Adios Nicaragua!

It's been an interesting five weeks exploring parts of Nicsaragua around Granada........

Central America is quite different from Mexico......calmer, quieter, with tourism in its infancy.

We will miss greeting people on the street and receiving a warm response in return.

It will be good to get home, though...however cold it is!

Volcan Mombacho

Looming over the busy city of Granada is Volcan Mombacho. While currently in a state of slumber, fumaroles on its flanks and the countless isletas created in the not too distant past (speaking from the geoligist's viewpoint) are reminders to all who live and visit here that this is a very active geologic time and place.
Yesterday, Larry and I hired a taxi to take us to the park entrance at the base of the volcano. The driver waited for us while we jumped on a truck and were hauled up a windey, cobblestone road to the top.

We followed the one mile trail around one of the four craters....through a wonderland of misty forest filled with plants and animals unique to this particular habitat and found nowhere else in the world.
Lake Nicaragua and the isletas could be seen from viewpoints along the way.

The path took us into splits in the rock, formed sometime in the past when the earth shook and in minutes, a whole new landscape was created. I have to admit, I was a little nervous as we made our way through this stretch of the trail!

An archipelago of isletas was formed during a violent, explosive eruption which took place sometime in the past. It was easy to see from the vantage point we enjoyed, how the molten rock splattered out the top of Mombacho and created the archipelago.

The misty forests on the flanks of Mombacho are home to many species of butterflies and orchids, some of which are unique to this particular ecosystem. There is also a small desert environment adjoining the forest. At the park entrance, there is a reserve where butterflies are studied and live out their lives. An impressive collection of orchid plants is on display as well...though few were in bloom at thi time of year.

Playa El Coco II

"Lug's Place", the local restaurant of choice, may have been built by Canadian expat Robert, but the true owner is its namesake Lug, a majestic Napoleon Mastiff who oversees all goings-on from the top of the stairs leading to the dining room. No other bouncer is needed in THIS establishment!

The local cattle are free to roam at will. This group was out for an early morning walk along the beach. Later, they meandered back home.... In the distance, you can see the Costa Rica coastline.

We were all captivated by the sunsets! Greg and Linda seem to be waiting for that elusive green flash!

Kathy and Lonnie enjoying a beach walk at sunset.

During our morning walk, the sun peaked around some misty clouds traveling through, and created a magic moment. We are blessed to experienc such amazing sights!

Playa El Coco I

After our wild experience on the "chicken bus" to Rivas, we decided to splurge and take a van to San Juan del Sur/Playa El Coco. For an extra fee, the driver consented to take us all the way to Playa El Coco, over a washboard gravel road, several kilometers out of the tourist destination of San Juan del Sur. We were unceremoniously dumped at the end of the road, with no accommodations arranged ahead of time. We were at the mercy of the local residents! Greg happened on a private residence right on the beach that had extra bedrooms for rent at a reasonable rate. We snapped them up and settled in. All sources of food were closed, but Heidi agreed to make us a couple of pizzas, which we gobbled up. There was a nice supply of cold beer, so we relaxed and settled in for a few days on the Pacific.

Playa El Coco is a small, beautiful beach tucked into the rocks along the Pacific coast, just above the Nicaragua-Costa Rica border. The sleepy stretch of sandy paradise has been discovered by a few expats from the US and Canada. For the most part, it is still undiscovered and unspoiled.

The sunsets were spectacular! I still didn't see the "green flash" though!

We found a nice restaurant - Lug's Place - run by a Canadian escapee who got as far as Playa El Coco, on his way to Argentina. I think it was out of a need to have something to do, this former building contractor became a chef .... It was a great place to enjoy the setting sun!

Larry seems to have adjusted to the slower pace!

Isleta Tour II

The bird activity was constant!

These flowers came from a lakeside tree. Gorgeous!

There were a number of isletas with some pretty posh residences for those who want or need to get away. Here's a good example of some prime real estate - private isleta owned by an anonymous someone with LOTS of money! Volcan Mombacho looms behind the luxury accommodations.

Here's an osprey taking a break from fishing.

This lovely, elusive female heron struck a Marlene Deitrich, "I VANT to be ALONE" pose while playing hard to get with a couple of amorous males. Sorry guys!

