Overly large coffee table and chairs, Masaya, Nicaragua.
Volcan Masaya, Nicaragua
Oscar and I thought we could make the volcano erupt if we threw rocks into the crater… it didn't work.
Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua.
The view from Poste Rojo (a hostel in the trees), Nicaragua.
We camped 10 metres above ground on a platform in the trees with an early morning wake-up call by howler monkeys.
After spending a week in and around Masaya, we headed south through Lago Nicaragua on an overnight ferry for San Carlos, a small town on the Rio San Juan - the river that creates a natural border between Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
Our cabaña at the Grand River Lodge on the Rio San Juan, Nicaragua.
View from our balcony in El Castillo, Rio San Juan, Nicaragua.
Green Poison Dart Frog in the Indio Maiz Biological Reserve, Rio San Juan, Nicaragua.
The sunset on our last day in San Carlos, Nicaragua.
After a week in Nicaragua, we travelled through Costa Rica again, trying to catch things we didn't see on our last visit in July/August. We couchsurfed in Cartago (the first colonial city, just outside San Jose) before heading onto Manuel Antonio National Park on the Pacific Coast.
Our couchsurfing host took us to visit an old asylum/sanitarium at the base of the Volcan Irazu outside Cartago. Unfortunately the weather wasn't great so we couldn't climb the volcano.
La Basílica de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles, Cartago, Costa Rica. Every year on August 2, over 2 million pilgrims from all over Costa Rica travel to the church, many of whom crawl the final 22 kilometres on their hands and knees.
Suspension bridge in Orosi, Cartago.
Shots of iguanas taken through our guide's telescope with my mobile phone camera, Manuel Antonio National Park.
A sloth!! Taken through the telescope and my phone, Manuel Antonio National Park.
A toucan, taken through the telescope and my phone, Manuel Antonio National Park.
Cheeky, brazen raccoons that tried to steal our lunch from right under my nose, Manuel Antonio National Park.
Crazy white-faced monkey, Manuel Antonio National Park.
Manuel Antonio Beach, Manuel Antonio National Park.
Our next stop was Panama, a country we were super excited about which quickly lived up to our expectations. With its diverse, beautiful landscapes and scenery we were definitely not disappointed nor did we want to leave!
The mountains and countryside around Boquete, in Panama's Chiriqui highlands. This was our starting point for hikes through the coffee farms of the area and our overnight hike up Panama's tallest peak, Volcan Baru.
An Instagram shot taken on my phone from the summit of Baru at 6am.
The girls at the base of the volcano after a hard night's hiking.
Our next stop was Bocas del Toro for some sun, fun and diving. On our first day, we ran into our friend, Kristina, whom we met in Utila and travelled with her for the rest of our time in Panama.
B-ball, Caribbean island style. Bocas del Toro, Panama.
After leaving Bocas, we went to the small surf town of Santa Catalina on Panama's Pacific coast. On the way there, our bus was delayed for three hours as the the road was block for a street parade in a small town en-route - the joys of travelling by bus in Central America.
Playa Santa Catalina, Panama.
After Santa Catalina, we rented a car with three Americans, and drove the Azuero Peninsular through a number of small surf towns to Cambutal.
Our next stop was Panama City.
Looking back at Panama City from the waterfront.
Panama City's old-town, Casco Viejo.
After a few nights in Panama City, we headed to the tropical paradise of the San Blas Islands, or Kuna Yala - an archipelago of over 300 islands inhabited by one of Panama's Indigenous groups, the Kuna.
A view over the Panama Highlands towards the San Blas Islands.
Two Kuna women in their traditional dress, the mola, at the port in Carti, Panama.
A number of the islands on the way to our destination, Isla Chichime.
Our room and beds for the three nights - hammocks in a grass hut with a sand floor on Isla Chichime.
Isla Chichime, San Blas, Panama.
There is no better way to pass away the day than with rum, sun, and paddle ball!
After an amazing three days in the San Blas, it was time to head back to Panama City. We could not leave Panama without seeing the canal, and unfortunately we didn't have the time to try to get a ride through on a yacht, so we visited at the Miraflores locks just outside Panama City.
After an incredible 5 weeks on the road (and 7 months in Central America), it was time to say goodbye to cheap food, average beer, the same Latin music in every country, chaotic driving and much more that we loved about the region, and head to the US for a whirlwind tour of the southern states.
0 comments:
Post a Comment