León and Las Peñitas
Trip Start
Jan 22, 2011
1
19
48
Trip End
Apr 27, 2011
Where I stayed
Hostal Cerro Negro
León, León, Nicaragua
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Taxi from hotel to bus station (way to far to walk)
Bus from San Salvador to San Miguel
Bus from San Miguel to El Amatillo
Border crossing from El Salvador into Honduras
Shuttle bus from El Amatillo to Guasale
Long border crossing from Honduras to Nicaragua
Bus from Guasale to Chinandega
Bus from Chinandega to León
Taxi from where the bus dropped me to hostel
I was pretty tired after all of that, but couldn't resist going out with a few people from the hostel out to a bar in town where they had a live band playing.
The next day I tried to get onto a volcano boarding tour, but they were all full. Maybe a blessing in disguise? Climbing a volcano on a really hot day, only to throw yourself back down the volcano via sandboard or toboggan? I'm sure the travel insurance people would love that when it all went wrong! So, instead of risking dehydration and possible broken limbs, I opted for the beach option and caught the bus to Las Peñitas.
This was the first time I'd been to the coast on the Pacific side and the difference was amazing! Gone was the nice white sand of the Caribbean coast and in its place was grey, volcano sand. The calm water was now big waves, making this part of the coast great for surfing. Still, the water was warm and I had a tasty prawn ceviche for lunch!
I had a wander around the city of León as well, not an especially exciting place although it does have the largest cathedral in Central America.
