Hokkaido

Our bullet train ran to time (obviously, this is Japan and everything runs to time, almost to the second) and came to the end of the track near the southern end of Hokkaido.  

We spent the rest of the day in Hakodate, apparently one of the first ports to trade with Europeans, still some historic buildings left but we went to learn about the indigenous Ainu people.  They even made cloth from tree and plant fibres before they could trade for cotton goods.

We really came to Hokkaido for a bit of nature and found trees, a slightly active volcano but happily no bears, at Lake Shikotsu, even had great weather!

After our two days in a flat in Chitose (found the supermarket food court - delicious) it was back to Hakodate by train then ferry (ordinary class)...

...back to the northern end of the main island, Honshu.  All great so far, apart from the language barrier, good job we speak English.  Generally people are really polite and eager to please, thankfully!

Tokyo

Arrived at our hotel here after a series of car, bus, train, plane, plane, monorail, train and walk.  It was hot, humid and showery the first day but we visited Senso-ji temple, one of the biggest, in the morning, 

lunched in a street market 

then went to the Japan National Museum which was full of national treasures.

All very impressive.

Day two was solid rain so we spent most of the day at a brilliant Maraikan science and technology museum.

Lots of stuff about global warming, a mock-up of the International Space Station, etc.... Would be wonderful for children, so interactive. (Interesting the photo he chose - read the caption).

Also stuff about waste, plastics,etc. but do they practice it???!!

Off to the northern island of Hokkaido by bullet train (hooray) tomorrow morning.

Last days in Costa Rica

Having said we'd been lucky with the weather, we arrived by "jeep-boat-jeep" in super-touristy La Fortuna in pouring rain.  

Anyway, clearer in the morning when we went for a kayak trip on the Peñas Blancas river.  A bit rough at times and the couple in front of us turned over and took us with them.  Took ages to disentangle the kayak from the sunken tree but no real damage, Judy lost her precious Lake Titicaca hat and Chris his cap and sunnies.  Warm water though.

Apparently there was a crocodile 100m away, good job he wasn't hungry!!

Hired a motorbike today to go hiking near the Arenal volcano, great trails and the clouds cleared.  Apparently that doesn't happen often.

Stopped in a river fed by hot springs to soak the aching muscles on the way back.

A great last day.

When we arrived 6 weeks ago we thought that Costa Rica was a bit expensive, but having come back the prices are about twice what they were in Nicaragua.  Maybe that's one reason we liked Nicaragua so much!

Tomorrow on the road again for a last night in an airport hotel before our 06:15 flight.  Home soon.

Back in Costa Rica

The transport worked: ferry, taxi, big bus across the border to Liberia (again) which felt very American after Nicaragua, then small bus into the mountains at Monteverde.  

This is eco-tourism central, a must for every visitor but even though it's high season, only the most popular things seem busy.  

Visited the butterfly garden for a very interesting bug tour, 

then walked around town which is full of souvenir shops.

The guided walk in the Monteverde cloud forest reserve was great, saw four more quetzals and learned a lot more then we can remember!  

The evening was a night walk in the Children's Eternal Rainforest Reserve where we saw other things, including a big tarantula and a tiny frog.  Pictures on big camera, sorry.  So a lot of walking today.

Quiet last day here, a bit of shopping then back to the butterfly garden.

Oh, and tea and cake to end the day!

Have been really lucky with the weather, only a bit of rain in our first week and an occasional bit of cloud and drizzle here, but we are at 1500 metres.

Moving on to our last stop tomorrow.

Ometepe

Is a two-volcano island, very peaceful but seems to be popular with French-Canadians!  Motorbikes, horses and bullock carts are the main means of transport.

Did very little the first day, relaxed by the pool and organised  onward travel, time will tell if it has worked.

Day 2 we hired a motorbike and visited the nature reserve at Charco Verde 

then lazed on the beach near Santa Cruz.

Next day, still on the moto we visited Altagracia where we were the only tourists.  Small but interesting museum.  

