Nomad : Nicaragua + Costa Rica > 3/2 UPDATE : Ometepe, Nica military, and beachfront in San Juan Del Sur (1 Viewer)

[The Z Machine]

I always pretty much figure I can get anything I need on location and with much less hassle.

Likely, until you're too sick (or too scared to #### your pants) to get out of the hostel bed in Bratislava. 

Ask me how I know.

 

[[icon]]

Likely, until you're too sick (or too scared to #### your pants) to get out of the hostel bed in Bratislava. 

Ask me how I know.

LOL react

 

[Dez89]

Likely, until you're too sick (or too scared to #### your pants) to get out of the hostel bed in Bratislava. 

Ask me how I know.

Good point. Reason to pick some up when you get there. 

 

[[icon]]

And we're off! Taxi pickup in 30 mins. 
 

GF still doesn't know we're first class en route to MIA (has never flown first before). 

Oddly still hasn't really settled in yet. Not as amped as have been... prob just decompression from a month and change of planning.

Landing in Managua around 3:30 CT (hopefully)... Julio picking us up, then quick grocery stop then checking into ridiculous Colonial mansion to kick off this adventure! 
 

Hope they don't find the thing hidden in my bag...  

 

[[icon]]

Total ####show. 
 

American Airlines, being the complete and total dumpster fire that they are, ####ed up our flight.... which blew up our connection to Managua. They had no way to get us to Miami in time. 

Avianca couldn't get us from Miami to managua again till Wednesday.  Booked that (+1400 change fee) plus two new COVID tests (+400) because ours expire at 4pm. 
 

Then I realized we could fly into Liberia CR... got a delta flight MEM>ATL tonight then ATL>LIR in the morning. $1100 total. Not bad. 

Have cancellation requests in with American for our Two flights this morning that they ruined (not cancellable but they are giving my money back after this) .... and Avianca for our flights from Miami that we no longer need (cancellable). 

Booked a shuttle tomorrow with Alex Ruiz from Liberia to the border, then from the border to Granada. $180 for a shuttle van. Whatever at this point  

So theoretically we will ONLY lose one night if everything holds up. Much more hassle but once we are there it will be worth it  

 

[krista4]

Not a good start, but I know you guys have the right attitude about all of it!  Too bad Delta canceled their service to Managua.  Pre-COVID, it was easy to get down there via Delta.

It'll all get better from here! 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Total ####show. 
 

American Airlines, being the complete and total dumpster fire that they are, ####ed up our flight.... which blew up our connection to Managua. They had no way to get us to Miami in time. 

Avianca couldn't get us from Miami to managua again till Wednesday.  Booked that (+1400 change fee) plus two new COVID tests (+400) because ours expire at 4pm. 
 

Then I realized we could fly into Liberia CR... got a delta flight MEM>ATL tonight then ATL>LIR in the morning. $1100 total. Not bad. 

Have cancellation requests in with American for our Two flights this morning that they ruined (not cancellable but they are giving my money back after this) .... and Avianca for our flights from Miami that we no longer need (cancellable). 

Booked a shuttle tomorrow with Alex Ruiz from Liberia to the border, then from the border to Granada. $180 for a shuttle van. Whatever at this point  

So theoretically we will ONLY lose one night if everything holds up. Much more hassle but once we are there it will be worth it  

I should have burned more incense for you. I’m still waiting for the resolution department to respond to my #### show of an experience 

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Total ####show. 
 

American Airlines, being the complete and total dumpster fire that they are, ####ed up our flight.... which blew up our connection to Managua. They had no way to get us to Miami in time. 

Avianca couldn't get us from Miami to managua again till Wednesday.  Booked that (+1400 change fee) plus two new COVID tests (+400) because ours expire at 4pm. 
 

Then I realized we could fly into Liberia CR... got a delta flight MEM>ATL tonight then ATL>LIR in the morning. $1100 total. Not bad. 

Have cancellation requests in with American for our Two flights this morning that they ruined (not cancellable but they are giving my money back after this) .... and Avianca for our flights from Miami that we no longer need (cancellable). 

Booked a shuttle tomorrow with Alex Ruiz from Liberia to the border, then from the border to Granada. $180 for a shuttle van. Whatever at this point  

So theoretically we will ONLY lose one night if everything holds up. Much more hassle but once we are there it will be worth it  

Oof.  Sorry GB.  Glad that you have a solution.

