Granada
2/5, Day 11 Monday.
Granada bus at 7:55am. c50. Hot! Arrived at 9:30am south of town.
Walked over a bridge, with tons of trash below in the river.
Right at the main square, someone tried to sell me tours.
Dropped my bag at the hotel. Visited San Francisco Convent Museum. ~$5.
It hosts a small exhibition of a local artist, some religious artifacts.
The building is very nice, part of it dates back to the 1500s.
The prize of its collection is the large Zapateca statues, now standing outside under a roof.
However, no description is given on where exactly they were found, or what was depicted, or the age.
Checked in at Il Padriono. Working for the rest of the afternoon.
The owner of this hotel is a young couple.
I really like the wife. Her English is good. The husband is british.
She gave me an insect burning gadget, but it doesn't help much.
She has contacts of various local tour operators, and provide good price. She writes on a whiteboard in the lobby of tour and room# - a good reminder for all.
I asked her to book me a Mombacho walking tour (US$50 need at least 2 other tourists) and a Masaya Volcano tour (US$25).
My room is large. The door has a large slate blinds and curtain to block the sun. But there's no insect screen. So, if you need air, mosquitoes will come in. There's fan, no AC. My room is at the end, next to a not-yet-functioning kitchen. It does have a counter and a fridge. I bought some fruit and food. The hotel provides drinking water. After dinner, the wife informs me that the Mombacha tour is happening tomorrow.
2/6, Day 12 Tuesday.
Breakfast with cut fruit and traditional meal: rice and bean, egg, toast, potatos. Not a lot.
Volcán Monbacho Puma Trail tour. 8:30 am pickup in a taxi (AC) with 2 German girls. (The national park charges $10 for the guide, $20 4x4 truck ride to and back from the top and entrance fee).
This is the entry station of the park. An airy restaurant, in the morning, pretty deserted.
Outside, a few trucks waiting to take tourists up the windy potholed road.
It's free to walk. In fact, on our way down, saw a group drenched in sweat walking. My driver picked them up for free.
Mombacho is a volcano with a crater, still fuming.
Once our truck arrived at the visitor center at the crater, I was assigned a guide. The Germans were assigned a different guide for a different trail. You are allowed to walk freely only ~1Km along the visitor center.
There were a lot of guides idling around this day (Tuesday).
I'm not sure why I'd need a guide. The trails are clearly marked and built (stairs!).
Having a guide to myself allows me to ask many questions.
This guide knows something, and apparently is keen on learning and teaching.
He told me that the stairs here are made of Guachipilin - Diphysa Americana for its performance in damp environment.
He also pointed to the common Costa Rican palm (pacaya) can be used as hiking poles.
Saw quite a few Large Flowered Sobralia orchid (which we saw on the way up La Concepcion on Ometepe.
The weather is too cloudy for a better view.
On my truck ride down, I was the only passenger. Took awhile waiting for my driver to pick me up. The same young boy. He highly recommend Matagalpa and Jinotepe.
2nd tour of the day. I was picked at 2:19 (instead of 2:30). First, go to Hostal Azul to pay, cash only. 2 Frenches, 3 Germans. AC in the minivan.
1st stop, Mirador Catalina for Apoyo lagoon.
Catalina is one of the small hill towns next to the large lake.
Our driver speaks very little English.
Before we arrived, he played a recording in English introducing Apoyo Lake.
Very good view. The trail is waste of time, all in trees. I walked to both directions. Saw some monkeys, birds.
There's a zipline. Fake big animals for photo. Colorful railing at multiple levels.
The parking lot costs C100, surrounded by shops. There are also vendors pushing their carts around, and musicians collecting handouts.
At 4pm, we headed to Volcan Masaya.
Very slow at the gate due to checkin/collecting fees. Maybe $10? One employee put a ribbon on everyone's wrist.
Once inside the park, no congestion driving all the way up to the rim.
A large parking lot, and we are free to roam in the vicinity.
Not allowed to go off trail: there're "guards" watching over.
Gentle slope. Lava rock.
2 high points to walk to with good views and a 2nd crater that's full of vegetation.
This is a large caldera with multiple vents.
People flock here to see one which has an opening to the red churning mantle below.
However, for safety, a rock wall was raised along the edge, or rather a bit far from the edge.
From inside the wall, you cannot really see the lava, except at 2 small viewing platforms.
Good luck squeezing in front here.
It's a sight to behold.
For half an hour right at sunset, it was very crowded.
The crowds dispearse after that.
6:30 at the van. It's actually difficult to find our van in the sea of vehicles. The Frenches were 12 minutes late.
I got dropped off first. A very good day.
2/7, day 13 Wednesday.
Walked along Paseo de Los Mangos to the waterfront before 7am.
It's a very wide handsome street. But at this hour, the only human I saw wer kids going to schools.
The Malecón along Lago Cocibolca is quite nice, but deserted. A bit windy. Feels very different from the town center.
It's not a short walk.
Walked back in town, met a 9am walking tour in the central park. Followed them for a short while before going back to the hotel for breakfast. Busy at work today: 3 meetings.
5:40pm walked out again. Near sunset, pleasant temperature. Walked to Xalteva park. On the way, saw a room (gym?) full of people doing zumba.
Took a photo of Parroquia de Nuestra Seňora de la Merced, the best looking church here.
For a small fee, you can walk up to its tower for a view of the city, but only before ~5pm.
Checked Hostal Azul for a boat tour tomorrow: no. Hostal Selina: yes. $23. 9am tour. I passed out soon after 7pm.
2/8, day 14 Thursday.
Private 1 hr boat tour Isletas Granada at 9am, arranged by my hotel. $20.
C20 to get on the tiny island of Fort San Pablo.
Not much to see though. Can walk up the 2nd floor to see a bit further. Good view of Monbacho.
The lake feels very large.
There are really many tiny islands offshore of Granada in the lake.
Many of them are too small, quite a few are just a single home, or a single restaurant.
One island has monkeys.
Saw a few fishermen, standing fishing encrapments, a group of kayakers, another boat.
1 eagle, Heron, egret, Oropendola, ...
Good view of Monbacho some times.
Took $260 from ATM ($4 fee), checked out. Walked to the bus station for Masaya.
Masaya
Bus to Masaya. C17. I got on the bus at 11am. Left at 11:20. 19 people on board. Gas stop. Slower than bike. Picked up many school children along the road. The bus terminal is east of market. Huge.
A long walk to Casa Maria west of downtown. In the heat.
Ducking many hanging merchandise on the streets. Bought 3 pairs of thin socks c20.
Walked by the deserted artisan market. Outside, I bought some cheese from a street vendor.
My room is large and clean. Mosquito net over the bed.
However it's on the 2nd floor. The tin roof is heating the air in the room. Very stuffy. Only has a fan, no AC.
Working + sweating all afternoon.
Walked to the Malecón at sunset by lake Masaya. Cooler now. It's quite close by.
All access blocked except one. Good: Peddlers cannot enter.
Exercise machines. Painted railing.
2/9, day 15. Friday. Up early. Went to the terminal at 6am to check the Matagalpa express bus (2/day). I was told that the 6am bus already left. They were loading the 6:45 bus which would leave at 6:50am.
Walked up El Coyotepe fortress, hoping for a good view. It's closed this early. Too woody to see anything. $2 for foreigners. C15 local.
Forgot to bring money. Walked home.
5:30pm, cooled down. Walked to Malecon for sunset again.
Then walked into the town for food. Bought pastry c16 each with cheese or meat.
A bag of 12 sweet triangle cracker, same price.
Packed up to leave early tomorrow, looking forward to some cooler temperature in the north hill countries.
Masaya is not worth a stop. I should've stayed in Granada.
