Tag: Central America

nicaragua’s laguna de apoyo & a wasted trip to volcán masaya

wanderessence1025 March 22, 2023

Sunday, January 1, 2003: We started the New Year by leaving León and driving a scenic route south of Managua. During our whole time in Nicaragua, we managed to miss the capital altogether, as planned. I had heard it is one of the ugliest capitals in the world. Adam, however told us that he loved Managua — the energy and the vibe. He loved riding his motorbike through the city and zigzagging in and out of traffic. Maybe we’ll have to check it out whenever we return.

We drove high on a mountain ridge with densely forested mountains all around us. After about two hours, as we approached Catarina, Adam pointed out the spot where he hit a dog on his motorbike and went skidding across the road during his first year in Nicaragua. He was in a daze and kindly Nicaraguans came out to help him. They called for help and got him to a hospital. He was terribly shaken and the love people showered on him was what made him fall in love with the country. He seemed very nostalgic about the whole experience.

Mirador de Catarina

We arrived at Catarina, a town close to Masaya. It is famous for its observation point over the Laguna de Apoyo (Apoyo Lagoon), as well as for its flower nurseries. The Catarina Mirador is one of the highest hills surrounding the Apoyo Lagoon and the view is superb. It has a bit of a circus atmosphere with scores of vendors selling every imaginable thing and musicians serenading people for money.

Mirador de Catarina

The Apoyo Lagoon Natural Reserve protects Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic lake, and its drainage basin. Laguna de Apoyo is a type of lake that normally retains water and allows no outflow to other external bodies of water, such as rivers or oceans; drainage converges instead into lakes or swamps, permanent or seasonal. It occupies the caldera of an extinct volcano. The lake is round with a diameter of 6.6km. It is 175m deep and occupies an area of 19.44 square kilometers.

We ate lunch at Rancho Esperanza, an open-air two-story restaurant with a bit of a view. I enjoyed grilled chicken with jalapeño sauce, tostones (smashed and refried plantains), and grilled onions & peppers, accompanied by a delicious salad.

tostones at at Rancho Esperanza

lunch at Rancho Esperanza

After lunch, we strolled along the mirador where people were promenading on horses. A young girl rode a virtual “unicorn” with a gold horn and a rainbow-colored mane.

The Catarina viewpoint is a popular place among Nicaraguans during weekends; families and friends gather to enjoy the view, nosh on snacks from street vendors or enjoy leisurely restaurant meals. Families were out in droves because it was a Sunday and New Year’s Day.

Mirador de Catarina

Laguna de Apoyo

Mike, Alex and Adam at Laguna de Apoyo

Alex, me and Mike at Laguna de Apoyo

Mirador de Catarina

Adam at Mirador de Catarina

Alex at Mirador de Catarina

Laguna de Apoyo

As we moseyed our way out of the congested mirador by car, I saw a vendor selling miniature paintings, so I hopped out of the car and quickly bought two paintings: one of the Nicaraguan national bird, the mot mot, and the other a volcano with storks at its base. Both cost me $8. The traffic was moving slowly, so I was able to hop back in easily. Souvenir shops and nurseries lined the path and Death personified strolled with his cane along the road.

leaving Mirador de Catarina

souvenir shops at Mirador de Catarina

souvenirs at Mirador de Catarina

death personified?

nurseries at Mirador de Catarina

We then drove onward to Granada, where we would stay for three nights.

Posada Ecológica la Abuela

Tuesday, January 3: On a hot Tuesday afternoon while we were in Granada, we ventured again to Laguna de Apoyo, but this time to a different access point from where we stopped in Catarina. Adam had visited Posada Ecológica la Abuela before, and he convinced us to go there, although there are many such places around the lagoon that are equally enticing. It is a lively bit of paradise and on this day, it was filled to the brim with Nicaraguan families still celebrating the holidays. We relaxed, nibbled on snacks, drank Toñas, the Nicaraguan beer, and piña coladas, and swam in the lagoon. The boys went down a steep slide into the water and jumped off platforms.