 

[[icon]]

My new MacBook Air from Costco was supposed to be here Friday in time for the trip. Naturally it was delayed. I was bummed... really wanted it for this trip. 
 

Got notification that it was out for delivery! Wouldn't be delivered before we had to head back to the airport, but I was able to chase down my UPS guy a few neighborhoods over.
 

Got my MacBook. Tipped him $20 for the trouble. SWEET! Silver lining.. I'll have my new machine for the trip  

Got back to the house, opened it... they shipped me a rose gold (pink) one    

Just spent 45 mins rushing to Costco to return it. Now laying on the couch with a bourbon for 45 mins before we head back to the airport. 

ONLY silver lining today is our new PCR tests came back negative.. $400 later (for the second time). At this point I was expecting a positive result  

Im going to drink about 59 Toña beers tomorrow night if we actually make it to Granada 

 

[[icon]]

I should have burned more incense for you. I’m still waiting for the resolution department to respond to my #### show of an experience 

Damn how long has it been? 

I may just dispute it thru Chase if they don't respond fast. 

 

[Uruk-Hai]

You're having a day, that's for sure. Hopefully you can get out of there tomorrow. Good luck!

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Damn how long has it been? 

I may just dispute it thru Chase if they don't respond fast. 

We got home 2/8

 

[massraider]

Got back to the house, opened it... they shipped me a rose gold (pink) one    

I think you are required by law to up your Instagram game on this trip now. 

 

[The Z Machine]

GLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL

 

[[icon]]

I think you are required by law to up your Instagram game on this trip now. 

:LOLreact: 

Returned that thang. My last MacBook Pro lasted 12 years. 

Ive worn a dress in public but can't bring myself to commit to a rose gold MacBook for the next decade

good news. Made it to Atlanta. 
 

bad news... the Ramada south is apparently under the biggest renovation I've ever seen. Like "go down this dark ### hallway and use the service elevator because our elevators are down" kinda renovation. Uber eats it is.  

Good news. Delta stepped up. Crew caught wind of our issues and anniversary and set us up with a couple little bottles of  champagne for flight. The GF loved it so I'll call it a win.
 

God Delta is SO much better than AA. 

On to tomorrow

 

[krista4]

:LOLreact: 

Returned that thang. My last MacBook Pro lasted 12 years. 

Ive worn a dress in public but can't bring myself to commit to a rose gold MacBook for the next decade

good news. Made it to Atlanta. 
 

bad news... the Ramada south is apparently under the biggest renovation I've ever seen. Like "go down this dark ### hallway and use the service elevator because our elevators are down" kinda renovation. Uber eats it is.  

Good news. Delta stepped up. Crew caught wind of our issues and anniversary and set us up with a couple little bottles of  champagne for flight. The GF loved it so I'll call it a win.
 

God Delta is SO much better than AA. 

On to tomorrow

I  Delta.  Excited (again) for your arrival in Nicaragua.  Julio is ready!

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Delta is sooooooo much better than aA. I’m probably gonna burn my aA miles up, and tell them to f right off. 

 

[[icon]]

Day ONE : Granada Nicaragua 

Images : https://imgur.com/a/XTDn3Mv

I'll make this update quick (lot of ground to cover), and fill in to answer any questions. 

Still waiting on refund status from Avianca / American. Confident in Avianca (refundable fares)... pretty sure we are in for a fight with American despite them costing us a ton of cash, hassle, and a day of our trip. 

Trip audible on delta: MEM > ATL > LIR 

Got to ATL sat night. Flight crew was incredible. Heard we had a rough day. Comped some sparkling wine and everyone made a point to come over and welcome us back fo Delta. If you can love an airline, We love Delta. Trip completely changed once we were in their hands.

Ramada airport was straight trash. See pics. Holy ####

Flew out Sun morning to LIR. Flight went perfect. Arrived 20min early. Through immigration in 7-8 mins. Customs in 2-3 mins. Shuttle to Nica border was smooth (nice new crew cab pickup). Driver was great. 
 

Nica border was sketchy and immigrations/customs was not nearly as smooth/official as Costa Rica, but everyone was incredibly kind. Our shuttle company had someone greet us at the door and helped with any translation issues. Walked us through customs / luggage scans, then out to a 12pax shuttle van (private for us) for the trip to Granada.

The drive was great. Stopped for cold beer (6 pack Toña light $3) and a couple bottles of wine for the GF. Nicaragua is beautiful. Like really really beautiful. The waves of lake Nicaragua lapping the shore near the "highway" with Ometepe in the distance were a perfect welcome.

