Honduras

We woke up after a restless few hours sleep, pulled on our already laid out clothes and dragged our backpacks to the front gate. It was just before 2am and our shuttle had already arrived to take us all the way to Copán in Honduras. With bleary eyes we boarded the minibus and after picking up two more travellers we began our journey. The shuttle crossed from Nicaragua into Honduras and rather than drive north towards the capital city we took a road headed straight toward El Salvador. We crossed into El Salvador and stopped at a petrol station for breakfast as we'd already been driving for hours and the sun had risen. A petrol station breakfast sounds like it would naturally be a horrible thing but actually it was quite delicious, the set up reminded me of breakfast at Woolworths as a child, little trays and dishes behind glass to choose from. Putting our Spanish to the test we pointed out the items we wanted; 'heuvo por favour', 'arroz con frijoles', 'plantain y queso'. We drove on further, eventually reaching a beach town where we had to change vans and were able to take a break by going for a walk. It was hot and the town was full of cafes and tourists, mostly American. We walked to the beach which we found to be a popular surfing destination and we had just enough time for a fruity milkshake with a view over the river before we had to return to the office to be led by our new driver to the new shuttle bus. The two guys that we had been travelling with had said goodbye, El Salvador was the end destination for them. We had a new group of people to travel all the way to Copán with. 

An Armed Guard Patrols the Ruins of Copán in Honduras

Stepped Pyramid in Copán, Honduras

On we went to the El Salvador/Guatemala border, by this point we'd travelled the entire length of El Salvador. Our original plan before we really realised how the Central American geography and road network worked was to travel in Honduras and then pop into El Salvador for a couple of nights before travelling onto Guatemala. Because of our actual route we decided not to return to El Salvador again as it would be too expensive to drive all the way back and would cost us too much time. With hindsight we probably could have jumped off in El Salvador for a night or two and then carried on to Copán but we hadn't really thought of that when booking. Knowing that we weren't coming back I made an effort to really look outside at the towns we passed through and the landscape which did look beautiful, perhaps we will return one day in the future for a proper look. 

Colourful Ornately Decorated Stone Carvings in Copán, Honduras

We arrived in Guatemala, drove north and re-entered Honduras just as the sun was starting to set. We'd been awake since before 2am and had travelled via four countries in one day, a new record. We'd incurred exit and entry fees along the way, the fact that we had to pay just to travel through did niggle a bit at the time. After a quick pose in front of the Honduras sign we drove on to Copán arriving after nightfall. Our shuttle ticket included a night in a dorm room which we were shown to. Craig was feeling annoyed because the room quality was pretty poor but as we had just two nights in Copán and we were so exhausted from travel we didn't argue. We popped out for a bite to eat and found a restaurant serving local food, at first glance the menu looked very meat heavy and we thought we may struggle with the local cuisine. We found a 'fast food' section on the menu with prices that were incredibly cheap. Baleadas caught our eye due to the ingredients listed, we hadn't heard of them before but it turned out that they were a toasted flour tortilla filled with a choice of things including cheese, beans, egg and avocado. We ordered a couple each with a side of fries and were pleasantly surprised. The setting in a courtyard with a barbecue blazing and local families tucking in made for a lovely experience. 

Craig Exploring the Nooks and Crannies of Copán, Honduras

Walking Along Walls and Admiring Views in Copán, Honduras

We awoke and went for breakfast which was meant to be included in our shuttle ticket. The hostel owner was oblivious to this and wasn't really willing to oblige. Luckily I had taken a photograph of the shuttle advertisement hanging on the wall of our hostel in León which blatantly said dorm bed and breakfast included. He sent us up the road to a sister establishment which was much nicer and we were served free pancakes at a rustic wooden table. Something we've learned in all our travels is that if you think you're entitled to something for free then definitely insist on it as it saves valuable pennies. Also, do as I do and take reference photos of everything for proof if needed. In the daylight we were able to see the town properly and it was rather lovely. With Honduras having such a tumultuous history and a pretty terrifying reputation I wasn't sure what to expect but Copán Ruinas to give it its complete name was quaint and pretty. The main square was surrounded by preserved buildings and restaurants and the streets were clean and full of friendly locals sat on benches chatting. 

