Friday December 31st
Last night was spent rather sleeplessly, which was to be expected considering the circumstances.
Before heading out on our planned day trip we locked all our valuables inside our suitcases and placed remaining cash and passports in my money belt.
After an already planned Shiatsu massage, which helped relieve some of my stress, we set off for the south side of town to catch a bus to Los Pueblos Blancos- literally “ the White Villages.
The route to the bus station required us to tackle the crowded market area . Height has its advantages in some areas but speed and sheer bravado seems to produce the greatest result when moving against the wave that seems to always flow in the opposite direction.
When we arrived at the bus station, all seats on our intended transport were taken and upwards of 25 people were already standing. Somehow we managed to board the bus and move to the middle. Some 20 minutes into the trip we were able to grab a seat, which had enough legroom for a 5 year old. 40 minutes and three villages later I limped off the bus at our first planned stop.
The town of Catarina is known locally for flower and houseplant production. Overlooking the volcanic Lake Apoyo, it also offers a spectacular view of the surrounding countryside. Several overpriced restaurants attempt to take advantage of the view, but after admiring the scene for a half hour or so we descended into the lower part of town where a grilled chicken dinner, drinks included, cost a meagre $5 for two.
Walking back to the highway and then south for a short kilometre we entered the town of San Juan de Oriente (One of several “San Jauns” in this country. Famous for ceramics, we found the town to be somewhat short on tourists today and it wasn’t long before we had purchased as much pottery as we could reasonably carry home.
The wait for the bus back to town seemed to take forever but the journey back was somewhat faster and far less crowded than our ride this morning.
Arriving at the south end of the market, we forced our way back through the streets, still very crowded, but slightly more passable due to the fact that barriers had been set up to restrict the entry of motor vehicles.
The crowds eventually thinned out as we approached the Parque Central and La Calzada (the pedestrian street to the lake) was almost deserted.
A stop at Nectar for a sangria offered a quick respite from the heat and nicely broke up the walk back to the hotel. A shower and a short siesta left me refreshed and ready for the planned festivities of the evening.
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