So many trucks with people riding on or behind them. Horse drawn carts (basic/functional, not fancy) on the roads. We had to stop for a bit for a herd of cattle walking the main highway. Lots of very very poor people... Very basic housing. Also some very nice homes and plantations in Rivas. Fruit stands everywhere on the sides of the road.
 

Shuttle was $180 for the duration, LIR > border > Granada. $150 would have gotten us a small car. We wanted space. incredible service. We will use Alex ruiz to get from SJDS to LIR on Mar 12. 
 

Arrived in Granada. Holy #### we already love this town. Beautiful and Vibrant. Parks, cathedrals, people... just awesome. More to come as we explore tomorrow. 

The house. Oh my... the house. 

We are paying $250/night for a place that would be $2000-2500/nt in the US.... if it even existed which I don't think it does. A Centuries-old SPRAWLING masterpiece of colonial architecture. The home is built around a courtyard that feels like you are in a castle of nobility.

MANICURED grounds. Beautiful handmade furnishings mixed with modern touches. The interior design alone is incredible. Handmade tile everywhere... massive ceilings. 40ft tile pool with fountains in the heart of it all.  The house has servants quarters and has daily housekeeping if that says anything. Geckos running the walls chirping. Birds and bats swooping through. It's like something out of a fairytale.
 

Even @krista4's friend Julio, an unofficial mayor of Granada, was in awe. He had never been inside it before. He arrived with some groceries (beer, wine, rum, coke, snacks) courtesy of Krista (THANK YOU!!)... we had a few beers and talked then had dinner at El Zaguan.. the top restaurant/steakhouse in Granada. Did not disappoint. Apps/Steaks/wine/beers for 3 was $92US. 
 

As a cherry on top,  the home is in the perfect location.. at the head of Calle Del Calzada (the main pedestrian road with bars/Restaurants/shops) and adjacent to the beautiful Central Park and Cathedral. 

We are SO glad we are staying here. Thank you SO much to Krista (and Julio) fro all the intel/guidance. This is going to be a very very special week. We already don't want to leave,

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Day ONE : Granada Nicaragua 

Images : https://imgur.com/a/XTDn3Mv

I'll make this update quick (lot of ground to cover), and fill in to answer any questions. 

Still waiting on refund status from Avianca / American. Confident in Avianca (refundable fares)... pretty sure we are in for a fight with American despite them costing us a ton of cash, hassle, and a day of our trip. 

Trip audible on delta: MEM > ATL > LIR 

Got to ATL sat night. Flight crew was incredible. Heard we had a rough day. Comped some sparkling wine and everyone made a point to come over and welcome us back fo Delta. If you can love an airline, We love Delta. Trip completely changed once we were in their hands.

Ramada airport was straight trash. See pics. Holy ####

Flew out Sun morning to LIR. Flight went perfect. Arrived 20min early. Through immigration in 7-8 mins. Customs in 2-3 mins. Shuttle to Nica border was smooth (nice new crew cab pickup). Driver was great. 
 

Nica border was sketchy and immigrations/customs was not nearly as smooth/official as Costa Rica, but everyone was incredibly kind. Our shuttle company had someone greet us at the door and helped with any translation issues. Walked us through customs / luggage scans, then out to a 12pax shuttle van (private for us) for the trip to Granada.

The drive was great. Stopped for cold beer (6 pack Toña light $3) and a couple bottles of wine for the GF. Nicaragua is beautiful. Like really really beautiful. The waves of lake Nicaragua lapping the shore near the "highway" with Ometepe in the distance were a perfect welcome.

So many trucks with people riding on or behind them. Horse drawn carts (basic/functional, not fancy) on the roads. We had to stop for a bit for a herd of cattle walking the main highway. Lots of very very poor people... Very basic housing. Also some very nice homes and plantations in Rivas. Fruit stands everywhere on the sides of the road.
 

Shuttle was $180 for the duration, LIR > border > Granada. $150 would have gotten us a small car. We wanted space. incredible service. We will use Alex ruiz to get from SJDS to LIR on Mar 12. 
 

Arrived in Granada. Holy #### we already love this town. Beautiful and Vibrant. Parks, cathedrals, people... just awesome. More to come as we explore tomorrow. 

The house. Oh my... the house. 

