The main draw in Leon for adrenalin junkies is Volcano Boarding down the Cerro Negro. That’s right, Volcano Boarding down an active Volcano. For anyone who doesn’t see how epic this is, here’s the story of a guy who broke the world speed record on the exact same volcano (in a latex suit - sexy!).

So…being the daredevil that I am, and constantly on the lookout to test my boundaries and push my adrenalin levels…not, I got myself pumped up to give it a go. Most backpackers book through Bigfoot Hostel, but most hostels will offer the activity. 

Cerro Negro is one of the youngest volcanoes in Central America, formed in 1850, and is one of the most active. Unique in its spouting ash rather than lava, the recent eruptions of ’92, ’95 and ’99 meant there was a perfect surface of ash to board down. It also meant that another eruption was long overdue… hence my panic levels rising. Luckily, I teamed up with a group of gals from the hostel and we all bonded over our mutual reservations. A problem shared is a problem solved and all that.

I was feeling pretty sick, having discovered yellow fur on my tonsils that morning, which in hindsight kinda helped me out. It meant the guide helped me carry my board up the volcano, a pretty treacherous trek over loose volcanic rock, approximately 1000 vertical ft to the top. Also, my fuzzy head made me think about it less and enjoy it more. After the hike up, and several stops to recuperate and enjoy the mind blowing scenery, we donned our sexual boiler suits, goggles and gloves and were ready for action.

Maximum speeds of up to 85mph have been clocked boarding down this volcano, however most of us opted to control our speed by digging our heels into the ash. We’d seen far too many backpackers walking around town with grazes and burns from touching the ground on their way down, or digging their heels in too strong and flying out of control. The problem with keeping a constant speed is the ash gets kicked up into your face and you turn up at the bottom literally chewing volcanic rock.

I don’t know how fast I went but the way down was freakin’ intense! Every so often I’d pick my feet up and dig them back in again just as I felt the board begin to lose control. It was exhilarating flying down the crazy steep slope, looking from the top like it dropped away into nothingness. It was all over way too fast, and I’d have loved to do it over and over. They should really put some kind of volcano escalator up there - that would be ace!

Nicaragua really is the land of volcanoes, they’re everywhere! Two of the most stunning are found on Isla de Ometepe, an island formed by two volcanoes rising out of the Lake of Nicaragua. The island is a well known stop on the backpacker trail due to its magical beauty and laidback feel. 
We went for a few days, travelling south from Granada and catching a ferry across to the island. We got on the ferry just before sunset and were lucky to approach the island under the magical glow of the setting sun.

We stayed at Captain Morgan’s, recommended by Lonely Planet, which turned out to be fantastic. I’m always wary of well known backpacker places, worried that everyone will be on their Gap Yah or worse, but this one turned out to be great. Set in lush gardens and all built in home-made tree house style, we had a romantic double bed in the dorm! They offered a different dinner option each night and had some great advice on things to do around the island.

We hired bikes and set off in search of the famous petroglyphs – ancient rock carvings that are scattered all over the island, dating as far back as 1000 B.C. The island is referred to by archaeologists as the Island of circles and spirals due to the intricate carvings found there.

Unfortunately we set off in the wrong direction – standard, and ended up cycling for 7 hours without seeing very much at all other than the beautiful coast line. On our way back we stopped off at El Ojo de Agua (The Eye of Water), a pool formed by a natural spring. The water was cool and clear, perfect after 7 hours of bike riding hell (Omeptepe has a lot of hills!). We sipped our cervezas and cooled off before getting attacked my mozzies and heading back for some relaxing reading time.

For info on Ometepe click here 

SURVIVAL TIP: 
Check your bikes thoroughly before setting off (a fellow rider had a lot of trouble with his) and plan your route. Any roads off the main highway are extremely uneven so be prepared to take a long time travelling a small distance. 