Mike swam out toward the middle of the crater lake. Adam said he fears going out too far from shore; there is something about the deep dark water that unsettles him. While swimming, we could see colorful birds in the trees and monkeys hanging and jumping from tree branches.

It was nice to cool off for the afternoon, as Granada had been very hot that morning.

Posada Ecológica la Abuela

Nicaragua’s bird: the mot mot

Posada Ecológica la Abuela

Toña: a Nicaraguan beer

Posada Ecológica la Abuela at Laguna de Apoyo

Posada Ecológica la Abuela

It was a relaxing afternoon until we decided to go to Volcán Masaya to see the molten magma at nightfall. What a complete waste of time. The gatekeepers took $40 ($10/person) without mentioning a 30-car backup in the park; the cars were waiting for a very limited number of parking spots. They would only let in one car for each car that left; we weren’t moving at all. Alex and Adam got out and walked a long way up the line of cars and never found the front of the line. It would have taken hours to see it but we weren’t about to wait around that long. We did a T-turn and went back to the gate and protested enough that the gatekeepers grudgingly returned our money. What an utter waste of time, because it had taken us a while to get there. I really hate tourist attractions that don’t have a system!

We headed back to our Airbnb in Granada for our last night there.

welcoming the new year in león, nicaragua

wanderessence1025 March 15, 2023

Friday, December 30, 2022: After our breakfast in Hotel San José in Matagalpa, we showered, packed and were on our way to León. I was disappointed because it seemed Mike had lost the Nicaragua guidebook and the nice map of Nicaragua I’d brought. There was a city walk in the guidebook for León, and now it seemed we wouldn’t be able to take that walk. We looked in all the suitcases and bags and in the car, but it was nowhere to be found.

As we drove, we passed acres of coffee beans drying along the road. People tending the beans were wrapped up in so much clothing that not an inch of their skin was exposed. Coffee production is obviously king around Matagalpa Department.

We also passed a large rice production area, cultivated and irrigated for year-round farming.

León

Overall, we drove an easy 2 1/2 hours from Matagalpa to León. We checked into our hotel, Hotel La Posada Del Doctor. The room was tiny, one double bed pushed up against a wall (I hate beds pushed up against walls!), and two single beds with a tiny and quite derelict-looking bathroom. The outdoor open courtyard was nice, however, as was the shaded seating area around the edges with comfortable chairs and pool tables.

Hotel La Posada Del Doctor

decor at Hotel La Posada Del Doctor

We promptly went out to walk around the city, sadly without that lost guidebook. It seemed our wanderings would be aimless, after all.

We headed first to León’s Cathedral, but as we were hungry we detoured around and behind it to the Mercado in search of lunch. My favorite thing was a Manuelita, a kind of crepe. I also had fried cheese and a plantain. While at lunch in the market, a guy started yelling at Adam, who told him, “Despacio (“slowly, slowly”).” The guy had been staring at us, Adam said. The woman who sold us our food told us the man was a regular there who suffered mental problems.

Alex, Adam and me at the Mercado

After lunch we went to the Catedral de León, also known as the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary. It is a significantly important and historic landmark in León. The Cathedral was awarded World Heritage Site status by UNESCO.

The Cathedral’s construction lasted between 1747 and 1814, and it was consecrated by Pope Pius IX in 1860. It has maintained the status of being the largest cathedral in Central America and one of the best known in the Americas due to its distinct architecture and special cultural importance.

Catedral de León, officially the Basilica de la Asunción, is a pantheon of Nicaraguan culture. The tomb of Rubén Darío, Leon’s favorite son, is on one side of the altar, guarded by a sorrowful lion and the inscription: “Nicaragua is created of vigor and glory, Nicaragua is made for freedom.”

We also walked around inside and sat down for a moment of silence and to absorb the spiritual atmosphere. Of course, we admired another huge nativity scene.