Isleta Tour I

We hired a guia (guide) and launch to show us around the countless little bitty isletas just off shore in Lago Nicaragua, which were formed when Volcan Mombacho blew its top and spewed chunks of lava into the water, just offshore. Our guide was very skilled at teasing out the wildlife along shore. He did a GREAT howler monkey call and got the local alpha male pretty worried. These little monkeys have a fierce "howl" that sent chills up my spine when I first heard it!

A BIG voice in the trees is a great way to make neighboring males think twice about venturing too close to the family compound and attempting to spirit some of the females away. The isletas provide a rich and diverse habitat for wildlife and good fishing and a brisk wind makes for good sailing. This senora probably nets fish every day to feed herself and her family. She was fishing in a quiet spot, out of the wind. The isletas provide homes for people as well as wildlife. Some young people who live on the isletas get to school by kayak.

Here's a close-up of a large kingfisher (unfortunately, looking the other way).

Birds actively hunt for fish. We saw osprey, herons and legions of cormorants on our tour.

Poetry Festival

Nicaragua is known world wide as the "Mecca" of poetry. Sound - - a huge piece of the Latin American cultural tapestry, is softer here - - expressed often in poetic form rather than the more familiar medium of music. Sometimes radical and confrontational, the themes of Nicaraguan poetry address concerns of the people - including poverty, war, identity and nature.

Today ends a week of celebrating the love of the written and spoken word here in Granada.
Poets from around the world gathered for the seventh annual poetry festival, to share their appreciation of the beauty of language. The different idiomas provide a variety of "canvases" for creative verbal expression. During evening "recitals" in the Parque Central, poems were translated from one language to another and then recited, side by side. It was as if we were viewing two paintings of the same scene - - one in water color and the other in oil.

Photos on this post show the mid-week parade - a mock funeral procession - for the death of the sorrows of the soul.

Casa de Arcos

In our remaining time in Granada, are enjoying the comforts of the condo owners' home..

There are two "ensuite" bedrooms upstairs, equipped with king-size beds and air conditionsing.

The main living area downstairs centers around a private pool, big enough for lap swimming if one chooses to make the effort. Afternoons are warm and muggy so frequent, refreshing dips in the pool hit the spot!

You're NEVER too Old!

This week, the evenings are packed with performances of all sorts - poetry reading in different languages, music, dancing.
Monday night, we watched some local dancers kicking up their heels.
A troupe of maybe 40 lithe, nubile young men and women gyrated rhythmically to pulsating music. No doubt, hearts were racing....and NOT just from the physical exertion!
The most hilarious dance however, was performed by a "courting couple", of a certain age -
she with ample hips and a "come hither" manner; he, a dashing dandy dressed in white pants and colorful serape, with cane in hand . . . . put on quite a suggestive show as they pursued one another across the stage until the old gent passed out and the senora attempted to revive him by flapping her skirt in his face!
Stay tuned! It's a bit more difficult to upload video footage to the blog. Youtube may come to the rescue!

Exploring Ometepe

Our journey to Isla Ometepe began at the bus area by the mercado in Granada. Carrying provisions in backpacks for three days on the island, we arrived in time to claim the last available seats on the local bus, for the 2 hour ride down the Pan American Highway to the town of Rivas, south of Granada. After a short taxc ride to San Jorge, a lakeside town, we boarded the ferry to the island. While our ferry accommadations were pretty spartan, we had comfortable seats with good views from the enclosed, air-conditioned upper deck.

From the ferry landing, we motored by shuttle van to our lakeside bungalows. The pace was relaxed and the surroundings were peaceful. We settled in and then began planning our exploration of the island, while sipping some rum.

Our island tour included a walk through a petroglyph reserve. The rock carvings share the amazing history of the island culture. We were unable to decipher the details of the cryptic messages held in the rocks, but we certainly appreciated the artistic beauty of the creative carvings!

Closer to our bungalows, we explored another reserve - filled with a variety of plant and animal life - birds, butterflies, even howler monkeys up in the tree canopy.

Lakeside accommodations were casual, but comfortable..... No air conditioning, but the soft breezes off the water and the fan kept us cool. We had the room on the lower level.

Volcan Concepcion, shrouded in clouds, loomed over us, a constant reminder of potential devastating geologic happenings..... Island inhabitants take it in stride and go about their daily business of fishing, farming and hosting the visitors to their island home.

