Nicaragua
Friday afternoon I ve got an E-Mail fom Malte, a BeWelcome friend traveling in Central Amierca. We aretrying to arange a meeting since a while but ending up getting confused all the time. Last friday I was upset of this and decided to put out the thumb on the next day to hitchhike to Nicaragua. I started htichhiking about 9 am in the morning after paying a fee of 240 colones (~1/2 US $) for not bringing back the books I lend from the University Library (like all the time). It was kind of hard to get out of San Jose but after ~1/2 hour a truck driver gave me a ride to Puntarenas where I drank a coconut and juggled a bit in the sun. After 5 minutes two cars stoped for me at the same time, goingto the same destination (Liberia) and I had to choose one of them. In Liberia I decided to take the bus (which was supposed to arrive “ahorita”). After 10 minutes of juggling I put out the thumb again and the first truck stoped for me and brought me right to the border. There, after the ugly imigracion procedure (7 US $ entrance fee to get into Nicaragua and barganing with the cash exchanger), I catched to buses in order to catch the last ferry leaving from Rivas to the Ometepe Islands at 5:30 pm.
On the way to the Island I met a german who is studying psycology in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua since three years. So you see, I m not the only one studying down here.
I easily found the hostel where I was supposed to meet Malte but he wasn t there. So I ended up testingthe Nicaraguan beer with a local who lived in Germany for 15 years duringthe 70s an 80s. Interesting to get your own history explained by a 50 years old nicaraguan speaking almost fluent german.
Nevertheles within two beers, or lets say half an hour Malte turned up and we decided very soon that we both want to visit the Concepcion Volcano (1600+ meters) the folowing day.
Thats what we did on the entire sunday. It was pretty hard to get up to the top. I did not only require a lot of strength but as well a lot on social competence to convince our guide that it must be included in the tour to reach the top. As a result of this hike my legs were hurting for at least five days.
On Monday we took a bus and cruised around the Island to get to the port where the ferrys are leaving to San Carlos, Rio San Juan.
When we bought the ticket we decided to take thue first class tickets in order to have a bit more comfortable stay. That was the wrong decision. The onl difference between the first and the second class is the air-condition which freezes you to death… I ended up sleeping outside, using my towel as a matress.
In San Carlos we hang out for a few hours and catched the next boat to El Castillio. A fortress built in the 17 th century to protect Granada of “French, english an other Pirates” (Lonely Planet Quote) looting the city.
In el Castilio we met Denis in the museum. We hang out for a while in the municipal library and talked about latin american politics and left / anticapitalistic movements. I hope I gonna meet him here in San Jose soon.
Wednesday I ve got back to San Jose, Costa Rica in order to go to clases on Thursday and Friday. Instead of readingthe texts I m uploading Picures.