We are paying $250/night for a place that would be $2000-2500/nt in the US.... if it even existed which I don't think it does. A Centuries-old SPRAWLING masterpiece of colonial architecture. The home is built around a courtyard that feels like you are in a castle of nobility.

MANICURED grounds. Beautiful handmade furnishings mixed with modern touches. The interior design alone is incredible. Handmade tile everywhere... massive ceilings. 40ft tile pool with fountains in the heart of it all.  The house has servants quarters and has daily housekeeping if that says anything. Geckos running the walls chirping. Birds and bats swooping through. It's like something out of a fairytale.
 

Even @krista4's friend Julio, an unofficial mayor of Granada, was in awe. He had never been inside it before. He arrived with some groceries (beer, wine, rum, coke, snacks) courtesy of Krista (THANK YOU!!)... we had a few beers and talked then had dinner at El Zaguan.. the top restaurant/steakhouse in Granada. Did not disappoint. Apps/Steaks/wine/beers for 3 was $92US. 
 

As a cherry on top,  the home is in the perfect location.. at the head of Calle Del Calzada (the main pedestrian road with bars/Restaurants/shops) and adjacent to the beautiful Central Park and Cathedral. 

We are SO glad we are staying here. Thank you SO much to Krista (and Julio) fro all the intel/guidance. This is going to be a very very special week. We already don't want to leave,

Glad you made it, finally.

I also had the cattle roadblock

That house looks amazing.

 

[massraider]

That house is killer. 

Have they gotten around to making horror movies set in hotel airports? Feel like you could have a whole series.

 

[[icon]]

That house is killer. 

Have they gotten around to making horror movies set in hotel airports? Feel like you could have a whole series.

It was legit  of the worst US hotels I've stayed in, but honestly we were so happy to be on our way that we were able to kInda laugh it off. 

 

[krista4]

Glad you made it, finally.

I also had the cattle roadblock

That house looks amazing.

Not as amazing as Casa Paloma, right?  Right??    

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Not as amazing as Casa Paloma, right?  Right??    

I thought that went without saying. 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

What a start!  It will only make the story that much better, years from now. Keep the pics coming!

 

[Dez89]

Day ONE : Granada Nicaragua 

Images : https://imgur.com/a/XTDn3Mv

I'll make this update quick (lot of ground to cover), and fill in to answer any questions. 

Still waiting on refund status from Avianca / American. Confident in Avianca (refundable fares)... pretty sure we are in for a fight with American despite them costing us a ton of cash, hassle, and a day of our trip. 

Trip audible on delta: MEM > ATL > LIR 

Got to ATL sat night. Flight crew was incredible. Heard we had a rough day. Comped some sparkling wine and everyone made a point to come over and welcome us back fo Delta. If you can love an airline, We love Delta. Trip completely changed once we were in their hands.

Ramada airport was straight trash. See pics. Holy ####

Flew out Sun morning to LIR. Flight went perfect. Arrived 20min early. Through immigration in 7-8 mins. Customs in 2-3 mins. Shuttle to Nica border was smooth (nice new crew cab pickup). Driver was great. 
 

Nica border was sketchy and immigrations/customs was not nearly as smooth/official as Costa Rica, but everyone was incredibly kind. Our shuttle company had someone greet us at the door and helped with any translation issues. Walked us through customs / luggage scans, then out to a 12pax shuttle van (private for us) for the trip to Granada.

The drive was great. Stopped for cold beer (6 pack Toña light $3) and a couple bottles of wine for the GF. Nicaragua is beautiful. Like really really beautiful. The waves of lake Nicaragua lapping the shore near the "highway" with Ometepe in the distance were a perfect welcome.

So many trucks with people riding on or behind them. Horse drawn carts (basic/functional, not fancy) on the roads. We had to stop for a bit for a herd of cattle walking the main highway. Lots of very very poor people... Very basic housing. Also some very nice homes and plantations in Rivas. Fruit stands everywhere on the sides of the road.
 

Shuttle was $180 for the duration, LIR > border > Granada. $150 would have gotten us a small car. We wanted space. incredible service. We will use Alex ruiz to get from SJDS to LIR on Mar 12. 
 

Arrived in Granada. Holy #### we already love this town. Beautiful and Vibrant. Parks, cathedrals, people... just awesome. More to come as we explore tomorrow. 

The house. Oh my... the house. 

We are paying $250/night for a place that would be $2000-2500/nt in the US.... if it even existed which I don't think it does. A Centuries-old SPRAWLING masterpiece of colonial architecture. The home is built around a courtyard that feels like you are in a castle of nobility.

