Cherry Blossoms in Bucheon

Signs of spring.

Cherry blossom season was highly anticipated around here. My entire route to work is lined on both sides with cherry trees so I had a convenient vantage point to gauge their progress. This past weekend Mike and I headed up to Bucheon to check out the azalea festival (see it on my instagram) and came across some gorgeous cherry blossoms as well. Of course, we couldn’t resist crossing the street to stroll up and down the scenic walkway.

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea

Cherry Blossoms, South Korea The azaleas did a number on my shoes.

So pretty. If only this season could last all year! It’s almost painful to see the little petals beginning to litter the ground now. But as my Korean co-worker counseled me, “Don’t be sad. More flowers are coming!”

xo, jill

The last of Nicaragua

Beach and bougainvillea.

This is the last post on Nicaragua. Life has changed so much since then, it’s crazy to think it was only two months ago! I’m so glad I have a partner like Mike who is willing to head out on a trip with only a few days notice. He even did most of the planning! To be honest, it’s a pretty good deal for me. I say, “Hey, let’s go somewhere in Central America.” and he says, “Ok. I found a deal to Nicaragua. Should we do it?” and then I say, “Yes. I’ll book it.” and he says, “I’ll get the Lonely Planet… so this is what I think we should do…” Done!

We only stayed one night in Leon because we really wanted to sneak in a little more beach time. We took a taxi from the city to the beach town of Las Penitas. I still wasn’t feeling 100% but I was looking forward to our guesthouse that had great reviews. Mike made sure to book a place with a reputation for delicious food with tasty vegetarian options. Alas, we arrived on BBQ night and they were only serving meat. Figures!

Las Penitas, Nicaragua

Las Penitas, Nicaragua

Most of our time in Las Penitas was spent in hammocks, on the beach, or watching the sunset. (And also apparently taking photos of bougainvillea!)

Las Penitas, Nicaragua

Las Penitas, Nicaragua

Las Penitas, Nicaragua

The next morning we began what felt like an endless journey back to Managua. First, we hopped on a chicken bus to get back to Leon. Then a taxi to get to the proper bus station. Then, a mini-bus to Managua and another taxi to our guesthouse. The guesthouse was new and in a residential neighborhood so it took a lot of convincing our driver that it actually existed. Thankfully, the security guard at the gate filled in the missing details and helped us arrive at the proper place just as the proprietor stepped outside.

Managua, Nicaragua Selfies with my birthday “cake” in front of colorful walls.

We stayed at Hostal Monte Cristi which was the perfect place to spend our final night. Not only was it comfortable and close to the airport, the customer service was fantastic. Calvin, the owner/manager, drove us over to the Best Western (just a few minutes away) so we could spend our last afternoon at the pool. (It was free because Hostal Monte Cristi has a membership.) He picked us up when we were ready and suggested places to eat dinner in the area. The next morning, he drove us to the airport and wished us a safe journey. It’s not often that a guesthouse is so incredibly accommodating. Sometimes I feel like just inquiring about the wifi password is asking too much! I highly recommend Hostal Monte Cristi if you need a place in Managua near the airport.

Our flight home was fairly uneventful. We touched down in Seattle, drove back to Portland the next morning, and immediately shifted our focus to preparing for Korea. We had about 10 days before we were once again heading to the airport.

xo, jill

Sorry, Leon

I feel like I owe you an apology.

We left Casa Maderas before I had fully recovered from the food poisoning episode. We needed to get to Leon so we could stick to our itinerary. In some ways, a 5 or 6 hour van ride was the perfect thing. I could sit and relax for a good chunk of the day. In other ways, it was pretty uncomfortable. I was stuck in a van without much fresh air and I’m prone to carsickness. In the end, we made it to Leon, but I was not in the mood to do much exploring.

Leon, Nicaragua

Leon, Nicaragua

Mike ventured out while I elected to nap in our hotel room. I stand by my decision, it was the best one for me. However, I’m pretty disappointed that I didn’t get to see more of Leon. It has plenty of museums I was excited to visit. It was also Mike’s favorite stop on this trip.

Leon, Nicaragua

Leon, Nicaragua

I mainly saw the areas around our hotel, the main square, and the restaurant where we ate dinner. The good news is that those places were beautiful and interesting to look at. I’ll get you next time, Leon!

xo, jill

The Birthday Bungalow

So good, but so bad.

Playa Maderas, Nicaragua

Playa Maderas, Nicaragua

Mike and I took special consideration when we booked our stay at Casa Maderas. We wanted to be in the perfect place to celebrate my 30th birthday. After much deliberation, we decided to book a little bungalow at the gorgeous eco-lodge. When we arrived, it did not disappoint. Our room wasn’t ready so we spent a few hours lounging in hammocks and full on relaxing. After getting into our room and getting settled, we jumped on the free afternoon shuttle to the beach, Playa Maderas.