A Sinister Skull Carved from Stone in Copán, Honduras

The Carvings in Copán are Second To None, Honduras

With just a day to explore the ruins of Copán that we came all this way to see we hot footed it along the winding road to the Mayan site. We passed a few small ruined statues on the route and eventually turned off to the ticket office. We walked down a long tree lined path behind an armed guard who was patrolling the area and found an area with perches for wild scarlet macaws that are being reintroduced into the area. Every now and again out of the corner of my eye I'd spot a bright red flash of feathers, never before have I seen such a colourful bird in the wild. We passed intricately carved stone bricks and sculptures before reaching an open area with stepped pyramids which were free to climb. What sets Copán apart from other Mayan sites in Central America is the detailed decoration on the temples and the preserved carvings. Copán pyramids and temples aren't the biggest or the most impressive by size but they are the most artistic. A huge staircase with ornately carved statues had been covered with a large piece of tarpaulin suspended above to keep the rain at bay to avoid any further erosion. The steps were not able to be climbed which was understandable given the quality that needed preservation. As we walked around groups of school children started to pop up which obviously meant that the site was no longer completely peaceful. There was so much to see that we spent a good few hours wandering, we found skulls carved from stone, rock that had colourful pigment smeared on and fallen leaf covered areas with not a soul in sight. 

Perfectly Preserved Temples in Copán, Honduras

Faces Everywhere in Copán, Honduras

After climbing steps and walking along stone walls we found a trail leading through the forest. There we saw some hidden away sights and also lots of little lizards dashing around, the trail was deserted. With our day exploring at an end we returned to the town and went back to the cheap local eatery for more baleadas, this time I had fresh avocado with mine. With another travel day arranged for tomorrow our time in Honduras was already up. All the worry had been for nothing as we found Copán to be a safe and welcoming town and the wonderful Mayan ruins had been well worth the long and tiring journey. 

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Nicaragua

So, to pick up where we left off. We boarded a bus in Monteverde headed for San José early in the morning and jumped off at a petrol station. The next bus we needed was sat on the roadside so we grabbed our backpacks and hauled them along the dusty road, throwing them into the luggage storage. We made our way to the Costa Rica/Nicaragua border and chaos ensued. The border crossing was a mess of vehicles waiting, touts and offices here there and everywhere. We had found a few other travellers to walk with including a Frenchman named Marin to help with the crossing which made life a little easier. After walking to the immigration office we were pointed back the way we came with no explanation, a lady casually milling around advised that we needed to pay a fee. We weren't sure if this was a swizz or not as I had read some interesting tales on blogs and Lonely Planet about Central American border scams. We were led to an office which didn't exactly look official but found that yes we did indeed have to pay a Costa Rica exit fee of $8 which was an extra dollar as we hadn't organised it in advance. We got stamped out of Costa Rica and after a sweaty walk of about 1km we officially arrived in Nicaragua where we were ordered to pay $10 for a tourist card plus $2 processing fee and a municipal fee of $1, how I miss the easy and free border crossings in South America! 

Craig, Marin and I left the immigration office and were swarmed by touts and taxi drivers all hoping to get us in their cab for an inflated price, we had heard that there was a bus going to Rivas for the equivalent of less than a dollar but each tout in turn told us 'no bus today' or 'bus is too expensive, taxi better value'. Agitated and with a face like thunder I started to ignore all the touts and insisted that we walk on to see if there was a bus around, low and behold a bus was just leaving and although it was heaving we were practically pushed on and charged $3 each which I learned was still more than locals had been charged but by this point I was just happy that it was a relatively nominal fee. After arriving at Rivas we quickly jumped in a taxi with Marin and were driven to the huge Lake Nicaragua where our end destination awaited, Isle de Ometepe. Famous for its huge twin volcanoes the island attracted me due to its place in the Lonely Planet's 'top places to see in Central America'. We sat on the top deck of the ferry under a bright blue sky watching as the imposing volcanic island got closer and closer. Once we reached the island we set about finding a place to stay, the port town of Moyogalpa was small but its streets lined with a variety of cafes, restaurants and hostels. We found a colourful shabby chic (minus the chic) hostel and had a look around, the dorm room was separated from the main area of the hostel by a bamboo screen and the bunk beds were tiny rickety wooden things that looked like something I could have made in woodwork class. A lacklustre little fan blew a bit of air around and I was too tired to go elsewhere so with a bit of a grumpy tone I said it was fine for a couple of nights. Feeling tired and hungry the three of us went out for some food, we found a cute and friendly place serving fajitas and tucked in to a huge portion each.