MANICURED grounds. Beautiful handmade furnishings mixed with modern touches. The interior design alone is incredible. Handmade tile everywhere... massive ceilings. 40ft tile pool with fountains in the heart of it all.  The house has servants quarters and has daily housekeeping if that says anything. Geckos running the walls chirping. Birds and bats swooping through. It's like something out of a fairytale.
 

Even @krista4's friend Julio, an unofficial mayor of Granada, was in awe. He had never been inside it before. He arrived with some groceries (beer, wine, rum, coke, snacks) courtesy of Krista (THANK YOU!!)... we had a few beers and talked then had dinner at El Zaguan.. the top restaurant/steakhouse in Granada. Did not disappoint. Apps/Steaks/wine/beers for 3 was $92US. 
 

As a cherry on top,  the home is in the perfect location.. at the head of Calle Del Calzada (the main pedestrian road with bars/Restaurants/shops) and adjacent to the beautiful Central Park and Cathedral. 

We are SO glad we are staying here. Thank you SO much to Krista (and Julio) fro all the intel/guidance. This is going to be a very very special week. We already don't want to leave,

So awesome!

 

[Ron Swanson]

Wow. That house is nuts.  Very cool. How long did it take to get from LIR to the house in Granada?

 

[The Z Machine]

That place is dope. Loving the trip photos. 

 

[Major]

It was legit  of the worst US hotels I've stayed in, but honestly we were so happy to be on our way that we were able to kInda laugh it off. 

Seems like you guys are being rewarded for putting up with all the AA and Ramada bs early on.  Have a great time out there!

 

[[icon]]

Wow. That house is nuts.  Very cool. How long did it take to get from LIR to the house in Granada?

LIR from landing through to outside the terminal for us was MAYBE 30 mins.  We got lucky being near the plane door, so we were at the front of immigration lines. I've heard stories of ~2-3 hours on busy Saturdays,  

Basically we were thru immigration in under 10 mins. Bags came out to claim in under 5 mins from there  (before the Gf was out of the bathroom).

Customs was literally "put bags on X-ray belt" (dude wasn't even looking at the screen), then walk outside to the shuttle area. 

LIR to Peñas Blancas (border) was ~90 mins. CR checkout was ~5 mins show Passport, show PCR test (to ensure Nica entry) then walk ~100M to Nica entry, 

Nica immigration/customs was ~30 mins. Slow process despite not being busy. 

Shuttle to Granada, maybe 2h30m with a stop for beer/wine? Not bad at all. For SJDS it maybe would have been 30 mins. 

Today was awesome then a bit chaotic at the end  Will try to post an update later! Total VIP run around the city + Isletas tour. Julio is the man for real  

 

[Tick]

krista winning this thread.

 

[[icon]]

krista winning this thread.

She absolutely is. 

We listened to her. I wish we had listened more. I encourage ANYONE looking to explore Nicaragua to take her notes and build from there. She has been right about everything.

 

[[icon]]

DAY TWO PHOTOS:

Some pics from Day two... full write up to come tomorrow.

https://imgur.com/a/zADkUCp

We woke at 5am and had a long day. We are gassed and have our first full day of work tomorrow. 

 

[krista4]

Today was awesome then a bit chaotic at the end  Will try to post an update later! Total VIP run around the city + Isletas tour. Julio is the man for real  

Oh no!  What happened?  I feel a personal responsibility for you guys. 

Loved seeing your pic of the typical Nica breakfast.  Miss that so much!

 

[[icon]]

Oh no!  What happened?  I feel a personal responsibility for you guys. 

Loved seeing your pic of the typical Nica breakfast.  Miss that so much!

Nothing bad! 

We were all worn down a bit by the end of the day. We mentioned we really needed to get MovieStar SIM cards set up in our phones as backup in case the house internet Goes down.

(As mentioned before, we are working and if we lose connectivity and miss meetings, our employers atypical tolerance of our international travels may cease)

Julio, as usual, took care of the SIM and has a guy waiting on us with them as soon as we get off the carriage.  We get into the house and he heads home. We run into major issues activating the chips. Turns out it requires a Nicaraguan ID # that we simply don't have (we tried everything). There's no TiGo office nearby, I messaged our AirBNB host and she explains the Nica ID. We message Julio for suggestions and he insists on running back over to assist.
 