We bought tickets to climb up the tower and walk around the rooftop. We didn’t have great views because of the heavy white concrete railing, but the domes on top were artistic and pleasingly arranged. The roof was a dazzling white; with the white domes and the blue sky, it brought back memories of Santorini, Greece. We did manage to enjoy some views of the flat plain around León and the cone-shaped volcanoes rising up in the distance.

Catedral de León, officially the Basilica de la Asunción

interior of Catedral de León

Nativity scene in Catedral de León

rooftop of Catedral de León

volcanoes in the distance

Catedral de León rooftop

me on the Catedral de León rooftop

Alex on Catedral de León rooftop

Catedral de León rooftop

In front of the Cathedral was a large Christmas tree and saddled fake horses all lined up. Mike walked through a bunch of pigeons to see if they’d scatter, but they just ignored him. We found more brilliantly-hued nativity scenes.

After walking around the top of the cathedral, Alex, who was sadly still sick, returned to the hotel to rest and Adam walked around on his own to check out nearby gyms.

holiday decor at Catedral de León

ponies in front of Catedral de León

nativity scene in front of Catedral de León

We went to the Museo Histórico de la Revolución, which has seen better days. An eerie emptiness abounded: offices were bare, staircases were covered in dust and debris, walls were shedding hunks of paint amidst pigeon droppings. Tiny marks in the wall were bullet holes from intense fighting that once took place.

The guide explained about Nicaragua’s complicated past and who the major players were, especially Augusto César Sandino (May 18, 1895 – February 21, 1934), the Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion between 1927 and 1933 against the United States’ occupation of Nicaragua. Despite being referred to as a “bandit” by the U.S. government, his exploits made him a hero throughout much of Latin America, where he became a symbol of resistance to American Imperialism.

We also learned of Carlos Fonseca and others who fought for years to upend Anastasio Somoza Debayle’s dynasty. We got an overview of the Nicaraguan revolutionaries who stood up against the Somoza dictatorship. The museum traces the history from the devastating earthquake of 1972 to the Sandinista overthrow.

The Somoza family ruled for over 4 decades (1936-1979), with increasing dissatisfaction felt by Nicaragua’s citizens. The key turning point was in 1972 when a huge earthquake killed thousands and left huge populations homeless. Somoza’s National Guard embezzled much of the aid money, inciting citizens to fury and a slow-burning rebellion.

The guide then took us up on the rusted corrugated iron roof – the metal sheets were held down by rocks – for views over León. The roof had gaping holes and crudely-drawn yellow arrows pointing where we should walk. The museum, housed in a former Somoza government building, was a central location during the Sandinista revolution. Abandoned and in decay since 1979, former Sandinista revolutionary fighters worked to turn it into a museum.

We clambered across, fearful of one of the metal sheets collapsing. Luckily, we found an amazing view of León’s churches and the landscape beyond that in the not-too-distant past had been so ravaged by war.

The building was very derelict and our guide worried for its future. She mentioned the Chinese wanted to buy it but for what purpose, she didn’t know.

Museo Histórico de la Revolución

Augusto César Sandino

Carlos Fonseca

the derelict Museo Histórico de la Revolución

rooftop of Museo Histórico de la Revolución

view of Catedral de León from the rooftop of Museo Histórico de la Revolución

Museo Histórico de la Revolución

Leaving the Museum of the Revolution, we found some street art that was revolutionary-themed.

revolutionary-themed street art

streets of León

We also walked by an unknown church and the Iglesia La Recolección. The 1786 Iglesia de la Recolección is considered the city’s most beautiful church, a Mexican-style Baroque confection of swirling columns and bas-relief medallions that portray the life of Christ. The lavishly decorated facade is dyed a deep yellow accented with cream and peeling paint.

church in León

Iglesia La Recolección

Because we’d had such a big lunch, all we had for dinner were little nibbles. The guys drank beers as they played pool on the borders of the courtyard.

pool tables were under the eaves along the edges

Steps: 8,670; Miles: 3.68.

Las Peñitas

Saturday, December 31, 2022: NEW YEAR’S EVE: After out typical Nicaraguan breakfast (scrambled eggs, plantains, red beans and rice, toast and cheese), we drove out to Las Peñitas, a wide sandy Pacific beach fronted by a cluster of surfer hostels and boutique hotels. Smallish regular waves make for decent surfing, especially for beginners.