We had a few days spare so decided to check out The Monkey Hut situated on Lake Apoyo. We’d heard endless fab things from fellow travelers and just couldn’t bear to miss out on this idyllic chill out spot.

Lago de Apoyo is more or less evenly situated 30 minutes from either Managua or Granada. If I remember correctly it’s not too difficult to get to, however it’s better if you arrive with a group to share the taxi from where the bus drops you off. The crater was formed after a volcanic explosion 23000 years ago and reaches depths of 175m. We spent our few days here drinking caprihinas, eating home-made pizza, sunbathing and dive-bombing off the floating jetty. The caprihinas also helped us contemplate and appreciate the amazing feats that nature is capable of.

Furthermore, Lago de Apoyo formulated mine and Lisa’s new found friendship. There’s nothing like turning up to a new place after only knowing each other for a day and there only being a double room left. We laughed for about an hour after asking the owners “Do you have a pet…that’s a monkey?” (you had to be there), and the rest, as they say, is history!

I’m going to condense Panama into one post, just to give you an idea of some of the varying things you can do there. If my memory serves me correctly I did all this in about 2 weeks, although I only covered a very small area of the North of the country.
I started off in Bocas del Toro, a fabulous laid back beach resort, with rasta surf instructors chilling on bicycles. Most backpackers love it for its wild parties. I opted for some chill time on the beach. I might discuss in another post how sometimes being a solo traveler I don’t enjoy the party towns. You feel a kind of weird guilt that you SHOULD be having loads of fun, you SHOULD be getting wasted with all the other westerners, you SHOULD have loads of new carefree friends…I don’t generally like feeling like I SHOULD do anything. But anyway…
The highlight of my time in Bocas was a boat trip to the surrounding islands. There are a numbeof islands each with a different name specific to what you’ll find there. Red Frog Beach, Starfish Beach…and so on. In truth the island are all pretty similar, each a small haven of crystal water and dazzling white sand. The sea was like a bath, and shallow for miles. On Star Fish beach you could eat lobster for around $10. It was a little slice of paradise.

You can easily rent boats to go to the islands yourself, and taxi boat your way back, leaving you more time to relax on whichever beach you prefer, but a trip enables you to see a little bit of everything, and in the laid back Panama style, you don’t feel to rushed to do anything.

After Bocas I headed to Panama City. I didn’t rate the city too much, I stayed in the Old Town which was run down with not much to do. There was an interesting mix of old and new architecture, where the crumbling buildings were getting facelifts and turning into new sparkling boutique hotels. I took a lot of photos of the old next to the new, but other than a couple of days trolling around, there wasn’t much to excite me. Furthermore if you take one turn the wrong way you’re in a shanty town to rival all others I’d seen so far with the stench of dead rats wafting up your nostrils. Bad times.

I went to see the Panama Canal, and was glad that I could tick it off the traveler list. Done. Unless you’re a big fan of boats, or canals, or structural engineering, or something…it’s not too exciting. The museum upstairs is kinda cool, but yeah, it’s just a massive canal. It took years to build and loads of people died and it’s ‘an incredible feat of engineering’, but it just made me think how men with very small penises probably came up with the idea. It seemed a bit ridiculous to me. But what do I know.

To finish up my time in Panama, I went to the Lost and Found Lodge in the cloudforest near David. An eco setup, this chilled out place was a little oasis above the trees. They’d thought of everything, with mac and cheese and noodles available to buy and make, and fresh veggies from their garden, as well as cooked meals should you wish. They had board games, books and films, a labrynth and a treasure hunt through the forest to keep you entertained.

The staff were friendly and welcoming and the whole group got on so well. The sexually orientated board games and copious amounts of alcohol helped the bonding session move a little quicker than we might have expected!

In the day monkeys came to feed and hummingbirds were a regular sighting. I read my book and swayed over the trees in my hammock, a fabulously relaxing end to my time in Panama.

SURVIVAL TIP:
There’s no ATM in the cloud forest and Lost and Found work a Tab system so be careful with what you’re spending!

