San Juan Del Sur
For the way back we book a ticket on the biggest ferry which is much more comfortable ... less roll.
We head to the Pacific Ocean to the village of San Juan Del Sur.
It is one of the main seaside destinations of Nicaragua, thanks to its beautiful bay. What was once a peaceful fishing village is now one of the most visited destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.
We did not like this village, paradise of surfers ... Very windy and extremely noisy. Each restaurant or hotel is equipped with a sound system and it is a concert of deafening music.
Between the wind and the sound system, we hardly slept.
The next day we flee this city to reach Rivas where the night will be identical to the previous one .... Can't wait for tomorrow !!! Costa Rica.
Ometepe
Our route leads us to the island of Ometepe.
To get there we take a ferry from the small port of " San Jorge " where we spent the night with a very strong wind.
The crossing is not the most pleasant. We embark on a " mini ferry " that swings for 1 h 15 on a wild lake !!!
We spend our time watching our camper leaning from one side to the other. ... We are relieved to touch land !!!
The island of Ometepe is dominated by two volcanoes: the volcano
" Concepción " culminating at 1610 meters of altitude and the volcano
" Maderas " of 1394 meters of height.
It’s the largest island in a freshwater lake and biosphere reserve.
We stay two days to discover this very beautiful island where we get to know incredible blue and white birds, that we will meet everywhere on the island ... the white-throated jay.
On the well paved road, we mainly cross motorcycles or bicycles but very few cars.
We admire all day long the volcano " Concepcion " with its small white hat. By observing it, we come to wonder how this little cloud that covers it makes it to stay permanently at the top ... a riddle.
We will spend our last night (Valentine’s day) at the sound of a popular orchestra ... very noisy ... restless night.
Granada
We reach one of the former capitals in the afternoon.
We find refuge at the "Red Cross" which accepts campers and other vehicles within its yards.
We leave immediately to discover the city.
Between the lagoon "Apoyo" and the lake "Nicaragua", "Granada" was founded in 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba . At the heart of a magnificent landscape, the city of Granada has lost nothing of its colonial charm, with its architecture, its cosmopolitan atmosphere and its nightlife.
For a week the city hosts a festival of music and ballet. It also has many stands and scenes that hide all the buildings. This prevents us from fully appreciating the city.
We attend in the evening a ballet show " Indian " and a concert of a Cuban band…
Catedral of Granada : Imposing and colorful, it is not very old, the original one having been destroyed by "Walker". The new building was erected in 1880 and was almost completed in 1910.
Several churches and colourful buildings are spread along a pleasant tourist route.
However, since we arrived in " Salvador " the churches and cathedrals do not have the beauty of their Mexican sisters.
Quite poor inside, only their outside facades catch the eye.
We wanted to visit "Las Isletas", an archipelago of small islets on the lake, but we didn’t like the way the guided tours are organized. So we didn’t make it.
Pueblos Blancos/ Mombacho
We take the very hilly and beautiful road of the " Pueblos Blancos " amid fields of pineapple and bananas.
The villages are not white but hideous and uninteresting…
We then arrive at the volcano " Mombacho "
This park hostes one of the few humid forests in Nicaragua.
Numerous trails allow to discover a very rich flora and a natural habitat for many butterflies, birds and reptiles in particular. According to the local guides the hikes are for sportsmen (very sporty!). it takes 3 hours to climb up with slopes almost vertical in some places. The descent is just as sporty (obliged to run at certain times because the slope is so steep!) ... not for us…
Managua/ Masaya
We arrived yesterday in the capital city where we walked on the "Malecon".
We met a french couple with their daughters traveling in their camper to Panamá. It is the opportunity to chat and drink a rum "Flor de Caña".
It is in 1846 that this former indigenous community was elevated to the rank of city under the name "Santiago de Managua".
It finally became the capital city of Nicaragua on February 5, 1852, replacing León and Granada who both played this role in alternation since the independence of the country in 1838.
It was partly destroyed by the earthquake of 1972 and the evocative skeleton of the old cathedral, erected on the flank of the vast plaza de la República, is the only monument left.
We have lunch by the lake and decide not to stay : there is nothing worth visiting.
We reach the " Masaya volcano National Park ". At an altitude of 638 meters,
" Masaya " is one of the 6 active volcanoes of the country.
Its main crater called " Santiago " continuously emits large amounts of sulfer dioxide and one can see its incandescent lava inside.
We opt for the visit at the end of the evening in order to enjoy the maximum colors at sunset. What a show ... still a marvel of " mother nature ".
We are not alone ... a bus of incivilized Chinese tourists as usual invades the observation points and these chinese don’t move for 30 minutes ... they do not enjoy the view, their only concern is the " Selfy "
Without Christophe’s intefering, we couldnt have enjoyed the view…
ROAD BOOK 088
MAVROS ODYSSEE