To reach Nicaragua, we flew from Knoxville to Dallas to Liberia, Costa Rica, and planned to cross into Nicaragua by land. Our flight arrived at 3:10 p.m., so we decided to spend the first night in Liberia and face the challenges of the border crossing the next day. It wouldn't do to get stuck at the border - any border - after dark.
Flying over Belize
We caught a bus from the airport into the town of Liberia, eight miles away, and got off at the municipal bus station. After finding the bus we'll need to take to the border tomorrow, we walked the four blocks to our hotel.
Lodging: Hotel El Bramadero, Liberia. Clean, comfortable, with a nice pool and an attached restaurant and bar. Most importantly, it's convenient to the bus station, restaurants, and stores.
Hotel El Bramadero
Inviting pool
After ditching our bags in our room, we went shopping for necessities that couldn't be packed in our carry-ons, namely, sunscreen and bug repellent. The stores were a little chaotic and, in our minds, haphazardly arranged, but the mission was soon accomplished.
For dinner, we chose the lively Restaurante Bagatzi, just behind our hotel. We had the lomo a la pimienta and a couple of Imperials, Costa Rica's national beer. The food was excellent, but the beer was light and forgettable. This will be a recurring theme.
Restaurante Bagatzi
Later on, we sat by the pool with some more Imperials, enjoying the pleasant January weather. A person could get used to this...