Nicaragua
511 Kilometres – 18 Days
21 June – 8 July 2012
Photos
21 June - La Cruz, Costa Rica – San Jorge,
Nicaragua - 64 kilometres
From Costa Rica the road to Nicaragua veered
inland away from the Pacific Ocean and onto the busy Costa Rico-Nicaragua border.
Trucks were backed up for kilometres, still, our crossing into Nicaragua went
smoothly. After crossing the border, one first noticed Lake Nicaragua, a substantial
freshwater lake. We continued in the direction of Rivas, the first big(ish) village.
From Rivas, a smaller path led towards the
lake where we discovered an inexpensive guesthouse in San Jorge, a tiny lakeside
settlement. From here, ferries departed to Isla de Ometepe, an island fifteen
kilometres off the mainland. Isla De Ometepe was formed by two volcanoes rising
out of the lake. Concepcion (1 610m) is still considered active, but last erupted
in 1957.
The most remarkable fact about Lake Nicaragua
was that it was home to sawfish, tarpon, and sharks despite being a freshwater
lake. Initially, scientists thought sharks in the lake belonged to an endemic
species, the Lake Nicaragua shark. In 1961, following comparisons of specimens,
the Lake Nicaragua shark was found to be synonymous with the Bull shark, a
species also known for entering freshwater elsewhere. It had been presumed these
sharks were trapped within the lake, but it was subsequently discovered they could
jump along the San Juan River’s rapids (which connects Lake Nicaragua and the
Caribbean Sea), almost like salmon. Bull sharks tagged inside the lake were caught
in the open ocean (and vice versa). How amazing is that?
22 June - San Jorge - Isla De Ometepe - By
ferry
On the car ferry across the lake to Isla De
Ometepe, a waterspout appeared, not something I had witnessed before; what an incredible
sight. It barely allowed us snapping a few pics and then completely
disappeared.
From San Jose, it was a mere twelve-kilometre
cycle to Moyogalpa, one of the bigger villages on the island. Not a great deal happen
in these places, except for a few backpackers wandering about. The harbour was
the busiest place where goods to and from the mainland were loaded and
offloaded.
Street food appeared once the sun had set,
and tables and chairs were placed along the sidewalk. Both islanders and
visitors miraculously reappeared from their midday hideouts to enjoy the cooler
evening air.
23 June - Isla De Ometepe
The island is tiny and, while exploring, I
noticed a small path leading towards the lake, where we found a single cabana
right on the lake shore. No one was getting me away from that spot. We swam, relaxed
on our little veranda, and observed lakeside living, which had a surprising
amount of activity. Seeing it’s a freshwater lake, islanders bathed, did their
laundry, washed farm animals and fished.
24 June - Isla De Ometepe
Early morning was the coolest time of day and,
as I woke early, I grabbed the camera and began exploring. I soon came upon
villagers doing their chores. Ladies did laundry, men fished, and horsemen washed
and broke in horses. I thought it all fascinating.
Once we checked out from our idyllic abode, a
short but scenic cycle, which offered sensational views, took us to the opposite
side of the island. The village of Altagracia was not merely home to a
cathedral built in 1924, but it also featured giant ancient basalt rock statues.
Eventually, we returned to Moyogalpa where we spent an additional night.
25-26 June - Moyogalpa – Granada - 78
kilometres
By morning, a ferry returned us to the
mainland from where we proceeded to Granada. Granada came as a pleasant
surprise as a plethora of restored colonial architecture lined its narrow streets.
Situated along the shores of Lago Nicaragua, Granada
has a fascinating history. Its location along the lake gave it easy access to
the Caribbean Sea via Rio San Juan but also made it an easy target for pirates.
As a result, the city fell victim to many invasions from English, French and
Dutch pirates.
Today, Granada is a peaceful, pretty city sporting
a lovely mango tree-covered central plaza, many colourful restored houses, and
quite a few impressive churches. The most remarkable was the cathedral at
Parque Central. Our early arrival allowed us plenty of time to snatch a few
pictures before sunset.
Grenada called for an additional day of
investigating as it was blessed with countless attractions. Unfortunately, our establishment
was incredibly hot and it was impossible to stay beyond sunrise. Eish!
26-28 June - Granada – Masaya - 21 kilometres
From Granada to Masaya, well known for its arts
and crafts, was a short twenty-one-kilometre ride. It was also the most
accessible place from where to get to the top of Vulcan Masaya.
A backpacker’s hostel made for easy exploring
and we set off to the artists market, a vast walled
structure with a warren of stalls selling everything from stuffed frogs to
hammocks.
Far
more interesting was the municipal market and bus terminus. This dusty place
was fascinating and buses came and went in a seemingly chaotic fashion. The equally
dusty market was jam-packed with traders, shoppers, food vendors, and
scrawny-looking dogs. A place where one could find almost anything, from rice
and beans to homemade cheese and handmade leather goods. Joining other Nicaraguans, we sat down to a plate of baho (plantain and
beef stew), as it’s said that food becomes an adventure in a foreign country.
