The bus system in Nicaragua is great, it goes everywhere, but can be crowded. We took buses and taxis for our 11-day trip excluding a group tour by a company. We have been very impressed by the road conditions in Nicaragua. Not knowing much about the history of Nicaragua, I once wondered if the head of the country studied in Civil Engineering.
Bus rides in foreign countries, is sometimes challenging especially when a conductor packs as many passengers as he can. Knowing a huge holiday week (Semana Santa, Easter Weekend) is coming, our last day of travel, we luckily got on a bus last-minute. It was three hours of ride, standing up in the middle of the bus packed with passengers. Occasionally, snack and drink vendors were still able to squeeze between passengers. Most buses don’t run air-conditioners. Often, bus terminals are in the middle of the city and also by the central market. Our knowhow dealing with people in the terminal, on the bus, and market is getting firmer.
Among many places we went in Nicaragua, I liked the Masaya Active Volcano night visit the most. The sound of lava coming out in the crater is similar to ocean waves. The red lava in the dark evening was special. John liked Somoto Canyon the best. It is walking on the rocks and swimming in the river in the canyon. Nicaragua offers many things to see and do. We even didn’t do anything in the Caribbean side but we were very happy with our 11 day trip.
We stayed one night in the capital city Managua on the way back. In Nicaragua, COVID practice (Mask Wearing and Social Distancing) is optional. Rural areas, most people seem to be living normal lives except when entering big grocery stores. However, in the big city Managua, more people wear masks. When I visited a Korean restaurant for lunch in Managua, I spoke my mother tongue with the owner lady. She was very concerned that I am traveling during pandemic. She advised me to return home. Where is my home during this pandemic? I am living on a sailboat trying to sail around the world if this COVID thing would just let us!
