KasiaTravels on a budget: reaching San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Solo backpacking on a budget in Latin America.

Costa Rica is not far from Nicaragua as these are the neighbouring countries. I was heading from Tamarindo to San Juan del Sur, picturesque city 45 min ride from the border. It is known for its charming “downtown” and beach. It also has beautiful, remote and merely visited beaches nearby. Another great benefit of this location was the proximity of Ometepe Island. It is a true paradise, 2 h from the mainland by a local (old and packed with people, so I didn’t feel too secure ;)) ferry. And Ometepe, apart from its green landscapes and lake, has 2 volcanos that can be climbed! So obviously this is what I wanted to do. :)

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But hey, travelling in the public transport may be challenging, as the timetables are just estimations. So reaching San Juan del Sur took me more time than expected and it was an adventure itself.

First stop – Liberia. I already knew this city, the capital of the Guanacaste province, been here in a hospital, but that’s another story. If you have a car, it would take you 1 h 30 minutes from Tamarindo. If not, you have two possibilities. To use a shuttle that will take you to Liberia directly, without stops, it was around 35 to 45$. Or you could opt for a local bus that departures twice a day, and takes up to 5 hours, but cost 3 $.
If this is not the first post of mine that you are reading, you know that I travel by the local transportation.
In Liberia, in a bus station, you should look for a bus that goes to the border – la frontera de Nicaragua ;) It also cost around 3 $ but this time the ride lasted around an hour.

Next stop is the customs and border office. We arrived late so there were not many people with me, all went smoothly. As a European Union member, I was allowed to be in Nicaragua for 30 days, for a small fee. On the Nicaraguan side, I supposed to take a bus, if available, or share a taxi with someone heading to San Juan del Sur (the taxi should cost around 25$ for a 40 min ride). Unfortunately, that wasn’t possible as I was the only tourist and, after crossing the border, locals disappeared immediately and I found myself alone.

It was past 9 pm. I knew I had no leverage while negotiating with a taxi driver. But I decided to play it cool and tough, haha. He said he will drive me to the city for 45 $. I said no way, that I was not a stupid tourist, that I know that the regular price is 25 $ and this is what I was happy to pay. He reminded me that there are no buses at this time and that he is my only option. I told him not to worry about me, and that I was going to look for a place to sleep for that night. I turned around. And, luckily, he stopped me and agreed to my price. Later on, in the car, we were chatting like besties :)

When I arrived at the hostel “Yajure” it was already around 11 pm. and I was tired, so I fell asleep easily. Especially as I had to wake up early the next day because I was meeting my friend Jeff in “Gato Negro” café in the city centre.

The City itself is really charming, with a nice victorian type of buildings, small local bars, and shops. It is definitely less touristic than Costa Rica, but I cannot say that we were the only tourist there. The beach is rather long, but not too quiet – with the bars playing loud music. Nevertheless, the sunset at the beach was exquisite, as the sun was hiding just in front of us.

During our time in San Juan Del Sur I hung out with Jeff - my American friend from Costa Rica and with 4 other boys that Jeff met earlier in his hostel - Martiin and Joel, both from Netherlands and with Jeff and Omar, both from France.
I must be honest, I really enjoyed this time spent together. It is not always easy to travel solo, especially when you are a girl. But with those guys, it was a pleasure. Although they were behaving like gentlemen, I felt like a partner, and not a girl.

As I love to eat locally, Jeff and me, we found a local market and ate there. Unfortunately, my photos are not too great and will not show you the atmosphere of this place. It was super cheap (around 1 to 2$ for a meal) and very tasty. But let’s be honest, those local markets are not what we, people from West, perceive as hygienic, proper conditions for serving food. There are always several “stations”, each one served by 1 person, usually woman . This person is responsible for preparing the food, cleaning the dishes, getting the money etc. An absolute multitasking, all - in - one. But if you don’t feel discouraged and enjoy eating like locals, on a clean but often ramshackle table, you will get a unique experience. And you’ll be seeing the same look - abashment, blended with amusement and inviting smile.

I would also recommend eating at the street. You can get a tasty chicken, grilled in front of you. Apparently those stands are now called by tourists the ““Chicken Ladies”.

After San Juan del Sur we decided to stay for 2 days in a nearby Playa Hermosa, a tiny spot around 30 min drive from the city. And then I headed to Ometepe. But it is another story… :)

Sending Joy!
Kasia

• More about me here :)

• Some of my recent stories from South America:
  KasiaTravels on a budget: Solo backpacking - on a budget - in Latin America. (Part 1: “When you finally decide to do it!"
  Kasia and the death road - la ruta de la muerte - Bolivia (part 1)
  Kasia and the death road - la ruta de la muerte - Bolivia (part 2)