After completing my open water certification on Roatan my plan was to head to Granada, Nicaragua as quickly as possible. I checked out flights to Nicaragua and saw that it was a little too expensive via air and decided on the ferrry/bus/bus/bus/bus option to get to Granada. I caught the 7am ferry from Roatan that arrived in plenty of time to catch the 10am Hedman Alas bus from La Ceiba to SPS. This was about a 3 hour trip that had me in SPS at 1pm.
The connecting Hedman Alas bus to Tegucigalpa departed at 2pm and arrived in Tegucigalpa at about 6pm, just on dark. I overnighted at the Hotel Boston (Av. Maximo Jerez 321) and it was comfortable and secure.
Another early start the next morning and I caught the 6am Transnica bus to Managua from the Hotel Alameda (on Boulevard Suyapa), about a 15 minute taxi trip. Breakfast was provided on the bus as part of the fare. This company has the border crossing all figured out and the drill is that you give the bus conductor your passport and the cash for the entry fee for Nicaragua (can't remember the exact amount but it was about US$10 or so) and when the bus arrives at the Honduras/Nicaragua border all the paper work is done for you. Every one must get off the bus at the border (make sure you take note of what your bus looks like) and walk up the road a short way to wait by the bus for the formalities to be completed (about 15-20 minutes in my case). This was a little freaky seeing the bus drive off with my bag and passport... no explanation was given that this was going to happen, but as always, keep calm and generally things will work out. Duty free shopping on the border is especially rewarding as liquor there is very cheap... stock up!
Back on the bus and it was onwards to Managua where I arrived early in the afternoon (1pm?). I caught a taxi to roadside bus stop for the bus to Granada. As is generally the case, the taxi driver tried to over charge me, even though we had agreed on the price before hand. The bus was virtually new and it had me in Granada in about an hour, maybe 45 minutes. The road to Granada is new and someone told me the Japanese had financed its construction. The bus arrives about 1/2 a block from the Parque Central.
Trip Report - Pt7 - Granada, Nicaragua to follow