Island of Ometepe

From Granada we went on to the Island of Ometepe in lake Nicaragua, the largest freshwater island in the world. The lake is actually that big that it felt like being at the ocean.... we spent two nights in a very remote lodge and it almost felt like being at the end of the world! While some of the group went on a hike I decided to explore the island on horseback, a very nice and relaxing experience as the horses were very gentle and well behaved :-)

Granada / Nicaragua

From Honduras our trip continued to Nicaragua, where we spent two days in the beautiful colonial town of Granada. Our nice hotel was right in the city centre so we had plenty of opportunities to explore the centre and its small market. On Monday afternoon we visited the nearby Masaya Market and went up to the active Masaya volcano, where we also explored some bat caves........ quite scary!

Masaya Volcano

Still alive...

... and now in Quito in Ecuador!!
I was rather lazy lately and there wasn't much to read for you for quite a while now; I will do my best to update my blog within the next couple of days and let you know more about my experiences in Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.

Roatan Island, a Honduran paradise in the Caribbean Sea

On Tuesday morning we took the ferry over to the Bay Islands, where we stayed on Roatan Island for two and a half days, enjoying the nice hotel, our pool and of course the great beaches!!

The reef off the islands is the second biggest after the great barrier reef in Australia and so the spectacular diving and snorkeling draws visitors from all over the world....

We went on a snorkeling tour on Thursday morning and I really enjoyed it a lot (it was my first real snorkeling trip with a boat out to the reefs, just great to see the corals, sponges, fish etc.).

The only drawback was my sunburned bump and back, which I can still feel today.......well, it will turn from red into a nice brown suntan eventually!

After the snorkeling we enjoyed the spectacular beach at West Bay, one of the nicest places I have seen so far.... the only drawback where the sand flies, but in paradise you even put up with them!

From Guatemala to Honduras

In Antigua it was time to say goodbye to some of my fellow travellers and to welcome some new people to our tour group. From now on we are 17 people but with the exception of two guys still mainly girls..........
On Saturday we were leaving Guatemala and taking a minibus to the Honduran border and to Copan. Some of the greatest Mayan Ruins are found here and we toured the site with a guide on Monday morning.

We also had a nice barbecue dinner on Sunday evening by a hot spring and the drive their on a pickup truck was quite fun and bumpy too!

Antigua

After a trip from Lake Atitlán via Chichicastenango (where we visited the market and did test our bargaining skills), we arrived in Antigua on Thursday evening.
Antigua was founded in 1543 and served as the colonial capital for Guatemala during over 200 years. The city is nestled between three volcanoes and with its cobbled streets, colourful houses and colonial buildings it is a favourite place with many tourists. There are also hundreds of language schools all over the place and therefore you meet a lot of students from all over the world as well.
I really liked this charming city and could have stayed on for a bit longer.....


Catedral de Santiago, dating from 1542, which was damaged by earthquakes many times and only partially rebuild in the 18th century.

Palacio de los capitanes (old governmental center)
Iglesia de la Merced

Lake Atitlán

Our next stop was in Panajachel, at the beautiful lake Atitlán. The lake is surrounded by three volcanoes and we also made a boat tour and visited some villages around the lake.

Two local men in their traditional outfit

Fiesta in one of the villages at the lake