Questions regarding December trip

Hello everyone...my friend and I are going to Nicaragua on December 13th for one week and I have some random questions I would like to ask. Please check back once in a while in case I add more. Thanks!!

Transportation:
We're using Paxeos from the Managua airport to Granada upon our arrival. Do we tip the driver? Do we tip regular taxi drivers? The Moon travel book I have says not to but I want to know from everyone here. Also, the book says the "new road" on Ometepe makes the bus ride from Moyogalpa to Maderas take only an hour. But, from what I have read here it is more like 3 hours. What is the verdict? As of right now we are planning to take a taxi for $30. We don't want to lose 2 hours by taking a bus. How much is a taxi between Granada and Masaya?

Ometepe:
Just how tough is the hike to the waterfall? Do you need a guide to do it or are guides only required to hike the volcano? Does anyone know what there is to do at night in Maderas? Don't laugh...I'm serious...we are staying at Hacienda Merida. Should we just bring some rum and a deck of cards?

Granada:
Can you all recommend some good but cheap places to eat authentic food? I LOVE gallo pinto and want to eat lots of it. Also, is asking for "agua purificada" adequate? What about ice...do I need to add "sin hielo" too? I just don't want to get sick because of some stupid ice cubes.

Masaya:
After hearing that there are some nice guitars made in Masaya I am considering buying one. Can someone give me some ideas on price? I don't even know how to play a guitar but I want to learn so learning on my Nicaraguan guitar would be very cool. Also, does anyone know how to get it back on the plane?! Also, old market or tourist market? Which is better...I have heard conflicting reports.

Laguna de Apoyo:
We are spending our last full day at Crater's Edge (spending the night too). They said we can hike to the mirador lookout in about 3.5 horus (round trip). Is it worth it or should we just use some kayaks and explore the shore of the lagoon that way? Maybe we can get the taxi to stop at the mirador on the way to the airport the next morning for pictures? I don't know if it is on the way.

Also, I hear that the ATM's give large bills. Is there a trick to getting smaller bills or to breaking them down?

Thanks soooo much for your help. Please check back because I might add more! :)

Robert

Most taxi drivers own their vehicle. so I don´t think you tip taxis, but I guess Paxeos drivers should be tipped since they are employees. Water in NIcaragua isnot that bad, but I guess playing safe is better, so agua purificada, do not ask for ice but ask for the water tobe really chilled "agua purificada helada" In masaya go to both markets, although lots of people like the old one better.
Laguna de Apoyo: If you don´t go to the mirador won´t really miss anything. It is not on the way to the airport. ATM: if you ask for multiples of 500 you will get C$500 bills, otherwise you will get a combination of C$500 and C$100. Many ATM can give you dollars, only US $20. One tip when you have a 500 cord. bill: eat/consume first whatever your buying and then pay so they will be forced to break it. Other tip: don´t use a 500 bill early in the morning cause probably they will not have change for real.

Ometepe: Do not try to hike to the waterfall without a guide. Several years ago, two hikers got lost, slipped on the muddy trail, and their decomposed bodies were found 3 weeks later. The guides are not expensive and they are knowledgable about the area. It's so easy to get lost on the trails, plus with all of the rain they have had, the trails may be washed out and not visible. The trails change frequently because of the mud slides...so I'm not sure how difficult they will be now.
Nica has outstanding rum. A deck of cards and some rum at night is the best option. There's not too much to do at night there. During the day, find a local to take you to see the petroglyphs. They are scattered around the Maderas side of the island.

Granada: So you like gallo pinto, huh? You won't have ANY problems finding gallo pinto because that is about all they eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Any place in Granada that doesn't cater to tourists will have plenty of gallo pinto. Personally, I never want to see gallo pinto again! :-) Your safest bet is to buy bottled water.

Masaya: The tourist market has better quality of items, but prices are higher. The old market is worth the visit and bargaining is accepted practice. Be sure to go to the old market early in the morning because it is under a low, tin roof. It turns into a sweat box in the afternoon.

ATMs: Granada has many money exchangers on the streets. Make sure you know what the exchange rate is, then exchange your money with the street money vendor. Show the money vendor your money first, but don't give it to him. Then, when he hands you small bills, exchange your money at the same time. It's like a dance. Count you bills in front of him. I always exchanged my money with my favorite street vendor and never had any problems.

Transportation.
There's a tourist information/ travel agency in San Jorge just before the ferry dock, it's on the right side of the road. Ask there about bus times, the woman who works there speaks english. She can call an official taxi for you. I payed $10 from Moyogalpa to Playa Finca Venecia, a 20 minute ride.
There's nothing to do in the evenings, but if your hotel has a bar, just order a bottle of Flor de Caña, the best rum in the world! You don't need to bring it from someplace else.
I doný know about taxi prices between Granada and Masaya, but it's just a short ride by bus!

Ometepe
From what I've heard from people who went to the waterfall on their own.....they didn't find it!
Don't climb the vulcano, it's to steep and no shade!

Large bills.
The largests bills I had from the ATM whas 500 cordobas. I had no problems with these bills, just payed with them in hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. And kept the smaller onces, for places that didn't have change.
If you're American, just bring some small dollar bills!

watch out for ann at craters edge, she bites. saw this first hand.

Is she a vampire?????????????

Steve....you can't leave me hanging...what are you talking about?!?! She's been really nice via email.

well, just don{t bring any outside food, i know it is posted and a woman vegetarian brought her own food in and ann went absolutely nuts, it was beyond just telling the woman that she had made a mistake, it was a rant and it went on and on, the woman was humilated.

the next day she went on another tagent about these people that wanted to build a guesthouse on the laguna and how they were raping the land. my thoughts on that were if you have already built your place, anyone else that does is raping the land.

she is nice, just don{t get on the wrong side of her.

• Gallo Pinto:
  Plenty of it everywhere, but for some very strange reason that is still a mistery to me Nicas only eat it for breakfast or dinner. Never for lunch! For lunch it's Rice.And.Beans but not rice'n'beans, if you get my drift. Vaya uno a entender.
  Im sick to the somach of it, and so will you be after a week over here:-)

• Water:
  Do ask for agua purificada, everyone will understand. Most Nicas are perfectly aware that the quality of the water is sometimes not what it should be, but generally in bigger cities tap water won't kill you if had a sip or an ice cube. Different story in rural areas and the Atlantic coast. But better be safe than sorry.

• Masaya:
  Check out both markets, but really, the tourist market (mercado viejo) is not that much more expensive than the artesanía section in the local's market (mercado nuevo). Bargaining is okay at both markets, but try to stay within reasonably limits. One bonus of the tourist market is that vendors are less pushy, it's a lot more orderly and less cramped and hot. But that also means that it has less atmosphere.

• Laguna:
  Supposedly there is trail from the lakeshore up to the Catarina mirador, but I've never done it. Please post here if you decide to do it. The mirador is not on your way to the airport so you will have to go out your way to take any pics from up there. But it's definitely worth it.
  I've only met Ann very briefly and can totally see where the other posters are coming from. She is nice but do watch yourself :-).

ATMs:
All ATMs give you 500 and 100 C$ notes, so the trick is to take out 3900 rather than 4000. That will give you 7 x 500 and 4 x 100. But generally, as you'll be around pretty touristy places, offloading 500 notes is not a problem. It's always good to have some smaller notes and small change in your pockets though.

Taxis on Ometepe:
No idea but 10 US for a 20 min ride seems awfully steep to me. Buses along the paved road out of Moyogalpa are plentiful and cheap but will drop you off on the main road, so if you want to be taken to some places that are a bit tucked away taxis might be a better option. You should be able to hail one without any problems though.

And finally, ooops. Just realised that half my points have already been made by corozalero. Ah well.

Ok, thanks for the clarification on Ann. We'll only be there for one night so we will be mindful of her "eccentricities"...lol

We actually made a change to our Ometepe lodging. Instead of staying at Hacienda Merida, we are going to stay with the Hurtado family at the Monkey Island Hostel in Maderas. They seem like amazingly warm people and are arranging a guide and horses for us to ride/hike to the waterfall. Also, they offered to show me how to make gallo pinto and they said they would put together an informal Spanish class for me if I want...for like $5. I can't wait to meet them!

I've heard that the bus ride from Moyogalpa to Maderas can take up to 3 hours so that is why we are opting for a taxi. The $30 ride seems worth it as it is only an hour long. Does anyone have any other experiences with getting to Maderas?

Thanks for the ATM tips...I'll be sure to remember to take out uneven amounts. By the way, is $5 per meal including a drink a safe, low-end estimate for food budgeting? I'm trying to figure this out since I'm not sure what to expect to spend for it. Dinners maybe a bit more? What about prices for beer and other alcoholic beverages?

Oh yeah...I can't believe we're leaving in 2 weeks! I am so excited!!!!!!

One more question I thought of. What type of clothes will I need in Nicaragua in December? I assume it will be pretty hot but isn't it cooler at Mombacho? Will I need warmer clothes anywhere else?

December is the best month. It is windy, dry, and comfortable instead of really, really hot. You may even need a light jacket in the evenings. Be sure to take a light jacket to Mombacho with you.