Travelblog LA#24: León & Granada (Part 1) – Nicaragua

16th – 19th August, 2023

 

My time in Honduras was short but memorable; I was there for just under three weeks and yet they were some of the most rewarding of this journey. From the majestic ruins of Copan to the bird-watching paradise of Lake Yojoa, and the island of Utila – where I treated myself to some scuba diving – Honduras was a country that kept surprising me. I will look back on it fondly.

For the next few weeks, I will be travelling fast again. Nicaragua and Costa Rica were not in my original itinerary, but I added them on when I realised that I had extra time to spare and flights from San José to Mexico City are cheap. My last day in Honduras was spent in a minibus, heading south. Mostly, over the last couple of months, I have been using cheap local buses but on this occasion I booked one of the touristy shuttle services. This service was fast, air-conditioned, and for the first eight hours there were just three of us so we got to spread out and it felt very luxurious. When we reached San Lorenzo we picked up a dozen more gringos who had just transferred from another shuttle service from Guatemala.

I have often commented on how swift and easy most border crossings in Latin America have been, but this one was an exception. I will first say that it wasn’t in any way dangerous, and I have certainly endured much worse when I was travelling through Asia, but entering Nicaragua was a strange experience due to how pointlessly inefficient it seemed. First, we all had to hand over our passports and fill out a form, and then wait a while. When we received our passports back they were still not stamped. We were then told to form a queue. When each of us had our turn at the kiosk we were asked a series of questions – mostly ones that we had already answered in the forms we had just filled out but since disappeared – whilst they tapped away at their keyboards for several minutes. Then passports vanished again for several minutes to finally get stamped. It took over an hour for less than twenty of us, and the strangest thing about it all was that – despite all that processing time – they did not do what you would think would be the most important thing and scan/search our bags. Those they trustingly let us keep on the minibus during the whole affair.

I arrived at León at around 11 p.m., where I checked into my hostel, had a shower, and climbed into my bunk. It had been a long day, but that shuttle service had shot me like a bullet across hundreds of miles, saving me two days of slowly trawling my way across the breadth of Honduras in tin can buses that would have stopped every mile or so. It got me to where I wanted to be.

I began exploring León the following. It is Nicaragua’s former capital, but unlike many former capitals in this part of the world, it has endured the relentless earthquakes. By the mid-twentieth century, Managua became Nicaragua’s new capital whilst León has so far managed to cling on to being its second most populous city.

Despite this, Nicaragua isn’t a hugely populus country, so the pace of life feels slow here. It is still small enough for everything to be within walking distance. Many travel guides claim that León’s historic centre makes it a rival for Nicaragua’s primary hotspot; Granada.

Its Cathedral – La Basílica de la Asunción – is the central feature of the city and is a mixture of neo-classical and baroque styles. It is said to be the largest in Central America and is also a UNESCO Heritage Site.

León is home to several other charming churches, which I spent much of the morning wandering between. I also paid a visit to Centro de Arte Fundación Ortíz Gurdián; an impressive art museum that I regard as a must-see for those visiting. It is located in a series of buildings near the plaza, and the paintings – which span across many different styles and periods – are split between several different rooms and courtyards.

The last attraction from León that I would like to mention is the Museum of Traditions and Legends. This place is very quirky and has very mixed reviews if you look at places such as Google or TripAdvisor. I can see why. Many of its displays are tacky or a bit decayed and could do with some love, but I appreciated it. The building is actually a former prison from the Somoza dictatorship, and some of the displays – as well as artwork depicted on the walls – do pay homage to that period, as well as its victims.

But, most of the former cells – as well as the courtyard – are home to a series of paper-mâché mannequins in costumes. Many of them are depictions from Nicaraguan myths and legends.

After visiting this museum, I looked at the map of the city on my phone and realised that – in the space of one day – I had managed to see everything that I wanted to in León.

