Off-The-Beaten-Trail Guide to Nicaragua

I always try to find the most possible information whenever I plan to visit a new location. Where should I stay? What should I do? What shouldn’t I do? Unfortunately, very often I am either unable to find enough information, or the information I do find keeps me on the beaten “back packer trail”. Occasionally,…

Love letter, Nicaragua

Dear Nicaragua, Words cannot express the sadness that has descended into my heart since entering the airport. I have but a handful of minutes until I must leave your embrace. I wish I could stay. From the very first moment my feet touched your ground I have felt an attachment. This attachment has grown from…

Octal, Nicaragua

One of my many days in Esteli involved traveling to up Octal with my wonderful spanish teacher Norma . We traveled up by bus and back by “pedir ride” (hitchhiking). There was the option to catch a bus, but why do that when you could live on the edge? Just as with the other times we pedir…

Getting there: Esteli->Isla Ometepe

After my 2 glorious weeks in Esteli ( I wish I could have stayed longer) I went back out on the road. I decided to spend travel to the beautiful Ometepe Island in southern Nicaragua. Getting to the isla was a bit of an adventure and I though I would share my experience in case…

Fabrica de Pura, Estelí, Nicaragua 

The production of cigars is one of the largest industries in Esteli, and I had the wonderful opprotunity to visit a cigar factory with Norma one of my first days in the city. The moment I entered I was bombard with stimuli. Lines of people filled the room permeated by the smell of smoke. Everywhere…

Addiction

Like the sound of a bee hive, the buzz begins the moment my body leaves the plane. The onslaught of sound, color, and moment does little to dull the electricity pulsing through my veins. A.T.M. Ignore taxis, stares. Find-Check. Taxi, barter, wander. Find-Check. Breathe. The arrival in a new country after a traveling hiatus is…

Viaje a Esteli

Ohh Latino America I have forgotten how much of my heart you owned. Summer break, a wonderful perk in the life of a teacher. Beginning May 20th and ending August 4 I am currently in the middle of resting, recharging, and refinding myself after an incredibly intense first year of teaching. After three weeks of…

Oyii Cartagena

I could not have ended my trip in a place better than Cartagena. Although my visit started off on a precarious foot (bus driver took me to get off on the wrong stop and I ended up walking 1 hour with all my bags in 90+ degree weather). I ended up having a fabulous time….

Medellin

Medellin has my salsa heart. In this beautiful city I took Spanish classes by day and Salsa lessons by night. Eerily similar to Seattle I felt at home between the invasive dampness and hipster inhabitants

Hello again

It has been a long time. A lot has happened and even more changes have taken place. My blog puts me back on the shores of the Galapagos Islands still swimming with the turtles. And as much as I find myself wanting to return to that place, I know without a doubt in my mind…

Galapagos, part 2

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go on some boat tours whilst in the Galapagos. These pictures are an glimpse into those trips. Again, I feel as though the pictures will do a much better job explaining the trip than I ever could. I am, however, going to write a post later…

Galapagos!! Part 1, Isla Santa Cruz

I’m going to let the pictures do the talking this time.