Volcano Concepción on Isle de Ometepe in Nicaragua

Thank goodness for earplugs. I learned that a holy bamboo screen does nothing to stop the racket of noisy drunk backpackers and one small desk fan in a dorm room does little to keep the heat at bay too. Craig and I visited a small empty cafe on a corner and sat at a table by the window. I ordered a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast which consisted of rice and black beans, fried egg, plantain and cheese. It was delicious and such a huge portion that I couldn't finish it all. We met with Marin and the three of us decided to hire bikes and cycle to Reserva Charco Verde which was a few kilometres along the road. The road was long but thankfully flat and as the hours passed the temperature rose making peddling a struggle. We reached the reserve and paid a small entry fee. Just inside was a lovely butterfly enclosure with more butterflies in one place than I'd ever seen before, as well as tropical plants and nectar rich flowers. Classical music played quietly in the background and as we were the only visitors it felt like a peaceful and magical place. 

The Butterfly Garden in Reserva Charco Verde, Nicaragua  

Nature's Bench Overlooking a Volcano in Nicaragua

We left the butterflies behind and followed a trail where we saw some pretty little birds flutter by and heard what sounded like an alpha monkey asserting his dominance, the screech would have been deafening had it been closer. Inside the reserve was a shimmering lake and as we were already on an island in a huge lake, it was technically a lake within a lake. We stopped to sit on a bench surrounded by trees with a view to the smaller lake and the huge lake beyond, breeze gently whipped at our faces which was welcome relief as the temperature was becoming unbearable. We continued our walk and found the large lake's shore which did resemble a beach and I found a huge twisted tree branch which made a perfect natural bench to sit on and admire the volcano in the distance. As we took the trail back to the entrance we spotted families of black monkeys high in the trees snoozing. 

We returned to our bikes and cycled back the way we came turning left to detour to a lakeside viewpoint to watch the sunset. Just after we turned the corner two girls on one moped did the same and miscalculating the sharp corner and gritted road skidded to a crashing halt. One girl was particularly bloody after scraping her foot across the road. Craig and Marin quickly rushed to help as did other passers by and after a few minutes they were back on the moped and on their way to a local hospital to be patched up. We jumped back on our bikes and cycled down the sandy track to the lake where a couple of informal bars were set up inside wooden shacks. We bought ourselves some drinks and sat and watched as the sun dipped lower and lower creating an intensely orange glow across the landscape until it was gone. With night falling and knowing full well that our bikes didn't possess lights we quickly got on our way. It was dark after a few minutes of cycling and I wasn't feeling safe. We still had quite a way to go to get back and although the road wasn't particularly busy cars with blindingly bright headlights still flew past. Thankfully we made it back in one piece and Craig and I went out for well deserved pizza while Coldplay songs played in the background.

Sunset on Isle de Ometepe in Nicaragua

The next day we left the island for Granada. We took the ferry back across the vast lake and tried to get a taxi to take us to Rivas the nearest transport hub. Every time we asked to go to Rivas we were met with; 'no, I can take you directly to Granada'. 'No' we tried to explain, being taken that far would be too expensive for us and we knew of a bus leaving Rivas for Granada. 'No bus going to Granada today, taxi only'. *insert exasperated emoji* Each driver in turn said the same or the driver would simply drive off! Eventually we found a taxi that would take us to Rivas, on leaving the car a couple of backpacking girls asked if we'd like to share a minibus taxi with them to split the cost as they were going to Granada and had been told there were no buses. I explained that we were looking to take a bus and I'd heard of this 'no bus' talk as a common scam so before committing to a driver we should take a look. Again, low and behold a bus heading to Granada sat waiting to depart. Feeling smug that I'd saved us all an expensive taxi fare we were on our way. On arrival in Granada we walked and found a lovely hostel with huge clean metal bunk beds and lots of ceiling fans, hooray! We took ourselves out for lunch and climbed the bell tower to see views of the characterful and historic old city from up high. We then walked to the lake front which was pretty but deserted so we walked back via the city square which was playing host to some musicians and dancers. 

