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I went Volcano Boarding and lived to tell about it.

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

Let’s take a moment to assess the photo above, shall we? In it, volcano boarding is described as…

“extreme”

for “thrill seekers”

“the trendiest sport for adrenaline junkies”

“death defying”

Now, let’s face facts here, people. I am not extreme. I am not a thrill seeker. I am certainly not an adrenaline junkie. And if I am going to partake in anything death defying it probably involves a massive amount of junk food.

I’m the kind of girl who is perfectly content lounging around on a couch watching Food Network with a mug of hot chocolate.

But, when in Rome…or, I suppose, when in Leon, Nicaragua, the thing to do is volcano board. And so I sucked it up and booked the tour.

At the begininning of the day, standing at the base of a tall black volcano I wasn’t sure which part of the excursion I was dreading more: the hour-long hike up (hey, I’m from Illinois, I am used to walking on flat surfaces) or the minute-long plummet down the surface of it.

Both had me feeling a bit weak in my stomach. Not to mention the fact that no one tells you beforehand that you have to carry your board the entire way up. I mean, years of cuddling on a couch hasn’t really built up the ole arm muscles…

But I accepted the inevitable, and trudged on.

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

The hike up itself wasn’t that bad. A little rocky, maybe. A little steep for my liking, maybe. But at least we got to take a few breaks to drink some water and catch our breaths. Or take photos jumping off a rock at the edge of a cliff if anyone so desired. I did not take photos jumping off a rock at the edge of a cliff.

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

When we arrived at the top we suited up in bright orange jumpsuits that made the whole thing feel like it was some desperate attempt to escape from prison.

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

And then it was time to line up and go. One by one everyone sat on the board, a modified wooden sled, and slid down the slope. Most everyone was asking for tips on how to go as fast as possible. I was begging for ideas on how to make it go slower.

Basically, you could control how fast or slow you wanted to go. The further you leaned back the faster it would go. You could go slower by digging your heels into the gravel.

When it was my turn to go down, when the guide waved from below signaling for me to start, I was still scared to death. But, at that point, my only option was to go. So I put down my board, sat down, and pushed myself forward.

I deliberately started off slowly, not being the death-defying thrill seeker that most of the others seemed to be. And, for a bit, it was a little scary as I felt like I was losing control.

And then as I felt more comfortable with it I started to bring up my feet, lean a little back, watch the volcano breeze by through scratched goggles, let myself go.

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua

Unfortunately by that time some gravel had piled up on my board, weighing it down, and my final score was clocked in at 15 kilometers per hour. Which was, of course, the lowest time of the day.

I still think that I had a point in time where I was whizzing down faster, as it was kind of arbitrary what time the man with the gun would be able to record the speed. Even the guide said it looked like I was going faster than some of the others.

But, nevertheless, I made it down. And I made it down 15 kilometers faster than I’ve ever boarded down a volcano before. And I’m still alive to tell about it.

And that is good enough for me.

Bigfoot Hostel Volcano Boarding in Leon, Nicaragua



Who cares about Leon when there are kittens to play with…

I can pretend to write an informed post about what I did in Leon, Nicaragua. I mean, I did walk around town a bit and visit an awesome art museum. But, really, I am just going to talk about the kittens at my hostel. Because my hostel had kittens. Three of them. And two cats. And they lived in my room. And sometimes I would come back and find one of them playing in my backpack. Or on my bed. And I really wanted to take them with me when I left. Because I have become a crazy travel cat lady. And that’s pretty much the most important thing you need to know…

Kittens at Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua

Kittens at Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua

Kittens at Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua

Kittens at Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua

Kittens at Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua

Kittens at Bigfoot Hostel in Leon, Nicaragua

p.s. There were other things to see in Leon. But, really…KITTENS!

Leon, Nicaragua

Leon, Nicaragua

Leon, Nicaragua

Leon, Nicaragua



Utila is boring if you don’t dive.

I shouldn’t have left Lago de Yajoa. I loved it there for the beauty, for the nature. I could have got lost there for a bit longer. But I kind of also wanted to see more of Honduras.