We cruised up and down looking for the most welcoming spot to spend the morning. We stopped at Playa Roca Hotel and were told we could park there as long as we bought something in the restaurant. We sat on an L-shaped wooden bench around a coffee table under a thatched roof. It was hot as it had been since we’d arrived in León, but we had on our bathing suits and were ready to beach it. Rough rocks formed a kind of headland on the left side of the crescent beach where waves were battering the rocks. Alex did his typical handstand atop one of the rocks. The guys went bodysurfing and got tossed about quite a bit. I went in myself and was promptly knocked over by a wave and had trouble regaining my footing.

Some of the other thatch roofed restaurants and hotels along the beach were gussied up with waving green palm trees. We saw hand-drawn signs for surfing classes and rooms for rent: “Rento habitacion.” American music played over a loudspeaker and crashing waves added an offbeat rhythm to the tunes.

After a while, I ate a shrimp taco, rice and beans and a Victoria Frost, while “You’re my angel” serenaded me. The guy who worked at the bar was super friendly.

Nica breakfast at the hotel

Playa Roca Hotel at Las Peñitas

Playa Roca

Las Peñitas

Mike, Adam and Alex at Playa Roca

Las Peñitas

Playa Roca

Playa Roca Hotel

Playa Roca

Las Peñitas

Adam singing

the friendly waiter at Playa Roca

my shrimp taco

Next to Las Peñitas, following the same stretch of beach is Poneloya. The two villages are similar but Las Peñitas is a bit more geared toward backpackers and other foreign visitors.

Bienvenidos Poneloya – Las Peñitas

León

Back in León, the four of us went to the street to find a rickshaw. A guy with a single bench seat insisted he could carry all four of us, but we knew it was impossible no matter what configuration we tried. Luckily we found another rickshaw and split up and took both to the museums.

Museo Rubén Darío

We headed first to the Museo Rubén Darío, with its pretty green courtyard. León is the home of the country’s most famous poet, Rubén Darío.

Félix Rubén García Sarmiento (January 18, 1867 – Febraury 6, 1916), known as Rubén Darío, was a Nicaraguan poet who initiated the Spanish-language literary movement known as modernismo (modernism) that flourished at the end of the 19th century. Darío had a great and lasting influence on 20th century Spanish-language literature and journalism.

This was the poet’s home and national museum. It was in the house where he lived the first 14 years of his life. He started writing poetry here at age 12. His first poem is on display here as are various personal effects. Everyday items provide a window into well-to-do Nicaraguan life in the late 1800s. Some highlights were handwritten manuscripts of Darío’s famous works, his Bible, the bed where he died “an agonizing death” and the fancy clothes he wore as the ambassador to Spain, and a library with curlicued wooden bookcases. His work was featured in Mundial magazines, a Peruvian weekly magazine that marked the birth of modern journalism in Peru, both for its graphic design and its content, when it appeared in Lima on April 28, 1920. It ran through 576 issues to 4 September 1931.

The house itself was very cool but all the information was in Spanish so we didn’t learn much about the poet from the museum. We had never read any of his poetry so Adam pulled up one of his poems online and read aloud the translated version of a verse.

Nicaragua is famous for its many poets, many of whom inspired the Revolution.

Museo Rubén Darío

Rubén Darío poem

Museo Rubén Darío

Rubén Darío at age 23

Museo Rubén Darío

Centro de Arte Fundación Oriz-Gurdián

We then went to the Centro de Arte Fundación Oriz-Gurdián, founded in 2000. The museum is made of four colonial houses replete with ornate interior courtyards. The sprawling one-story buildings occupy at least two full city blocks. Much of the museum roof is open to the sky. It showcases a vast collection: early pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial religious artifacts to modern and contemporary artworks.

