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<\/a>This guy’s getting wet.<\/p><\/div>\n
Many overlanders choose to cross Honduras in a single day, because it is supposedly the most dangerous country in Central America. We choose to follow the same path, but only because our schedule for arriving at our house sitting assignment in Panama doesn’t allow for quite as much time sightseeing as we might like. We crossed from El Salvador to Honduras at about 10am, and by 3pm we were in Nicaragua.<\/p>\n
<\/a>We choose a different route through Honduras in order to use a smaller border crossing in the highlands, and doing so afforded us the opportunity to see the amazing, verdant greenery of southern Honduras.<\/p><\/div>\n
Our first thought on entering Nicaragua was, “Muy tranquilo.” Traffic was light, and the roads that we shared with donkey carts were good. We found a spot to camp not far from the border that first night.<\/p>\n
The next day we went to Lago Apoyo where we spent two nights relaxing at a backpackers hangout by the lake. They had good food and the lake was plenty warm enough to swim in. We spent a very relaxing couple of days there.<\/p>\n
<\/a>Witt and Quinn enjoy the floating dock on Lago Apoyo<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Mom gives swimming lessons. Quinn has really taken to the water lately and is becoming quite a fish.<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Looking across the lake from the hostel’s restaurant<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>A rain storm interrupted our swimming one afternoon.<\/p><\/div>\n
After the lake we went to Granada, which is a favorite destination of travelers and expats. It’s easy to see why. The feeling of tranquility continued, with light city traffic. We had no problem finding a place to park in the center of town, and spent a rainy morning exploring the city.<\/p>\n
<\/a>The central plaza in Granada<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>The town’s old railroad station featured the first steam engine we’ve seen since California!<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>We hired a guide to give us a tour of the town in a horse-drawn carriage
<\/p><\/div>\n
<\/a>Granada has a nice pedestrian street and several beautiful churches<\/p><\/div>\n
We didn’t spend the night in Granada, opting instead to go to the nearby Masaya Volcano National Park. We were able to camp in the visitor’s center parking lot where we enjoyed a very quiet evening – no barking dogs!! The next morning we drove up to the rim of an active volcano. Seriously, a few years ago this thing spat out a rock that smashed someone’s car. There are signs advising you to back in so you can make a quick getaway if needed!<\/p>\n
<\/a>Volcan Masaya<\/p><\/div>\n
We did some short hikes around the volcano and left around mid-morning, headed for the beach. We’d heard that it was possible to see nesting turtles near the surf town of San Juan del Sur. That made a good starting point for the Costa Rican border the next day. It was a bit of an adventure to reach the turtle sanctuary, which is located 18km south of San Juan del Sur on a slow dirt road. They let us camp in the parking lot, and we spent the afternoon playing on the beach. The surf was gentle, and Quinn had a fantastic time playing in the waves. We all enjoyed the chance to cool off in the water.<\/p>\n