He's clearly exhausted and we felt horrible for him coming over... but he resolved it by using his own ID# (above and beyond), then insisted on running to the TiGo office across town to put the 200 Cordoba each on our account ($5.71) for the largest prepaid plan. 

It wasn't bad it was just a mix of tech challenges and is feeling bad for Julio having to run around.. while everyone was wiped out. 
 

No idea why the SIMs were so challenging. I activated Kolbi in CR without incident with my passport.  That didn't seem to be an option with this and the online guides didn't match up with what we were seeing. Oh well... speed bumps are only temporary. 

Do not worry, we are having an incredible time. You're absolutely NOT responsible for little issues we run into here! You and Julio have been incredible. Seriously. Thank you. 

 

[[icon]]

DAY TWO PHOTOS:

Some pics from Day two... full write up to come tomorrow.

https://imgur.com/a/zADkUCp

We woke at 5am and had a long day. We are gassed and have our first full day of work tomorrow. 

DAY TWO UPDATE: 

Note that we won't be providing big write ups for every day. Most days of this trip will be "we sat at a table and worked all day then got dinner ". I did want to share our more eventful days with you guys for entertainment / experience. 

Woke up at 5am. Lazy morning getting moved into the house, setting up UPS, workstations, etc. 

Ran over to Kathys Waffle House for breakfast (great as promised). We both opted for the typical breakfast with coffee. As usual, eating like a local is cheap. $12US for two HUGE plates of food and coffee. By now it's 11am and Julio said he was heading over to start the day. 

We meet up and head to the square for horse and carriage tour of the city. The Gf has concerns for the skinny horses, and Julio has a buddy with two very healthy happy horses. We set out around town. 

Awesome tour... cathedrals, the train station, the fort, etc. Jumping out at each stop to explore and Julio sharing history and info like a pro. Fantastic stuff. Of note: the Fort has been closed for renovations for a while now. Julio's connections never cease.... quick convo with the workers and we are inside and they've even let us climb the towers for a spectacular view of the city. He mentions even he had never been up there. We tip the workers 100 cordobas ($3US) and continue on. 

The plan was for Isletas tour and Rather then drive, Julio talks the carriage driver into heading down to the port. Then he apparently has him wait for us while we head out on the boat (wild!).  The ride through the city was a fantastic way to see Granada. Good pace. He stops and grabs some beers for us and a bottle of wine for the GF.  

As you get closer to the lake the houses get rougher. Some are simple shacks of metal sheeting and dirt floors. Parts of Nicaruaga are definitely levels of poverty that make American "poor" look rich in comparison.

Also by the water there are many old bars, restaurants, roller skating rinks, etc that are closed and crumbling... some still cling on and are open desperately blaring music to attract people (while being empty). It's kinda sad. We talk a bit about hope that Nicaragua and Granada will be getting stronger in the future. 

The boat is waiting for us driven by Julio's buddy... we jump on and have it to ourselves. We get a great tour of the islands. Some small and simple... some large with palatial grounds. We're told pricing can run $20k to $2M depending on size of the island and size of the home. Apparently $100-150k will get you a decent little island with a decent home. Wild. 

We come up on Monkey Island and the GF is bubbling over with excitement. She LOVES monkeys. They come down through the trees and she feeds them several times. I feed one as well. Good times. 

Then we head over to Pirata Island with a small Resturant. We sit down for a killer fish dinner with a sweet salsa and french friend on top. SO good, maybe the best fish I've ever had in this style. The patacones are FANTASTIC as well. We had tried to get good ones in CR last year without much luck.

Julio makes a show of bringing out a platter of the fresh tilapia for us to choose our fish. As with everywhere, he knows the staff well.  A few beers... some fantastic conversation... then we returned to the waiting boat.

One bit of the conversation worth sharing...  Julio and the boat driver share a story about a group Julio was hosting who had a baby. The baby cried and one of the monkeys went nuts and attacked the boat. It jumped aboard and tried to attack the family. Julio jumped in and apparently got in a fist fight with the monkey punching it repeatedly. At one point it wrapped its tail around his arm and was trying to bite him. He finally punches it enough that it retreats to the island. The family is hysterical but everything worked out   I should explain Julio is a trained Fighter and is proud of his skill. He and the boat driver said in 20 years of tours that had never happened. 

We head back to shore, where the carriage was waiting. We ride back to the house, where the SIM was delivered. See other post for that story. 

GF and I went over to Pita Pita for dinner (excellent pizza) and lounged a bit before going to bed early.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Love it. I want to go to nica, just to hang with Julio. 

