Awww, the pleasure of a HOT shower!

Lorenzetti Electric Shower

You don't know how wonderful it is to feel the warm spray from a shower head until you have spent months of mornings under a cold water stream! When we lived in León we honestly didn't mind not having hot water in the shower - the water never seemed to be too cold. However, when we moved to Pearl Lagoon that opinion changed - the water is really cold at 6 am.

On our first trip to Nicaragua we had stayed at a bed and breakfast in Granada called Casa Silas. It was here that we were introduced to what is affectionately called a suicide shower (not by the manufacturer of course). The water is heated up as it runs through the electric shower head. We were warned not to change the settings while the shower was running - you could get a "shock". There are three settings - cold, lukewarm and hot. After experiencing a "cold spell" in Pearl Lagoon we decided that we wanted the luxury of hot water showers in the morning - so the search was on for a suicide shower head!

We were told that the Lorenzetti brand was the best and that it could easily be purchased in El Rama or Managua. So, on our last trip to Managua we visited a local Ferreteria (hardware store) and found one in stock. Once we got home to Pearl Lagoon we wasted no time in getting it installed. Pat is happy to report that no longer are there shrieks coming from the bathroom at 6 am - unless of course some bug decides to make an entrance!

Our installed Lorenzetti Shower Head

Las Galerías Mall - Managua, Nicaragua

When we were in Managua earlier this month we had a few hours to kill until the 9 pm bus to El Rama. We decided that we were in need of a few things and rather than visit the Metrocentro Mall we thought we would check out another shopping center in Managua that we had heard about - Las Galerías Mall.

Las Galerías is a modern, two-level shopping center with almost every store imaginable - or at least so it seemed to those of us who haven't seen a mall in months. There is also a nice selection of restaurants besides the fast food options found in the food court. Outside of the mall but on the same property is a very large La Colonia grocery store which was a big hit with us since we don't even have a small Palí in Pearl Lagoon.

View from the upper level - Las Galerías Mall

Second level kiosk - Las Galerías Mall

Scattered throughout the Mall were a number of sitting areas where you can relax and read a book while you are waiting for your companions to finish shopping or to just sit and chat with some friends.

Some favorites are in the food court - Las Galerías Mall - Managua

TVs and wifi is available in the food court - Las Galerías Mall, Managua

One of the hits with us was a large kitchenware store called Alke Tiendas - it has everything you could ever want for your kitchen and excellent quality too!

Alke Tiendas

Las Galerías Mall - Managua Nicaragua

Do you have the kids with you? Well there is plenty of distraction for them too including this train that is driven around the lower level.

The bigger kids can enjoy the Cafe Flor de Caña where you can have a virtual tour from your seat.

The most enjoyable part of the day was spending a couple of hours in the modern cinemas watching a movie. The theatre was virtually empty with comfy chairs and cool temperatures and the show was shown in English. You will find the Cinemas on the upper level near all the restaurants (it suggests dinner and a movie for a nice evening out).

We ended our day at Las Galerías Mall with dinner at Buffalo Wings Restaurant with some yummy hand cut chicken fingers with sauce and fries - oh, and of course a Toña to wash it down.

Taking a trip to the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua by bus

We have always wanted to visit the Atlantic Side of Nicaragua and early in January we were finally able to make the trip.

We left León at noon by the inter-local which took us to the La UCA terminal in Managua. We left León early because we had reserved our tickets for the bus and we were told we had to be at the Costa Atlantica (Ivan Montenegro) Terminal by 4 pm to pay for them or risk loosing our seats. It is possible to take a chicken bus from the Mayoreo bus Terminal but be aware that they can take up to 8 hours since they stop all along the route. The Wendelyn Vargas bus is an express bus and it will get you to your destination in only 6 hours (there is a short "lunch" break half way through the drive).

After lunch at Metrocentro Mall we took a taxi across town to the bus station. We paid a little more for the taxi because we took a "secure" taxi from the Mall - $250 cordobas for the two of us.

Upon arriving at the bus terminal we paid our fare and received two tickets for the trip - one for the bus with a seat number written on it and one ticket for the panga once we get to El Rama. The night we left there were 3 buses traveling together. Your ticket will indicate which bus you are on.

Poster with Bus and Panga times and current rates

 The buses are old "school" buses with "deluxe" seating - more comfortable chairs than your regular bench seating. Your luggage will be stowed on top of the bus and covered with a tarp to keep it dry. They start loading the luggage about an hour before departure. The buses will be marked I, II or III and if you have any doubt which one you are assigned to the attendants will help you out.

