One of the really cool things to do in Matagalpa is visit the local chocolate factory (“El Castillo del Cacao” – “The Castle of Cacao”) on the outskirts of town. I actually did this independently (ie not on an organised tour) when I was here in 2013 (hence why this post is a little vaguer than […]
El Castillo del Cacao – Matagalpa Read More »
I am so thoroughly addicted to “Club Social” biscuits here in Nicaragua (a fairly plain cracker) and turns out they make an excellent substitute to bread when one needs a very early breakfast (ham, cheese and tomato “sandwich”) before heading out for the day’s activities. The early start was to catch the bus from Estelí
Somoto Canyon Adventure Read More »
Another thing I love to do while travelling is try the local dishes of the country I’m visiting. Nicaragua has quite a few of these (and I’ve tried almost all of them) but the specialty of Matagalpa in the northern highlands is the Güirila. There are several places to buy Güirilas, including some restaurants, but most people simply
Güirila – typical food of Matagalpa Read More »
One of the new activities offered by the Finca Esperanza Verde since I was there last time was the opportunity to do a jewelry making workshop with Las Mujeres del Plomo – a women’s collective in the nearby community of El Plomo. Those of you who know me know that I love jewelry, and my
Jewelry Making – Finca Esperanza Verde Read More »
The Finca Esperanza Verde is actually a working organic coffee farm and this time around I arrived right at the end of the flowering season. Each of those little green nodules that are left once the flower has finished will turn into a coffee bean. The last time I was here, I did the coffee processing
Coffee processing – Finca Esperanza Verde Read More »
One of the many fabulous things about the Finca Esperanza Verde is the opportunity to spot a wide variety of wildlife. For example, if you want to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with hummingbirds – this is a wonderful spot! But hummingbirds (colibri) are not the only birds here – not by a long
Wildlife of the Finca Esperanza Verde Read More »
Last time I was in Nicaragua, I visited Matagalpa and ended up at the Finca Esperanza Verde – an ecolodge located about 45 minutes away further up in the mountains. At that time, Vivianne and Andrew had just taken over as owners and Max was a very small bundle of puppy fur. I couldn’t wait to
Finca Esperanza Verde Read More »
I mentioned in my post about surviving a chicken bus trip that Nicaraguan bus drivers have a soft spot for either latin romantica or 80’s power ballads. To give you an indication of what I’m talking about, here’s the actual playlist for the 2 hour bus trip from Rivas to Managua (yes, I sat
Typical playlist of a Nicaraguan bus driver Read More »
Just a quick post to thank Caite for being a wonderful travelling companion down the Rio San Juan! Had an awesome time with you and wish you all the very best for the rest of your travels and beyond. And thank you again for the crystals! They are secreted away in my packs for safety
Central America is well renowned for its “chicken buses”, essentially old, worn-out school buses from the US that get a second lease on life transporting the good folk of Central America and their produce (including animals, hence the name) from one place to another. They are all dilapidated (though brightly coloured) without any creature
Chicken buses – 5 survival tips Read More »
