Tag 143 - Somoto

Phew, that was quite a long journey, we were on the road for 9 hours. The buses were so crowded that we were squeezed together like sardines in a can. Even if you managed to get a seat, it wasn't a comfortable trip. People are packed so tightly that they have to lean over the seats. At every strategically important stop, not only new passengers get on, but also street vendors. They push their way from front to back through the bus and advertise their drinks and snacks. And often these are pretty hefty people. You want to strangle them.

I had expected that everything would get poorer as we go further north. But I was wrong. In Estelí, our last stop before Somoto, we got off at a neat, orderly bus station. I evaluate places based on the condition of their toilets, and these were the cleanest and most well-maintained public toilets I have ever visited in Nicaragua, by a wide margin.

Somoto is also a surprise. Everything looks tidy and not as run down as in Granada often. And the Central Park is a little green gem, a pretty palm garden lovingly designed with a small café inside. In the middle is the obligatory fountain with benches around it. A woman plays the guitar and sings along.

Sarah got a tip from a friend about who we should do the canyon tour with and made contact with him via WhatsApp. If the tour is in a reciprocal relationship to his spelling, tomorrow will be a blast.

Temperatures are a pleasant 27 degrees as expected, slightly cloudy with a light wind from the northeast, 74% humidity.