The Art Center was born on December 5, 2000 with the inauguration of the Norberto Ramirez house. In November of 2002, Derbyshire House opened. In 2006, the house Delgadillo opened and in 2013, the House Deshon followed. The four houses with large corridors, lounges and gardens, built between the 18th and 19th centuries, are examples of the most authentic León architecture of those times. They belonged to illustrious families of the city. They were acquired and restored from the year 1999 by the Ortiz-Gurdián family with the desire that they would house in the interior the collection of universal art and be enjoyed by their Nicaraguan compatriots and international visitors.

The houses showcase art as follows:

The House Norberto Ramirez: the collection “from occidental art to Nicaraguan art.”
House Derbyshire: exhibition of Latin American painting.
House Delgadillo: the collection of “Integración and Grupo Praxis.”
House Deshon: contemporary art collection from the Ortiz-Gurdián Foundation.

I loved this museum. This was definitely my favorite place in León. I loved not only the South American and Nicaraguan art, but the buildings themselves, which were works of art themselves with their numerous courtyards, bubbling fountains and fish ponds. There was even a section on European art (not as interesting to me) and modern art, including a Marilyn Monroe series by Andy Warhol. I found the Latin American art most intriguing.

Centro de Arte Fundación Oriz-Gurdián

me at Centro de Arte Fundación Oriz-Gurdián

Centro de Arte Fundación Oriz-Gurdián

work by Oswaldo Guayasamin of Ecuador

Centro de Arte Fundación Oriz-Gurdián

Nicaraguan paintings

Centro de Arte Fundación Oriz-Gurdián

Strolling around town

As we strolled around town, we came upon a statue, “Los Motivos del Lobo” in front of Iglesia de San Francisco (Church of St. Francis). Its origins date to 1639. The statue shows the parable of St. Francis and the Wolf of Gubbio. St. Francis gained his reputation for having control over animals when he persuaded this man-eating wolf to convert to eating more conventional food and become a mascot for the town. Rubén Darío wrote: “Los Motivos del Lobo” (“The Motives of the Wolf”) which tells the story from the wolf’s perspective.

The 1639 Iglesia de San Francisco is one of the oldest churches in the city, a national heritage site with lots of gold, a gorgeous nave, and a rococo interior. Abandoned between 1830-1881, it was later refurbished with two elaborate altarpieces for San Antonio and Our Lady of Mercy.

“Los Motivos del Lobo” in front of Iglesia de San Francisco

Iglesia de San Francisco

On the street, Adam picked up a squishy Sopa de Leche, a milky flan or custard with brown sugar. Alex found he loved it.

After strolling around town a bit more, we returned to our hotel where Alex and Adam played pool for a while before we went to dinner at El Bodegón, a cozy and breezy courtyard restaurant with excellent food but not the greatest service. I welcomed in the New Year with a tarmindo mojito. I had Tostadas de Vegetales and Mike had Quesadillas de Lechón.

There was a large party (tour group) in the restaurant which caused us to have to wait a very long time for our food.

New Year’s Eve dinner at El Bodegón

Tamarindo Mojito

Mike, Alex and Adam at El Bodegón

decor at El Bodegón

Tostadas de Vegetales

After dinner we wandered through the downtown, still freshly festooned and lit up for the holidays and watched entire families promenading in their finery.

another nativity

the festooned town of León

a church along the way

a church we popped into

I was too tired to welcome in the New Year, so I went to bed while the rest of the family sat outdoors and played pool and talked to a couple with young children who lived part time in León.

Steps: 4,241; Miles: 1.8 (My FitBit was not working properly, nor was it charging. I had to give up on step-counting after today).

Sunday, January 1, 2023: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We had breakfast one last time in the hotel courtyard: this time pancakes and scrambled eggs for Mike and me, the traditional Nica breakfast for the boys. We left the hotel after checking out the relief map of Nicaragua and the rotund doctor.

relief map of NIcaragua

rotund doctor

We got packed up for our drive to Granada. As we packed the car, surprise, surprise, I found the Nicaragua guidebook and map under the seat in the trunk. A lot of good it did for the city walk I wanted to do in León.

