Life As Nomad

2017-12 Nicaragua

After spending a week in Guatemala, I spent 6 hours on a Tica Bus to go from Guatemala City to San Salvador in El Salvador. The next morning I caught another Tica Bus and spent another 11 hours going from San Salvador via Honduras to Managua, Nicaragua.

Spending that many hours in a moving box was hardly fun, but manageable – Traveling overland is still my preferred method of transportation in Central America. Flying is not necessary until I go further south to South America.

#Nicaragua

Church the Recollection, a Catholic church in the city of Leon. People always regard Granada as “the pretty girl in high school” and Leon as “the pretty girl’s best friend”. While Granada is hands down my most favorite city in Nicaragua (mostly because of Spanish school and the amazing Selina Granada hostel I stayed at), the old-looking Leon has its own charm and is a famous destination for volcano boarding.
@Leon
Vigoron, a local pork and cabbage dish in Granada. Most restaurants carry some version of the dish, but to truly appreciate it it is best enjoyed as street food – Right off the big green leaf it’s served on. Everyday after morning Spanish school, I visited Central Plaza right outside Selina just to eat vigoron for lunch.
@Granada
View from the Cathedral of Granada bell tower. Right next to the Cathedral is Central Plaza, where I ate vigoron for lunch everyday after Spanish school. Next to Central Plaza the yellow and blue building is Selina Granada hostel where I stayed 5 nights at – Probably one of the best hostel experiences I have ever had.
@Granada
Cathedral of Granada.
@Granada
Masaya Volcano, an active volcano. There are a total of 19 volcanoes in Nicaragua.
@Masaya
Masaya Volcano, an active volcano. There are a total of 19 volcanoes in Nicaragua.
@Masaya
Masaya Volcano, an active volcano. There are a total of 19 volcanoes in Nicaragua.
@Masaya
My backpack was stolen during my 11-hour bus ride from El Salvador to Nicaragua. Laptop, clothes, and everything else in the backpack – Gone. The backpack was checked in and stored in the baggage compartment at the bottom of the bus, and to this day I still don’t know exactly where and how it was lost or stolen. My best guess is that it was stolen during border inspection at the El Salvador-Honduras border, where it was one of the only times when the baggage compartment door was opened.

My other laptop was stolen two months ago at a hostel in Malaysia, so I know the drill! A police report, a travel insurance claim, and a trip to a nearby Walmart in Managua to get myself a replacement laptop and some clothes. Spent an extra day in Managua to handle the situation – Not too big of a deal.

A lesson or two:

1. Buy travel insurance: You don’t know when you will need it. Travel insurance is inexpensive. (Un)fortunately I have already used it twice in the past two months.

2. Put your baggage toward the center of the baggage compartment in a long-distance bus: Especially when you have a small baggage, try not to put it near the compartment door to become an easy target.

3. Store important files on the cloud and back up pictures on a separate memory card. If I ever run into this kind of situation again, I know I can get myself up running in a few hours without much hassle.
@Managua
After backpacking for 10 months I realized that I had never shown my belongings. Here you have it: A 25L backpack that I leave in the hostel during the day, and a small daypack. When I check in a hostel / flight / bus, people oftentimes ask where my other luggage is at… I have no other luggage. These two are all I have!

Travel light and be mobile – The more you own, the more it owns you.
@Managua
Selina is a new chain of hostels found by an Israeli businessman. He owned a good 20+ hostels in Central and South America. The amenities, vibe, and value at the Selinas are exceptional.

I stayed at Selina in Granada, then another one in Maderas / San Juan del Sur. If I continue to move south and stay at each of the Selinas, I will have enough wristbands going up both arms. No more sunscreen.
@SanJuanDelSur
Daily routine for the past 3 days:

8am-12pm:
Spanish class (10-minute walk from the hostel).

12pm-1pm:
Lunch (Street food for lunch at Central Park right outside hostel – Vigoron, a local pork and cabbage dish in Granada).

1pm-6pm:
Study Spanish on my own in the hostel’s library.

6-7pm:
Dinner at a nearby taco shop.

7pm onwards:
Whatever activities that the hostel offer (Salsa dance class, ping pong tournament, city walking tour, neon party, etc.).

Besides the fact that my backpack and most of the things I had got stolen on the bus from El Salvador to Nicaragua (more on that story later), I’m having a great time with my Spanish class in the city of Granada and and Selina Granada is probably one of the BESTest hostels I have ever stayed at.
@Granada
Daily routine for the past 3 days:

8am-12pm:
Spanish class (10-minute walk from the hostel).

