Onward to Nicaragua to Board the Volcano in Leon & got ripped off for bike ride across border!

Wow after our 13 hr bus ride across Honduras we had a short 3 hr ride to the border of Nicaragua. When we got to the Nicaraguan border we were swarmed by guys taking our packs off the roof of the minibus on to these 3 wheel bikes. It all happened so fast with these guys trying to get u to ride their bikes across the border into Nicaragua, money changers plus going to Immigration. We didn't know the distance to across the DMZ area between the 2 borders so we figured we needed to go by bike. As it turned out it was about 1/2 mile which I would have walked. Anyway we got to the immigration and had to pay $7 USD to get into Nicaragua. Jake had no USD so I had to pay his fee. Then had to negotiate an exchange rate for the Honduran Liperias sp to the Nicaragua. It's quite confusing when we go to 5 countries in a space of 2 months. It's hard enough to remember the names of the currency and the exchange rate. I had about $100 Honduran Liperias to exchange plus a little Guatemalan Quenchenatas sp to exchange. So probably lost a bit in the exchange.

But that didn't bother me as much as the 200 Cordobas 10USD that the bike pedders charged us for the 1/2 mile bike ride. Now $10 isn't a lot of money but it's all relative here. For that amount we could ride a bus 8 hrs. The only other time I was pissed at someone was in Utila Island when I was eating a big bag of nachos waiting for a friend. This local guy asked me for a bite. So I handed him the bag and he took 1/2 of bag in 2 handfuls. I yelled, swore and squeamed at the guy telling him most people take a piece or 2 not 2 handfuls of nachos. Of course he didn't know what I was saying. But anyone who knows me can tell when I'm pissed at someone regardless if they understand what I'm saying or not. It's little things like that that make me mad. Heck I misplaced my Exit card leaving Mexico and had to pay 254 Pesos and then later found my card. It was my fault so it didn't piss me off,

Anyway we made it to Leon which is a nice colonial city not far from the Pacific ocean. The big draw here is the Boarding down the Volcano ashes on a tobaggan. This is run by a Dutch guy who works through the Bigfoot Hostel here.
We plan to stay here 3 days as they only have the boarding Mon, Wed and Sat. We couldn't do it when we arrived on Mon. as I had to go to the doctor. My left hand and left evy were both swollen from some bug bite. So with my limited knowledge of Spanish I went to the doctor.
No one at the hospital/clinic knew English so it was a matter of showing them my hand. He managed to explain that I had an allergic reaction to a bite and it wasn't malaria. So I got a cortisone shot plus 2 prescriptions 1 antibiotic and the other anti inflamatory. When I got my coritisone shot I almost threw up on the floor but it passed. The downside of taking the antibiotic is I can't have a drink for 5 days. I'm not a big drinker but staying at a hostel which has a bar, everyone gathers in the bar for a beer in the evening. But hey I can't say a bit of money for the next 5 days. My Dutch travelling partner is a big drinker so he's always in the bar.

So when we're finished the boarfding we'll head to Grenada which is suppose to be a nice Spanish Colonial city south of here. Then we;ll head to this lake which has 2 volcanos to climb. So stay tuned.

Finally after 7 days the Ferry finally was up again so made it off the Island!

Dam but we were running out of things to do on Utila Island as stuck 3 extra days cuz ferry not running. So we had to try something new like having a beer at the bar! Then after everything dried out we got off the Island on the ferry today! At least it was calm coming back and we made it in 1 hr not 2 or 3 like in a storm!

So staying in La Ceibe the port town where all the ferries leave for Utila and Roantan Islands for diving and just vacation. There isn't much to do here as this town is mostly for travellers hanging out to catch the ferries to Utila, Roantan or the other islands in the Bay of Islands.

There's also a place run by the Banana Republic hostel in the nearby jungle where a person can do Zip Lining, Whitewater rafting, etc. We didn't bother doing it cuz it costs $35 USD and that is too much for something I've done before. So we just checked out the bars in the bar zone but the area is a bit sleezy for us as there are a lot of hookers, etc. So we bought some beer and drank at the hostel. Met up with this Canadian couple from Toronto who are motorcycling from Toronto to Argentina. He's Romanian and she's French from France and they decided to move to Nice, France (good people to keep in touch with if I make it to France). So they sold all their stuff in Toronto. Sent his crotch rocket bike to France along with their stuff. Then they bought 2 - 650 cc road bikes and are biking to Argentina. Then they'll sell their bikes (under the table as they have to sign a form in most countries saying they won't sell their bikes) and go to France. Nice people.

