Nicaragua Part 1

In order to best share pictures of Nicaragua that actually mean something I thought perhaps a blog would be better than just having you sign into flicker or snapfish or whatever you use. If you want more photos just let me know and I'll give you the site for that.

I plan on posting more on Nicaragua. The intent of this post is to simply scratch the surface of the trip and allow you to see pictures. Future posts, when I have more energy, will tell you what the pictures can't convey.

To bring everyone up to speed. Ann and I recently spent 8 days in Nicaragua. We just returned on August 15. Yes it is very safe, the people are extraordinary, we weren't the only tourists there and it is pretty inexpensive (except for the flight.)

We spent the bulk of our time in Granada (5 nights). Here's more information and a map. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granada,_Nicaragua

We also spent three nights on La Isla de Ometepe. An island in the middle of lake nicaragua, the 20th largest lake in the world. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Nicaragua The island is bordered my Concepcion Volcano on one end and Maderas Volcano on the other. Concepcion is still active. The only way to arrive at Ometepe is via ferry which travels from the mainland several times a day. The length of trip varies depending on where you depart from. Our trip was about an hour.

This is the ferry we took and the view of the island from the mainland.

While on the island, we took a ridiculous hike up Maderas Volcano. We had to be careful about our hiking because I recenly hurt my knee. It remains unstable so I was very concerned. Our guidebook described the hike as tested and approved by overweight chain smokers. We figured we were safe. WE WERE WRONG.

Here's pictures of our ordeal (is it un pc to say Mein Kumpf because that's how it felt). 5 hour climb, 3.5 hours back down, we covered 1.4 Km up in roughly a total 5 km hike. That meant we went up 1 meter for roughly every two steps forward.

This was our "trail." We had to hire a guide as recommended by our book so we didn't get lost and die.

So instead of dying I just wanted to die.

2 km into the hike was a great view of the other volcanoe across the island.

The hike "finished" at this lake at the top of the volcanoe. The lake formed out of a crater created when the volcanoe exploded.

After we saw this we had to turn around and start back down the mountain. I seriously did not know how I was going to make it back down. My knee was in pain and my other leg started to cramp from overcompensating.

With 2 Km left it started to downpour. As hard of rain as I have seen in my life. The kind that fills the gutters in the streets. Except coming down the mountain there were no gutters. Instead our trail was the gutter. Our trail went from being muddy to being a river 6" deep that looked like melted milk chocolate flowing. We had to walk right through it or we would have been trapped on the mountain in the dark.

This is how we looked when we finished.