Dave's still alive and in Nicaragua

Hi,

I've been offline(and a bit lazy), so haven't sent an update for awhile.

I've been travelling for the past 2 weeks with Francois, a really nice guy from Quebec City. His Spanish is pretty good, so I'm getting really lazy with learning more Spanish. Oh well.

After the week in the jungle lodge on the Rio Dulce, on the Caribbean side of Guatemala, we headed to El Salvador, and really enjoyed the northern parts. Some very scenic mountain country with lots of volcanoes, and coffee fields. We hit the Ruta de Flores during a gourmet food festival. Great BBQ's, and some interesting gourmet food. Good cold beer too.

We then heading down to Leon, Nicaragua, and really nice old colonial town, and then off to a remote beach on the Pacific coast. We just finished 4 days at a stunning beach area called Las Penitas. Miles of clean, white sand, huge surf(and undertow), great food, and cold beers(of course). The most activity I saw on the beach was watching the local town pig walk the beach. I almost expected him to go out and play in the surf. Very Tranquilo(relaxing). We hired a guide and a motorized canoe, to explore a salt water lagoon in a remote national park here. Tons of really interesting birds, including parrots.

My favorite activity was sitting with a cold drink in the wooden beach lookout, and watching the Pelicans fishing. There were sometimes up to 50 Pelicans all fishing at the same time in the surf.

We arrive in Granada, Nicaragua today, and will spend a few days hiking, kayaking to some islands in the lake here, and maybe swimming in a crater lake. We'll see how it goes.

I'm still planning to head down to Panama, but might add Columbia to my agenda if the logistics work out.

Photos
https://photos.app.goo.gl/dFrxg1qkKht7veBx7

Cave swimming by candlelight, and Kayaking up Mangrove Rivers from a remote Jungle Lodge

Hi,

I guess I haven't done a Blog post since Dec. 18.  Well it's been busy.

Since the last post, I've been to 7 different places in 3 countries.   The Mayan ruins at Copan, Hondura were amazing, as was the Bird Park with Scarlett Mcaws and Toucans. I swam in the beautiful freshwater pools in the jungle at Semuc Champey, swam up the river in a huge cave by candlelight with a guide for 3 hours, saws the Xmas fireworks on the island of Flores in Guatemala, New Years in the Rastafarian town of Livingston, and snorkeled in Caye Caulker, Belize.  I did some amazing snorkeling and saw Sea Turtles, Sharks, Stingrays, and tons of colorful fish.  We took a sailboat, and really enjoyed the sailing(and the Rum Punch) on the return.

But the highlight has been 4 day at the Finca Tatin Jungle Lodge on the Rio Dulce River in the Carribean side of Guatemala.  We kayaked up mangrove forests, through an amazing canyon with hundred of Pelicans, Vultures, giant Frigate Birds, Toucans, Cormorants, Blue Herons, and White Egrets.  The jungle hiking was hot steamy, but with amazing vegetation. Some of the plant leaves were 2 meters across.  I also enjoyed some hammock testing.  The Jungle Lodge was a very amazing place.

I'm now on my way to the 'Flower Route' in El Salvador with another traveler who is my age(a rarity around here).  Tomorrow with be a long boat and bus day.

I got some sort of stomach bacteria yesterday, so am a bit under the weather right now, but I don't think it will be too bad.

Photos

Belize

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FbHW55ycJiYdx3av8

Honduras
https://photos.app.goo.gl/JWy2WVbhmZJ18Ccq9

Guatemala

https://photos.app.goo.gl/NQQQT9NtWMWMHqyR6

El Salvador https://photos.app.goo.gl/x7TY7xw62H8cQMvT7

Cheers,

Dave