Granada, Nicaragua

We made our way north from Liberia into Nicaragua - the border crossing took 2 1/2 hours, nearly as long as the bus ride! The city of Granada which sits at the top end of Lake Nicaragua is an old colonial town with beautiful architecture in pretty pastel colours. We had heard from lots of people that Nicaragua is quite safe in most areas and worth the trip so we decided to take a side trip since we were so close. We are in a lovely hotel in an air conditioned room with free internet which we are enjoying. It's actually quite a tourist spot with lots of restauants and a large central square of local crafts. We went on a 3 hour boat tour of some of the 365 islands in the lake. The area is teaming with birds and other wildlife.
There are also several small casinos so we spent a little time in them. They are quite casual as the girl who is cashier leaves the door to her booth open while she goes around offering drinks of pop or water to clients. We are using the equivalent of nickel machines so we aren't likely to go bankrupt. Maybe the capital of Nicaragua is different but the poverty is not nearly as evident as we expected. The cobblestone streets and old bulidings are carefully being restored as more and more tourists are finding their way here. There are several fine restaurants and beautiful hotels in the downtown area. After a few delightful days, we are now heading back south into Costa Rica.