Oi!
I
tried making my way to Vulcan Masaya but could only find a guide for the
following evening. It was fun, and the guide’s English was slightly better than
my Spanish. However, I considered
his vehicle far from roadworthy. I sometimes doubted whether we would reach the
top as the drive was steep along a winding road. The poor car splattered and
hiccupped but, eventually, we got to the lip of the crater.
The Santiago crater is an active crater
billowing out thousands of tons of toxic gasses, causing acid rain and thus very
little vegetation at the top. Folklore has it pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the
area threw young women into the boiling lava to appease the goddess of fire.
When the Spanish arrived, they called the crater the Gates of Hell and placed a
cross overlooking the crater hoping to exorcise the demons who dwelled within.
The nearby bat cave was equally interesting and
home to millions of vampire bats. Around sunset, these bats left the cave for
food - an extraordinary sight.
29 June–2 July - Masaya – Managua - 30
kilometres
A short 30-kilometre cycle ride led to
Managua, Nicaragua’s capital, where we came upon a somewhat disjointed city.
The city had been subject to many natural disasters; the latest being a devastating
earthquake in 1972, which destroyed the city centre. Managua was rebuilt around
it with outlying shopping centres and markets. As a result, it took cycling
around before locating the “traveller’s area” close to the old town. Sadly, the
old city centre was derelict, with just the remains of an old cathedral
visible. Interestingly, the clock still showed when the earthquake hit - at
12h35 midday.
As always, Ernest needed bike spares but couldn’t
find a shop selling decent quality spares. However, we did get an address for one
selling Shimano spares, but it was Saturday and already closed.
One of the exciting things in Managua was the
Ancient Footprints of Acahualinca. These tracks consist of fossilised human
footprints in volcanic ash and mud, solidified about 2,120 years ago. The
footprints were buried four metres underground when unearthed and are still in
perfect condition. The prints indicate a group of 15 people (men, women and
children) en route to the lake. In addition to the human footprints, there are deer
and raccoon tracks.
One can’t go far in Managua without seeing a
statue of Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino, a Nicaraguan revolutionary and
leader of a rebellion against Nicaragua’s US military occupation between 1927
and 1933. Of course, he was labelled a bandit by the United States government.
However, his exploits made him a hero throughout much of Latin America, where
he became a symbol of resistance to the United States’ domination.
3-5 July - Managua – León - 93 kilometres
The way to León, Nicaragua’s first capital, was
significantly more challenging than anticipated. The road deteriorated and led along
a hilly and potholed route. If I ever wondered what two tectonic plates smashed
together looked like, this was probably it. I had no energy but battled on until
reaching León, dehydrated and unwell.
León was very much a university town and
graced by picture-perfect restored colonial architecture. Construction of León’s
most famous building (The Cathedral) began in 1747 and lasted over a century. Today,
the cathedral is the largest in Central America. According to legend, the city’s
leaders feared authorities would turn down their original grandiose design and submitted
a more modest but bogus set of plans.
6 July - León – San Isidro - 114 kilometres
From Leon, the road turned inland and headed towards
the hills to San Isidro. Our day consisted of a slow slog up the mountain; mercifully,
it came with a cloud cover and a mild gradient.
To our dismay, San Isidro turned out considerably
further than the signboards indicated. At first, the distance was expected at
most 90 kilometres, but the 90-kilometre mark came and went and still no San
Isidro. Doubting whether we were on the right road, we eventually made it to tiny
San Isidro where we bunked down at a hospidaje. Food was from a pavement eatery
and I crawled in early as I wasn’t feeling 100%.
7 July - San Isidro – Esteli - 30 kilometres
A short but hilly ride took us to Esteli, a
seeming cowboy town where one could find handmade leather boots and oversized
belt buckles. The land around Esteli is perfect for growing tobacco used in
cigars, and the town became a refuge for Cuban cigar makers following the Cuban
Revolution in 1959. These award-winning cigars made Esteli one of the most significant
cigar-producing cities in the world. Searching for these famous cigars was a
relatively easy task. By evening, Ernest puffed away and declared it excellent
quality.
Esteli was the scene of heavy fighting during
the civil war against the Somoza government. Most of the town was destroyed
during that time. Today, it’s a peaceful town featuring only a few murals
reminding one of its not-so-peaceful past.
8 July - Esteli – Ocotal - 81 kilometres
Following an unhurried departure, our route proceeded
to the Honduras border. Being firmly in the highlands, the road continued to be
hilly. I thought it amazing what a difference 1,000-odd metres can make. The
weather was substantially cooler at elevation and the best part of the morning was
spent cycling in a drizzle, making it cool enough to don a windbreaker. Fortunately,
the hills weren’t too extreme, and we encountered as many descents.
A comfortable abode off the Pan-Americana
Highway made it an excellent overnight spot a mere 25 kilometres from the
Honduras border.
