Nestled in the mountains of Northern Nicaragua near the Honduran border, the Somoto Canyon is an impressive site. The Coco River flows for miles, surrounded by vertical walls of up to 150 meters tall. After the brown and dust of León, Somoto is a verdant oasis, full of fresh and (relatively) cool air. As the canyon […]
Sure, Nicaragua is a country full of friendly people, low prices, and lots to do but there is one problem: it’s HOT. Unless you head into the mountains (which, eventually, I did), there is nothing even remotely comfortable about the weather. Luckily, the country has nearly 1000 kilometers of coastline, not including the many lakes
Waves, Sunsets, and Turtles in Las Peñitas Nicaragua Read More »
Planning a trip to Iceland in the winter was more of a challenge than I expected. Some outdoor activities close down for the winter when lakes freeze and roads close. Landscapes and beautiful scenery get blanketed by snow, which creates a mystical ambiance but not a lot of variety. Factor in some very short days
If you looked at the hotel stays I’ve completed and/or reserved, you’d swear I’m scatterbrained. I jump from hostels to campsites to upscale mountain resorts and trendy chain hotels. Sure, there are times when I just want a basic room and anywhere will do so I look for a simple property at a low price. However, every once in
Of all the things I did in Nicaragua, seeing lava at Telica Volcano was what I was looking forward to the most. I’m semi-obsessed with volcanoes and in prior years have hiked to inactive craters, climbed through lava tubes, and driven through desolate landscapes. Despite all this, I had never seen red hot glowing lava
Every time I travel, I learn something new about the place I’m visiting that I’m not expecting. With Iceland, there were a bunch of things that surprised me… 1. It’s weird flying into Iceland. My entire flight to Iceland was in total darkness. With limited daylight hours, my red-eye simply flew over a dark ocean
5 Things About Iceland That Weren’t in the Guidebooks Read More »
Although there were a lot of things about Nicaragua that appealed to me, I’ll be honest: the number one reason I wanted to visit was for the volcanoes. Smoking Masaya was the first of three volcanoes I visited, but Cerro Negro was the most adventurous. After all, it’s the only place in the world where you
Note: This post is not intended for members of PETA, reptile lovers, vegetarians, or the easily offended. Please read with an open mind. * * * Food is a major part of traveling for me. I enjoy seeking out the best restaurants, sampling street foods, and taking food tours, so it
Although Granada didn’t fit my personality, it is a good base for a few nearby attractions. Granada is full of tourist agencies happy to arrange transport and guides for you to a dozen different places, but not a single agency combined multiple nearby attraction into a single day of touring and public buses weren’t convenient for
When I first booked my trip to Nicaragua, I didn’t have any intention of going to Granada. I ended up changing my mind at the last minute, simply to have a quick trip from the airport when I arrived. It’s an easy 45-minute taxi to Granada, and it looked awfully pretty. Situated on Lake Nicaragua,
