We are traveling so posts will not be about Panama for a while, because we are in Nicaragua! I wanted to travel this month anyway so when we learned that a fellow blogger friend needed a house sitter it was just perfect. We made our way though Costa Rica, staying in San Jose and the Liberia. On Thursday we crossed the border into Nicaragua and the took the ferry to Ometepe Island, our destination.
At the border a guy in protective gear sprayed the bus with something.
There were so many people at the border selling things, mostly phone cards and changing money.
A guy fumigating one of the buses
The border area. The building in the distance was full of vendors
I fell for these cashews and they were SO good! They had been roasted over a fire and tasted like it, much better than the usual cashews in a jar.
We are in Nicaragua!
Before long I spot water and a volcano in the distance and realize that must be Ometepe Island.
There were many windmills along the way too.
Rivas! I hope we can look around the town a bit on our way back. There sure are a lot of these bicycle carts to take people around.
We decided to go for it and took the bike cart. These guys must have some seriously strong legs!
An amazing tree we passed.
We arrive at the ferry port. That is ours on the left.
On the ferry. Again there are many people selling things, mostly snacks. I bought a bigger bag so cashews and some sweets, home made patties of something- milk and sugar and I thought she said corn flour but it didn’t taste like it.
We are going over there!
It’s hard to realize how many windmills there are until you look back on them like this.
The volcano is incredibly beautiful!
The other volcano is also beautiful with the clouds touching the top.
As we get close to the island I saw these horses at the edge of the water.
We come in to the dock where one of the other ferries waits.
There were vehicles on the ferry too, and bags of animal feed, and a truck full of plants, a truck packed to the rafters, and stuff In every possible corner of the car area.
We made it!! The bloggers meet in person for the first time. We had even more fun in person and didn’t stop talking the whole time we have been together.
In Moyogalpa, heading down the street.
We arrive at the house not long before sunset, and an absolutely beautiful scene!
And for good measure, one more photo of the volcano.
We were without internet most of yesterday for some sort of maintenance, but I have a bunch of photos to put up so I am playing catchup today. I know I am going to have a lot more to say about this area, this experience, and the great people we are meeting!
The Panama Adventure 
Reblogged this on FindingMySelfinPanama and commented:
Since I haven’t posted in quite a while I thought I would at least re-blog this one from Kris. This is quite a place, I may even post something myself.
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Gracias 🙂
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Loving this. Nicaragua is on our short list. Sure looks beautiful!!! I’m so glad to have found your blog. Thanks so much for sharing.
Safe travels
Suzi
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We are only in this one spot of Nicaragua, but I could see having a nice life here for sure.
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I have a question about the ferry. Is it a fresh water crossing or ocean? I loved all of the pictures and your small addiction to nuts. lol
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It is fresh water, a huge fresh water lake. Find a map of Nicaragua and you’ll see it. Thanks, glad you enjoy the big and don’t eat the nuts, or you too could get addicted 😉
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Hi Kris,
Great photos. It is amazing how different and somewhat similar Nicaragua is to Panama.
It is a lovely country!
Have you noticed a big change in their Spanish? We thought it was very different from Mexico,Guatemala, and San Salvador. They use a local slang that is a bit of a learning curb to understand.
Keep the great post coming.
Thanks,
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Yes! I am having some trouble understanding people, and they also use different words for some things. I seem similarities to Panama in the climate, much of the vegetation, and the warm and friendly people but life is also more basic, at least here where we are. I’m sure I will have many thoughts after a bit of time here, and they will come out in the blog later on. So far we are really liking it here.
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Oh and you must visit a cashew farm!
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Yes indeed! I know three are some in central Panama
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i was with you all the way, from liberia to the crossing at the frontera (cough cough – inhale that lovely pesticide!) past the wind turbines, spotting those grand volcanos… the ferry has had a paint job since i was there!
i am so glad that you’re there, and i am sure that you two will love every minute there on ometepe!
z
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Thankfully I didn’t smell the pesticide but I’m sure it was there. That was so exciting spotting the volcanos for the first time! There will probably be a new volcano picture for every day I am here.
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I’m loving keeping up with your blog! Really hoping I can get down there next year – doesn’t look like it for this year–too much going on in my life right now. Wish I’d known you were going to be in Seattle – I live in Sequim on the Olympic Peninsula. Only about an hour from Bainbridge, and I get to there and Seattle, etc. frequently.
Thanks for the pics also – makes your blog so-o-o interesting!
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Thanks so much! I’m glad you enjoy the blog, and I hope you can get down this way sometime too.
I visit the Seattle area to see my daughter so I will be there periodically.
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