Back to the "Sweat Box" of Granada

Back to the sweatbox ! Had forgotten how hot Granada was !

Had to get 3 different buses from Esteli to Tipitapa, to Masaya then onto Granada from there....booked into the Hostal Oasis & spent the nest few days chilling out & visiting friends. We managed to catch up with Alfredo ( a teacher & friend from the Spanish school), Lorenzo (a tour guide whom we had made friends with) and I also managed to have a date with my special "waiter friend" which was rather nice !!! :-)

Unfortunately, I had managed to pick up some nasty beastie from somewhere so kept getting bouts of D&V (continuing on from Christmas) which put a bit of a dampner on "nice meals out"...however we did manage a belated Christmas & New year dinner (filet mignon steak for me, fish for Liss !!!!) which made up for the gallo pinto & nacatamales that we had to suffer over the festive season !!!! Had a great last few days together and spent one of them at the Laguna de Apoyo chilling out. Just before D-Day arrived I got a job offer from Manolo in El Salvador, who runs tours in the "El imposible" National Park. He needed help with his tours, so offered me free accomodation, food, beer (sucker!) & a small salary in return for me learning the ropes ! Not a bad offer at all...& right up my street so of course I said "Si" ! will be going back up to Tacuba on the 20th of this month & I´m very excited about it.

So....D-Day.............came around all too quickly & before I knew it Lissa left on a bus bound for Costa Rica on the 10th at 0800......a very sad day for me, as it was rather like losing a limb ! We had been travelling together 24/7 for the past 4 months & had the most amazing time together. It was hard saying goodbye......and to hold back the tears !!!!! However, I know that  we both have some very special & entertaining memories !!!! Something to gossip about when we are old, sitting in our rocking chairs supping on a bottle of red wine !!!!!!!

For the rest of the day I felt pretty empty & sad, however, my saving grace was that a Dutch friend, October, whom we´d met in El Salvador, was in Granada. We met up (along with Alfredo) & went out for the evening...had dinner together & a few beers which was nice. October also decided to come up north with me & to visit Sontule. So, we left the next morning & had a great journey back up to Esteli where we chilled out, went on a hike out to Estanzuela waterfall & met up with Jane, Melissa (the American one!) & Marlon. It was really nice having October to travel with & we get on extremely well & have a lot of fun together. If you thought I could talk the hind leg off a donkey....well, you should meet her !!!!

So......the few days spent in Esteli were relaxed & fun........then on the Monday we caught the bus up the mountain to Sontule.