Reserva Natural Volcan Mombacho

(NOTE: The world is smaller than you think.  I am listening to the Rockies and Yankees game live)

First of all - we are both feeling MUCH better.  Whatever Dr. Yader Perez prescribed - it has worked like a charm!

We woke up on Thursday morning at 7:00.  It was nice and cool as there was a HUGE storm during the night.  We went down to breakfast at the hotel.  It was yummy: gallo de pinto (rice and beans), huevos (1 scrambled), corn tortilla, fruit juice (fresh squeezed - who knows what the hell fruit), cafe with leche (a VERY weak brown liquid with a coffee like flavor).  We didn't eat it all - so saved the 'left overs' to put in a baggie and bring out into the street for some needy soul (and there are plenty).  We were a little disappointed in the cost ($10 for both of us - are we getting spoiled perhaps?). 

Allan said that he would meet us at 8:00 'gringo time' and I said that I would get worried at 9:00 (in other words - don't be late again). Late - HASTA!

Anyway, Marci is in a hurry to see if we can do anything by ourselves.  It is fun to be 'on your own' in a country where you speak very little of the language.  No worries though, within two blocks we were in a taxi, fare negotiated to less than half the asking price ($C150) and on the way to Mt. Mombacho!

We had seen this attraction in all the guide books and knew it was a must.  Mombacho is a dormant volcano just outside Granada.  In fact, 20,000 years ago, the mountain last erupted and that eruption created the isletas we went to on Tuesday.  

Today, the drive was about 30 minutes away, so we think we got a good deal!

A Nica 7-11 (get your drinks before heading up)

Mt. Mombacho ($15 per person US) is GORGEOUS.  It is much cooler and very clean. 

Granada from the top of Mombacho

In fact, it might be really nice to buy property here and build a house!

The path in the cloud forest

The reserve is not really a national park.  It is privately owned, but to a person from the US (the term 'American' is a bit offensive - as these folks are also 'American'), it seems very much like a National Park.  It is in a 'cloud' forest (very different from a rain forest).  That means that it is almost always in the clouds and the eco-system is amazing.  There are so many flowers, bugs, and animals that you have only seen in a zoo.

Once you get to the top you learn that it will cost additional money to have a 'guide'.  Now, there are many 'self serve' trails, but unless you are REALLY comfortable with "No va mas alla de este punto o en el culo se cae en el volcan" (Don't go past this point or your ass will fall into the volcano) it's probably worth hiring one of the guides.  For the 'combination' tour (a mixture of easy and difficult trails) we paid about $15 more dollars for a three hour tour with Augustino.

Our guide - Augustino

For Nicas, there is a huge incentive to learn English.  This enables them to serve in many capacities in jobs that do not require hard labor.  So for Augustino and others, going to the English Language Academy (expensive) is a ticket to steady employment.  Augustino was fun and patient. 

A note about the trail.  In the US when they say difficult, it means that your wheelchair might get stuck on some branches as you meander towards the next point of interest.  In Nicaragua, that means "make sure your caribiner's are well placed and that your rope is new because we are about to rappel a few hundred meters back to the trail".  Marci was a real trooper though - and got all the way up to the 'second highest point' (the highest is only about 500 meters away - but it takes three days (1.5 for Gabe) to get there - no shit...).

Marci reaches the top!

We got back to the 'biological center' just in time to avoid the MASSIVE downpour.  If you think you've seen a hard rain, you are kidding yourself.  This is where rain is born!

Mombacho's dormatorio

We had already opted to pay an additional $55 (total) to stay the night in the 'dormatorio" (who says you can't speak Spanish?).  Since it is the down season (wet) we are the only guests.  This price includes dinner, a nighttime tour, and breakfast (with the exceptional accommodations).  We were a little worried that our hosts (at the hotel) would be worried about us.  Augustino tried to find the number in the phone book for over an hour, but to no avail - so, whatever, we are staying the night anyway.

After watching the (totally rude) Europeans stagger in soaking wet :-), we also watched them fight each other for the few seats on the first 'bus' down the mountain.  They left their trash all over the place (we didn't mind picking it up) and eventually, cleared out.  By the way, call me prejudiced (or call me Australopithicus Robustus) but one of the weirdest things I have ever seen is a 100% Chinese man speaking fluent Spanish....brrrrrr).

Once things were quiet (except for the howling wind and rain) we wet up to the dorm and took a siesta.  At about 6:15, Luis (our night time guide) came to get us for dinner.  He had candles (we thought very romantic) but he explained that there was a 'blackout' (power outage) and we had to make due (don't tell them - but we would have paid EXTRA).  Dinner was great (rice and beans - really???, plantains, chicken, weak coffee, and vinegar cole slaw.  Then we readied to go out.


The rain was done (still windy - but cool and felt good!).  And we headed into the darkest night ever (there are no stars since it is in the clouds).  I have a little video to give you an idea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWxXZu09WAQ

The purpose of night time tours is to see the jungle life that doesn't come out during the day (like puma's - you should see Marci shaking).  Actually, Puma's are a day time Amigo, but I told Marci I would tie a pork chop to her Camelback if she wasn't nice.  We were looking for three main creatures, an indigenous salamander (I know - $55 is pretty steep for this slimy little bastard), the 'red eyed' tree frog, the sloth, and of course Puma (here kitty, kitty).  We got lucky and saw everything (except for the pussy cat).  In fact, our guide had never seen a sloth on the ground, and we got many great pics to prove his big moment...

Sloth 'running' away

'Red Eyed' tree frog

This night was truly one of a kind.  If you ever get to Nicaragua, this is a 'don't miss' experience!

We got back to the biological center at about 9:30 and the power was back on.  All the employees (the rangers (2) and the cook(1) were watching a Spanish soap opera (scantily clad women in prison - did I mention that I like this country?).  But since the sun sets at 6:00 PM (EVERY day), everyone was ready to sleep.

The accommodations (very nice compared to Grand Gulch) were fine, but Marci didn't sleep much.  It might have been the gale force winds outside.  But in all - WOW!

We woke up at about 6:00 (the cook had started her day).  At about 6:30 breakfast was ready (thirty minutes early!) and we went down to eat.  I wish we'd have taken a photo (but at some point you just have to enjoy things).  It was GORGEOUS!  A table cloth, toast, gallo de pinto, fresh banana and papaya, cafe (yeah right, brown water), a whole pitcher of hot leche (milk - got me scratching), and a scrambled egg.  YUMMY!

Kiana would LOVE her!

A wild baby deer

Then we were on our own.  We meandered about, hoping to see a howler monkey (one of the animals we missed during the hurricane).  We didn't see one (though we heard plenty) but Marci did make a new friend.



Then we sat for an hour or so in the morning rain..http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbiO3zHIjCk

A 'glass' butterfly

An Owl's Eye

Finally, we went up and took a nap, and then down the mountain to the butterfly exhibit ($2 per person).    











We walked down to the main road (avoiding taxi's as we wanted to try the 'local' bus) and went back to Granada in a school bus made for 30 - with at least 60 passengers (cost?  $.50).

Once back in Granada, we went through the market and bought some things then walked back toward our hotel.  It was about 3km away, and as we got near Central Parque....

El Principe.