There were two forms of wildlife I was eager to see when I landed in Costa Rica; Sloths and Turtles. Both sightings bought me close to tears.
We’ll start with the turtles. I went to see them laying eggs on the beaches of Costa Rica’s Caribbean Coast. We had to go at night, and were briefed before heading to the beach, no lights and no cameras. The leatherback turtles that we were hoping to get a sighting off would come to the beach in a trance, which could easily be broken if we used white lights. Should this happen, the turtles would panic, and swim back in the sea, whilst still laying their eggs, leaving them to be eaten by fish and birds. We sat silently, and were ushered over to where a turtle was beginning to dig her nest. She had no notion of our presence and went about her business with a sluggish repetitiveness. Funnily enough, the turtle wardens spend most of their time directing turtles to new nesting patches. It seems turtles are rather lazy, and if they see a nest they will go straight to it, sometimes laying over other eggs, sometimes pushing other laying turtles off their nest, to save them the hassle of making their own! As we watched in awe as over 180 eggs plopped satisfyingly from turtle number 1, turtle number 2 tried to take over and we had to beckon it away to start digging its own nest somewhere else. Once our turtle was worn out from laying it began to slowly and methodically cover its babies with sand. The eggs were soft and squishy, like gooey soft boiled eggs, the size of ping pong balls. It was imperative she covered them well, and if she became too tired, the wardens would finish her nest for her, enabling the safety of the hatchlings. Eventually, after about an hour of the process, she turned and headed back to the sea. Watching her edge her way down the sand was mesmerizing, she was so huge I could have ridden her! The group watched in silent awe as she left her tracks in the wet sand and reacquainted herself with the sea. It was such a peaceful, warming experience. Turtles are cool man!

The sloths were a different story all together. Although also slow animals, sloths have a sort of inbuilt inquisitiveness and excitement that I wasn’t expecting. After seeing a video about Baby Sloth Wranglers, I was definite that I was visiting the sloth sanctuary.

I arrived a little late which meant I could only make the short tour, which also made it cheaper. I just wanted to see the baby sloths, and I did! We watched a video on sloths and their environment, and the terrible things that deforestation is doing to their environment. Many sloths are found electrocuted or burnt on the roadside after trying to use electric cables and wires to get across to areas of the forest that have been split up by new highways. Once their hands are burnt they cannot climb anymore which is their whole life, how they eat and survive in the wild. Many sloths at the sloth sanctuary will have to stay forever for this reason, whereas others that may have been previously kept by local families as pets, can be released back into the wild after observation and teaching activities. After the video we got to meet some of the residents, young and old, have a little cuddle and watch them play. If I were to be reincarnated I think I’d be a sloth. I don’t think I can do the whole turtle thing, swimming all those miles every year to lay a shit load of babies that you’re never going to see, and doing it every year for 100 years or more? Sloths are furry and playful and cute, and though I’m not sure how many babies they have, it can’t be that many?! Yeah, I’d be a sloth, plus I might even end up being the variety that looks like Chewbacca from Star Wars. That’d be pretty sick!

Medellin, Colombia’s second city and birth place to famed drug lord Pablo Escobar, has had its fair share of bad press. In recent years however, the city has been completely rejuvenated and is the shining diamond of all South American cities, by far one of the most cosmopolitan I visited in all of my travels. I was lucky to be there during the annual Flower Festival and had a friend to show me round.

The Flower Festival dates back to 1957, when ‘silleteros’ from the nearby Santa Elena district were invited to show the flowers they were famed for growing. The name ‘silletero’ comes from the Spanish word for chair, as the farmers would create elaborate decorations from flowers and carry them on a chair like contraption on their back.

