything we talked about - the culture, people, school system, money, etc etc - but of course I forgot most of it.

Later, they took me to the bus station to go to Leon. Just like that, no questions asked. They insisted and said its the Nica way. They live to make you feel welcome.

My gosh I love traveling.

Volcanos and cows and crowded buses...(part 2)

By 6:50 the next morning I was up and ready to go hike the beast volcano. After meeting up with two Nicaraguan guys and five Canadian girls that would make up our hiking group, we hopped on a bus and a few minutes later we arrived at the beginning of our adventure.

We began walking down yet another sandy road in between trees and fences and spotted with cows and what they leave behind. Every few minutes we would be ushered to the side to make room for the massive working animals.

We chatted and got to know each other as well as the trees and animals of the Nicaragua jungle thanks to our guide, Elmer.

The terrain was beautiful- first fields and cows, then trees and woods, then thick forest with paths carved between the mud walls.

We continued to climb in the woods; up tree roots and mud cliffs, under monkeys and shrieking birds that sounded like they were trying to shoot us with lasers.

After about two hours of hiking we arrived at a lookout.

The clouds were thick but spotty, and the wind was unbelievable.

The higher we climbed, the deeper we went into the cloud forest. Soon, we could barely see a few feet in front of us. We were disappointed that we were missing the view, but hopefull that the clouds would clear later, and very much focused on the challenge ahead.

As we climbed, the nice woods and dirt beneath our feet turned into steep rolling stones and solid rocks between steep rock cliffs on our sides.

It again crossed my mind that I am seriously crazy and I wondered how it was humanely possible that anyone could ascend the peak and survive. As we carefully stepped over patches of smoking stones that warmed our feet and ankles, I felt as if I was treading on forbidden territory; like I was sneaking around on a sleeping monster and at any moment he could awake like an angry dragon and tear me to shreds.

The rocks beneath our feet were unpredictable; I swear they had minds of their own.

But as we climbed; our lungs burning with thin air and sulfer an our legs aching with every uphill step, the clouds would occasionally clear and we were reminded of our goal.

We kept going - for four hours almost straight up. At points we were no longer walking but were instead "rock climbing" on our hands and knees. As we climbed, some of our friends turned back. First one girl, then another, then one of the guys, but five of us kept on, and with every step we became a team and a source of encouragement. And finally, finally, we made it to the top! We acted like a team that had just won the race...and this is all we have to show for it.

We stood on the top of the mountain for about two minutes, but as the wind gusted around us we were forced to sit, clinging tightly to our jackets and backpacks. At this point we took out our amazing half-ton sandwiches that our wonderful guide had prepared for us, but after about three bites of bread, cheese, and sulfuric sand, we decided to decend from the peak to avoid being blown to our deaths.

We began the treacherous decent, and after about 100 meters we decided to eat between two crevices. A pretty comfortable area with considerably less wind.

After enjoying our boost lf energy, we again started down the hill, and the clouds slowly began to disappear, revealing to us what we had hoped to see from the top - a breathtaking view of the entire island and beyond.

Words and pictures cannot even begin to describe the incredible beauty of being straight up and feeling as if you own the world.

This is another "you have to take my word for it" experiences...

And, the pictures definitely don't show the steep incline or how we basically descended on our butts because it was too steep to walk down...but you get the idea.

All too soon, our decent was over and we again began our walk on the dusty, sandy cow path.

And then I met this pretty girl!

She was standing alone by the fence, and I figured she couldn't possibly be friendly, but I was wrong!

Turns out, she was quite a social lady. She must have known that I needed some bovine love, because she was more than content to let me scratch her neck and give me slobbery cow kisses.

Unfortunately, my addiction was only satisfied for a few short minutes because my group was hurrying on without me. 

When we got back to the main road a short time later, a tuktuk was waiting for us to take us back to town.

After helping push the home/handmade vehicle (made out of a motorbike and who knows what else) to get it to start, the five of us hopped in and headed back through Nicoland to town for a well needed shower and some food!

Despite the shower and food, there is still volcanic dust coating my ankles and I would like a big meaty pizza, please. 

Until the next something wonderful, be blessed. :)