"A country with no army, and one of the wealthiest in Latin America." "Next door, a land ravaged by years of war and one of the least visited places in the world." "Two faces of Central America, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, here we come!" "Costa Rica is renowned for it's rainforests and national parks, whilst Nicaragua is known for it's volatile politics." "Sharing a common border, they are two of Central America's most contrasting countries." "From the Capital of Costa Rica, I travel to the rainforests around Monteverde and on to Liberia, before cooling off on the Pacific coast in Montezuma." "Entering Nicaragua, I travel to the remote Soletiname islands." "Crossing Lake Nicaragua, I visit Granada and Managua, ending my journey on Volcano Masaya." "Costa Rica has a population of 3 million, a 1/3 of which live in the capital, San Jose." "I've been dropped off in down town San Jose, and what a day to arrive." "It's Costa Rica's general elections and as you can see, it's complete mayhem." "Is it always this mad on election day?" "Isn't it crazy?" "Every 4 years the same thing happens." "For us it's like a National Holiday." "To have the right to choose our next President." "It's something like, other nations have been struggling to get that right, and for over a hundred years we have enjoyed the right to vote." "The Tico Times is a local English Paper here, and it lists loads of places where you can find cheap accommodation in the city." "I guess I'd better try and make a few enquiries." " Hola." " Hello." " Hello." " Hi." " How are you?" " Fine, thank you." " Please to meet you." " OK, here is the room." " OK, thanks Hilda." " You're welcome." "Yes." "It's a bargain at $10." "Right, time to get my glad rags on and check out the night life." "This is a Boca bar, and they are pretty typical throughout Costa Rica." "What you do here is you buy yourself a beer and you get free food." " Oh here we go." " I love it here." "You know why?" " Why's that?" " Because men do the cooking." " So what have we got here then?" " Rice with beans." "That's typical beans." " And potatoes too, yes?" " Potatoes too, yes." " It's good." " Yes, and what about this one?" " That's fish." " What's it called?" "Ceviches." "That's raw fish." " Do you like it?" " It's vinegary." " Where does Merengue music come from?" " It comes from Venezuela." "I understand rich people didn't like it at first because the words in it were very rude, but they changed the words and now it's very popular." "So how do you dance the Merengue then?" "You hold hands like this and then just move." " We need some music though, don't we?" " Yes." "I think so." "Merengue is a fast version of Salsa and most of the clubs playing Merengue get going about midnight." "The most popular is Friday night at El Tabacon where up to 2000 people dance their socks off." "And the winner of the Costa Rica general election is Miguel Langel." "Christian socialists." "The red and blue team win." "Despite being one of the most affluent countries in Latin America, poverty is still a problem, particularly on the outskirts of San Jose." "One volunteer group is trying to make things better." "We have a group of volunteers and we're working at Ana Pirdis's house." "She's a single mother with 9 children." "She got fed up with having to live with a situation of domestic strife and conflict, so she moved out." "So what kind of experience do you think the volunteers gain from doing this?" "It's great for them because they come down here and they see a side of" " Costa Rica that usually a visitor won't see." "Which is what I call the heart kind of Costa Rica; the heart." "Most of our volunteers get back a lot more than they give, because they go back to their countries of origin and make different decisions about how they spend their own resources, their money," "their time and their goods." "I came here primarily to teach." "I think I'm always interested in getting to the truth of things, at a deeper level than what's usually advertised." "It's great to get out of San Jose." "You're out of the pollution, you're in beautiful country." "You can go to a rainforest, you can go to the top of mountains,  you can go to the base of volcanoes, anywhere in Costa Rica you can go, and you can get there on a Harley." "If you can't ride you can get yourself a guide, and this is mine" " Paul." " How you doing Neil?" " Fine." "Are you ready to see the most incredible country in the world?" "Today we're going to cross the continental divide." "We're going to go to 5 different geographical areas." "We're going to see mountains, rivers, animals, exploding volcanoes, rainforests." "Do you think you're man enough to do it by Harley?" " I think so." "Monteverde here we come." "Over a quarter of Costa Rica is protected by national reserves." "One of the most famous is the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve." "It's a 3 hour drive to get there, and another 3 hours to Volcano Arenal." "OK Neil, we're heading up to Arenal now, coffee country." "In about 45-50, minutes we'll be in the rainforest." "Little by little it gets more tropical, until you're just in an amazing wonderland." " And is it going to get hotter as well?" " It gets cold and hot, cold and hot." "There's many climates all over Costa Rica." "This isn't a real toll booth Neil." "They just set up this and it's a family selling  lottery tickets, but we like to do our part." "Maybe one day we will win the lottery." " That's a bit cheeky really, isn't it?" " Yes, here's your number." "I'll write to you in England and see if you won." "The fastest toll is still a toll." "Here we are Neil, we're coming right into the rainforest." " It's a beautiful place." " It certainly is." "Here we go." "Look at all the flora and fauna." "Well Neil, here we are in the Costa Rican rainforest, and while we're here we like to drink a little cup of coffee and play a little game." "Are you a real Harley man?" " I think so, yes." " Here's our little friend." "It's a tarantula, a rainforest tarantula." " Oh, my god." " A nice pet." "Real men put them on their heads Neil." "Round your forehead." "He's going." "OK, who's going to take it off now?" " You're a real Harley man now Neil." " So I can ride your Harley now then Paul?" " You can ride my Harley now." " Great." "And if you eat him, I'll give you a Harley for free." "No chance." "Well Neil, here's another great stop on our mad adventure." "This guy's incredible." "He's a real expert at what he does." "And you're going to have a big, big surprise." "Really?" "Oh, my god." "What is this guy up to?" "I don't know, but I hope these guys had lunch already." "This is Mya Camacho, and he's the best and greatest expert on snakes in Costa Rica." "He's crazy but he does a good job." "Well, I'm going to Monteverde next, so what snakes should I watch out for?" "This fer-de-lance is our principle snake." " The ugliest smile in Costa Rica." " The deadliest smile." "It'll take you out in about 5 minutes Neil." "What happens when you get bitten by this?" "It produces haemorrhage, it effects the blood." " And then I die." " It's a deadly snake." "How many times have you been bitten Mya?" "4 bites for poisonous snakes, and more than 650 for non poisonous snakes." "650..." "So, can I stroke it?" " Yes." "Only one person in 1000 million persons can say I touched one, fer-de-lance snake." "The skin is so loose around the muscle." "If I didn't have my hand around it's head, it'd be nipping out our noses right now." "I'm just glad you've got the head end." "There are 200 species of snake at Monteverde." "Fortunately, only 4 of these are deadly." "What the reserve lacks in deadly snakes is made up for in birds, this area has the greatest collection of species found anywhere in the world." "Monteverde National Reserve!" "Deep in the cloud forest!" "If you want to see the best birds, hire a guide to help you spot them." " Have you found something?" " There's some Toucans right here." "Very quick." "There's a bird right here." "Quick." "Look." "Ready?" "This is called the Emerald Touconette." "They are only found in the tropics." "They are another very special family." "This is a male, see the body with the blue throat." "That's the first Toucan I've ever seen." "So why is Costa Rica so special for bird watchers?" "There are more birds in Costa Rica than in North America including Canada together." "In places like Monteverde, where we are today in the cloud forest, we have more than half of the species in the whole area, more than 400 species." "Every time I think I've spotted something it turns out to be a leaf or a orchid or a tree or..." "So what's the best way to spot the Quetzal?" "Sound." "And the color is very different." "It's not green like the leaves." "It's a very different color." "You heard it?" " Is that it?" " Yes, it is." "Like a cat..." "Yes, like a cat." "Like..." "There, you see." "OK, That's a female, right here, quick." "Beautiful, see the blue and dark at the back, look at the colors, look at the beautiful iridescent colors." "Green metallic, yellow tail, red breast." "The tail, yes." "Long blue tail." "I've seen a Quetzal." " And one of the most famous in the world." " A true bird watcher now." "Why did you come to Monteverde to bird watch?" "Particularly to see the resplendent Quetzal." "And all of the birds in the highlands area." " And did you see it?" " Yes, we saw it." "The first bird inside the park." "We walked in and 3 of them were flying together." " So how did you feel?" " Exhilarated." "Like the trip is a success and it's just begun." "Volcano Arenal is the worlds second most active volcano, which means if you're lucky, you might just see an eruption." "It throws out over 15 million cubic meters of lava every year." "One of the best places to stay in this area, is here at the Arenal lodge." "This room has cost me 50 dollars which I think is a little bit expensive, but the guide said the view's quite good." "Certainly makes it worth 50 dollars for the room, doesn't it?" "It's such a perfect volcano as well." "It's like one of the ones you used to draw as a little kid." "That's it right in front of me." "After slogging it out in the jungle, what better way to relax and unwind those muscles, than in these beautiful hot springs." "The water is kicked out of the volcano at a scorching 150 degrees centigrade, so by the time it gets down here, it's a little bit cooler." "I mean this is like paradise around here." "The garden of Eden." "Do you get many honeymooners round here?" "Yes, well after 6 when it gets dark, the mystic of the place..." "The hot water, the volcano with lava flowing." "You can dance, you can drink." "You can do a lot of things." " A lot of things." " Get in the mood, sort of thing, yes?" " Exactly, yes just like get in the mood." "So how many couples have you caught getting in the mood in the gardens?" "I think more than 5000." "In one year, yes, for sure, in one year." "West of Volcano Arenal is Liberia on the Costa Rican plains." "From there, I head South to rest up on the Pacific coast in Montezuma." "Liberia is in the heart of cowboy-country, and still today youngsters are practically born in the saddle." " Like that?" " Yes, that's good." " And then you just swing?" " Yep, try the swinging." "And then go for it." " Just chuck it at the cows, yes?" " Exactly." "That's how you catch yourself a cow in cowboy-country." "You do this, just in case you have to check something out or put a vaccine." "Now you can leave it, and it should not get up." "Every February cowboys take time out from working at the ranch to take part in bull Fiestas, a tradition which has been going for over 300 years." "The riders wear spurs which they hook in to the side of the bull to make them bleed and make them angry, but this being an Eco friendly country, the bull gets to live." "Each bull weighs over 400 lbs and some of the riders here have started in the Rodeo as young as the age of 12." "Well someone took a really nasty tumble off there." "I saw him getting dragged off to the fences." "But fingers crossed, he's going to be OK." " Hey!" "Como estas?" " Bien, bien." " Yeah?" "Si, si." " Un poquito." "Very red, yes." "After the bull fighting the carnival kicks off." "Candy floss, games, and a bit of dancing." "But every one is just killing time until the beauty contest starts." "At every Rodeo, there's a coronation of the Rodeo queen." "And now that the 4 finalists are in place, the tension heats up." "But it's all down to luck." "It all depends on who picks the right flag." "And I was chosen as the lucky man to have the honor of dancing with the Rodeo queen." "From Liberia, it's a 3 hour drive and a one hour ferry trip to the popular traveler's hangout at Montezuma." "Morning in Montezuma." "Got my room for $2 a night." "Not bad for a sea view." "There's over 800 miles of coast line in Costa Rica." "On the Caribbean side they've got white sand, but here on the Pacific side, it's black volcanic sand." "Montezuma is a fabulous place." "I've just come down from Canada, and having  lived the deep freeze for the last 20 years, it's like coming home for me." "I wanted to just relax and just to be with part of nature, and to have no stress around me." "And there is no stress around here." "Yes, It's quite good." "It's dirt cheap." "You can come and camp on the beach for nothing." " Which we've done." "Which we've done." "Yes." "You walk and you swim and you just enjoy the environment." "The men are a little bit macho, but they're very friendly towards ladies." "People are friendly." "People are good." "Compared to Blackburn, Costa Rica is just brilliant." "It's paradise." "Because of the number of foreign visitors, locals refer to Montezuma as gringo land." "The more we relax the more we feel." "So we can benefit from these positive emotions as much as possible." "And we hold a ball out in front." "Now very slowly, if you move your hands towards each other, what can you feel?" " Tingling." " Tingling..." "Anything else?" " It's like they're repelling each other." " As if it's 2 magnets?" " Yes." " This is the chi, your electro magnetic field." "You find that the thoughts that run through your head, effect the emotional state that you're in." "If you have good thoughts, you feel positive emotions." "When you feel positive emotions, your body responds and feels good." "So what was it that attracted you to Montezuma?" "Well, first of all the natural beauty." "The fact that it was separated from civilization, big cities." "Being close to the beach, listening to the ocean." " I could name a thousand things." " The list is endless." "What kind of people tend to settle down in a community like this?" "People looking for a natural lifestyle." "People who want to get out of the cities." "People who want to experience nature first hand." "To feel what is nature." "I actually lived in solitude for one full year, I watched what the monkeys did." "Ate what they ate." "Eating tree leaves, whatever wild fruit there was." "And in that time, I spent $ 5 in one full year, and that was on tomatoes, and stamps to send letters to my mother and father." "Inland from Montezuma are a series of waterways that offer a different type of attraction." "Apparently here at the River Tarcoles there are 25 crocodiles per Kilometer, ranging from 3 foot to 12 foot, but the population is becoming threatened, because of global warming." "How are you?" "Thank you." "Higher temperatures mean that fewer females are being born." "Tours like this help fund an egg breeding program which aims to preserve the population." "The guy who runs this operation is called Victor, also known as the crocodile man, and he has been known to get very, very close to his subjects." "The size of the thing!" "Crocodiles are carnivorous animals, they eat sporadically and can survive weeks on end without eating at all." "I can't believe he's in the water with that crocodile." "Now, this one here is called Saddam Hussein." "Saddam Hussein is a big wild crocodile." "He's 22 feet long." " Why's he called Saddam?" " He's dangerous, crazy, he's serious." " He's a mean crocodile, is he?" "This cow's in grave danger." "It's got stuck in the bank." "It's crossing the river now." "But the crocodiles are quite partial to a bit of beef." "I think it's made it though." "Lucky cow!" "Victor claims that he loves crocodiles more than he loves people and whilst he showed off his handling skills we were warned that under no circumstances should we move." "It's so awesome being so close to something, a meter away from something that could wipe you out in seconds." "It looks so prehistoric as well." "Well it's 5 o'clock in the morning and I've come back to San Jose to catch the bus to Nicaragua." "This journey is going to take me all day." "And this is just the first leg." "One way ticket to Nicaragua." "That's 870 colonies, that's nearly 4 dollars." "I'm going to go back to sleep." "You can get to almost anywhere in Costa Rica by bus." "A 6-hour journey takes you to the northern border town of Los Chiles, where you take a boat up the Rio Frio into Nicaragua and then down the river to El Castillo." "I've just got off the bus and I'm here in Los Chiles which is still on the Costa Rican side of the border." "I'm not even half way through my journey yet." "I've still got 2 rivers to negotiate." "The porters will guide you to the Costa Rican passport control." "Is there any body here?" "Is there anybody working?" "We've got a queue jumper." "No, Espanola." "Ingles. 7 minutes... 10 minutes, Gracias!" "I'm in!" "There's only one road crossing into Nicaragua, and this river crossing, which has recently opened." "During the years of conflict, it was virtually impossible to use this method to cross the borders, but nowadays things are a lot more relaxed." "Hola, Senor." "Como estas?" "There is a scheduled boat across the border every other day, but your best bet are the local fishermen." "Up the river and into the heart of darkness." "We're crossing into Nicaraguan territory now." "What a border." "Well this is different." "Nicaraguan passport control." "I have my passport." "Don't laugh at the photograph." "Nicaragua has seen years of political upheaval and conflict. 40 years of the Samosa dictatorship spurred the Sandanista revolution, which was followed by the American backed Contra war." "But the democratic elections in 1990 have finally brought peace to this country." "The journey down the Rio San Juan will take you to the historic town of El Castillo." "El Castillo has the only castle in Central America, and was built by the Spanish in the 17th century, to defend Granada from British, French and Dutch pirates." "In 1780, the British led by Lord Nelson, captured the castle, and their flag flew here, but only for a few days, because the Spanish kicked them straight back out." "El Castillo has seen it's share of visitors but it's still a remote place and if you want to explore the surrounding jungle you can find a guide in the town." " My name is Neil." " Oh, Juan Carlos." " Juan Carlos." " Ok Neil, if you want to use the bathroom, here's your chance." "We have a long journey up ahead." " OK." " Watch where you balance in there." "Thanks." "The best place to start a jungle trek is 1 hour down stream at the Rio Bartola on the Si-a-Paz reserve." "During the Contra war this area was totally off limits, but nowadays, as long as you can paddle, there's plenty of wild jungle to explore." "The dogs are bailing out." "What do you think they've spotted?" "It might be one of those big rodents, called a Wartussa." "Wartussa." "That's what these dogs are used for, is it?" "Hunting Wartussa?" "Yes." "Basically, they are expert at trying to catch Wartussa." " What was it like during the war, Juan?" " Well, it was a completely different situation." "The only way you could come to these places was with a weapon, 'cause there was a lot of fighting going on here between the Sandanista army and the Contra forces." "I think we should take a rest about here, and cut this water tree." "This is very good water." "It's like bottled water." "We're going to have to carry this." "This will be our water supply for the rest of the day." "OK?" "Let me get some of this too." "It's nice." "Refreshing." "And the ants are an optional extra." "Well, you better stick it in your pocket and we'll get trekking then." " We'll stick it in your backpack." " Oh no, you carry it." "The locals still continue with the tradition of using dogs for hunting." "If you're interested, your guide can organize this for you." "The chase is over and we've got our animal, but it wasn't a pleasant sight." "I guess we can eat tonight." "I rather wish I hadn't seen that." " OK Neil, dinners ready." " Coming darling." " Let me cut a piece for you." " Ok." "Just imagine you are having pork." "There you go." "Thanks." "It's not bad is it?" "No, it's delicious." "It's the first time I've had rat." "North of the border region around El Castillo, you can travel by boat across Lake Nicaragua." "There are 400 islands on the lake and some of the most isolated are in the Solitename archipelago." "Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America." "And it's the only fresh water lake in the world where sharks reproduce." "Legend has it that the Indians used to sacrifice their dead by dragging the corpses in the water till the bones had been picked clean by the sharks." "Nice!" "There's 36 Islands in the Solitaname archipelago and this is the largest:" "Mancarron." "It's also the only one with a hotel." "Better go and check in." "The Solitiname Islands played a crucial role in the Sandanista uprising against the oppressive Samosa regime." "Apparently the owner of this hotel played a role in the revolution too." "We attacked and captured Samosa's guards at San Carlos fortress." "We started a great revolution that taught us a lot about human solidarity." "This is the red and black flag that was a symbol of the fight of the Sandanista front." "With the success of the revolution we overthrew a 50 year dictatorship." "It's Sunday afternoon and all the islander's have turned up for" " Nicaragua's national sport." "I've been stuck out in field but I think we are doing all right." "Baseball was introduced to the Nicaraguans in the early 1900's when US marines were based here." "He's psyching me out now." "Look at that pose." "Here it comes!" "For nearly 3 decades the United States influenced politics." "Despite turbulent relations with the US, this has not effected the country's passion for baseball." "At the end of the day, the locals like to get stuck into their rum, and the Flor de Cana is one of the best in the world." "But here they brew their own, which is fermented in human excrement." "I think I've got one of each." "Which one's which?" "Local art has been inspired by the island's turbulent history." "What was it that attracted you to Solitaname?" "I'm really interested in the primitive arts and I knew that Solitaname was the place where the primitive arts was born in Nicaragua." "I've just come to realize that they just copy nature." "You can see how incredible nature is here, how bright the colors are." "How these paintings began were by the hand of this revolutionary priest called Ernesto Cardenal, and basically during the Samosa dynasty in this country, most of the things were forbidden." "They were a really oppressive kind of dynasty." "They had to hide basically and paint at night by candle light." "They had to go to Costa Rica at some point because they were threatened." "Across from the Soletiname archipelago, you reach Granada." "The local hydrofoil  leaves 3 times a week and takes anything from 3-12 hours." "Well, got myself a room in the heart of Granada for only $5." "It's a good price." "Granada, the first city founded by the Spanish in Nicaragua in 1524." "It's one of the oldest colonial cities in the whole of the Americans." "It was constantly attacked by pirates but it's still standing today." "The city was almost destroyed in 1885 by fire, when American adventurer" " William Walker tried to take Granada and rule Nicaragua." "Despite this, many claim Granada is the most beautiful city in Latin America." "I was initially afraid to come to Nicaragua, but the people treated us very respectfully, very kindly, and we haven't had any problems." "So right now is a good time to come to Nicaragua." "This country makes 30 million cigars a year, and is second best only to Cuba." "And this factory is the biggest producer in Granada." "There are 5 different grades of cigars here, from big huge fat ones, to little small ones for the ladies, that have been flavored with rum, vanilla and whisky." "It's got a nice curve to it." "Bueno?" " So how many cigars do you test a day?" " Just in the morning before 9 o'clock, it's around 25, 30 cigars." "30 cigars before breakfast?" " And do you export these cigars?" " Most of the cigars go to the United States, and now we have big customers, big guys over there like" " Mr. Arnold Schwarzenegger, right on the picture." "Mr. Arnold he like the smell coming from our table, but before he goes to another table he say, "I'll be back."" "I'm trying to get myself a lift to Managua by the cheapest way possible." "It's only an hour away, but I'm not walking." "The bus to Managua costs about a dollar." "And they run really frequently, about every 5 minutes." "They've all got different names." "This one is called the love machine." "It's a disco, love machine bus to Managua." "It takes about an hour to get to Managua, and from there" " I carry on to nearby Masaya." "Nicaragua has a population of just 4 million, and a quarter live here." "Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua, and it was actually built on volcanic fault lines." "During the 1960s and the 1970s, it was the most developed city in Central America, and then the earthquake struck in 72, and Managua was devastated." "In case the fault lines become active again, geologists have advised that the city centre should not be rebuilt." "There's no distinct centre to Managua, and many of the streets don't have any names, and people still use buildings that are no longer standing, as reference points." "I'm looking for the Hotel Inter Continental." "Where am I?" "Hotel Inter Continental?" "Hotel Inter Continental?" "No?" "Hola Senor, Hotel Inter Continental?" "Right, I think I've got it." "OK, Gracias." "Howard Hughes, Howard Hughes..." "Back in 1972, during the Samosa regime, Howard Hughes part owned this hotel with Samosa." "He was here in his penthouse suite when the earthquake struck." "The Inter Continental Hotel was one of the few buildings left standing." "10,000 were killed and 40,000 were injured." "And Howard Hughes never returned." "Howard Hughes." "Howard Hughes." "Because Managua is so big, the best way to see it is by road, so I have found myself a local biker dude and he's giving me the full tour." "We might even pull a wheely later on too." "We are approaching water world." "It's Disney world on a round about." "How colorful." "Just off this road about, just like many others, there's hundreds of Mariachis." "And what you do is, pull in here and rent yourself a band." "And believe me, to make a party you need these guys." "The Mariachi come from Mexico, but Managua alone has over a hundred who perform every night of the week." "In 1981, 2 years after the Sandanista revolution, Ronald Reagan's US administration started secretly funding the counter revolutionary Contra army, which prolonged the civil war for a further 9 years." "Decades of fighting wiped out a whole generation." "Over 30,000 died." "At the Heroes and Martyrs museum, you come face to face with the victims of a 30 year conflict." "And the realities of war are brought home." "There are 150 pictures of the people who died fighting for the Sandanistas during the war, here in Nicaragua." "This is one of the mothers who helped to set up this gallery." "There more then 100 mothers working in this gallery." " Can Leyla tell me why her and the other mothers felt it was important to set the museum up?" "This gallery was built up because they don't want to forget what happened in the past." "They have already forgive." "But they won't forget." "First what happened, she lost her husband in the war, and then after 13 days her older son died in the same, in the war." "So she was going crazy." "She used to go outside in the street and scream to the war, because she say she doesn't want to live any more." "She wanted the war to kill her as well." "In 1990 years of conflict