The festival lasts for 10 days and is a spectacle of colour and pattern. The parades go on for miles with men and women carrying huge flower swamped chairs for hours. It really is quite special to see. Overall, however, it’s a big excuse to drink on the streets, something the Colombians don’t need much of an excuse to do under any circumstances! There are huge flower installations located all over the city, from Art Galleries to Museums and a number of events to keep you entertained. I got treated to some free live music and I also went to the Botanical Gardens to see some of the winning flowers, such as orchids and multi-coloured roses.

I was super excited for my parents to come and visit me in Colombia. My parents (my mother especially) love a holiday so it didn’t take too much to convince them to come and visit me on the other side of the world. My Mom tried to cover her fears when she realized that the only time they were available was when I’d be in Colombia and for several weeks before the holiday she had sleepless nights over taxi kidnappings and ride by shootings. Luckily, we faced no such obstacles.
My first thought after embracing them both in the clammy heat was the list of goodies I had asked them to bring across the waters with them…marmite!...baked beans!...clean socks!...YAAAAAY! It’s amazing the things you miss from home.

After spending a couple of days seeing the sights in Bogota (all by air conditioned private vehicle of course), they flew to the beautiful sea side port of Cartagena to meet me. Cartagena is definitely the most expensive city in Colombia and there are many western tourists strolling the streets and plaza’s but it is truly beautiful. Areas of the city are still to see development and the old Spanish walls have been beautifully maintained.
We spent our days sipping cerveza’s in shady squares and looking at the stunning fading architecture. My father busied himself in the ships and war museums while Mom and I shopped for souvenirs.

There are several excursions you can take around the city, and we booked all ours through the hostel I was staying in, The Chill House. Dad opted out of the trip to the mud volcano, an experience which wasn’t quite as relaxing as we’d have hoped, but an experience none the less. You drive up to the mud volcano, a massive lump of mud with a slippery climb to the top. Hop in with up to 30 other tourists and bake in the sun as a Colombian man rubs you down. The thick, sticky mud feels strangely calming, and the inability to stay afloat is somewhat unnerving, ending in giggling from all parties as you float off from your group unintentionally and struggle to ‘swim’ back. After negotiating the dangerous climb back down, the group heads to the river where you can pay someone to wash you down, or as we preferred, simply do it yourself. I was finding mud in my ears for the next 3 days so whether you pay someone or not, you’re not gunna get properly clean for a while!

The other trip we went on, which Dad joined, was a day trip to one of the stunning offshore island beaches. I can’t remember the name now, but I will endeavour to update this blog post with more accuracy soon. Most backpackers head off for an overnight stop here which I think is much advised. The tours take you to a few other stops throughout the day which are basically excuses for you to buy things, and leave you with a very short amount of time on the white sand beach which is the bit you want to relax and enjoy. Furthermore, once all the boat loads of tourists have packed off back to town and the beach vendors have given up trying to sell you things, an evening in your hammock or thatched hut would be very close to a slice of paradise.

I was a bit apprehensive to be spending 4 days in Vegas but I needed a tick to check The Grand Canyon off my bucket list. I went for a cheap day tour which pretty much involved hours of driving, an hour at the canyon and a shit load more driving. I wish I had more time to spend a night or two there as it was truly sensational, in fact I wish I had more time in the states period to see some of their stunning national parks, but I didn't, so whatevs! Splashing out on a helicopter ride would be totally worth it but the budget wouldn't handle it. Plus there's something kinda cool about driving through Nevada, stopping at gas stops in the middle of the desert next to the typical American motel.
I couldn't take enough photos of the canyon, nothing would do it justice and luckily me and my new friend off the coach were able to get away from the crowds and take in the beautiful view.

The rest of my time in Vegas stays in Vegas! I was couchsurfing with a 60 year old guy who grew his own weed and spent the day eating the buffet at his local casino and taking hits from the bong. How could I not get into the Vegas spirit?! I hung out round his pool feeling every inch fear and loathing! A night at the Cosmopolitan resulted in a free ticket to see a band on the roof top bar followed by a strip club and another evening resulted in a karaoke session where a woman hugged me for having the voice of an angel. Mix that with walking the strip with a pitcher of frozen cocktail while seeing a choreographed water fountain routine and a volcano spout fire. Vegas is super cool and being there with a group of mates would be awesome but i loved the randomness of my time there and the people I enjoyed it with. You always have friends in Vegas!