From The Bell Tower in Historic Granada, Nicaragua 

Beautiful Buildings of Granada in Nicaragua  

The next day we took a hostel organised shuttle to Reserva Natural Laguna Apoyo where we sat in a sun lounger on the lake shore and whiled away the hours as if it were a beach day. The crater lake was surrounded by trees of all sorts and the water busy with kayakers and swimmers. 

We left Granada after our customary two nights and made our way to León by shuttle bus which stopped briefly in Managua. León seemed a lot poorer than the parts of the country that we had already seen, it had a distinctly Asian feel about it with litter piled up and bustling overflowing markets. We walked to a hostel that we had pre-booked and as we walked closer to the centre the streets began to feel cleaner and the surroundings safer. We dropped off our bags and went out for lunch and a wander, we found a lovely local art gallery which was well worth the cheap entry price. In the evening we made our own dinner in the shared kitchen and researched our next move. The next country to pass through was Honduras, former murder capital of the world. I was keen to visit as the Lonely Planet guidebook recommended a few places that sounded really interesting and I particularly wanted to visit the Mayan ruins of Copán. Craig was not so sure. After much reading we couldn't find a safe route to take us all the way through the capital of Tegucigalpa to Gracias so we had to begrudgingly book a shuttle that would take us straight to Copán on the far west side of the country, skipping several sights I was keen to see. Due to the roads and Central American geography our journey would take us on a crazy route; from Nicaragua into Honduras, then a crossing into El Salvador where we would drive through the whole country before entering Guatemala to then re-enter Honduras and finally arrive at our destination of Copán. Easy. Oh, and our shuttle would be picking us up at 2am. With that journey to look forward to we got as early a night as we could. knowing that what awaited was hours and hours in a minibus and the most complex route we'd ever encountered. 

 🎥 Central America video:

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Costa Rica

The Setting Sun and Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, Costa Rica

I'm beginning to wonder whether every time we have a great day a bad day will follow. It seems to be an unfortunate pattern that we're in. After a splendid time at the beach on Bocas del Toro we were due to leave Panama the next day, with limited time we couldn't afford to hang around anywhere longer than absolutely necessary. Unsure of the border crossing we agreed to pay $30 each to transfer from Bocas del Toro to San José in Costa Rica with an end goal of reaching La Fortuna. Annoyingly the journey was fairly straightforward and meant that we could easily have saved our money and done the trip ourselves. We were dropped in a dodgy part of San José and told that no buses would be running to La Fortuna from that station. After a brief conversation with a grumpy woman behind a counter we were pointed to another bus station up the road. Taxi drivers tried their best to take us miles to another bus station at a price but we stuck to our guns and hoped we could make it to our destination in one day. We found the bus station walking through a slightly intimidating area and found a bus taking us closer to La Fortuna but our money was running low and we couldn't find a cash point. Arriving at dark we still couldn't get any cash and when we asked a bus driver if he was going to La Fortuna he completely ignored us. We didn't even get any kind of acknowledgement that he'd heard us so Craig asked again, louder and more exasperated. After a wait we boarded the bus and were actually a few pennies short but were allowed on anyway. Eventually we made it to La Fortuna in the late evening after an arduous days travelling and walked to a hostel where luckily there was space despite our turning up unannounced. Never have we dealt with such unfriendly people on our travels, as polite travellers we were gobsmacked by the level of rudeness we encountered in our first few hours in Costa Rica alone and were happy to fall into our dorm beds for a sleep. 