Lazed and swam at Playa Mango which was popular with the slightly well-to-do backpackers.

Long day travelling tomorrow.

Léon

Is lovely, less well restored than Granada so a bit more character, more real life, less touristy, apart from the young people who come for "volcano boarding" like snowboarding but hotter!

Has a huge cathedral, allegedly the biggest in Central America, which dominates the main square.  

And a fantastic art gallery with paintings from Europe since the 16th century 

and a huge collection of more modern including Picasso, Mondrian, Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, etc, etc 

distributed amongst six old houses still with their patios.  

A real surprise.  

Caught a local bus to the beach at Las Peñitas where the sea was rough and the beach quiet.  

Then the Museum of the Revolution, interesting take on what was represented in the world press in the 1970's as terrorism, here they are heroes.

Off to a volcanic island tomorrow, near the border with Costa Rica.

Miraflor pics 2

J's camera 

From Miraflor 1

C's camera 

Off the beaten track

Caught the bus, 

half an hour up the main road then two hours to do 30km up gravel tracks, fording a river on the way.  It was Saturday and the bus was packed with people who had been to Estelí for the week's shopping.

Got to our cabin at Finca "Lindos Ojos" 

with detached kitchen 

and bought some food from the farm. Spent three days eating potatoes, carrots, eggs and cheese as that was all they had.  Fortunately brought a huge pineapple with us.

But it was peaceful and very scenic.  Had a long chat with the very interesting owner, and also her neighbour.  We took a guided walk and rode horses.

Will post other pics separately.

Today the bus journey in reverse then a minibus to Léon where we are now baking hot but the hotel does have a pool!

Estelí

Still in the mountains in the town of Estelí which was a hotbed of resistance in the late 1970's.  On the Pan-American highway so lots of traffic going past, but in the centre it's quieter, apart from the buses, cars, motorbikes and people! 

Rented a taxi for the morning to take us up to a protected area, past the Estanzuela waterfall where we were the only visitors, 

up to the hamlet of Garnacha at about 1400 metres with fantastic views, allegedly over three countries.  

Coffee in a lovely spot on the way back.  

Walked in to visit the local museum, a real eclectic mix from pre-Columbian to revolution.  The older part of town is lovely but probably rebuilt after Somosa attacked and destroyed it.

If we can find the right bus, off for a farm stay for three nights.  You just get used to a place then leave!

In the hills

Took an expensive taxi to Managua then a very cheap bus to Matagalpa.  

We left the bus station looking for a coffee and stopped in a bakery to ask where.  "Here" they said and sat us down at a table behind the counter.  We ordered two coffees and two donuts then the son asked where we were staying.  On the edge of town up a steep hill.  I'll take you, he said.  Then they refused to be paid for anything!  Some people are just so kind.

We're in a "house" at the Aguali biological station (https://www.aguali.net/) for two nights.  Very peaceful, very ecological, very basic!  

Walked through the forest for a couple of hours this morning and failed to get to the top of the mountain (Cerro Apante), the paths got smaller and smaller.  But up here it's cooler, only about 20 degrees this morning!  

Relaxing on the terrace for the rest of the day.  Moving on tomorrow.

Into Nicaragua

Got here a day late after Judy ate something that disagreed with her.  Buses worked well but the border crossing was painfully slow.  Now in Granada which is lovely, a very different feeling from Costa Rica.  Colourful, relaxed, but still hot.  

We did a walking tour which involved not a lot of walking but a lot of history! 

The afternoon was a boat trip with a couple from Vermont, on huge Lake Nicaragua, all nicely laid-back. 

Think we might need to come back! 

Heading north into the mountains tomorrow.

Lazy days

Have stopped for two days in Uvita, it's been pool, beach, pool, beach...  Great.  Even had time to think about where to go next.

Tomorrow back to San José to dump the hire car, next day a long bus ride to Liberia in the north of Costa Rica, and the following day another long bus ride across the border into Nicaragua.  Will post again from Granada.

More Corcovado pics

From our guide