Hostel Oasis Granada

Well.... thank God for Nicaragua. What a nice country. Granada, a pretty colonial town, was the first town we wanted to spend any time in since Antigua, Guatemala. And time in it we spent, roaming the warm streets, eating much nicer food (international cuisine I'm afraid, otherwise it was just rice, beans and chicken and variations of..) and admiring the Andalusian patios behind colonial facades full of tropical plants, fountains and endearing rocking chairs. We met Katy's parents here, Sally...

Moving on again. We took a few buses and arrived in Granada where we decided to check into the sister hostel of our previous hostel in Leon. I dont really know why we thought this was a good idea since even though the Leon hostel was nice there was no water for 4 days. But hey, they had a pool so really what more do you need. Anyway we check in to a tiny room but we are excited because it has a/c. Well it turns out that the a/c is just for looking at with longing unless you pay extra. Would h...

You know the saying, ´chillin like dillan´, well the Nicas have a similar saying en español: ´tranquilo como camilo´. Life is relaxed and time doesn´t really exist in Granada. Sometimes we have electricity and water, sometimes not. But it really doesn´t matter because the weather is temperate and there is a pool and free internet (that works even during the power outages) at our hostel. I can see how people just decide to stay here longer than planned as it really is a great place to get lost...

We woke up in Nicaragua and found that we had been staying in a pig pen. Really. There were all kinds of pigs in the courtyard of the hotel and we were invited to have breakfast, which we respectfully declined. Back on the road in Nicaragua, with the first 10 miles of road being under construction, unpaved and very challenging. We were charged a dollar toll to pass through the town of Soltillo which we paid with a five dollar bill and got back $1. So, we insisted on the right change and learn...

I made it to Granada the night before my 23rd birthday. My bus to Managua arrived fairly late and I just wanted to get the hell out of the big city, I let a cabbie talk me into the half hour or so ride for $26 as I was told the buses had stopped running for the night. I'm sure I got ripped of big time but whatever, I got to Granada and checked into the Oasis hostel. That night I ran into a guy from California, Damien, who had been at the same dive shop on Utila as me. I played cards and drank...

This is my first access to Internet since we have been in Nica. So it´s my first Nica travel blog. We came into Granada Sunday after meeting. Taking a bumpy three or four hour bus ride we arrived in city center. Granada is a colonial with Spanish style buildings that are beautiful in a rustic kind of way. There are a few more luxuries here than in Las Salinas where we have been staying. For example restaurants, which we have taken advantage of, and grocery stores which we will visit on our w...

Entry containing 8 photos titled: Granada01 - Central Park, Granda02 - Lake Front, Granada03 - Lake Front cows, Granada04, Granada05, Granada06, Granada07, Granada08

I've been in Granada a week now and I just love it! The people are friendly and welcoming, the atmosphere vibrant with colorfully painted buildings lining streets teeming with fruit vendors, watch repair stalls, CD sellers, money changers...you name it! Unfortunately, I've been laid up most of the week. Shortly after I got here I came down with a nasty intestinal ailment that kept me in bed 3 days until I finally decided to get some antibiotics. The symptoms made me think it was typhoid so I ...

The eternal question. Why are we here? Those of you who know me know that I am compelled to travel, to explore this world and learn about different environments, cultures and ways of life and to experience these things firsthand. It seems a rather decadent pursuit in the face of all the suffering in the world, especially when that suffering visits my closest friends and leaves me feeling helpless and unable to make it better for them. So, why are we here? The only satisfactory answer I have f...