Nica!!!!

So we finally reached Leon, after a grueling, yet lovely two day journey through Honduras and Northern Nicaragua. Our first night we had to stay in Tegucilgalpa, the capital of Honduras, by the bus stop. Ordinarily staying by the bus stop in most huge Third World cities would be a frightening experience, but Teguc was actually much, much nicer than we expected. We stayed in a pretty nice place with a rooftop view of the city at night, ate out in an open-air Comedor under the full moon, and played pool at the local pool hall. All in all a great experience. I would not have wanted to stay there longer, but I was not constantly fearing for my life or belongings like in Guatemala City.
<<< Sunrise over Teguc, view from our hotel



We ended up having a bit of a fiasco at the border though. Frenchies visa was expired by five days because there was no Immigration Office on Utila and he had to stay over three months to finish his Master Scuba Diver Instructor course. So we had anticipated a bit of a problem, but what we did not know is that Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua had enacted a new law this January that you can only stay in those four countries a combined 90 days, unless you have a special ($$$$) visa.

So after lots of argueing, translating, and begging Frenchie had to pay a $150 dollar "fine" (from which he got NO receipt, in America we call that a bribe), just to leave Honduras and now has only five days to leave Nicaragua.
<<














OK we are not actually that mean, we walked most of the way but hey:

<<<

Nica, has actually been really good to us so far. We found this awesome, but expensive, hostel. We are paying $8 a night, I know so steep (its the most I have paid for lodging since I have been here), but it includes: free 24 hour internet, coffee, tea, pool table, a swimming pool in a beautiful courtyard surrounded with lounge chairs, a TV and DVD players with lots of movies, oh yes a ten minute call to the States everyday (my parents love that part). Anyway, its nice to just chill out here and explore Leon, which by the way is ballz hot!!!
But Pete and I have been having an exciting time "popping Frenchie´s Central American Cherry". Although Frenchie lived on Utila for three months he never spent any time in the "real" Central America. Utila is honestly an isolated island paradise, it is nothing like mainland Central America.
So we have been riding lots of Chicken buses, Collectivos, going to street markets, and going to local discotequas. Chicken buses, for those who do not know, are pimped out old, out of commision school buses from the States that are almost always brightly colored and blasting either mariachi music or Spanish versions of old American songs. Like KC and JoJo "I´ll make love to you" in Spanish, or even "Hotel California. And they are ridiculously amusing to ride. Plus they are the choice mode of transportation for the locals. And yes, it does make me feel safe that they were too old to use in the States so they were shipped down here, pimped out, and now I ride them everywhere.
The other method of travel for locals are collectivos, which are mini-vans that are packed to capacity, and as I said before, in Central America there is always room for one more! In Guatemala Pete and I got to ride ontop of one because it was too full inside, but in Guate everything goes.

We went out dancing last night to a local discotequa that played the strangest assortment of music I have ever heard. The DJ played everything from really fast Salsa, to Reggeaton, to House, Trance, I mean he played everything and mixed it up so frequently we were constantly changing beats. When we first entered the club it was all Nicaraguans shaking their hips to ridiculously fast Merimba (I can´t spell I know). Frenchie, Pete, and I were totally at a loss as how to dance to the music, but after a beer we had some liquid courage and went out to shake it. Actually Frenchie pulled my hand and started twirling me old school rock n´roll style but we made it work and had a fabulous time. I love dancing. Ok off to Volcano Boarding, which will probably have to be its own entry due to the stupidity of it all.
















For those who dont have facebook here is the link to my albums:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=33273964&l=802fa&id=13301719
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2097409&id=13301719&l=93d99
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2096701&id=13301719&l=4abb5
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2096688&id=13301719&l=a8a20
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2095876&id=13301719&l=8cb56