We awoke in the huge characterless dormitory and set about our days activity. I had chosen La Fortuna to stay in as close by I'd read there is a national park with a trail that follows a solidified lava flow. When we went to enquire we learned that to get to the national park you either needed to take a local bus which went once a day there and once a day back at very odd times or an organised tour which was $50 each. $50 was already well over our daily budget and that didn't include the dorm bed and meals. We decided to save our money and instead enjoy a quiet day in La Fortuna. Arenal Volcano sits watching over the quaint town, imposingly large and one of the worlds most active. We strolled into town photographing the volcano from the wide streets and bought groceries from the local shop. An afternoon was whiled away blissfully on the pretty and plant filled hostel terrace with a delicious lunch. I found time to write in my journal and after weeks of discussion we had both made a decision regarding our Central American itinerary. We had heard wonderful things about Cuba and also about how quickly it is changing. We had been umming and ahhing for a long time about whether to squeeze in a trip to Havana and finally decided to go for it. We booked return flights from Cancún to Havana for a five night stay to experience a taste of Cuban culture. The only thing was that now we had even less time to get to Cancún, as if the time we'd given ourselves originally wasn't already stretched! 

Volcano Arenal From the Boat, Costa Rica

The Church of La Fortuna, Costa Rica  

The next day we decided to move on to Monteverde. As we'd saved a fair chunk of money in La Fortuna we took the 'jeep-boat-jeep' option of getting there to save the huge and uncomfortable journey all through the Costa Rican mountains. We boarded a minibus from our hostel and drove to Arenal Lake where the volcano looked particularly impressive. Backpacks in tow we stepped onto the boat and enjoyed a lovely 30 minute crossing across the water stopping to photograph the volcano and birds. Once docked we climbed up a steep bank which with huge backpacks and daypacks wasn't easy and boarded another minibus to drive along dusty tracks to Monteverde and our hostel. Our hostel was advertised as being a 5 minute walk from town but seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Our room was a little dingy but at least it was private and we asked about booking a second night so that we could have a full day in the cloud forest. The owner gave the price for a second night which was hugely inflated, evidentially we'd got a good deal when we booked online. Despite there being only about 2 other guests at the hostel he wouldn't budge on the price and so we decided to rush off to the cloud forest and leave the next day. Online the hostel said it offered a 'shuttle service' into town but there had been no mention of that and we were really pushed for time. The road was unsealed, dusty and not flat. I was dripping with sweat and red in the face from being so out of breath. After our mad dash we made it to the bus stop and boarded a local bus to the forest.

The Red Suspension Bridge in Monteverde's Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica

The Waterfall in Monteverde's Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica

We walked along the peaceful trail and as it was a sunny and bright day the sun dappled light through the trees, this did mean that there was no cloud in the cloud forest which put paid to my atmospheric misty photographs that I was planning to take. We only had around two hours to explore so we made the most of our time and followed a set route to a red suspension bridge and then on to a waterfall. The path twisted up and around trees and was laid with concrete slabs to keep the mud at bay. Vines dangled down and roots had burst through the earth creating a tangled web of branches and leaves. The red suspension bridge shook as we crossed but was deserted and allowed us time to peacefully look out over the canopy and the forest floor below. We doubled back and found the path again to the waterfall which made an ideal spot for a picnic. Luckily two hours had been ample time to explore and we wandered back to the entrance office and read information plaques about the local wildlife until the last bus of the day arrived to take us and many staff members back to town.

A Tangled Mess of Flora at the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, Costa Rica

Annoyingly the only way to move on to Nicaragua from Monteverde was to take an early bus towards San José, jump off at a petrol station and board a different bus north to the border. We woke before 6am to catch a taxi to the bus station to begin our journey. I don't think we've ever experienced this kind of inconvenience while travelling anywhere. Usually there's always an option geared towards backpackers but Costa Rica seems to be the exception, judging by the amount of American holiday makers we've seen (and heard) I think the country is more of a rich tourist destination aimed towards those with bigger budgets and a willingness to part with money easily. 

With just a few nights spent in Costa Rica we didn't experience all that the country had to offer but were happy to at least have a taste of the volcanic landscape and rich biodiversity. 

 🎥 Central America video: 

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