telica volcano

Hiking Telica Volcano

HIking Telica Volcano

Yesterday, so many people struggled with the wind during the climb up Cerro Negro that nearly half our group bailed on the hike up Telica Volcano. I wish they would have bailed before the guide, who listened to all the complaining about Cerro Negro, shortened our scheduled hike by three hours. But I think there were only two of us that voted against a shorter hike, so we were out-voted regardless of how many people ended up going.

The good news is this tour required an all wheel drive vehicle, and the tour provided two large vehicles for only seven of us, so we got quite a bit of space. Barb, Silvia and I traveled in one car while Connie, Isabella, Janet, and Linda followed behind us.

Once again we stopped for water at the market before we continued for at least an hour to Telica Volcano. We turned off the Pan-American highway and onto a dirt road. Amazingly, not only does this one lane, dirt road provide a way to the volcano, it is also a bus route! A school bus comes twice a day to shuttle the families who live in the area into town. I saw the bus pick up some riders, but there was not an official bus stop (as we would know it), so I am not exactly sure how the bus schedule works. Of course the road is also home to ox, horseback riders, and tourists too! Continue reading “Hiking Telica Volcano” →

sandboarding at cerro negro

Sand Boarding Down Cerro Negro

On the Way to Cerro Negro

Our group piled into the van and after stopping at a market for water, we took an hour ride out to Cerro Negro. Our drive took us from the paver streets to a dirt road that we shared with oxen, horse drawn wagons and more. On the way, we passed by peanut, sesame, and yucca farms. One peanut farmer was very resourceful. His family hung carved, painted airplanes on a wooden mannequin by the fence-line with a sign indicating the price, $5. Our driver honked to notify them that we wanted to support the local economy. The family also hung a cooler with bags of juices and tea for the locals. Continue reading “Sand Boarding Down Cerro Negro” →

Hiking in an Extinct Volcano to Apoyo Lagoon

Town of Catarina

After a thirty minute drive, we arrived in Catarina, a small town of 8,300 people located near the Apoyo Lagoon Natural Reserve.  Catarina is known for its countless nurseries and art workshops.  We arrived to the city quite early as we planned to hike down an extinct volcano for a swim in the Apoyo Lagoon, so we didn’t see many open businesses.  But we did walk along one of its quaint streets to reach the trailhead at the top of the crater. Continue reading “Hiking in an Extinct Volcano to Apoyo Lagoon” →

The Markets and Cathedrals of Granada, Nicaragua

Places to Visit in Granada

The Market in Granada

Today was one of leisure. After our breakfast of eggs, fruit, and gallo pinto, we headed out to the local market, just a few blocks off the plaza. At first glance it didn’t look that big, but soon we found ourselves following the locals through a maze. Booths lined the streets and indoor buildings and included a variety of products…Colgate, Speed Stick, dresses, backpacks, buckets of rice, vegetables, crabs on a string, and piles of raw chicken. All I could think of were people in the Amazing Race having to locate a particular booth. It was fun to see the life of the locals. Continue reading “The Markets and Cathedrals of Granada, Nicaragua” →

Cycling, Kayaking, Hiking and Caving around Nicaragua’s Volcanoes

Things to Do Near Granada

Bike Ride to and Kayak on Lake Nicaragua

Oh what a day! We started out walking through the plaza and down the “tourist street” to pick up our mountain bikes which we rode a few miles to Lake Nicaragua. Lake Nicaragua is the largest lake in Central America, is home to fresh water sharks, and contains the largest island within a lake in the world. We planned to kayak around its 365 islets. Continue reading “Cycling, Kayaking, Hiking and Caving around Nicaragua’s Volcanoes” →

Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve Near Granada, Nicaragua

Hiking in the Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve

After breakfast, we packed up our bags, loaded in the van, and got to know our tour mates as we set out toward Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve. From Managua, located on the western side of Nicaragua and about 36 miles or so inland from the coast, the Reserve was located about 35 miles to the southeast and just south of Granada.

Despite being on the highway, it took at least an hour to get to the protected area due to sharing the road with horse drawn carts and industrial trucks. On our drive, we passed shanties, farms, markets and more. In order to reach the top of Mombacho, an extinct stratovolcano, we piled into a large, open air army truck that carried us up a road made of pavers. Continue reading “Mombacho Volcano Nature Reserve Near Granada, Nicaragua” →

My First Two Days in Nicaragua!

Getting to Nicaragua

Today is my first day to ever set foot in Nicaragua. I’m excited to be here, though I don’t have too much to report yet, as most of the day consisted of twelve hours of travel.

My first flight out of Denver to Miami which appeared to be a new plane for American, an Airbus with TV monitors in the back of each seat, was delayed an hour due to a broken A/C. Funny, the plane was plenty cool!

The TV’s in the backs of the seats were nice to have especially given current Academy Award nominated movies were available for purchase. I was able to knock Whiplash off the list. Originally, I had just planned to read my book, but the woman behind me was such a loud complainer both me and my seatmate had to resort to headphones. She is worth mentioning because it was so humorous! Continue reading “My First Two Days in Nicaragua!” →