Walking across the border into Costa Rica from Nicaragua via the Peñas Blancas border is a relatively straightforward process. Once you are dropped off on the Nicaraguan side (most backpackers will bus or take a taxi), walk straight forward into the immigration building. There are also people here selling Costa Rican currency (colones). I was left with a 500 cordoba note from Nicaragua, which I exchanged for 8000 colones, or about $14 USD, which is a pretty crappy exchange rate but I didn't really want to hang on to it. You need to pay a total of $3 USD to exit Nicaragua (these are two separate fees - one is $2 and the other is $1). You definitely want to have small bills as they probably won't have change. There is a Lafise Bank just before this building and if they are open, they might give you change. The immigration officer will stamp you out of Nicaragua and then, after getting your passport checked by another officer at the end of the road, you are free to walk to the Costa Rica border. On the left-hand side, you will find the “Welcome to Costa Rica” sign if you want to take your photo for the ‘gram. Keep walking and veer to the right, there will be a building on your left. This is customs and immigration for Costa Rica. They are strict about proof of onward travel out of Costa Rica so be sure you have this. I had screenshots on my phone of my confirmation e-mail which worked fine. You can also buy a bus ticket out of Continue Reading
Hiking to Cristo de la Misericordia in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
On our first day in SJDS, my travel buddy Aimee and I noticed the Jesus statue at the top of the hill on the northwest end of the beach and decided that we wanted to walk up there one day. The short hike is meant to take about 45 minutes from town, so we left the hostel around 4:15pm in order to arrive before sunset and before they closed (official hours are 8am-5pm, but I think it’s more or less adjusted for the sunset time, we had heard from others that they close at 6pm) We were both wearing flip flops, but I had brought my Nikes in my backpack. A local had told me a few days before that you can walk along the beach and once you pass the white hotel with the red roof, you need to exit the beach and then follow the streets all the way up. But for some reason, I forgot about this advice or just chose to ignore it. I guess I figured we could exit somewhere else. We kept walking all the way to the end of the beach where we were met with a rocky shore and what looked like a closed hotel or vacation property. There were two security guards at the gate to the hotel. “Pasamos por aqui?” I asked him, pointing at the hotel, wondering if we could pass through the grounds to get to the other side. They asked if we were going to the statue, we said yes, and one of them pointed at the rocky shore leading around the hotel and said we could go around that way. We thanked them. Without looking back at them, knowing Continue Reading
Antigua Guatemala Mini Travel Guide
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase using them, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! First Impressions of Antigua Guatemala Antigua was my first time ever in Central America. I flew into Guatemala City on a Saturday. My plan was to stay one night in Antigua, and while I was in Antigua, book a shuttle for the next day to Quetzaltenango (Xela). I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. I didn’t expect to see so many American tourists. But there they were. I guess I’m not the only one who doesn’t always listen to US travel advisories (Guatemala is currently at the “Reconsider Travel” level). I had read online that upon exiting the airport, a shuttle to Antigua is $10 USD and easy to get. The airport lobby is quite small. A young guy approached me asking me if I needed a shuttle. I normally don’t accept these offers (and you shouldn’t either), but when I looked to his left I realized he had come from the shuttle booth, which was now empty, so I agreed. As promised, it was $10 USD. You can also pay in the local currency (quetzales). Since I had gone to the ATM already, I figured it would be better to pay in local currency. But when I checked my converter app (one of my top travel apps), 80 Quetzales actually amounted to about $10.79, so the joke was on me! I sat in the shuttle with two other American tourists waiting for the shuttle to fill up. 30 minutes later we were on our Continue Reading
10 Things To Do In Xela, Guatemala
Quetzaltenango (Xela) is a popular destination in Guatemala for backpackers and travelers who want to improve or immerse themselves in the Spanish language. I spent 4 weeks there in April 2018. These were some of my favorite things to do in Xela. 1. Attend a Spanish School There are a ton of Spanish schools in Xela and many of them offer great activities and/or volunteer work. I attended Sol Latino for 4 weeks. It was a great experience which you can read about here. They offer 1-on-1 lessons and fun activities that allow you to easily explore Xela and the surrounding areas on different forms of transportation. 2. Go to Parque Central If you're staying in Xela any longer than a few days, you will inevitably end up at Parque Central at some point. It's a great place to meet friends or go to one of the surrounding cafes, bars or restaurants. 3. Hike to Cerro El Baúl This is a great way to spend a Sunday morning. You can walk there directly from Parque Central. It’s recommended to go on a Sunday morning as that is when the most people are on the trail (and therefore, the least possibility of running into trouble). It’s a quick little workout where you are rewarded with a beautiful view of the city from above. At the top of Cerro El Baúl are some cement slides and a park. If you’re brave you can slide down them on a cardboard box. The park has some stands selling tortillas and other food, and on a Sunday you can often find families having fiestas in the Continue Reading