I am not saying this as a diss. And I hope that the account that I have given here – along with the pictures – does make it clear that it was an enjoyable day for me. I am just mentioning it here because – as I said before – some of the guidebooks are touting this place as a rival to Granada, which perhaps set my expectations higher than they should have been. León is a nice city. It is a place that does have some attractions to see whilst also not being overly touristy, so you can come here and feel like you have visited a ‘real’ Nicaraguan city. But I think that people trying to sell it as a ‘rival’ to Granada is a bit of an oversell. I originally saw myself staying here for longer, but rearranged my plans. If you are not doing any day trips to places outside of it, a day is more than enough time to see León’s sights.

So, the following morning, I went to Granada.

Which, as I have already stated, is much more touristy than León, but I am not one of those purist backpackers who automatically diss such places, as many of them are popular for a reason. Also, ‘Touristy’ in Nicaragua is on a much more low-key level than many other Latin American countries, and it is currently in low season anyway. The place was fairly quiet.

I spent my first two days exploring the town and its immediate attractions. Its cathedral is quite modern but charming. Unembellished yet elegant. I appreciated the murals on its ceiling.

More interesting, perhaps, are some of the churches outside of the plaza, which have endured centuries of earthquakes and are thus much older. Iglesia Nuestra Senora de Las Mercedes has a beautiful exterior.

And for a small fee, you can climb its tower for views of the city.

I think my favourite overall was Iglesia Xalteva, which has its own little plaza filled with stone sculptures.

And beautiful murals on the inside.

A place to certainly not miss if one comes to Granada is the San Francisco Convent Museum. I have a feeling that a lot of people who are either anti-religion or not too interested in history miss this, which is a shame because its name is quite deceptive. Yes, it is within the walls of an old convent, but that is not the primary focus of its exhibits. It is compartmentalised into five different museums. Some are historic in nature, but even a surprising amount of them are non-Christian in theme. It is home to a collection of pre-Colombian sculptures and pottery recovered from the local area, for example.

And as far as art goes; yes, there is a very small section dedicated to religious paintings from colonial times. I personally – despite not being Christian myself – appreciate religious art, but I was also pleased to discover that this place is home to many other forms.

I particularly enjoyed its section on ‘Nicaraguan Primitivism’; a local movement that spawned within the twentieth century, where artists began to focus on nature, folklore, and animism and combined it with fantastical elements and surrealism.

This distinctive style is one that I recognised from my visit to the Centro de Arte Fundación Ortíz Gurdián in León, and it also caught my attention then. It seems to be popular here.

I like it very much, for its bright colours and exquisite detail. It is a style that has made a big impression on me.

And that just about covers my first two days in Granada, but I am not quite done with this place yet because beyond the town itself are many other attractions that are just a stone’s throw away; all of which I will be visiting in a series of daytrips that will be covered in my next blog.

 

Click on these hyperlinks for more photos from León and Granada.

 

 

Travelblog LA#23: Utila – Honduras

10th – 14th August, 2023

 

To finish off my time in Honduras, I went to yet another Caribbean island: Utila, which sits on the south end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and is a place famous for an old pastime of mine.

Diving!

The ferry from La Ceiba arrived early in the morning. I had originally planned to have a day to get my bearings and decompress a little, but after checking in at Alton’s Dive Centre they told me that there was a boat leaving that afternoon, and I was keen to get into the water again so went to get myself fitted for gear.

I operate in a strange position when it comes to diving. Technically, I have Advanced Open Water certification, and I have around two hundred dives under my belt, but most of them were during my teenage years (when I was a member of a local dive centre and went for a couple of holidays in Egypt). My diving in my adult life has been very sporadic. I usually do a few days of it during each long trip I go on but can’t afford anything more than that on a backpacker budget. The last time I dived was five years ago – when I went to the Galapagos – so I was required to do a refresher which entailed a quick test to see how much of the theory I remembered and a demonstration of some essential diving skills (such as equipment recovery and buoyancy). My first dive was a one-to-one with Branden – one of their Dive Masters – and I was pleased to find that most of it came back to me instinctively. Once the review was over, we went to a place called The Labyrinth, which had some interesting rock formations, and we saw a pair of bright green moray eels.

Utila is said to offer some of the best places for diving in Central America, but it does have a rivalry with a neighbouring island called Roatan. Many people seem to debate online over which is ‘better’, and I have not dived Roatan, but if you want me to throw in my perspective after my time in Utila, here it is.

