Alex: Managua was just a one nighter to break up the trip to Isla de Ometepe - thank God! Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in CAm and you could tell. The countries we have visited so far have been fairly poor, lots of shacks in the countryside made out of scrap that make the average British shed look posh and spacious but Managua was something else. We got there at about 6pm and found a hotel near the bus station and then went to get some food. The receptionist told us it wasn´t safe to walk the 1km to the Plaza Inter (a Mall) and the nearest bank and we should get a taxi and eat in the Mall food court. Unwilling to argue we did as we were told. The mall seemed to be the place to hang out in Managua on a Sunday night so was full of families, couples, groups etc so had a nice atmosphere for a food court. We then found a bar in the ´trusty´ guidebook (Footprints guide to Mexico and Central America which we are hating more and more by the day) near our hotel which didn´t exist so spent the evening in our dingy hotel room drinking beer! Isla Ometepe tomorrow, apparently the largest freshwater island in the world!
24 votes 
This is a top pick!
