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Villa Isabella, San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

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Aside from being able to hang out with some of my favourite people, visiting with Colleen and her family in Nicaragua had one awesome additional bonus…staying in some very fancy digs.

P1030001After months of hard mattresses, flat pillows, and no a/c, we found ourselves in the lap of luxury, at least for out standards!

During our four days in San Juan, we stayed in a little apartment at Villa Isabella, a lovely B&B right in the heart of town. The apartment we stayed in had its own kitchen and two bedrooms. I probably had some of the best sleeps of the trip on those comfy beds, and the a/c was an amazing perk as it was HOT while we were there.
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When the heat got the best of us, we could just head downstairs into their pool. Alternatively, you could lounge in the shade, indulging in the free coffee that is always on in the lobby. I spent many mornings lounging after breakfast drinking way to much coffee and enjoying every moment.

Speaking of breakfast, the free breakfasts were SUCH a perk. The menu varied but often

consisted of Gallo Pinto, Omelettes, Eggs and Toast, waffles and most famously pancakes. Guests can choose from plain, banana or chocolate chip pancakes.

The infamous porch

The infamous porch

Shaun ate them pretty much every morning. I tried to convince him on multiple occasions that he should ask for a combination of banana and chocolate chip, but he never went for it!

I wasn’t just the a/c, comfy beds and free coffee that made this place awesome, it was the people that made it such a hoot. The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into Villa Isabella is the porch. Wicker Chairs, hammocks and couches are set up in this nicely shaded area. Combine that with strong WiFi, and this becomes THE hang out area for most guests and regulars. Walking in and out of the hotel became a social occasion, as there was always someone there you could stop and chat with.

This certainly isn’t the normal type of place we right about here on Hostels and Hot Rollers, but it was just too lovely not to review. Aside from the apartment they also offer smaller and cheaper accommodation options. Plus, the nice thing about Nicaragua is it is far less expensive then Costa Rica, so if you are travelling around, you can probably afford to drop a few extra Balboa’s on your accommodation.

Want more accommodation reviews? Check out all of our reviews here.

Pura Vida!

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

 

 

Hiking to the Christ of the Mercy Statue in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

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One of the first things I noticed when exploring San Juan del Sur, was the colossal statue of Jesus that sits high on the hills overlooking the beach.

There it is!

There it is!

From the beach it looks like it is miles away, so when Colleen mentioned she wanted to try to climb up to it, I thought she was loco. But, Colleen and I are FAMOUS for our attempts at adventure (insert story of how we once randomly ended up on the set of the X-Men move). Given our history of adventure success, I figured we would give it a go.

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There were lots of jokes about our tans that week!

We decided to try and beat the heat, and got up bright and early to start our trek. We knew there was some sort of path as Colleen’s Mom had taken an ATV to the statue in the past. So we wandered in the general direction of the statue, glancing up occasionally to ensure we were still on the right path.

ya, it got a little steep

ya, it got a little steep

As our adventure progressed, the road started getting steeper, and steeper. I guess that is the thing with going to see a statue that rests high up on a gigantic mountain, you’re going to end up with some hills to climb. As the heat and the hills continued to climb, our little stroll turned into a  full on sweaty workout. As you can imagine, some of us (me) were more excited about that then others (Shaun and Colleen). I ran up a couple of the big hills, and it took 3 days for my calves to fully recover. Woops!

 

 

We made it!

We made it!

After an endless winding road of hills, and lots of sweat, we turned a corner and saw the backside of the statue looming before us. We found a sign the explained it was a 2 dollar entrance fee to go in. We sort of hummed and hawed as to whether we were going to pay to go in, but after doing such a big hike, we sort of felt like we had to.

In the end we were so glad we did. The view was absolutely breathtaking.

The statue looks out over the beach and entire town of San Juan del Sur. It was the perfect vantage point to see the town that we would spend the next four days exploring. Colleen and her Mom are just putting the finishing touches on their house in San Juan. We were able to spot it from way up on the hill.

Checkin out the view

Checkin out the view

The money from the entrance fee is used to maintain the area surrounding the statue as well as the small church/museum underneath the statue. It was really great to be able to learn a little bit about the statue, and the whole process that they went through to build it.

The statue was built in 2009, and has quickly become one of the most notable statues of Jesus in the world. It’s about 25m high, making it one of the largest in the world.
P1020927It is without a doubt, one of the more impressive touristy attractions I’ve seen during this trip. When you stand at its base it simply towers over you.