From what I have heard, it seems you are more likely to encounter ‘big’ creatures – such as sharks – during dives at Roatan, whereas Utila has more pristine coral. Utila is also said to have a more laid-back vibe, whereas Roatan has livelier nightlife and is more ‘resorty’. Nobody contests that Utila is much cheaper – not just for diving, but also accommodation and everything else. I spent five days exploring the reefs of Utila, which is more than I usually do while backpacking, but if I had gone to Roatan I would have been forced to do less than that for budget reasons.

Overall, I am very happy that I went to Utila, and not just because it was cheaper and I got to do more dives. A lot of the diving I have done over the past decade or so has been very ‘ticking a box’ style. What I mean by this is that you are diving in a specific place because you want to see a creature and tick it off your bucket list. When I did Gordon’s Rock on the Galapagos, it was to see hammerhead sharks. When I went to Manta Point in Indonesia, it was to see – yes, you’ve guessed it – Manta Rays. These kinds of dives usually involve heavy currents and you end up clinging between different rocks between either riding or fighting against strong drifts. They usually pass by very quickly, and you don’t see much in the way of coral or other marine life. It is diving with a sole objective which if you don’t succeed you will get back on the boat feeling disappointed. I certainly do not regret doing these dives. They were exciting, and I was lucky enough to be one of the people who did get to see the creatures that I wanted to.

Utila was very different. You are never diving somewhere merely to see a specific creature. Every time you get into the water you are guaranteed to see lots of beautiful, healthy, intact coral – something that can often be scarce these days in popular diving locations – and lots of fish, and any special or noteworthy species that you may see will be a surprise and a highlight rather than the objective. The seas are also calm, so the visibility is almost always good, and the currents are either non-existent or gentle. This makes diving there a more relaxing experience for those who are seasoned and a great place for newbies to learn.

Out of all of the days that I spent diving there, the third was the most memorable. It also happened to be the day that not just one but two of my companions had GoPros, so I can share some of what I saw with you.

We were taken to a secret spot that only Alton’s Dive Centre knows about (and they only take their guests there once every couple of weeks to limit the chances of others finding out about it, so I was lucky with the timing). As with most dives around Utila, we started swimming along a walled reef, but we also eventually reached some pristine coral gardens.

As usual, we saw lots and lots of fish that day, but the more notable sightings included three lionfish – which, I was later informed, are an invasive species and are not good for the ecosystem. The local authorities are even offering rewards to people who hunt them down. Still, they were interesting to see.

But, most notably, two nurse sharks appeared shortly in the dive.

And after, they just… kept appearing.

Again and again.

They seemed very curious about us and kept swimming up close. Once we surfaced, a young woman called Amy said it was, “like we had two extra dive buddies,” which was a very fitting way to put it.

The second dive that day was at Ted’s Point, one of the more common sites. We started by descending to the ocean floor to look at the wreck of a small boat, where we spotted a crab.

And then, we ventured back to the reef, where our Dive Master – who that day was Ryan – found two species of frogfish, as well as barracudas, tarpons, and a cool-looking filefish.

But, I think the highlight of this particular dive – for me, at least – was this squid that appeared just as we were beginning to ascend for our safety stop.

Another particularly memorable day was my final one, and it just so happened to be another one where someone who owned a GoPro was present.

As it was my last day, Branden took me to see a little cave within the wall of the reef and lent me his torch. Within the darkness I could see a small group of fish backed up against the far side of it, watching me. It was an eerie experience, and when I swam back out of it the sight of being back amongst all the bright and colourful coral again was a moment that I will always remember.

In terms of sightings that final day: the ones that stood out of me was a giant lobster that Branden found hiding within one of the coral formations. I didn’t manage to get any footage of that but I do have some of the barracudas we saw lurking by the wall of the reef.

As well as pufferfish, which we saw several. Towards the start of the dive I found one that was big and of a greyish/blue colour, and then later on we also found a spotted puffer that was yellow and had black spots.

Utila is a lovely place, and I think when I look back on my time there I will not just remember the diving but also the people that I met and watching beautiful sunsets from Alton Dive Centre’s pier whilst enjoying a beer. I can see why many people end up staying here and making a new life for themselves.