SURVIVAL TIP
Get cash out and leave your card at home, otherwise you'll wake up with more than a nasty hangover!

San Francisco is ace, it's cool, laid back, arty, cultured and clean, and proud to be all of the above and more. If you google 'San Francisco quotes' you'll find a ton of great things that people have to say about the city. I started with an amazing tour from Wild Wes that I went on with people from my hostel. Dapper Wes turned up with his ukulele ready to sing to through the highlights of the city. He took us to some cool places, like an underground tunnel used by pirate smugglers as well as all the cities best sights.

Fisherman's Wharf is another tourist attraction that you shouldn't miss, especially when the sun's out. Munch on clam chowder eaten out of a sour dough bowl, maybe even buy a sour dough crab or alligator! Check out the friendly sea lions and try and see the iconic San Francisco bridge through the fog. I also went to a cool vintage mechanical games hall, which was full of dancing puppets and fortune tellers.

'The Mission'

The Mission District was my favourite area of the city. I crashed on a friends couch who lived there so it was easy to walk around and check out the area. San Francisco is HUGE! And similarly to L.A it's a lot easier if you have a car although the public transport is much easier and cheaper to navigate. The Mission is the hipster area of town with heaps of galleries, coffee shops and graffiti. It's famous for its murals which line the main streets and back alleys. There's a strong Latino culture here, after the Spanish kicked the Yelamu Indians out in the late 1800s. I loved spending the day here, sipping my latte and taking photo's. There were some super cool boutique shops with stuffed animals and weird victoriana themed artefacts. Try not to talk to homeless people though. There's a huge homeless problem in San Francisco and once you've engaged some light conversation they won't leave you alone. Trust me! Trying to lose a scabby faced gang tattoo covered drunk down back alleys while he's begging you to hang out can get a bit hectic!

ALCATRAZ!

You typically have to book Alcatraz in advance so plan your time in the city around it. Boats run back to the mainland every few minutes so once you've got your ticket out you can stay as long as you like. I found Alcatraz amazing. Steeped in history and with a really creepy lost in time feel I loved it. The audio your is awesome, taking you all round the prison with voices of wardens and prisoners adding a real human aspect to the tour. You can stand in the cells and take in the atmosphere in your own time. I latched on to a walking tour where the guide told us about several crazy escape attempts which was awesome.

SURVIVAL TIP
There's loads to do and see in San Francisco but the best thing about the city is the laid back vibe. Grab a coffee, go for a stroll and let it all sink in.

I spent a month volunteering at Fundacion Arte del Mundo in the beautiful mountain town of Banos. There is tons to do in and around this region and although I spent most of my time sleeping in and making popcorn, in hindsight I did quite a lot while I was there. Here's a list of some of the fun stuff to do if you're ever in the area.

Banos is an adrenalin junkies dream with zip lining, an active volcano and numerous hikes on offer. Whilst I was there I went white water rafting, something to tick off the bucket list. It was AWESOME! We bundled into the minivan and headed off along the mountain roads. After donning our wetsuits and having a safety briefing we were in the water! 6 to a raft including our instructor we were soon dodging currents, bobbing gently in serene waters and throwing killer paddle high fives. Our only man went overboard in the final stages and with 4 panicky girls on the rescue mission I think he swallowed more freezing river water than he would have liked! But we survived! And by the end I was hooked, I wanted more rapids, more danger and more near death experiences (as long as they were experienced by someone else).
Two very brave boys I know also gave the bridge bungee jump a go...I was happy I just took the photos.