On our way out of town, we drove by the Municipal Theater. It was the first theater in Nicaragua. Construction started in 1884 and the theater was inaugurated one year later. It was one of the cultural hot spots of Central America, visited by the rich who enjoyed piano concerts, opera, and other cultural presentations.

The facade of the building was remodeled in 1913 and years later the complete interior was remodeled. In 1956 a fire almost completely destroyed the building. The outer walls were the only parts left standing. Nowadays the theater provides a stage for cultural shows and presentations.

Municipal Theater

Finally, we drove by “El Calvario” Church, one of Nicaragua’s most beautiful churches. It was built in the early 17th century. The church has a neoclassical facade, which together with its bright colors makes it stand out among the surrounding buildings at the end of Calle Real. Its design has both Spanish and French elements. It is notable for its symmetry of design. In the year 2000, a fence was added to protect the church.

“El Calvario” Church

Here is a video of our time in León.

We left León and headed toward Granada.

travel to nicaragua & finding our way to matagalpa

wanderessence1025 March 8, 2023

In Transit – from D.C. to Miami to Managua

Tuesday, December 27, 2022: We left home at the ungodly hour of 3:15 a.m., taking an Uber to Reagan International Airport. Our flight on American Airlines took off at 6:30 a.m. and landed us three hours later in Miami, 924 miles. The only refreshment was a Lotus Biscoff, a cardboard-like gingerbread cookie. Mike had tomato juice, which I never think of ordering but looked refreshing. Alex slept almost the entire flight, which I envied. We had a period of some turbulence, surprising because we weren’t in clouds but under sunny skies. 🙂

There was a nasty body odor smell throughout the cabin that made for unpleasantness. A curly-headed toddler was screaming his head off across the aisle from us before takeoff. It was so obnoxious. The only way the parents could calm him down was to show him either a video or a video game on the phone. What a brat!

Taking off from D.C.

In flight over the U.S. East Coast

coming in for a landing in Miami (South Beach below)

In Miami we walked a long way to Gate D7, then grabbed some lunch. I had a turkey and Swiss sandwich, Mike a tuna wrap, and Alex an egg, cheese and bacon empañada. I also got a Pure Green Cold Pressed Juice with apple, lemon and ginger (& kale, spinach, cucumber, celery, zucchini and romaine) that gave my stomach somersaults.

The plane loaded quickly in Miami but we took off an hour late because of seven planes ahead of us. The flight was 1,017 miles over 2:46 hours.

A guy behind us was talking about his female friend who got murdered and robbed of her purse and phone in Nicaragua. He was looking to adopt her 12-year-old daughter and had three children of his own.

I got stuck in the middle seat with Mike at the window and Alex in the aisle seat. Alex worked on Soduko and was reading Love & Math that he got for Christmas. Mike was chuckling over Nadine’s escapades in the book Happier Than a Billionaire.

Adam had been writing to say he was in Managua and planned to shop some before meeting us at the airport. I looked forward to seeing him after nearly three years.

landing in Managua – volcano below

Coming into Managua

Arrival in Nicaragua and onward to Matagalpa

We arrived in Managua at 12:35 p.m., but we had to pick up our luggage and go through customs; there, I had to stand in a separate line to have my carry-on bag searched. I had brought my Canon Power Shot, which I never use but carry only as a backup in case something happens to my phone; for some reason it showed on their scanner and they didn’t know what it was. Mike and Alex went ahead to get the rental car from Alamo, a Toyota Rush, and when I was finally released by customs, I gave Adam a big hug. I was so happy to see him! We thought he must have grown because he seemed super tall to us all.

Mike got the rental car and we piled all our luggage in the back and began our drive to Matagalpa. We were on the road, a decent 2-lane road shared with moto taxis and motorbikes. Mountains loomed before us.

Driving to Matagalpa

We stopped to use a bathroom and get some snacks. Adam wanted us to try Chicharrones con Sabor a limon. We also got a bag of Del Rancho Chicharrones. Both were different versions of fried pork skins. It has taken me a long time to get used to my once-vegan sons becoming fully carnivorous.

