Archives for March 2015

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.

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.

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.

Current favorite Jill + Mike photo!

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.

Going up.

Our second day in Nicaragua we hired a guide to visit Mombacho Volcano. To be honest, the guide wasn’t really necessary. However, it was nice to spend the morning chatting with him and learning more about his life in Nicaragua. As a young father, he recommended we wait until our mid-30s to get married and have kids but warned that we will be more like grandparents to our children. I had to chuckle a bit at his advice. He also provided detailed information about the volcano and cloud forest that enhanced our experience.

There are two hiking trails at the top of the volcano. We hiked the shorter of the two that circles the main crater. The longer hike may have been more interesting, but it required more time and hiring an additional guide. I’m pretty happy with the route we took, although the hike was fairly easy.

Looking down into the crater.

The view of Lake Nicaragua was a definite highlight of the excursion. Driving up and down the incredibly steep side of a volcano  in the back of a truck was pretty fun too.

xo, jill

Getting started.

Yesterday marked one month of being in Korea. Mike and I celebrated at the waffle shop near our house with this delicious ice cream waffle. However, before I dive into Korea, I thought I should post a bit about our trip to Nicaragua in February.

We flew into Managua and arranged for our hotel to pick us up and drive us to Granada. The older I get, and the more I travel, the more inclined I am to let someone else do the work for me. Sure, we could have paid much less to hop on a bus and figure it all out ourselves, but I wasn’t in the mood. It was $20 well spent.

After arriving in Granada we headed out for a very groggy walk around town and an even sleepier snack. We needed a nap. When we woke up from our four hour snooze, we were ready to do a bit more exploring. We ate dinner in the main square and stopped in for drinks at a few of the many tourist bars and restaurants. Then it was time for more sleep!

The next morning we headed out on a tour of the cloud forest on Mombacho. More on that later. Back in Granada, we walked down to the Centro Turistico along the lake and strolled up and down the colorful streets. In the evening we ate at a different restaurant on the main square and enjoyed a few more drinks on the tourist strip.

We didn’t get up to too much while in Granada, but I certainly enjoyed our time in such a colorful place.

The next morning we were off to Laguna de Apoyo, a definite highlight of the trip.

xo, jill