Old school buses used for your trip to the Atlantic side of Nicaragua

Tickets for the bus and panga

After an uneventful ride across country we arrived in El Rama at 3:15 am. There were a few food vendors open for business but there were no bathroom facilities available at this time. After collecting our luggage we noticed that there was a line up at the office. We had already bought our tickets for the panga and didn't think we had to join the line - but you do! This is when you get your panga assignment. We were at the end of the line and were given #8 which caused a lot of confusion when it came time to load onto the pangas - there was no panga #8...... No worries - we were squished onto #7. This office is also where you will purchase your return bus ticket to Managua.

Office in El Rama where you get your panga assignment

About 4:30 - 5:00 am you will notice that the Port Office across the street is open. You will have to pay 5 cordobas per person to enter. There is a large waiting room, but more importantly there are bathroom facilities available.

Entry to the Port of El Rama

 About 6 am they will start loading the first panga by calling out the numbers in order.  They will put your luggage in the front and cover it with a tarp. They should have life jackets available for everyone on the panga. They panga ride from El Rama to Bluefields will take about 2 hours (or less if you have a crazy driver like we did). If it starts raining along the route the driver will hand out a plastic sheet to cover the passengers with to try and protect them from the worst of the rain.

Loaded into the panga and ready to go

We enjoyed our trip out to the Atlantic side of Nicaragua - a true adventure in itself. We found that traveling by bus and panga was a fairly quick and inexpensive way to get around. The cost to get from León, Nicaragua to Bluefields, Nicaragua was only 586 cordobas per person (including our expensive taxi across Managua) or just under $24.00 CDN.  In comparison, if we had taken a flight from Managua to Bluefields the flight alone would have cost us $82.46 US - so the bus is truly a budget option!

We arrived in Bluefields at 8:30 am - tired and ready for breakfast!

Check out the Rightside Guide website for all kinds of information about exploring the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua.

Passport Stamps and travel within the C-4

We recently traveled with a group of 33 friends from León, Nicaragua to San Salvador, El Salvador via the border crossing at Guasale, Nicaragua.

Generally speaking the border crossings were easy and uncomplicated as long as your paperwork was in order. There is a $2.00 US exit fee from Nicaragua and a $3.00 US entrance and exit fee for Honduras (foreigners only). There was no cost to enter or exit El Salvador. We were charged an entry fee when we re-entered Nicaragua of $13.00 US.

So... what happens if your paperwork isn't in order??? Well, it will be a nightmare!

Here is the story:

One member of our group recently lost and replaced their passport while in Nicaragua. That meant that when the passport was inspected at the Nicaraguan border the border official noticed that there was no stamp to indicate when the person had arrived in Nicaragua. It was explained that an extension to the visa had been purchased in Managua on "such and such" date and that subsequently the passport had been lost and replaced. The border officials would not accept the explanation or the fact that the other members in the family had had their visa extended and all 3 had been done on the same day. Finally, it was agreed that the officials would contact Managua when the office opened at 10:00 am.  After repeated phone calls to the Managua office the border official finally accepted the date for the visa extension and allowed the individual to pass through the border to Honduras. Good news, right? Well, Honduran officials didn't like the fact that there was no entry stamp and were not going to let the individual continue through their country. After a LOT of discussion and about 1 1/2 hours later the individual was given permission to continue through the country and on into El Salvador.

There was no problem exiting Honduras but when the passport was examined in El Salvador the same roadblock was encountered. This time there was no flexibility with the decision about the entry stamp. The individual ended up being fined (about $20.00) and was given 5 days to exit the C-4 or risk further penalties. Rather than returning with the group by bus and possibly having the same problems the whole way back to Nicaragua the individual decided to fly out of San Salvador to the US (basically moving a prearranged trip home up a week).

In retrospect it probably would have been wise for the individual to take a trip to the Migración office in Managua and explain the situation about the replaced passport before attempting to leave the country. They are the only ones who can issue the necessary stamp (or at least that is what we were told).

In spite of this complication the trip was very enjoyable. If you decide to take a trip out of Nicaragua and explore the C-4 go and enjoy it - just be sure all of your paperwork is in order.

Renewing our Nicaraguan Tourist Visa in MetroCentro Mall

Renewing your Nicaraguan Tourist Visa at MetroCentro Mall is as simple as everyone has indicated. We took the Interlocal from León to the UCA bus station in Managua. The cost for the Interlocal is only 46 cordobas. The driver will drop you off near the mall if you ask - almost door to door service!