We drove ever so slowly behind lumbering overloaded trucks, moto taxis and horses pulling carts for 2 1/2 hours to Matagalpa.

Our hotel in Matagalpa, Hotel San José, had an interior courtyard with a colorful nativity scene. The back of the courtyard was bursting with tropical plants. We enjoyed cool beers in the hotel courtyard. It was wonderful to all be together again.

Hotel San José

courtyard at Hotel San José

Mike, Adam, Alex and me at Hotel San José

Matagalpa is one of Nicaragua’s largest cities, but it is fairly provincial and laid back. Soaring mountains circle the city’s central neighborhoods. Coffee, which accounts for the city’s historic wealth, is produced in the hillsides. The city serves as a good urban base to explore the surrounding countryside of primary forest, gushing waterfalls and coffee plantations.

We went to dinner at Casa Blanca, where I enjoyed shrimp with garlic sauce, and then we wandered through a magical park, Darío Park, lit with Christmas lights and the biggest nativity scene I had ever seen. We found a statue in the park of Rubén Darío (1867-1916), a Nicaraguan poet who had a great and lasting influence on 20th century Spanish-language literature and journalism. He has been praised as the “Prince of Castilian Letters” and undisputed father of the modernismo literary movement.

Across from the park, we saw the pink San José Church, relevant in the architecture and history of the city. Formerly called the Church of Laborío or Dolores, in 1881 it served as a barracks for rebellious Indians. It’s an elegant construction with a colonial façade to which a bell tower with a clock was added. Large swaths of the pink paint were peeled off so it seemed rather sad and derelict.

We were all exhausted from our long day of travel, so we exchanged Christmas gifts in our long narrow 4-bedded room and zonked out early. Sadly, the shoes we gave Adam for Christmas were too small but he thought they’d stretch. I could have kicked myself for not buying pairs in two sizes just in case one didn’t fit. 😦

Alex and Adam at Casa Blanca

my shrimp dinner

statue of Rubén Darío

Rubén Darío Park

San José Church

Steps: 8,644; Miles: 3.64.

Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

Wednesday, December 28: Our breakfast at Hotel San José was served up at a private table; it was a meal we would eat frequently in both Nicaragua and Costa Rica: scrambled eggs with peppers and onions, fried plantain chips, a slice of soft cheese (like Feta), and rice and red beans.

We drove to the start of the hike at Reserva Natural Cerro Apante, a cloud forest reserve with a cool pleasant climate. The sign at the outset said:

Sendero El Roble
Distancia 3.2 kmts ± 3 horas
Dificultad: moderamente dificil
Parqueo C$ 30

The reserve has an area of 1,962 hectares. Its name means “hill of water” in Nahuatl, or “land of two waters.” It is named so for the numerous sources of water that originate here. The water is used by people in the urban and rural areas of Matagalpa.

breakfast at Hotel San José

sign at Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

our Toyota Rush

It features a tropical cloud forest with 75 species of plants, including a mix of trees such as sweet gum and walnut which come from North America and whose southern limit of distribution is in Nicaragua. Several species of oak and pine also thrive here. In addition, eight registered orchid species are known. Giant tree ferns known as monkey’s tail are also abundant.

The route was very steep, rocky and root-tangled. We walked through tropical exuberance, around bamboo patches, and alongside streams. Alex and Adam sat in the branches of a fallen tree for a pose.

We found a waterfall where the guys swam. Adam jumped into a pool from a tall rock.

Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

Mike at Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

Adam at Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

Alex and Adam

me wtih Alex

Adam

Mike

Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

Then we continued climbing to the mirador overlooking the city of Matagalpa, La Cruz de Cerro Largo Viewpoint. We came up a long steep set of steps from behind a blue and white metallic cross. In front of the cross is the rather derelict mirador, where we could see the city of Matagalpa scattered across the valley. Cerro Apante is 1,442 meters above sea level. At its summit is the 33-meter-high La Cruz de la Paz (in memory of the years of Jesus Christ’s earthly life), the highest Catholic monument in Nicaragua. The statue is a carving of the Virgin Mary with a winged Christ child at her feet. It is part of the Montaña de la Paz project, meant to be a pilgrimage site where the Christian faithful can come to reflect, pray and make spiritual retreats.

