Budget food in Granada Nicaragua

Where to Eat in Granada, Nicaragua on a Budget

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Granada is a stunningly well-maintained colonial city, right on the lake, in the centre of Nicaragua. With it’s colourful buildings, manicured streets and vibrant central park, it’s a popular spot. The simple fact that it’s connected to nearly everything in the country – if you’re visiting Nicaragua, you’ll likely be spending some time in Granada. Unfortunately, it’s not the cheapest destination in Nicaragua. Thankfully, we’ll show you where to eat in Granada on a budget, while still eating incredibly well! …

Old white van sitting on blocks on a dirt road.

How to Get from El Tunco to Leon; or: Travel is the Worst

Mark Stewart Destinations 6 Comments

*Updated January 2019 This is an account of one of many such journeys throughout our years of travel. Although experiences are rarely so interesting as this one, from time to time, travel days don’t always go as far as expected or planned. Our recent trip via bus from El Tunco to Leon (El Salvador to Nicaragua), is one such experience. Skip to the Tips! Though the bulk of this post is a story of our day/evening/night/morning, if you’re planning this …

Man sits by a lake with two volcanoes in the background at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala

Reflecting on Five Months Central America

Mark Stewart Destinations 25 Comments

Tuesday. 02-06-18. Medellin, Colombia. It’s such a tiny area. The entirety of Central America – including the regions of Mexico we visited – could fit within the country of France. Yet every country is different than the next, each one having its own distinct culture. In Guatemala for example, the Mayan roots are very obvious; from physical features to traditional clothing and general way of life. While right next door in El Salvador, due to several tragic moments in recent …

Latin Pickled Slaw Recipe (Curtido)

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This might very well be one of the easiest recipes you’ll ever make. It originally accompanied another recipe on this site. However, seeing as curtido compliments so many other foods, we decided it deserves its own post. During our first day in El Salvador is when we encountered curtido for the first time. The simple yet perfect pupusa, national dish of the country, is never served without this delicious slaw. Almost like a Latin saurkraut, the sharpness of the vinegar …

Recipe: Vigorón [Yuca con Chicharrón]

Mark Stewart Recipe 2 Comments

Vigoron. Found on street corners and kitchens throughout Central America, primarily El Salvador, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. While technically a salad, it resembles one only in the vaguest way. While consisting of only three components, it requires all three to avoid it being a confusing or outright unenjoyable mess. We first saw this interesting mixture for the first time on the streets of Santa Ana, El Salvador. Though we were curious, the long, chaotic lines surrounding the food carts steered …

Fried Plantain Recipe (Tostones)

Mark Stewart Recipe 22 Comments

Here’s a quick tip: If you’re ever a hungover culinary student roaming the school walk-in cooler for a quick recovery snack: Make sure that banana you grab isn’t a plantain, or you’re going to have a really bad time. Fry them up and make Tostones on the other hand, and you’re good to go. Plantains are a very close relative to the common banana and are a staple in Latin and Caribbean cuisine. While physically larger, the biggest difference is …

Volcano Boarding by Night in Nicaragua

Mark Stewart Destinations 2 Comments

I was completely blind, flying down the side of an active volcano at 70 kilometres an hour on a piece of wood, rocks bouncing off my face, under a moon hidden by clouds. Volcano boarding is one of the biggest draws for most backpackers in Nicaragua, a must do. It was one of the top activities on the list of things to do this trip. Our hostel in Leon happened to also be one of the operators of this unique …