came to an end with the first democratic elections." " Why was the park built?" " It was built as a symbol that Nicaragua has been in peace since 1990." "And that we Nicaraguans are tired of war." "That's why it is called the Le Parque de le Paz." "Which means the park of peace." "More than 25,000 AK-47 are buried here." "And we decided to bury them instead of giving them away, because we don't want the same story to happen again." " And is this a real tank here?" " Yes, everything you see around is real." "So they've just taken all the weapons and covered them in concrete." " Yes." "This is Masaya market." "You can buy food here, you can buy clothes here, but it's the best place in the whole country to buy indigenous handicrafts." "Nicaragua seems to have little regulation when it comes to the selling stuffed animals." "Now that is classy." "That's enough to make me want to start smoking." "$15, no, no I'll give it a miss." "Thank you." "They call this place is the shoe hospital, and seeing as I've got a trek coming up, and a little bit of loose stitching." "I thought I'd better get these checked out." "You can't come to Nicaragua without visiting the annual religious festival at Diramba." "It's just over an hours drive from Managua." "Hitchhiking in Nicaragua can be a family affair, and is relatively safe as  long as you take the usual precautions." "Nicaragua is a profoundly Catholic country, and every January, the descendants of the Chorotega people come here to worship their Patron saint:" "San Sebastian." "The tradition of the festival has continued for over 300 years, and on the first day many come on bended knee to pray for miracles and good fortune." "It's taken me a good 2 mile walk to get here, but I'm finally here in Delores, and I'm waiting with one of the other saints, for San Sebastian to arrive." "I can see him coming now." "Once the saints have reached the church entrance, the celebrations begin." "The fiesta lasts a week." "These guys with the funny hats and funny masks on, are supposed to represent the Spanish." "It's all about the Indians taking the micky out of the Spanish conquistadores, by dressing up in fancy dress and showing how ridiculous they look." "That's not my opinion though." "This is Nicaragua's second largest festival, and it's all paid for by a local guy, who's known as the Major domo." "He lays on all the food and all the drink." "Well, Neil, all these people are coming here to eat free food here, in 4 days." "You see the Major made a promise to San Sebastian to give free food to all the people who come to his place." "So it must be a real honor to be the Major Domo." "Of course, it's a real honor." "There is a big satisfaction in giving free food to the people of your home town." "I was the first Major, at the beginning of the revolution." "I had to give food to 35,000 people one day." "I don't know how I did it, but I did it." "I made a promise the year before the war." "I made a promise to San Sebastian to be patron." "How much roughly did it cost you?" "That year it cost me approximately 20,000 dollars." "Volcano Masaya is just 30 minutes from the capital." "It's one of the most visited places in the country." "There are 58 volcanoes in Nicaragua, and 6 of these are still active." "Here at" " Volcano Masaya, noxious sulphur fumes still pour out every day." "And it's earned the nick name of burning mountain, and I'm going to trek to the top." "How long will it take us to get to the crater?" "4 hours." "When was the last eruption from the volcano?" " It was in March 1772." " And is this the lava that we're walking on, from that eruption?" " Yes, this is the one." "What do you take with you when you're trekking?" " Well, water and also I bring a mask." " A mask?" "Yes, a mask, because in the top the gasses are very strong." " Really?" " Yes, they are very strong." " Is there much further to go?" " No, don't worry, we are almost there." " Almost?" " Yes." " I can smell sulphur now." " Oh yes, we are almost at the crater." "Is it true that people were thrown into the volcano?" "Yes, it is." "The Indian people believe in a legend and they sacrifice virgins and children to make the crater happy." "And why is there a cross on the top of the hill?" "Well, when the Spanish arrived in Nicaragua, they considered it the mouth of hell." " The Christians believed it's the devil down there, and the Indian believed it was a God down there?" "That's it." "After half a days trek, I've made it." "And it's definitely worth it." "Having traveled between two capitals I've noticed a lot of contrast." "Costa Rica has beauty, but Nicaragua has an openness which has made me feel so welcome." "You can be sure that when you travel in these countries, you're in for rewards and revelations!"