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NICARAGUA

LEÓN, OMETEPE, MASAYA VOLCANO AND PACIFIC COAST NEAR SAN JUAN (Jan 2007)  photos

Nicaragua has an opinion of a dangerous country but I never had any problems there.  It´s one of the poorest countries in the region and also one of the cheapest.  There are many active volcanoes, beautiful beaches and the huge lake Nicaragua.  Temperatures were bearable around 30C.

Leon and Granada are 2 cities that boast great colonial architecture.  Leon has around 15 churches, including a huge cathedral.  Granada lies on the lake Nicaragua and is full of tourists.  After spending a few days visiting the cities and the coast where sandy beaches have no end, I went to the island of Ometepe.  It´s 2 volcanoes are visible from distance and I decided to climb the higher one, Concepcion 1608m.  I left in the morning and crossed some banana plantations in the dark.  Then the path started climbing through the jungle, following an old lava flow.  After reaching the clouds that very often cover the higher parts, it became very steep.  The wind got very strong and I was soon wet.  Finally I reached the crater, hot and smelly but hidden in the clouds.  I couldn´t wait to get down and let the sun dry my clothes.  I returned to the hotel after 10 hours very tired ( getting old?).

Another volcano I visited was Masaya.  It´s active crater was smoking, obscuring the view of the inside, but an old crater nearby had good views.  The last place I visited in Nicaragua was San Juan.  It´s beach was average, but I went for a walk to a small lighthouse and the views of the rugged coast and dry tropical forest were great!