Magic Carpet Ride II

A few more details about the ride back to Granada.....
While we waited for the scheduled departure of our bus from Rivas to Granada, a parade of food vendors circulated among the passengers, barking descriptions and prices of the Nicaraguan version of fast food: pastries, Eskimo ice cream bars, chicken tacos, cold drinks and so on.
Though the offerings were tempting, we were a little hesitant to consume anything unfamiliar, so we limited our choices to some cookies and an ice cream.. Not bad, but those tacos sure looked good! We did have more opportunities to buy food along the way, since this was the "milk run". Vendors would jump on the bus and ride to the next stop...all the while, selling their tasty goods to a hungry, captive audience.
When departing the bus alongside the highway, the old and the lame are cut no slack. Case in point: a man of some years, with a cane, was able to make his way onto the second bus, bound for Granada. He slowly worked his way down the crowded center aisle of the bus, toward the rear door, in anticipation of a smooth exit at his upcoming stop. It was obvious that the gentleman's progress took every bit of effort as he labored to hold onto his cane and the luggage rack at the same time to maintain his balance. He departed, so it seemed and the bus gained speed. Then came the panicked shouts of "STOP! ALTO!" from those at the rear. And as we looked back, we could see the door opening and closing as the old fellow held on for dear life. He had gotten stuck on the ladder to the ground. Fortunately, his grip was strong and he escaped injury.
Hooray for happy endings!

Magic Carpet Ride Part I

There aren't too many people with their own cars in Nicaragua, so public bus transportation is the typical mode of travel from place to place. People jump on and off the packed bus, grabbing their bicycles, packages, produce and even building materials, while the bus barely comes to a stop. From secure (though cramped) seats, we tourists marveled at how smoothly the local folks had perfected this routine. A shrill whistle from the ticket taker at the back door lets the driver know when passengers have reached their destinations. Just as quickly, another whistle signals the driver to move on.

Clockwork! Piece of Cake!

Our journey from Granada to Rivas went well enough..... HOWEVER, the return trip was a bit more of an adventure and a truly humbling experience!

Our taxi from the ferry dropped us off at the area in the town of Rivas where busses arrived and departed. It was a bit confusing, but we were directed to the Granada-Managua bus by a helpful, enterprising man - - who earned a tip for his trouble. We were assured that yes, this was the right bus and yes, it would get us back to Granada. So, we confidently settled in for the two hour ride north, up the Pan American Highway. As we got closer to Granada, we got just a little nervous when we passed the cut-off to Granada. Greg checked with the driver, who assured him that this bus indeed would get us to Granada. A few moments later, we came to an abrupt and unexpected stop and pandemonium seemed to erupt. Many of the passengers leaped off the bus as shouts of "Granada, Granada!" came from the ticket taker.

Across the highway, another bus bound back to Granada stood idling, with an impatient driver waiting for the Nicaraguan version of a Chinese firedrill to be completed. Juggling our backpacks, cameras, books and water bottles, we joined the mass exodus to the other bus. Of course, all the seats were taken and there were two BIG wooden beams taking up most of the aisle. As we roared down the highway, there were shouts from the front, ordering the new passengers to move back to make room for all those who had hastily crowded into the aisle. Soon everyone was situated, with a number of people standing on top of the beams. Thankfully, this leg of the trip into Granada was mercifully short. It was just a brief walk back from the bus yard to the Xalteva condominiums and ice cold beer never tasted so good!

Ometepe Highlights

View from our lakeside bungalow on Isla Ometepe

Petroglyph seen on a tour - more pictures to come

Local Lizard

One of MANY birds we saw!

Volan Concepcion - the larger of the two volcanoes that make up Isla Ometepe.

We're back "home" in Granada and are off to the mercado to shop for groceries this morning.

This is a quick preview of the Ometepe adventure!

More to come later today........

Delivery by Raul the Horse!

There aren't a lot of cars in Granada, so items are often picked up and delivered by horse or donkey and cart. Raul and his driver brought in some wood yesterday to be used for some picture frames for art work to be hung in the condos. It was a great photo op!

We're off this morning to the island of Ometepe for a few days of exploring. Next blog entry will be Thiursday PM.

We will have a lot to tell you!