Time to Move Onward

Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013--Moyogalpa

Today went well.  It began with the fantastic breakfast that they serve at The Cornerhouse where I am staying.  I had the Eggs Benedict at the suggestion of the owner--puffy eggs with creamy yolks served on toast made from homemade bread, tomatoes, and hollandaise sauce.  It was served with chunky fried potatoes seasoned with herbs.  For a drink, I had a banana smoothie.  It was all great!

I sent the morning walking.  I headed out toward Concepcion Volcano.  I didn't intend to climb the volcano; that isn't allowed without a guide.  I just wanted to get into the countryside to see the trees, the birds, the rural homes, the people, etc.  After walking about an hour, I turned around and walked back into town arriving at the hotel about 12:30 as it began to get hot.

I spent much of the afternoon in the room researching my next stop.  I've made a reservation at a splurge hotel in Granada.  Unfortunately, they cannot take me tomorrow night unless someone cancels, but they can take me for sure for two nights after that.  I'll find another place for tomorrow night if they haven't had a cancellation.by the time I arrive tomorrow.  Going there will take me to my first big city in a long time.  I've been in towns of about 5000 or less for the past 10 days.  Also, Granada is a beautiful old colonial city.

In the late afternoon, I walked around the town again.  I finally found a place with choco-bananas!  I've been looking for them since the beginning of the trip.  They were one of my favorite snacks on my previous trip to northern Central America.  A home had them for about 9 cents each--small bananas (about 5 inches/12.5 cm) coated in chocolate and frozen.  UMMM.  What a relief from the warm days.

In the early evening, I stopped at a pizza restaurant for dinner.  Moyogalpa is much more limited than Altagracia in terms of what is available for eating in the evening.  In Altagracia, I could go to local places and get local food for cheap prices.  Here, it is mostly tourist restaurants that are open in the evening.  I had a sandwich made with toasted Italian bread stuffed with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, slices of ham, and seasonings.  I drank a local beer which was ice cold to go with it.

This evening, I'm back in my room.  I'll write some e-mails, read the newspapers, etc., before going to bed.  Tomorrow, I'll take the ferry to the mainland at 11:00 after having another final great breakfast here at my hotel.