Well we woke up at 8 am on Sun and caught the 8:30 bus to the west coast of Honduras. The dam bus ride was an all day trip. We finally got to Tegucicpoga sp. the capital of Honduras around 5 pm. The city is a shit hole like most major cities in Central America. So didn't want to stay there but it was getting dark and we were looking for the bus station to catch a bus to this other city near the Nicaurguan border. It was looking a bit iffy about finding this bus station. Both of us speak little Spanish so it was a bit of joke asking directions to the bus station. So we saw a place called Hotel California where would be our bed for the night if things didn't work out. But we kept walking and saw this man and daughter with bags sitting on the street corner. We did manage to communicate that we were looking for this bus to this city. As it turned out he was going there so we waited and manage to catch a bus to this place.

Boy some bus station as it was only a bus stop on the street and not an actual station! The guy told us it was only a 1 hr bus ride there. But it turned out to be 3 hrs with people standing in the aisle and leaning on us.

We managed to get to the city at 9 pm in the dark. The whole city was dead so we caught a taxi to this hostel that was in Lonely Planet as the driver knew the place. So he drives us to this dark street and says here's the hostel. There was no lights on or sign of a hostel so we said take us to this other hostel. Luckily it was open but had a TV which was a real novelty. We wanted a bite to eat cuz we didn't eat all day. The only place open was a Chinese restuarant. Yeah I know what the heck would someone immigrate from China to a top Chinese food spot like Nowhere Honduras?? Beats me. But it looked open so we moseyed over. The door had a caste iron door with a slot to get the meal u order. What the locals do is ring the bell, place their order and wait for their order through this slot in the door! Made us think it was a prison or something but the meal came from inside the restuarant. Jake the Snake my Dutch travelling partner and I went to door and asked if we could go in. The Lady checked us over and must have thought we looked OK to eat in their restuarant. So the husband came and unlocked the massive door and let us in. Then she asked if I was Japanese or Japones pronunced like haponese? That must have been the key to getting in! I ordered a Corn and chicken soup which I thought tasted pretty good! But after eating torillas, refried beans and burritos for the past 2 months a little Hondoruan Chinese food was a great change. Of course Snake had to down 2 beers cuz he's a bit of a piss tank.

Hey we got to watch a couple of movie spectaulars like Texas Chain Saw Massacre and Jusasic Park 3 or 4. But hey when u havein't seen tve for a few months it's good to spend the time.

Well another day of travelling through Central America!

Here I am, one of the only Non Divers hanging with an island full of Divers on the Island of Utila, Bay of Islands Honduras!

There was crappy weather in Belize so caught the 9:30 am ferry ride out of Placencia. But not until we waited 2 hrs for an Immigration dude to come and stamp our passport. Then took another a wild Boat ride from Placencia, Belize to Porto Cortes, Honduras. Which meant another trip to Honduras immigration, trip to the ATM for cash, bite to eat at the local Burger King (barf) & a 4 hrs mini bus ride to La Ceibe Honduras, overnight stay, & another wild boat ride to Utila, Bay of Islands. So what do we have in Utila Island but Dam crappy weather awaited us there too!

Utila is sort of the Mecca for Scuba Divers in Central America. The island is part of the Bay of Islands of which Roantan Island is the largest and most well known island. However it is also the most commercial and expensive island. So very few travellers end up there unless they know someone to sponge off! But I've never been one to meet people and visit or stay I guess.

So been staying at this Dive Shop for $6 a night for the 5 days as I've run into some old travelling mates I've met in past places. They've been trying to talk me into doing some diving some too but haven't been successful. I have trouble equalizing my eardrums plus I kind of get claustophobia so diving wouldn't work. Plus it costs$25 a dive or 250 USD to get qualified to dive. There are a lot of keen divers and newbies but few ppl like myself around. So just sleeping in when others are diving. Then goofing off the rest of the day. It's a great place to hang around as the ppl are all cool. My Dutch travelling partner showed up yesterday so now we can make plans to leave. But he met a Scottish guy on the ferry and he's having a birthday Wed so we'll probably leave on Thur to Nicaguara.

The first night I got here the Dive Shop had a Booze Cruise which was a gas! The boat left the dock at 5 PM with about 30 people on a small dive boat. It had stopped raining so it was beautiful out and ppl were diving off the roof of the boat. then around 9 pm we went to the dock and they had prepared a Bundu which is basically a Fish soup/stew. It's a Carribean dish using Wahoo fish which is a well eaten fish around here. They had this massive pot about 2 ft high and about 2 ft across. There were potatos, carrots, bread fruit (sort of a dumpling) and loads of other stuff in it. All I know is it was like really delicious and free! Everyone ate so much but there was still some left over. Then everyone retired to the bar and drank and carried on. Then at 3 am a few of us came back and ate some more Bandu.

That pretty much covers my day staying at Atltons Dive Shop. If u don't dive there isn't a lot to do but maybe snorkel so may try that. But I have walked and ran the street as far out as I could go the other day. So we'll see what the next few days brings.