We spent about 30 minutes wandering around, exploring and enjoying the gusty wind that was rushing by. It was a perfect way to cool off our sweaty selves before the walk back.

I would say it was about a 2km walk from the heart of San Juan del Sur to the base of the statue. Leave early in the morning so it is not to hot, and wear good walking shoes. The road is paved, so it is an easy hike, but the hills make it a doozy. Make sure you bring lots of water too!

P1020944All in all, I would say this is a very worthwhile little adventure. If walking is a problem, lots of companies in town offer ATV tours that will take you up to see the statue. Regardless of how you get there, I would say that walking up to the Christ of Mercy statue in San Juan del Sur is well worth it.

 

Have you ever seen a statue that is really impressive? Where?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Exploring in and Around San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

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Alright lets really get down to our trip to Nicaragua shall we?

San Juan del Sur is often described as a “surf town”. It’s proximity to the Costa Rican border makes it a popular destination for both surfers, and people looking for a quick get away on their Visa run. Located about 1km from Lake Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur is home to a gorgeous 3km horseshoe shaped beach with fun beach side restaurants dotted along its shore.

The beach of San Juan del Sur

The beach of San Juan del Sur

The town itself has everything you need for a good time. Lots of bars, coffee shops, tour companies, souvenir shops and hostels. There is a great market in the centre of town where vendors sell all sorts of fruits and vegetables. The only thing that San Juan del Sur is missing, is the surf. There is actually no surf in San Juan..none at all.

San Juan del Sur tends to be the epicentre for those who are interested in surfing, as it has the most amenities.But the closest surf beach, Playa Maderas, is about 9km away.

Colleen and I on the shuttle

Colleen and I on the shuttle

There are tons of shuttles, vans and taxis that you can catch that will take you to and from San Juan to Playa Maderas. The cheapest option is by far the shuttle that leaves every few hours from Casa Oro. This tourista cattle car is 3 bucks for one way or 5 bucks for a round trip. Certainly beats the 15 dollars that the cabs will charge you!

I don’t blame the poor cab drivers for charging so much though, the road to Maderas is pretty brutal. Pot holes, tight squeezes, low hanging branches and extremely steep hills can make it seem more like a faulty ride in Disneyland then a commute to the beach.

Busy surf in Playa Maderas

Busy surf in Playa Maderas

Once you get to Playa Maderas, you will be greeted by a small but dedicated surfer community. There are a couple of hostels, restaurants and board rental shops on the beach, but other then that, it is pretty remote. You can certainly find a place to get a beer, bed, meal or coffee, but there are no grocery stores or other amenities nearby.

During our stay, the beach at Playa Maderas was always really busy. We aren’t sure whether it is always like that, or if it was because the other surf beaches nearby were really flat. Either way, with so many people trying to catch waves in a very small space, I opted to partake in a little beach side coffee time instead of attempting to surf. Although we left Shaun’s board back in Costa Rica, he did rent a board and go out one afternoon, but with the amount of people in the water and the lack of decent waves, he didn’t last long.

If you are an avid surfer, and are wanting to catch some decent waves, I suggest doing your research. There are tons of nearby beaches that have great waves, alot of which are relatively undiscovered. Playa Maderas is certainly the easiest surf beach to get to from San Juan, so I think that may be another  reason it attracts so many people.

A much less busy Playa Marsella

A much less busy Playa Marsella

If crowds and surf aren’t your thing, there is another beach option. In between San Juan and Maderas is another little beach called Playa Marsella. The lack of surf makes it far less busy then Maderas, but it is perfect for swimming or lounging in the sun. It also boasts several little hotels as well as one beach side bar. There is also a great authentic Nica restaurant on the road to Marsella.

We spent 9 days in Nicaragua, 4 in San Juan del Sur and 5 just outside Playa Marsella. There is lots more to come about our adventures there,  but I figured this was the perfect post to get everyone up to speed of the area I’ll be talking about for the next couple days.

What are you experiences with surfing? Ever tried it?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Travel Workouts Week 14- 5 Smartphone Apps for Travel Fitness

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Well my friends, it happened!

I’m officially a member of the Travel Fashion Girl Team!

Starting this month, I will be writing a monthly series on Travel Fitness for this fabulous website.

