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Nicaragua
Dates Traveled: April 2000
Matagalpa
From Tegucigalpa I took an 8 1/2 hour - 5 bus journey across the border at Las Manos and into Nicaragua, spending the first night in Esteli. Met up with an English guy on the bus, so we grabbed a room and then wandered around town a bit that night and the following morning. First impression was pretty good of Nicaragua - people were nice, food was better and portions were big, buses had racks on top for large packs, etc. Locals seemed to have more of a European look to them than that of an indigenous people. From Esteli we took a bus to the highland town of Matagalpa, which was nestled in the mountains. Believe we received a ‘demo’ room, as we had a sink…but it didn’t work, we had a fan…but it didn’t work, and we had a toilet…but we had to fill the bowl with water via buckets in order to flush.
Selwa Negra & Jinotega
It was while sitting in the central park that Andy - the Swiss guy, appeared, so we decided to hook back up for traveling, as we were headed in the same direction. Nick and I ended up going to a place called Selwa Negra on the way to the town of Jinotega. It was a small German hotel and coffee plantation - one of many coffee growers in the area. We took a nice little hike through the jungle before continuing on to Jinotega to check that out. Not much there, but ride between Matagalpa and Jinotega was well worth the trip.
Bluefields
The next morning Andy and I separated from Nick and headed once again towards the Caribbean. First 2 hours were spent standing on an overcrowded school bus, but we were able to later get seats which was good, since the trip was about 7 hours on a ‘chicken bus’ - with actual chickens onboard. We spent the first night in a little po-dunk town called Rama, which was actually enjoyable. It was the end of the road - all traffic beyond Rama to the coast was to be by boat. The following day we hopped a large boat for the 6 hour trip along the river to the coastal town of Bluefields. Like the trip along the river to Las Marias in Honduras, this was quite enjoyable. Not much to do in Bluefields, but we spent a few nights there nevertheless. Many of the buildings are white with green trim/shutters, which to me says Caribbean. Also ended up getting quite a bit of rain in the region - the first really heavy rain of my trip to date, but we were usually fortunate and happened to be under cover during the worst of it. We opted for the ‘fast’ return to Rama, so went in the speedboat. Boats left at 6 A.M., and each held approximately 16 people. What had taken 6 hours to travel in the other boat took a mere 1 1/2 in the speedboats, as the front of the boat was typically half out of the water - skimming along the water. Definitely moving at a good clip.
Managua
Caught express bus immediately for the 6 hour trip to Managua. Checked in and began exploring before dark. Managua has to be one of the most unique capital cities I’ve ever seen….I really liked it. Much of the ‘city center’ was actually leveled by earthquakes in 1972, and it was decided to not rebuild in the same area. Therefore Managua grew in other areas. There was really no place that we discovered in town that seemed like a big city - it all seemed like suburbs. There were a few buildings spared in the old city center by the earthquake - most notably the cathedral. It is quite spectacular - large and obviously ornate in it’s time. It is missing all windows, there are large cracks in the towers, and Gregorian-style chants were playing over speakers - pretty powerful setting. A fountain in front only added to the scene. There are many parks, fountains, and lakes in and around Managua, which made it seem quite enjoyable (news of rampant pickpockets to the contrary). Something about the town was captivating, and made it quite unique for a capital.
Granada
From Managua we caught the bus to Granada. Very colonial town, with an amazing central park and cathedral. It was a great place to relax for a few days - in town and down around the lake.
Lake Nicaragua
Granada really was a nice colonial town, similar to Antigua in Guatemala. It has a nice feel, and seems as if it’s right on the cusp of becoming a major destination for travelers. From Granada I hopped a boat for the 4 hour ride to the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua. The twin volcanoes of the island were quite impressive as we neared shore. I stayed in a little town called Altagracia, and immediately arranged to climb the highest of the two volcanoes the following morning. Began the hike right from town around 6 A.M., and I knew it was going to be a long day when I was already soaked in sweat within the first hour, and we had simply covered flat ground….humidity was oppressive. Hike wouldn’t have been easy without the heat/humidity, as the grade was relatively steep, there were loose rocks, mud, and thick vegetation. Despite carrying even more water than was recommended, I started cramping even before the summit. Arrived on summit to an impressive view, both over the island and into the steaming crater. Hike down was no picnic, as cramping became considerably worse, but finally arrived back in town 10 hours after leaving. I’d feel the pain in my legs for several days from the cramping, but it was still a fun day.
Nicaragua Is…
I enjoyed the trip out to Bluefields, as it was a bit more remote. Granada was great for relaxing, and I thought the island of Ometepe had several great activities to offer - I opted for the volcano climb, but you could also spend your time relaxing on the beaches.
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