 

[DA RAIDERS]

AA sent us $600………..in flight credit.  Better than nothing I suppose. 

 

[[icon]]

Love it. I want to go to nica, just to hang with Julio. 

No doubt.... Julio is an awesome dude fo sho. You can just tell by the way he carries himself in the streets that the list of people in this city that will #### with him is pretty short    

He's already made it clear that if anyone starts anything with us, he will take care of it.  Neither the GF or I are the types to attract that kind of attention, and we've both lived in Memphis long enough that our spidey senses are pretty well tuned... but it's nice to know, just in case. 

AA sent us $600………..in flight credit.  Better than nothing I suppose. 

You sure that wasn't my refund, Mane?!   I kid I kid!  Glad you got it resolved. 

 

[krista4]

No doubt.... Julio is an awesome dude fo sho. You can just tell by the way he carries himself in the streets that the list of people in this city that will #### with him is pretty short    

He's already made it clear that if anyone starts anything with us, he will take care of it.  Neither the GF or I are the types to attract that kind of attention, and we've both lived in Memphis long enough that our spidey senses are pretty well tuned... but it's nice to know, just in case. 

I think of Julio as a gentle person, but he and Andy stood up to former welterweight champion and certified crazy person Ricardo Mayorga when he stole my phone, and got it back for me.  

Plus, of course, Julio punched a monkey.    I hadn't heard that story.

 

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We've been working today.  The chairs on this big table are BEAUTIFUL, but not great for long seated periods. That on top of my back getting pretty knotted up from the travel has me hurting pretty good today. 

Turns out, the Host company has a stable of professional masseuses on call. Got one coming at 3pm to work on my back, $35 for an hour, or $50 for 90 minutes. I'm confident that's "tourist / host company" pricing but that's still awesome for now. They'll bring a table and set up in the courtyard poolside. 

Our housekeeper Guadalupe is very very sweet. She's here daily from 8ish until sometime between 12 and 3pm, depending on what needs to be done. Today it was hot so I was running over to the AM/PM to get some juice and pull some Cordobas from the ATM. I offered to get her something to drink and you'd link I'd bought her a car. I guess most folks treat help like #### here in Nicaragua, like Costa Rica. That sucks. We will take care of her. 

Found out why Julio was so stressed late yesterday. He got a call as we were heading in from the Isletas and he was very agitated/stressed. I asked if he was okay and he said no problem and he'll tell me later.  Despite that he still insisted on coming to help with our SIM cards a couple hours later. I feel even worse for that now. Poor guy. He said everything is much better now, and stressed he's available anytime we need him. I thanked him but told him we're working and to please enjoy his day with his family. 

A couple more pics including shots of Julio

 

[Tick]

Any bug updates?

 

[krista4]

Any bug updates?

Username checks out.

 

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Any bug updates?

Honestly...  nada.
Haven't been touched. 

Saw two mosquitos one night at dusk when lying in bed for a bit while my phone charged and we had the french doors onto the balcony open. 

We have a half dozen or so bats that swoop through the courtyard/garden area of the house at dusk eating bugs (I presume) but really don't see any.

The most prevalent living things in the house are bats and geckos. The bats are in hiding till dusk. The geckos come and go. Tonight we had 6-8 hanging out along the walls signing from time to time. LOVE them. The bats are amazing. If you're seated they won't come close. If you're waking around they may buzz within a couple feet of ya. But dodge you very well. 

We do find bat guano on the floor or stairs outside the master suite at times. A dozen or two Little half BB sized balls and occasionally a small wet spot (urine). Talked to the host and they said they coukd turn on ultrasonics to keep them away. We said hell no. We love the bats!

No scorpions or spiders or anything like that yet.

Haven't touched bug spray or sunscreen yet. Non issue so far! 

 

[steelerfan1]

Got back to the house, opened it... they shipped me a rose gold (pink) one    

I sit here reading this adventure of yours on a rose gold iPad…

but I do have a VERY manly cover for it…NTTAWWT…

 

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I sit here reading this adventure of yours on a rose gold iPad…

but I do have a VERY manly cover for it…NTTARWT…

 sorry GB. Nothing against the color. It's actually a really aesthetically pleasing color.

Just not really my style. I'm boring space grey guy and if I'm gonna drop $1k+ on something I'll have for ~10yrs (hopefully) I wanna get exactly what I want.
 

(Plus I don't wanna get any #### while presenting to clients)  

 

[steelerfan1]

Love it. I want to go to nica, just to hang with Julio. 

The dude sounds awesome.

 

[steelerfan1]

 sorry GB. Nothing against the color. It's actually a really aesthetically pleasing color.

Just not really my style. I'm boring space grey guy and if I'm gonna drop $1k+ on something I'll have for ~10yrs (hopefully) I wanna get exactly what I want.
 

(Plus I don't wanna get any #### while presenting to clients)  

Oh, I’m as vanilla as they get, but my wife got it for me as a gift and got a deal on the rose gold one. Said we could get another color but it was a steal, and my cheapness always over rules my vanillaness…

also glad to see you will be taking care of your cleaning person as you did in CR. Have I mentioned I don’t care for people that much 

also, enjoying your journey. Will be interested to see how you compare it to CR and Ecuador.

 

[Dez89]

I think of Julio as a gentle person, but he and Andy stood up to former welterweight champion and certified crazy person Ricardo Mayorga when he stole my phone, and got it back for me.  

Plus, of course, Julio punched a monkey.    I hadn't heard that story.

Did I miss the phone story earlier? 

 

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Photos from yesterday (Day 4?) 

https://imgur.com/a/GDoOlnh

Tuesday night we laid low mostly. Got some tacos on Calle Del Calzada. On the way back with our to-go bag a kid approached trying to "give" palm flower. We decline then he stares at our bag making an "eat" gesture. I had him the bag wnd another kid runs over and tried to grab it. Kid one spun away with this crazed feral snarl I'd never seen before   

Wednesday we worked all say. Lots of meetings. I walked over to the park to grab lunch, and got two orders of Vigarón... amazing dish. 70CORD each ($2) Photos in the link above. Then grabbed some sliced fresh fruit from the woman set up near our house ($1). 

Texting with Julio We had all had a pretty rough day. He dropped by and we talked about dinner with his family. We walked over to his place, a nice, humble Nica home. We meet his beautiful wife, and 4 awesome children (3 sons one daughter). Talk for a bit then head to dinner at Asarte. 

Cool rustic outdoor place that's vacant except for us. We order a few apps, beers, wine, then dinner plates. Steak, pork, etc all around. We all 8 eat and drink like kings.  Julio has to leave for a bit and we fumble through broken English/Spanish. My GF speaks a bit of choppy Spanish, Julio's oldest son speaks about the same English. We manage. Turns out his eldest son and daughter are fascinated with Korean literature... so they are very interested in my GF (half Korean). Dinner is AMAZING.

We invite them back to the house for a swim. I grab more Toña at the AM/PM across the street. Predictably there's some 20yo gringa American chick in there making a scene about wearing a mask. Security has to get involved. Some Americans are such #######s. She looked to me to stand up for her and I told her to put her damn mask on and stop acting like a child. She stormed off. 

We had a great time poolside drinking and talking while the kids swam. They packed up around midnight to head home, but only after telling us his wife wanted to cook a special Nica steak dish that takes hours of preparation.  She'll bring it by tonight with the family and we will have a big family dinner.  It'll be nice to make good use of the beautiful dining room table in this house. 

Today we are working a bit this morning then Dr Augusto (the masseuse/chiro from Tuesday) and his wife are coming to work on the Gf and I. He is INCREDIBLE. My back was jacked up good from travel and he did 90mins of amazing deep tissue massage and chiropractic adjustments ($50US - coming to us with table). Best massage ever (and I've had a lot). I felt like a new man. 

Massages 11-12 ($35ea), then we're going to rest a bit.. the GF is wiped. Heading to a cathedral at sunset that allows you to donate $2US and go up into the bell tower for 360 degree panoramic views of Granada. Then back here for dinner party and a swim.

Friday: Masaya, and 4-5 other stops for markets, beautiful viewpoints, etc. 

Saturday: Ometepe for a day. 
 

Sunday pack up and Julio will drive us to SJDS to start our 2 week stint there. 

We are going to miss the hell out of Granada. This place is magical. @krista4 THANK YOU for making us stay here for a week and for introducing us to Julio. I don't see how this won't be the highlight of our trip. Granada is firmly in my UPPER ELITE TIER cities with Playa Samara and Dublin. 

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Julio took me up in one of those bell towers (not sure if it's the same you are visiting) and the view was stunning. I had posted pictures in the old GMTAN thread, but I think it's been nuked.