Travel Fashion Girl is a one stop shop for everything a gal needs to know about travel. They cover everything from beauty, accessories and fashion to packing, destinations, and now fitness!

So, without further ado, I wanted to share my first article:.

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5 Smartphone Apps for Travel Fitness.

As with all my posts, If you like this article please share it on Twitter or Facebook. It really makes a difference!

What is your favourite part of the Travel Fashion Girl website?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Creepy Crawly Costa Rica

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I have this memory of sitting on the plane on the way down here, writing a note in my iPhone of all the possible blog posts I could do while visiting Costa Rica.

Creepy Crawly Costa Rica topped that list.

Based on my previous experiences here, I knew I would likely encounter all sorts of crazy critters. Let me tell you, Costa Rica did not disappoint.

So, here is a list of a couple of my favourites that I’ve documented a long the way and their score of how creepy I think they were!

Be advised, if you get the hibbie-jeebies easily…this post might not be for you.

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Praying Mantis: These guys are just COOL. I’m bummed that this is such a bad picture, but It was the only time I’ve seen one when I’ve had my camera at the ready.

This little guy was creeping around the floor one night in Playa Coco being as elegant as all get out.

Hope to see more of these before I go!

Creepy Crawly Score: 2/10

P1010783Toad: We’ve encountered these little toad friends a couple times during our travels. This guy is from Mal Pais, but my favourite toad friend encounter happened in Tamarindo. We were eating dinner outside our room when one of these little guys decided to jump off our door frame and on to my back. Needless to say I was slightly jumpy after that!

 

Creepy Crawly Score: 3/10

photo 2 (2)Ants: Brace yourself, you are about to encounter an ant rant. Ants are insane. One moment you will be going about your day, minding your own business, then, all of a sudden, there will be zillions ants all over the place. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve opened our travel food bag, only to find that there are hundred of ants inside. Actually I can tell you…it’s three times. But that is three times to many.The third time I made the discovery while travelling on a shared shuttle. Yes…I was THAT girl.

The ants you find in the food bag are actually fine. They are sugar ants, and are just looking for food. Once the food is gone, they’ll just leave on their own. Very polite little creatures.

The ones in the picture on the other hand, they are jerkwads. They look like the sugar ants  and seem so unassuming, but these nasty creatures will bite you like crazy. Luckily for me they appear to like the taste of Shaun more. The only thing that will convince them to leave is a big ole can of Raid. If you catch my drift.

Although  I wouldn’t necessarily call them “creepy”, their bitey, “come out of no where”, jerkwad status gives them a bit of a higher score.

Creepy Crawly Score: 5/10

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Scorpion: Okay, moving on to something a little more disturbing. We haven’t actually seen a live scorpion, but this little dead guy somehow ended up all tangled in my sarong. I was throwing it in the washing machine and noticed his sad little body on the ledge. I’m pretending that he was dead the whole time and didn’t crawl into my space on his own accord. A girl can dream eh?

Apparently their sting is like a bad bee sting. Regardless, it is not something I feel I need to experience myself.

Creepy Crawly Score: 6/10.

P1010508Grasshopper on Steriods: SERIOUSLY! I know right? These massive grasshoppers are all over the place here in Costa Rica. You can guarantee that if one is visible there will be a group of tourists around it taking photos (like me at this moment in time)

We saw this one outside of the grocery store in Tamarindo. My brother’s very brave girlfriend Nat put her hand there for perspective. What a trooper!

Although I think these are more cool then creepy, the thought of one of these guys landing on me gives me the willy’s. So their score gets a boost for their “don’t touch me” factor.

Creepy Crawly Score: 8/10

P1010079Snake…head?: Can you imagine waking up to find this on your porch? Well we can! Yes my friends, that is the head of a snake, covered in ants.I think maybe a howler monkey in the trees above our place ate the other half, but I can’t be sure.  I’ll just give you a moment to let the picture sink in.

Snakes are the one thing that I CANT handle. Just writing about them gives me the shimmy shakes. This one would have gotten a 10/10 in the creepy crawly score had it been alive, but the dead factor and its comical face lessened its score a little bit.

Creepy Crawly Score: 8.5/10

P1010078Golden Orb Spider: Ding Ding Ding, we have a winner! Neither Shaun and I are big fans of spiders, especially these Golden Orb guys. Not only are they all over the place in Costa Rica, but they are really big fans of hiding in or around Tatonka, and making me squeal like a little girl.