12pm-1pm:
Lunch (Street food for lunch at Central Park right outside hostel – Vigoron, a local pork and cabbage dish in Granada).

1pm-6pm:
Study Spanish on my own in the hostel’s library.

6-7pm:
Dinner at a nearby taco shop.

7pm onwards:
Whatever activities that the hostel offer (Salsa dance class, ping pong tournament, city walking tour, neon party, etc.).

Besides the fact that my backpack and most of the things I had got stolen on the bus from El Salvador to Nicaragua (more on that story later), I’m having a great time with my Spanish class in the city of Granada and and Selina Granada is probably one of the BESTest hostels I have ever stayed at.
@Granada
Daily routine for the past 3 days:

8am-12pm:
Spanish class (10-minute walk from the hostel).

12pm-1pm:
Lunch (Street food for lunch at Central Park right outside hostel – Vigoron, a local pork and cabbage dish in Granada).

1pm-6pm:
Study Spanish on my own in the hostel’s library.

6-7pm:
Dinner at a nearby taco shop.

7pm onwards:
Whatever activities that the hostel offer (Salsa dance class, ping pong tournament, city walking tour, neon party, etc.).

Besides the fact that my backpack and most of the things I had got stolen on the bus from El Salvador to Nicaragua (more on that story later), I’m having a great time with my Spanish class in the city of Granada and and Selina Granada is probably one of the BESTest hostels I have ever stayed at.
@Granada
Daily routine for the past 3 days:

8am-12pm:
Spanish class (10-minute walk from the hostel).

12pm-1pm:
Lunch (Street food for lunch at Central Park right outside hostel – Vigoron, a local pork and cabbage dish in Granada).

1pm-6pm:
Study Spanish on my own in the hostel’s library.

6-7pm:
Dinner at a nearby taco shop.

7pm onwards:
Whatever activities that the hostel offer (Salsa dance class, ping pong tournament, city walking tour, neon party, etc.).

Besides the fact that my backpack and most of the things I had got stolen on the bus from El Salvador to Nicaragua (more on that story later), I’m having a great time with my Spanish class in the city of Granada and and Selina Granada is probably one of the BESTest hostels I have ever stayed at.
@Granada
Selina Maderas hostel. I am a nerd – As much as I like to go out, I spent hours in their library to have some down time.
@SanJuanDelSur
City walking tour organized by Selina Granada hostel. The guy in the middle was my roommate from Madagascar and he has been backpacking for 4 years!
@Granada
Playa San Juan del Sur, with Jesus statue (Cristo de La Misericordia) on top of the hill.
@SanJuanDelSur
Playa San Juan del Sur, with Jesus statue (Cristo de La Misericordia) on top of the hill.
@SanJuanDelSur
Playa San Juan del Sur, with Jesus statue (Cristo de La Misericordia) on top of the hill.
@SanJuanDelSur
Playa San Juan del Sur, with Jesus statue (Cristo de La Misericordia) on top of the hill.
@SanJuanDelSur
Playa Maderas.
@Maderas
Most of my meals in Nicaragua involve rice, beans, and banana chips. Beer once in a while.
@Leon
Local bar scene on a Sunday afternoon.
@Managua
Islets tour in Granada with some gals from France and guys from Germany. The 365 little islands were made by the eruption of Mombacho Volcano. Nowadays most of these islands are privately-owned, some with houses, restaurants, and bars on them.
@Granada
Islets tour in Granada with some gals from France and guys from Germany. The 365 little islands were made by the eruption of Mombacho Volcano. Nowadays most of these islands are privately-owned, some with houses, restaurants, and bars on them.
@Granada
Islets tour in Granada with some gals from France and guys from Germany. The 365 little islands were made by the eruption of Mombacho Volcano. Nowadays most of these islands are privately-owned, some with houses, restaurants, and bars on them.
@Granada
Cathedral of Granada.
@Granada
Cathedral of Granada.
@Granada
Cathedral of Granada.
@Granada
Cathedral of Granada.
@Granada
Cathedral of Granada.
@Granada
Detox water at Selina Granada after city walking tour.
@Granada
@Leon
@Leon
National Museum in Managua. Great museum, unfortunately all descriptions are in Spanish only.
@Managua
National Museum in Managua. Great museum, unfortunately all descriptions are in Spanish only.
@Managua
Santiago of Managua Cathedral, right next to the National Museum. The cathedral was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1972 and is falling apart. To this day it is still under renovation.
@Managua
Flag of Nicaragua.
@Granada

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