Tipal Chocolate Paradise in Ometepe and Cacao Ceremony – 20220930

Today I woke up at tiki bar and packed my things to go to Tipal Chocolate paradise, a very well-known hostel on the island. My plan was to do yoga there and maybe stay the night before going to San Juan del sur.

They said they were fully booked which surprised me. So I grabbed breakfast and hung out with the group that I got pizza with the night before. We talked for a bit and met a nice group of French people

They then told me they had space at the hostel. Apparently people canceled so I booked it, moved my bags in, and then went to Ojo del Agua with the group. We stopped at a comedor which had a great view of the lake and fed a puppy a shit load of fish. Until his belly was bulging. I’ve never seen a puppy eat so voraciously in my life. We also fed the monkeys some cookies on the way.

Ojo del agua was just okay. Just a pretty cool natural pool that has a rope swing. A nice place to drink a few beers in the heat of the day.

Then we went back to the hostel where I convinced Maria to do the cacao ceremony with me. I still don’t really know how I feel about it. It went pretty much how I thought it would. We meditated a little, listened to the main lady talk a bit and then drank the cacao which was just really strong hot chocolate. So strong that it tasted a bit spicy.

Then they played some loud music and everyone danced around the space. I felt pretty weird about it. It’s supposedly no judgment but everyone is just watching each other. I tried to just enjoy it and get something out of it, but I really didn’t. I definitely felt nothing from the Cacao. Do these hippies have some internal sense that I just don’t have or are they all full of it?

The yoga earlier in the day meanwhile was quite amazing. I felt so awesome and relaxed afterwards.

Then we hung out with the French some more, drank some flor del caña until we were tipsy and we all went to sleep.

Drive to Popoyo to Visit Friends – 20220925

After partying last night in Granada I felt beat this morning. So I had a slow morning. I showed the owners of Cueva Nica the 360 camera and they wanted a bunch of videos of the hostel. So they walked around for a long time with the camera filming.

I ate breakfast, drank a batido, and finally left around noonish for Popoyo. I was headed to Popoyo to visit Jordan, Carolina and their baby Amanecer. They had offered to host me when I met them in the mountains.

I arrived around 330 and got a little tour from Carolina. Then Jordan got back and we chatted a bunch. Mostly about what it’s like to be an Expat planning on living forever in a poor foreign country.

Sun setting in Popoyo

It’s nice to hang out with them but a little boring as they are in a different stage of life as me. I never know how to feel at these moments when I peak into other lives I could have. There’s a tiny bit of envy when I see a little happy family. It looks calm and relaxing but man I don’t know how I could deal with all the monotony and every day just feeling same same but different.

Amanecer, cutest baby ever

But I love their baby. Just the sweetest little happy thing. I mean just look at her.

Tomorrow Jordan and Carolina offered to show me around Popoyo a bit.

Managua to Leon! – 20220818

Today I checked out of the Airbnb in Managua and headed to Leon. The collectivo to Leon cost 78 córdobas($2) and I used Ray on my phone to grab a taxi which cost like 150($4) for the ride to the hostel from the station.

I’m staying at Poco a poco hostel which cost 32 per night for the private room. I got here, walked around, ate something, and ran into a free walking tour that happened to be going on right then.

The tour was fantastic. Maybe the best one I’ve ever gone on. The guy talked about the history of Leon and Nicaragua. How there were some great poets created here in Leon but enormous struggles for Nicaragua.

https://goo.gl/maps/gyVKTvPCU8bGwQCP8

One of the most the things I found most interesting was the guide talked of how Nicaragua has always been in talks of creating a canal like the Panamá canal. Apparently China wants to build it. That would be a huge deal if they did. It would go straight through Ometepe.

Free Salsa night. But there weren’t even any chips

I then went to free salsa night at the hostel which was alright and went out with the hostel goers to a bar called geckos right nearby. It was loud music and we danced and drank some until around midnight when I called it a night.