We arrived at the mall about 9:45 and there was already a line up. Shortly after we arrived the guard for the Migracion office handed out the forms (5 cordobas each). The Migracion office opened up on time and it took about 1 1/2 hours for us to reach the front of the line. When we got to the counter the desk agent pointed out that we had forgotten to bring photocopies of our identity page and also the page that had our last entry into Nicaragua.  No problem! On exiting the Migracion office you will notice a "Photo Shop" right across from you (beside the Pet Store). They know exactly what you need because I'm sure this happens all the time. The photocopies will cost you 2 cordobas per page. When you return to the Migracion office go to the front of the line and the desk clerk will take you next.  The clerk will confirm how many days you want to renew your Tourist Visa for (500 cordobas per 30 days) and will process your payment. Your paperwork will be handed to another clerk to verify and to enter the information into a book. Your name will be called and you will have to sign against the entry in the book and you will be handed back your passport with the updated visa stamped in it. The date that your visa is valid until will be written in your passport so that you know when it expires. You will need to exit the country in order to renew your visa the next time.

Renewing your Visitor's Visa at Metrocentro Mall

When you enter Nicaragua your visitor's visa is only good for 90 days. There are a couple of ways for you to renew your visa. You can leave Nicaragua by visiting Costa Rica or any other country that is not part of the C4 or you can "purchase" a renewal through Migración. Remember, that every 180 days you must leave the country - you can't pay to renew your visa at this point.

Migracion Y Extranjeria in Metrocentro Mall

We recently accompanied some friends to Managua when they had to renew their visitor's visa. The Migración y Extranjería office is located in the Metrocentro Mall - just follow the signs in the mall. The office hours for this location are from 10:00 am until 6:pm. When we arrived at about 9:45 on a Monday morning there was already a long lineup waiting for the office to open. One of the Migración officers was handing out the necessary forms to be filled out for the visa renewal. The cost for the form was 5 cords.  It took about an hour and 15 minutes for our friends to reach the counter. They said that the officer was really helpful and the process itself took very little time. The current cost for renewing your visa at the Migración office is 500 cords per 30 days.  The office will not accept American dollars so be sure to carry local currency.

I have heard that it is possible to renew your visa without even leaving León. However, the office in León takes your passport and payment and forwards it to Managua for processing. Sometimes this process can take weeks or even months.

Hostal Dulce Sueno, Managua

We recently took our first visa run to Costa Rica via TicaBus. Our departure was scheduled for 6 am and because it would be very expensive to use private transportation from León to Managua that early in the morning, we decided to find an inexpensive hostel for the night prior to our trip. After searching the internet we found a place only a 1/2 block away from the TicaBus Terminal - Hostal Dulce Sueno.  We made our reservations via email and received prompt confirmation.

We arrived at the hostel about 3 pm on a Sunday afternoon and they were just finishing preparing our room. The room itself was small but had a double bed, small desk, TV and a private bathroom. There was a floor fan to help cope with the heat. The room had a window (with no screen) that looked out onto the courtyard.

Upstairs there were some more rooms and we also found a nice rooftop terrace with some chairs and hammocks for relaxing. We purchased some food from a small comedor next to TicaBus and sat at the kitchen bar to eat it. (note: there are not any restaurants open nearby on a Sunday evening)

We found Hostal Dulce Sueno to be very basic, but pleasant. Definitely a bargain at $16.00 a night.

Hostal Dulce Sueno - entranceway

Hostal Dulce Sueno-looking towards kitchen

Hostal Dulce Sueno - private bedroom

Shopping in Managua

Gelato - Metrocentro Mall, Managua

Recently we joined another couple for a shopping trip to Managua. We left León by 1:15 pm in their truck and quickly made our way into Managua. Our first stop was the Metrocentro Mall which we found to be very modern. We were pleased to find a huge La Colonia grocery store with a great selection of items we can't get in León.  The mall is quite large with a nice mix of stores. Be prepared - prices are not cheap - for the most part, you will be paying North American prices. We made our way over to the food court where we found some awesome gelato - yum! The food court had a number of choices that most people would recognize such as McDonalds, Subway and Burger King. There was also Chinese, Italian and more local Nicaraguan food available. Pat was thrilled to see that a number of the food court restaurants served beer!

Chicken - Pricesmart

Our next stop was at Pricesmart which is just like Costco in Canada. There are some terrific buys if you have the time and transportation to shop here - membership required. We were able to pick up the completer set to our towels (friends had bought them for us last month) so we were thrilled with that. We loved looking around the store to see what was available and found some interesting discoveries. I'm not sure that I'm ready to buy a package of chicken "parts" that include the feet....
This is the place to come for some fresh Parmesan cheese, pepper jack, and Philadelphia cream cheese. Their bakery products looked awesome, however you are just as well to buy your vegetables locally.