But, the only other place people seemed to talk about were the Bay Islands, and they were meant to be good for diving, something I have yet to want to motivate myself to try. (After all, I’m still struggling with getting used to this whole snorkeling thing.) I considered strongly skipping the Bay Islands altogether, but I also figured there had to be other reasons to visit Utila and I don’t like taking other people’s words on things: I like to see for myself.

Besides, I’ve been to places before where devoted to diving and I still loved them. Koh Tao was one of my favorite islands in Thailand. Malapascua was gorgeous, relaxing.

I figured that maybe Utila would be the same.

But I was wrong.

As soon as I got there I got a bad taste for the place. I couldn’t get a hostel room because they were all reserved for divers. And so I ended up staying in a cheap private room somewhere that was nice, but certainly had no social atmosphere to meet anyone. There was really nothing to do by day and since everyone was out diving it was pretty quiet. And at night I had no real desire to go to a bar alone and chance having to walk back in the dark by myself.

And so I spent two days there, doing not a whole lot, and then left.

A wasted couple of days, maybe. But sometimes, I suppose, you just have to figure out that something is a waste on your own.

Utila, Honduras

Utila, Honduras

Utila, Honduras

Utila, Honduras

Utila, Honduras

Utila, Honduras

Utila, Honduras

Utila, Honduras



Valry in Wonderland

Sometimes I feel a bit jaded when it comes to travel. I see amazing things every day but then the amazingness turns to mundane. Places I go don’t live up to the image I have in my head or to places I’ve already been. I forget to appreciate things for what they are. I forget to appreciate this amazing life I’ve been able to forge for myself.

After hitching a ride from Copan to San Pedro Sula and grabbing a chicken bus on which a man questioned why a girl who barely speaks Spanish was traveling alone in Honduras, I checked into a brewery off of Lago de Yajoa. A brewery. That was also a hostel. This alone kind of excited me. Not that I am a big beer aficionado but it was nice to have some fresh brews of something different than the normal Salva Vidas. And they had a cat. Which we all know is pretty much a requirement for me when looking for habitation.

On my second day I invited myself along on a boat trip down to the lake with some of the guys who were also staying there.

As we (OK, they) rowed to the lake, slowly but determined, everything seemed new. There were plants I’d never seen before: giant lilies that made me feel like perhaps I’d fallen into some sort of rabbit hole, drank some potion that shrunk me down. There were bugs I’d never seen before. There were birds I’d never seen before.

And the next day we hiked to two waterfalls. Despite the fact that I am terribly out of shape and not used to walking upwards I finished the hike and swam in a freezing cold fall as rain started pouring down.

And the next morning I hiked for three hours around a coffee farm, taking my time with the giant trees, the coffee beans, the flowers.

Part of me never wanted to leave this little oasis, this beautiful place that had me falling in love with Honduras, with Central America.

I’d been struggling here. Especially since so many people I meet rave about how much they loved Guatemala and I just didn’t get it. But Honduras, in the brief time I stayed there, started to capture my heart.

I guess there is always room for something new, something that will wow and amaze even the most jaded of minds. But maybe sometimes you just have to stumble down a hole to find it.

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago

Lago



The Mayan Ruins of Copan (or, why you should never hire me to be your tour guide…)

Copan, Honduras is best known for it’s mass of Mayan ruins. I wandered the grounds one morning with some new friends and we opted against a tour guide so that we could explore at our own pace. Throughout the day I decided to play tour guide, offering up the multitude of knowledge that can only come from looking around, reading signs, and making shit up.

Here are some facts about the Mayan ruins of Copan that you should probably know…

 

1. One of the leaves in Copan is poisonous, though I can’t tell you which one. I’m pretty sure it changes every day. So you should probably be safe and not touch any leaves.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

2. The Mayans played a game with a giant ball. It was probably like dodge ball. The loser was sacrificed.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

3. Copan is home to the Mayaness Monster. If you watch the water closely, you may be able to see him.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

4. The Mayans were known for their advanced metalwork.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

5. This is the Hieroglyphic stairway. It was build by the ancient Mayans in 1992.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

6. The Mayans invented electricity.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

7. Mayans really liked their soda.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

8. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were actually Mayans.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

9. Most of the ruins were torture chambers where criminals were locked up and set on fire.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

 

10. You might want to hire a real tour guide if you actually care about facts.

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras

Mayan ruins of Copan in Honduras