You know that gross stat about how many spiders people eat while they are sleeping?

Ewww!!

Creepy Crawly Factor: 10/10

 

So there you have it, a little taste of what we are encountering here in Costa Rica. I should point out that lizards, cockroaches, and centipedes did not make the cut. Maybe I’ll have to do a part 2?

Or maybe not.

Which of these creepy crawlies do you dislike the most?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Beers of Nicaragua: A Taste Test

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After the success of our Panamanian Beer taste test, it seemed only fitting that we imbibe in another round in Nicaragua. I would like to thank Colleen for stepping up to the plate and being our third judge in this little adventure.

So without further ado…The beers of Nicaragua

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P1020952Victoria Frost: Alcohol Content 4.9%

Kate: Watery but still hoppy with a little after skunk. Tastes a big lighter then the other Nicaraguan beers. I could drink a few but would still prefer something lighter and with a lower alcohol content

Colleen: Super light and dangerous

Shaun: Pretty good, but bit of a chemical beer taste. Something may be a bit off with this one.

 

P1020953Victoria Classic: Alcohol Content 4.9%

Kate: Way thicker and hoppier. Hits you between the eyes like its saying “drink lots of me and I’ll make your morning a doozy.” It has a bit of a skunky aftertaste. Tastes like something I would drink out of a red plastic cup at a party.

Colleen: More like a Molson Canadian. Heavier then the frost. Don’t care for the chemically after taste

Shaun: Good name (Victoria), Pretty Good. Could slam back a few, less after taste then the frost but would need to be very cold. It’s pretty bad when warm

P1020955Tona: Alcohol Content 4.6%

Kate: Stronger smell. Thick, like molasses beer. A hint of lime at first. I’m not opposed to this beer but would only drink one on a really hot day and only if it was ice cold. Nice to not have that skunky finish though.

Colleen: Heavier than the other two. Harder to chug!

Shaun: Seems like a heavier beer in comparison but refreshing. Good but not as poundable. More of a winter beer then hot climate beer.

P1020956Cerveza Premium: Alcohol Content 4.5%

Kate: Stinky! Tastes like water compared to everything. I keep sipping it up thinking there might be more to it, but its just bubbly yeast water. Let’s be honest, this is a Kate beer. Fluffy, light, nothingness. Perfect for my delicate dainty palate

Colleen: Not sure if this is even from Nicaragua, what does “Made in Central America” even mean. Not a huge fan. Overall would prefer anything else

Shaun: Judging by the name it must be good. Not very good. Reminds me of a Pacific Pilsner…Terrible

So there you have it! We knew going into this that Nicaragua is certainly not known for its beer. That fact was defininetly reinforced with our taste test. It should be advised, that beer taste tests often result in situations like this.

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Yes, that is a delicious street side burrito. I regret nothing!

The Costa Rican beer taste test will be finale. We are waiting for the perfect moment though, because we 9 different varieties to try, we may never recover!

Are you in Costa Rica and want to partake in the finale beer taste test? Message us on Facebook!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

To my Husband on his Birthday

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We’re celebrating a birthday here in Costa Rica today!

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My travel buddy, partner in crime, and amazing husband Shaun is another year older.

There is nothing Shaun would like more then to let this day go by like any other, but unfortunately for him, that’s not the way I role.  For me, birthday’s are big business! But don’t feel to sorry for him, he knew what he was getting into when he married me.

So to celebrate his birthday, I’ve decided to share a couple facts about the mostly silent other half of the Hostels and Hot Rollers team.

  1. Shaun is a great teacher. He has patiently taught me how to surf, golf, shuffle cards, and fry eggs.
  2. Shaun is a man of many talents. Not only can he surf, curl, play golf, and play hockey, but he can paint and take crazy great photos as well.
  3. That being said, Shaun can’t throw a frisbee 😉
  4. Shaun is the best cheerleader a girl could ask for. Whether I’m running a race, finishing a degree or trying to figure out what to do with all my “big ideas”, Shaun will cheer me on the entire way.
  5. Shaun has an amazing smile. The ladies love those chicklets!
  6. Shaun eats a lot of black pepper
  7. Shaun is patient, especially when his wife makes him stand outside the room while she finishes her workouts, makes him eat chickpeas and eggs for every meal and eats all his cereal without telling him.
  8. Shaun’s family and friends are super important to him.
  9. Shaun is one of the 3 people left in the world who doesn’t have Facebook, and he is very proud of it.
  10. Shaun can literally nap anywhere and on anything.
  11. Shaun loves french fries. McDonalds are his fave.
  12. This might be biased, but I think Shaun is the best husband a girl could ask for!

