San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

 

30 March 2014

Today we moored in the waters near San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Russ went on a 4 wheel drive and hike at the Mombacho Volcano National Reserve while I stayed on board because the stop is a tender port. The weather has become quite warm and there are a fair number of bugs buzzing about.

The view from the ship was of land that was very dry with vegetation that looked to be dead or burned. Russ said that it became very tropical (and steamy) as the bus made its way north to the nature reserve. San Juan del Sur is not large (about 15,000 residents) and it has become a tourist destination for people looking for good surfing and water sports. Back in the day, it was supposed to be the western terminus of the Nicaraguan Canal because of its location on the narrow isthmus between the Pacific Ocean and Lake Nicaragua, but the Panama Canal won out in the political process.  That, plus the concern about the volatility of the active volcanoes in the area doomed the project.

The bus ride north to the nature reserve took about an hour and a half. Along the way, they passed through several small towns which looked pretty impoverished, although not as poor as what we saw in Peru. The country is trying to modernize, Russ saw several wind turbines which are being used for the electrical grid of the country.

The 4 WD drive into the reserve was rather interesting – the vehicles were actually 15 passenger type busses with cloth tops. Russ thought that our van could have easily made it up the road, even though it was rather steep. Along the way, they passed coffee plantations and family farms. After about a half hour ride, they started their hike at the tourist center, at an elevation of 3,600 feet. The Mombacho volcano, which is dormant, actually has 4 craters and the group hiked around one of the craters where they had great views of Granada which is only about 6 miles away. The volcano is unique in that it is in a tropical cloud forest which is rare in the Pacific region.

After their hike, the group traveled down to Granada and had a very nice lunch at a hotel. Since it was Sunday, the shops and attractions were closed, so they didn’t get to see much of the city. Granada is a beautiful colonial city with Moorish and Andalusian architecture. The government has done a lot to restore the city; after the political unrest of the 1970s to 80s and the tsunami of 1992, the area and city became seriously rundown.

The tour's last stop was Lake Nicaragua which is the largest lake in Central America. I found it interesting that the lake is considered to be on the Atlantic side although it is closest to the Pacific side, because it is drained by a river that travels to the Caribbean. There is a large active volcano named Concepcion on an island in the lake. This volcano is considered a perfect cone volcano, kind of like Mt Fuji in Japan.

After our stop in Costa Rica, I came away with the view that Nicaragua was poor and unstable and not necessarily a great place to visit. But after talking with Russ and some of the other passengers who had visited Nicaragua, I changed my view. Everyone felt that the country and towns were beautiful and the people very nice. Apparently, there is a mutual admiration going on; the country has decided to build a pier at San Juan del Sur to accommodate the cruise ships.

Our next to last stop on this cruise is Puerto Vallarta.

 

The countryside on the way north to the Mombacho Volcano Reserve.

There was several locations with wind turbines taking advantage of the big winds in the area.

Some of the village homes were in poor shape, there was a tsunami in 1992 that destroyed 60% of the homes in the area.

Mombacho, a dormant volcano.

The area is home to lots of howler monkeys, Their screams can be heard up to a quarter of a mile away. These guys were sitting in trees which lined the main road the tour took to the Volcano Reserve.

Climbing into the 4WD vehicles for the trip up the volcano.

A relief model of the volcano in the tourist center.

In the distance, you can see the city of Granada. The water is Lake Nicaragua.

This is a cloud forest. Temperatures are moderate with lots of humidity.

This channel was cut as a water channel for local coffee plantations.

Don't lean against this tree if you are looking for a rest.

This is the most difficult hike in the reserve. It is rated very difficult.

And it is apparently not well taken care of.

The hike passed some fumaroles which were steaming a bit.

The water on the left is Lake Nicaragua, the water on the right is another, smaller lake.

A beautiful wild orchid.

Look at those vivid colors!

One of the streets in Granada.

Mombacho is in the background.

The cathedral at Granada.

On the Plaza de Independencias.

Along the shores of Lake Nicaragua.

 

This is an active volcano on an island in the lake.

The passengers were greeted by local musicians on their return to the dock.

This is the Christ of the Mercy statue in San Juan del Sur.

I just do not understand how homes like this are allowed to be built in a country that has such severe earthquakes.



The vegetation was so dry that it looked like it had been burned. Hope this comes back when the wet season starts.

Returning to the mother ship after another successful day of touring.