The following day, I caught the ferry back to La Ceiba where I spent a day relaxing and preparing for the next stage of my journey; Nicaragua.

Photos and videos used for this blog were kindly donated to me by several people. Most of them are anonymous, but the ones with the nurse sharks and the beautiful coral were from Kari, who also happens to run a business called Island Pet Movers that is currently running a scheme to help those who have been affected by the Maui bushfires relocate their pets and pay for vet services. If you enjoyed the pictures and happen to have some spare money consider donating.

Travelblog LA#22: Lake Yojoa – Honduras

4th – 8th August, 2023

 

The journey to Lake Yojoa was without incident. The reason that I feel a need to mention this is because I passed through San Pedro Sulla which is infamous for being one of the most dangerous cities in the world. I have seldom heard a conversation during my travels where someone has mentioned this city without people then discussing how dangerous it is.

I have looked more into this, and it is true that it once was the murder capital of the world back in 2012 – when its homicide rate peaked at 173 per 100,000 – but it has since dropped to 36. This still places it in the top fifty in the world – so it is still a cause for concern – but to put that in perspective; Cancun in Mexico scores higher, and so do several cities in the United States which don’t seem to come with the same grave warning whenever they are mentioned. Also, most of the murders in San Pedro Sulla are gang-related and rarely affect tourists. When I passed through, I did not linger – as it didn’t have anything that would interest me anyway – and I was actually quite impressed by how modern its bus station was.

A few hours later, I arrived at Los Naranjos; a little village by the shore of Lake Yojoa. Like almost everyone who visits this place I stayed at D&D Brewery. It is the place that pioneered tourism in this area and still to this day possesses its only backpacker-friendly lodgings.

I found it to be deserving of its status. They have created a beautiful ambience by cultivating a lush jungle between all of their cabins connected by pathways, a great restaurant area with plenty of power points, a firepit area (which they light up most nights), and hammocks.

I have over the years learnt to be a bit suspicious when it comes to isolated accommodation. A lot of places will take advantage of their guests relying upon them and inflate their menu prices, but this place has not let their status – nor the fact that they have a monopoly – affect them, and everything is still reasonable. I think it is because they do not seem to rely primarily on backpackers for their income anyway; during my stay, I noticed that they are busiest during lunchtime when daytrippers arrive. The evenings, by comparison, were quiet. The first night of my stay I had the eight-bed dorm to myself, and after that there were never more than three of us.

One of the other things that I found refreshing about this place is that they provide their guests with plenty of information about things they can do in the area independently – instead of just trying to push expensive tours onto them like many places do these days. They do have some tours on offer for their guests, but they are not pushy with them. They seem to understand how hospitality works because this approach makes people feel inclined to stay longer. During my five days here I went to several places, including:

Pulhapanzak Waterfall, which was just a short bus journey away. The pictures speak for themselves. It was very beautiful.

I also went for a hike up the nearby Cerro Las Nalgas, a route that passed through some farms and then into the jungle until I reached the top which had two viewpoints. One overlooking Los Narajos.

And another with a view of the lake.

But the place where I spent most of my time was Parque Arqueológico Los Naranjos. Which was not only interesting for its mysterious ruins.

And its little museum, which is home to some pottery and some information about the history of the area.

It also has a lovely boardwalk by the wetlands at the shore of the lake.

But mostly, this place was remarkable for its birdlife. It is home to over five hundred known species.

I came here almost every day during my stay. Usually in the morning and always with my camera.

And, well, I think we all know by now that I am not a professional photographer. There are certainly better photos that can be found of all of these birds online.

But it is still nice to be able to post my own snaps and know that I was the one who took them.

And let us not forget the thing that D&D Brewery is named after; beer. I am usually more of a wine or cider drinker myself but I found myself having a glass or two each evening. They even do taster platters where you can try them all.

Once again, Honduras has surprised me with more fond memories that I will take with me. This country keeps exceeding my expectations, and I expect that to continue when I head to Utila for some scuba diving.

 

For more photos from Lake Yojoa, click here.