Yeah pretty much a lot of partying followed ub the 7 days on the idea.

Hey Placencia Belize is a real chilled place & the Creoles are such cool people who call everyone Brother!

Really like Belize at least Placencia which is a pennisula sticking out in the Carribean from the Mainland. I think it used to be an island but they've built a road to connect it to the mainland. So the road looks like about 3 km long.
Yesterday I woke up early and ran the road for about 8 km or 5 miles to the next village. It was on a dirt road and thru construction by a lot of empy resort places as this seems to be the low season for a couple more weeks. Can't remember the village I ran to but it was pretty well 3rd world as all it had was old worn out wooden buildings. I talked to a couple of locals hanging around the dock and they said I could take the beach back. So ran a bit on the beach but there was so much trash and crap that it was hard to run. But it was nice to see the area around Placencia.

Placencia is made up mostly of Creole (Black people who speak their own pigeon English) who I really like as they are easy to talk to and so laidback. This is probably the nicest spot I've been to on my trip. There's not much to do but just chill! It’s qute small with about 1000 people mostly Creoles (descendents of Africans) and very laid back. I like the black people on the island as I’ve always gotten along with Blacks and their laid back ways. They’re a little different than the Spanish speaking people in that they’re not very aggressive in selling things or having u come to their hotel, etc. Checked into this small place Omar’s Place and we asked if they wanted us to register but they said tomorrow’s OK. Omar’s quite a character and likes to talk so him and I get along great.

We’ve hit a problem cuz the weather has turned cooler with wind and rain. But people in a place always say “It’s suppose to be unusual for Dec as it should be hot!” But I can always move on but I kinda like this place as so chilled that I’ll hang around here a couple days to check out the scene.


Oh I did make it to my first Kareoke bar last night! Here I was the only non Black in this bar trying to sing Kareoke with all the Blacks. I did find out that I can't carry a tune as I seem to either sing (actually talk the words) too slow or too fast. I was trying to sing a Bob Marley song that would make Bob turn over in his grave. But I was starting to catch on how to do it but the bar closed down at midnight. I don't know why the bars and resturants close down so early in these Central American countries. Maybe it's to keep ppl from getting too drunk.

I've kind of been hanging out at this small eatery owned by a young Belizian couple. Shane is from Belize but lived in the US for a few years so is like an American. His wife is from South Africa but also lived in the US. They're really cool and a bunch of other Creoles also come by so I chat with them as they're all so friendly. These are the type of people I like to hang out with and talk and listen to reggae.

I'm staying in the dorm at Omar's Place which is pretty basic but Omar and his family are really nice and I like to kid around with Omar. He was so excited this morning cuz they arrested the previous Prime Minister who embezzled millions from the country. But of course he has reservations if they will get the money back. Sounds like my time in Kenya (plus a whole lot of other countries) where they've been trying to get the money that their former leaders embezzled. We have crappy leaders but at least they're a little more discreet on how they get rich.

But all good things come to an end and I'll be pushing off on the same wild boat ride back to Hondorus cuz it's the quickest way to get back to Hondorus. I can bypass returning to Hondorus if I take the ferry.

But I think I wouldn't mind returning to Belize and hang out with the Creoles again as they remind of African and Carribean people.

Took the Boat Ride from Hell across the wild Carribean to Belize

Yeah it was suppose to be a ferry ride from Hondorus to Belize. But it was actually a 30 ft boat that we caught for the 3 hrs ride from Porto Cortes in Hondorus across the Carribean to Placencia in Belize. I don’t what happened but the weather got ugly and the wind was so strong that it created whitecaps in the open waters of the Carribean. The boat was banging as it hit the waves so hard that I thought the boat would fall apart. We were all being tossed around the boat and this one girl was having a heck of a time and thought she was going to throw up. There were about 10 of us onboard including a woman and her 2 month old son. I was going to take the boat both ways as it’ll save me about 1 ½ days of bus rides. But I don’t know if my back can take the pounding. So I may have to take a bus back cuz I also save some money by taking the bus.

I like Belize what I’ve seen of it so far. Placencia is a small town on this spit of land jutting out into the Carribean. It’s qute small with about 1000 people mostly Creoles (descendents of Africans) and very laid back. I like the black people on the island as I’ve always gotten along with them and their laid back ways. They’re a little different than the Spanish speaking people in that they’re not very aggressive in selling things or having u come to their hotel, etc. Checked into this small place Omar’s Place and we asked if they wanted us to register but they said tomorrow’s OK. Omar’s quite a character and likes to talk so him and I get along great.

We’ve hit a problem cuz the weather has turned cooler with wind and rain. But people in a place always say “It’s suppose to be unusual for Dec as it should be hot!” But I can always move on but I kinda like this place as so chilled that I’ll hang around here a couple days to check out the scene.