Playa Maderas, Nicaragua

It’s possible to walk to the beach from Casa Maderas, but the road is rough and uphill. We both appreciated the convenient shuttle, especially since Mike was carrying a surfboard. The beach itself was lovely, full of people but not too crowded. Mike did a little surfing while I read in the sand. After a few hours we jumped on the last shuttle back to town and returned to the eco-lodge for dinner.

Playa Maderas, Nicaragua

Playa Maderas, NicaraguaOur little blue bungalow surrounded by bougainvillea.

Playa Maderas, Nicaragua Check out this adventurous cat. I love how effortlessly it clings to the tree.

Oh man. That dinner. Ok, so the food was good…on the way down. Not so much on the way back up. Yep. Food poisoning. I was up all night and into the morning. It was not the way I planned to wake up on my 30th birthday! I spent the day relaxing by the pool in a hammock and sipping on ginger ale. It was pleasant and unpleasant at the same time. The worst part was getting food poisoning and being stuck at a resort with only one restaurant. My faith in the food was shaken, but there was no way I would survive the 45 minute bumpy truck ride back into town for different dining options. When I was ready for food again (dinner that night), I crossed my fingers and ordered the most bland item on the menu. (All went well!)*

Playa Maderas, Nicaragua

So. Yeah. The birthday bungalow was great. The day itself? A little rocky. Thankfully, there’s no rule against stretching out the celebration as long as possible. Mike made sure to get me a make-up birthday dinner a few nights later when my appetite had fully returned.

xo, jill

*I don’t really fault Casa Maderas for the food poisoning. I don’t 100% know if it came from their kitchen and Mike didn’t have any issues whatsoever. On the whole, the food was pretty good. I wouldn’t let my experience dissuade you if you are thinking of booking at the eco-lodge. It’s a really beautiful, reasonably priced, and relaxing place!

San Juan del Sur and the Great Divide

The beach spot.

Our journey down to San Juan del Sur took a little longer than expected. We hopped on a chicken bus (old American school bus) and felt grateful to get a seat. After about 20 minutes, the bus pulled out of the parking lot. Just outside of town the bus rolled to a stop. No matter how many times he tried, the driver couldn’t get it started again. The young French couple seated behind us convinced us to ditch the bus and share a taxi with them instead. That taxi took us to Rivas where we found another taxi to take us the rest of the way. Of course, once we arrived we didn’t have a place to stay. It took a few tries to find a guesthouse that was available and also met our standards. If was a relief when we were finally able to drop our suitcases.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur is probably the most popular beach spot on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast. People either seem to love it, or hate it. One man we spoke to nearly spit with disgust when he shared his opinion of the beach town. He was clearly not a fan. Other people speak of San Juan del Sur as if it’s paradise. My opinion is somewhere in the middle between the those two. It wasn’t my favorite place and I think some of the criticism is warranted, but there were also really good tacos.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

Basically, San Juan del Sur is a built up tourist town with an unimpressive beach and plenty of drunk backpackers. If you want to swim or surf, you need to visit a beach 30 minutes away in either direction. Fortunately, the hostels arrange convenient shuttle buses to the most popular destinations. So, if you want to party and like tacos, it’s a pretty good place to be. If you want a scenic and relaxing beach, treat it like a jumping off point.

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

We were only there for the evening. Just long enough to enjoy the sunset, have a few tacos, and get our selves situated for our next destination.

xo, jill

 

I Didn’t Want to Leave: Laguna de Apoyo

Take me back.

Oh my goodness. Laguna de Apoyo. The highlight of our trip to Nicaragua. If only we booked more time there! The laguna is a crater lake that is located between Granada and Masaya in a designated Nature Reserve area. The warm and clean water makes the lake a popular spot for swimming, kayaking, and scuba diving. We were told it’s the cleanest water in Nicaragua.

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

We stayed at San Simian, a gorgeous and secluded eco-lodge right on the lake. I highly recommend it!* Our little bungalow (Papaya) was beautiful and the bathroom (including outdoor shower) was gorgeous. Seriously, we are still talking about this bathroom. Sorry future accommodation’s bathrooms. You will always be judged against San Simian.

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

The property was quiet and encouraged relaxation. We spent our time reading in hammocks, sitting on the dock, floating on the lake, or out in a kayak. It was amazing. I want to go back. Right now.

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua Current favorite Jill + Mike photo!

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

This is one of the few places I’ve felt sad to leave. Usually, I’m ready to move on to the next adventure but not this time. After a delicious breakfast and one more swim, we reluctantly took a taxi back to Granada and headed on our way to the beach.

xo, jill

*Just a little more helpful info on San Simian. It was the nicest place we stayed during our trip. We loved it and I truly wish we had stayed longer. Our clean, comfortable, and beautiful bungalow with private bath was only $50USD (+tax) and included breakfast. Private transport to San Simian from Granada was $10USD. We were happy to pay it.

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