I know, I know, I'm a dickhead traveller. But I'm embracing it! Gap yah, yah? A traveller friend and I had discussed for some time about getting tattoos and when she came to visit me in Banos we bit the bullet. We were recommended to Kokopelli tattoo studio on bar street. I went for the colibri (hummingbird) nazca line after having a bit of a 'moment' when I saw them and having seen my first real life hummingbird in the yard of my volunteer quarters. Check out how badass I am! (So badass I almost cried and it only took 15 minutes).

You can't beat a bit of karaoke to cement new friendships. Karaoke is fairly new to South America and the ecuadorians love sitting in dark bars, confined to their booths singing depressing ballads. We went to karaoke twice and had two very different experiences. The first involved little showmanship from the other contestants and long waits for songs . Our second attempt was a much more successful evening, my recommendation is to find a small bar where there are no booths or tables. You pass the mic along the bar and have your moment in the sun. Although I previously slated the choice of 'depressing ballads' the English choices are pretty slim. My nights warbling wonders included Mariah Carey, Aerosmith, The Police and Toni Braxton. Ace!

For a relaxing morning, afternoon, evening, in fact any time at all! Get yourself to the thermal baths. A natural spring there are a number of pools of varying heats, some of them are bloody hot! Dip from pool to pool and shower off in the revitalizing waterfall! It's meant to be good for your circulation...or something? Whatever it feels great. Next to the baths are some sacred waters and a small shrine which is what brought people to the area all those years ago. Evenings are a great way to relax and unwind and look at the stars but they're busy, there's less chance of getting stuck in a small pool squashed between two red Ecuadorians if you go in the morning. Or maybe that's your thing?

There are tons of waterfalls shooting out of mountain caverns all around Banos, take a bus ride to a neighboring town and you'll see them. A Chiva bus (a brightly painted bus playing reggaeton with flashing disco lights - acceptable at night amongst Ecuadorian teens, a little bit weird for tourists in the middle of the day) can take you out to a number of the falls. We took a rickety cable car out over one, hovering above the devils mouth and then to the double fall which was spectacular. Wear your raincoat! You're gonna get sprayed!

RHINO BUS
I think this is for children? It's about a dollar, has bright lights and speeds round the towns tight bends. It's funny as hell, do it!

FOOD
There are some great places to eat in Banos. A hefty amount of backpackers has seen some lovely places open that have good western food as well as fantastic Ecuadorian classics. Here's my run down of a few of my faves.

• Stray Dog - Slow service but totally worth it. Run by a dedicated American the food here is to die for, great sandwiches and fries that really feel like home. The slow roasted pork is nom nom nom!
• Casa Hood - The staff here are super friendly and they do a brilliant $2 almuerzo. 3 courses of veggie goodness and a fruit shake, total bargain! It's also a nice place to hook up to the wifi and hang out, borrow a book or check out their movie screenings. Not to be confused with Cafe Hood, also a yummy option- get the purée potatoes!
• Cafe Sativa - This chilled out spot opposite Casa Hood has the best spiced coffee, darn it, the best coffee I've ever tasted. Simple dishes (the veggie burgers are ace and I'm not a veggie!) and the beautifully painted murals make it a lovely daytime hangout.

Puyo, a small lazy riverside jungle town and gateway to jungle excursions is a short bus ride from Banos. A few of the volunteers and I went for a weekend. My favorite part of the trip was a visit to Parque Omaere, which can be found in Lonely Planet. The American owner, married to a native Ecuadorian has set up an amazing botanical garden of medicinal plants and flowers as well as examples of indigenous dwellings. Tours in English are educational and fun and can be tailored to fit your time scale and interests. Highly recommended! They say they have the cure to cancer, go see what you think!

SURVIVAL TIP
It's easy to lose a lot of time anywhere when you're travelling (most get lost in the beach towns!) I was lucky enough to have to spend a month in Banos so do as much as you can with whatever time you have. If you can spend a significant chunk of your trip in any one place it's really worthwhile no matter where it is. (Drinking yourself crazy in a beach town probably isn't the best choice though!)