The viewpoint and the huge statue were quite unusual, but we were happy to be rewarded with cacao bars Adam gave us as Christmas gifts, expansive views, and conversation in Spanish with some very friendly Nicaraguans.

another cross on the way to La Cruz de la Paz

La Cruz de la Paz

view of Matagalpa

Adam & Alex at La Cruz de la Paz

view of Matagalpa

La Cruz de la Paz

views of area surrounding Matagalpa

Mike and me at the viewpoint

Adam and Alex at the viewpoint

The route back took us on a loop so we could experience different views and flora. Coming down on steep gravelly surfaces is always challenging to me, but I took my time and tried to be patient, not an easy thing for me! We found a horse grazing freely. Our hike was exhausting but in the end, the views were worth all the effort.

a grazing horse

pretty butterfly

coming back down Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

interesting vegetation

crazy looking cacti

more interesting vegetation

Spanish moss on trees

more Spanish moss

more interesting plant life

return to the beginning

Back in Matagalpa, we found a cute veterinarian office with a mural of cows, horses, pigs and oxen on the front. We dropped into a little restaurant in town, but the food was rather disappointing. I was okay with my cheese quesadilla, but the guys weren’t happy at all with the lack of meat in their dishes.

veterinarian office in Matagalpa

our disappointing lunch

We enjoyed a beer in the hotel courtyard, showered and relaxed for a while. Alex seemed to be feeling a bit under the weather and he took a nap while we relaxed before dinner.

Adam had walked around earlier, while we were resting, and scoped out a Mexican restaurant, Rincón Azteca, with a taco special. As we walked to go out to dinner, we stumbled across a blue car with four little white fuzzy heads looking out at us. The owner of the pups came out and tried to hand one over to me. Then we stopped into a festively decorated church where we found yet another richly arranged nativity scene.

We enjoyed various taco dishes and a chalupa poblano. Adam, who loves his sweets, downed two horchatas and we sipped on something like non-alcoholic margaritas. The colorful drinks were served in jars with handles, overlooked by festive snowmen.

The decor in the restaurant was cute and colorful with striped blankets and patterned pillows on orange couches and sombreros to try on for photos.

cute little pups

cute pups and their owner

nice church in Matagalpa

church in Matagalpa

me at Rincón Azteca

me with Mike at Rincón Azteca

Rincón Azteca

tacos at Rincón Azteca

tacos

chalupa poblano at Rincón Azteca

Steps: 12,955; Miles: 5.49.

Selva Negra and a wander around Matagalpa

Thursday, December 29: Today we visited Selva Negra Mountain Resort and Coffee Estate, a historical coffee farm set up by German immigrants in 1891.

In the 1850s, when gold was discovered in California, many American and European passengers made their way to California crossing the Isthmus of Central America through Nicaragua. On one of these trips, a German couple, Ludwig Elster and Katharina Braun, from the region of Germany’s Black Forest (Selva Negra in Spanish), chose to stay in Nicaragua rather than continue to San Francisco. They were discouraged from their original intention of going to California for the gold rush because they were told it wasn’t a good environment for families and children. Instead of looking for gold, they planted the first coffee beans in this region. The coffee was of good quality, so many other Europeans and Americans chose to do the same. It was known then as “La Hammonia” Farm, strictly a coffee farm.

One hundred years later, Eddy Kühl and Mausi Hayn, descendants of the first settlers, decided to build a tourist resort, completed between 1975-1976. They built 23 mountain bungalows, an additional building with 14 rooms, a youth hostel, bar and restaurant.

In addition to coffee production and the hotel, Selva Negra Ecolodge, alternative sources of production have been developed over the last 30 years, whether for in-house consumption or income generation. These include organic meat and milk products such as cheeses: Gouda, Manchego, