This was the most economical way to go from Leon to Matagalpa, Nicaragua | Open air market in Leon

Have you ever wondered what's the cheapest way to travel around Nicaragua? It's undoubtedly the so-called "chicken buses", the refurbished old American school buses... Just make sure to take the "express" bus because the regular variety will be stopping at every corner and your journey will take forever.
We started at the bus terminal in Leon and the road up the mountains to Matagalpa was scenic. We thought that our hotel was in the actual town of Matagalpa but, in reality, it was a few kilometers down the road to Jinotega and then we had to go off the main road and the local village road. At the end it was really worth it: we ended up at Rancho Luz de Luna, a restaurant with cabins nestled in the mountains on an estate with coffee, banana, orange and mamey sapote trees. You can have your own cabin with the bathroom for $50/night; if you take a walk down to the local creek, you might just see the guardabarranco, the national bird of Nicaragua in the ravine.
Enjoy the video and please remember to like and subscribe!
#matagalpa #nicaragua #expats #leon #vacation

[@Brent-ox8lk]

Reminds me of the street markets in China and SE Asia where I lived for a while when I was younger. With the fish market you either get there within the first hour of them bringing in the catch or forget it. lol Anyway, planning a retirement scouting trip shortly to Nicaragua. My retirement budget won't be a million dollars. I lived a cheap, basically glorified backpacker, lifestyle when I was a kid in SE Asia. Let's see if I can be happy doing it as an older person. It's going to be going back to basics, to say the least. Thanks for the info and straight talk as you take us along with you! All the best! ✌

[@LeoJaramaz]

Thank you so much for commenting! You're going to love Nicaragua: it has so much variety for a relatively small country... And the best part is that it's extremely cheap. Glad that you enjoyed the video!

[@Brent-ox8lk]

@@LeoJaramaz Really looking forward to getting down there! I have to say that Matagalpa looks like a place I'd really enjoy. Thanks for sharing it!

[@LeoJaramaz]

@@Brent-ox8lk Matagalpa has a cooler and more pleasant climate: it's a rural area and the agricultural hub of Nicaragua. I have a few more videos from there, especially the Selva Negra estate.

[@kevinadams9468]

I respect your opinions, but maybe you should consider that much of the world is simply happy to survive. Seriously. That Nicaraguans seem preoccupied with 'less important' thing and maybe could 'do better' is a very European/US-Centric way of looking at things. If you ask Nicas, they will tell you FAMILY is the most important thing. Whether the street is swept or the buses are on time... not quite so important. Things work, and that's good enough for now. If someone was embargoing our economy, trying to overthrow OUR government, or if they had mined our harbors or our forests while supporting anti-US guerillas... then maybe we wouldn't be so concerned with thread counts in our sheets and if Popeye's has the best chicken sandwich. I am moving to Nicaragua soon, and I am fine with the pace of life, the lack of urgency and the benign neglect that seems so much a part of Central America. I am tired of the rat race and the consumerism. I am moving to a remote town where people still ride horses to get around, and I am fine with that! Please, be an observer and not a judge, especially if the people you are judging are good people. There is an old Spanish saying that reflects the way the US treats Nicaragua: "You always hate those you have hurt the most!" Just like Cuba, we punish the people because we hate their leaders.

[@LeoJaramaz]

I couldn't agree more! I'm the first person to speak out against American interventionism around the world. If Nicaragua got invaded again, I would gladly sacrifice my life to defend it. Btw, you will love living in this country, its genuine people and the normal pace of life that simply lets you enjoy. I also have a couple of videos from Cuba on my channel.