So Happy Birthday Manfriend, thank you for this adventure. I couldn’t and wouldn’t have done it with anyone else.

Te llamo

Here is a little bit of a cryptic message just for you babe!

1-6-20-5-18 20-8-9-18-20-25 20-8-18-5-5 25-5-1-18-19 25-15-21 18-5 19-20-9-12-12 18-15-3-11-9-14-7 20-8-1-20 19-13-9-12-5
1-14-4 25-15-21-18 14-5-24-20 3-15-15-12 16-18-5-19-5-14-20 3-1-14 2-5 6-15-21-14-4 9-14 1 6-9-12-5

Leave your birthday messages for Shaun below. It’s the only way he will see them 😉

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

10 Things We’ve Learned in our Four Months of Backpacking

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Hard to believe, but I now have 4 months of backpacking under my belt. Although I feel like I’ve graduated from my newbie backpacker status, I still learn new things every day.

I thought I would take a moment today and share with you 10 of my most recent observations about the crazy world of a backpacking.

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  1. Lack of laundry facilities means spilling something on myself is 100 times more devastating.
  2. After four months it has just becomes easier to refer to ourselves as Keit and Jawn.
  3. When leaving a hostel that has hot water, we shower like we will never see hot water again.
  4. Buffet breakfast? Watch out, we will make three meals out of it
  5. Free Coffee? Watch out, Kate will make three meals out of it
  6. If I am not wearing underwear by noon, I won’t wear any all day. That’s a waste.
  7. If I have to pee when I’m in a bed with mosquito netting, I will opt to do the potty polka until morning.
  8. Somewhere in Costa Rica, someone is giving out free Jack Johnson CD’s to every citizen. We just aren’t sure where.
  9. Some people need the sound of waves, crickets or whales to fall asleep, I’m pretty sure when I get home I’ll need a sound machine that plays bad karaoke, howler monkeys and people humping.
  10. Date night’s consist of a box of cooking wine, a bag of plantain chips and being in bed by 9

So there you have it. A little insight into the glamorous world of backpacking.

What other tips about backpacking do you want to hear?

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow me on Twitter:@caketress

Feeling Grateful for my Fabulous Friend Colleen

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We didn’t really have much of a plan for our travels in Costa Rica. We had a rough idea  of where we wanted to go, but we hadn’t really decided on where or when we would go places.

The only thing that was written in stone was that we needed to be in Nicaragua by February 24th to meet up with my friend Colleen.

Colleen and I go all the way back to high school. This means, that out of the vast majority of people in my life, she has known me the longest. I would also attest that she is one of the people who knows me the best.

During our travels, I had certainly thought about Colleen’s up coming visit, but it always seemed so far off in the distance. Plus, I was trying to live every day in the moment and not focus to much on what was coming up.

It wasn’t until the night before leaving for Nicaragua that it actually struck me that I was going to be seeing my friend for the first time in a very long time.

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Nothing could have prepared me for how wonderful it was to spend time with her.

When you are travelling, you spend so much time in your head. Although we often meet new people, the conversations you have with them tend to be superficial. Most travellers you meet are in and out of your life within a couple days.

And of course I have my lovely husband with me, and its been wonderful to have all of this time to talk together. But even I know there are limits to how many times I can tell him about my feelings and disclose what I’m grateful for. Poor guy, no wonder he surfs so much 😉

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So here we are, back at the idea of gratitude. I feel so thankful to have been able to spend four days with Colleen. We talked like crazy and caught up on everything that is going on in each others lives and in each others heads. She listened to all of my “big ideas” and had such a wonderful perspective on things. I’m left feeling even more excited about where our paths are taking us next.

Time spent with friends is now one of those things that I will never again take for granted.

So, the next time you are sitting with a friend, and having those conversations that friends have, take a moment and appreciate just how lucky you are to have them in your lives!

Pura Vida!

Kate

Follow on Twitter:@caketress