13 days: coming up fast!

[ChayahLove]

Hey, my fiancee and I will be traveling in Nica Jan. 1-13.  We'd love insight about our itinerary.

Jan. 1- Fly into MGA at 9:30 PM, stay in a hotel near the airport.

Jan. 2 - Travel from Managua to Miraflor via Esteli.  Still not clear about which bus terminal has buses to Esteli.  Once we get to miraflor (either on the noon or 3:40 bus from Esteli), we're planning to lay low at Finca Neblina for the evening

Jan. 3 - Jan. 4: Two full days in Miraflor.  We want to take a horseback tour (full day?) and a coffee tour (1/2 day?) and have some time to explore on foot, enjoy the quiet and the beauty

Jan. 5: Travel from Miraflor to Granada via Esteli and the express bus to Masaya, and a cab to Granada.  I am still not clear about what time to leave Miraflor, or how all the pieces will fit together.  Any insight is MUCH appreciated!

Jan. 6 - Jan 8: 3 full days based out of Granada.  One day we plan to explore Granada, One day rent a car and travel through Pueblos Blancos and Masaya markets, and one day take either a canopy tour of Zapatera or kayak through Las Isletas.  Opinions?

Jan. 9 - Granada to Ometepe by whatever methods one travels from one point to the other!  How long will that trip take us and what is the best way to do it?  If the cab to the ferry is super-cheap, perhaps we'll take that, but otherwise the public buses are always a joy.  When we get to Ometepe, we'll wander around the ferry town for a bit, and then take the bus or a cab to Finca del Sol, our hotelito in Santa Cruz.  Lay low for whatever is left of the day.

Jan 10-11: Two full days on Ometepe.  The first one, I think we're going to explore and relax.  The second we're planning to hike Concepcion!  I read in the Moon Guide its not always open.  Anyone know?  I am planning to email our hotel on OMetepe and ask them to set this up for us.

Jan. 12: Stay on Ometepe as long as possible.  Travel back to Managua however one does these things.  Stay in Managua.

Jan. 13: Fly away.

Anything crucial we're missing?  Any opinions about how to streamline the travel between locations?  I know that can be one of the most exhausting and time-consuming things, but I think three locations is a perfect amount.

Thanks so much for any feedback!!

[ChayahLove]

Ooops, canopy tour is on Mombacho!

[Joshua Berman]

Mayoreo (near airport, more or less) in Managua, has buses to Esteli.

Jan. 5: Travel from Miraflor to Granada via Esteli and the express bus to Masaya, and a cab to Granada.  I am still not clear about what time to leave Miraflor, or how all the pieces will fit together.  Any insight is MUCH appreciated!

NOT something to worry about at this stage. Wherever you stay in Miraflor will help arrange, I'm sure. Otherwise, just devote the day to traveling, wake up and enjoy the ride(s).

Otherwise, looks good, have a great time!

[erik nelson]

Re Granada to Ometepec:  It sounds like you have more money that most of us; you might inquire about the price of a taxi from Granada to San Jorge, where the ferry crosses over to Ometepec.  Otherwise, take a Rivas bus from the station (actually just a parking lot) across the street from the Shell station, just below the market.  There are no buses from Rivas to San Jorge (about 6 kilometers) but the taxi is cheap, about 20 cordobas.  There are several ferries a day from San Jorge to Moyogalpa on Ometepe, and it's a beautiful ride.
Concepción was closed for a while but open when I climbed in March this year.  It's a brutal climb; unless you're in excellent shape, Maderas volcano is a better option.  For Concepción, leave at first light, no later than 0600. My son and I had to walk the first hour along streets and the highway, and we could easily have taken a taxi and got an earlier start on the trail.
For no apparent reason, Estelí has become a nasty place and judging by the newspaper, it's getting worse. Along with Bluefields and (shudder) Managua, it's one place I wouldn't wander at night.
You can't go wrong in Granada.  I would be content just to sit in the park all day, or walk along the lake (unfortunately you have to pass through a serious slum to get to the lake.)  You are more ambitious, but I'd like to point out that you don't have to be on the go constantly.  Some of your favorite memories of Nicaragua may be the times when you were doing nothing.
You'll be temptingly close to San Juan del Sur, barely 20 km from Rivas.  It's often scorned because it's a "tourist town"; but there's a reason why tourists go there--it's wonderful.
Be sure you take your Moon Nicaragua with you.  It answers most of the practical matters that will come up.

[¡Un Buen Viaje! Jessica]

I can recommend Unión Guías de Ometepe (http://www.ugometepe.com) on Ometepe for hiking Concepción. The office is on the corner near the dock in Moyogalpa. You can contact Johan at 8 363-5783. Have a great trip! Jessica  www.ToursToNicaragua.com

[kevins]

ChayaLove should be back by now, but I wanted to reply for the benefit of others...

We walked around Esteli during the day, and had no trouble at all. We walked a few blocks at night (near the main church) and felt fine. That was a few months ago.

About a year ago, we walked from Granada down to the lake, and didn't see any signs of slums. Not even close. I probably wouldn't do the walk at night, but in the morning it seemed perfectly fine.

[erik nelson]

Quoting Moon Nicaragua:  "You're essentially safe in Esteli, but exercise more care here than elsewhere, in the barrios east of the highway and west of the river be especially cautious."
The newspapers tend to be sensationalist, but they do mention problems at Esteli often. 
I felt uneasy there myself, as the number of scowling young men doing nothing seemed to be higher than elsewhere.  Matagalpa, nearby, about the same size, is nicer.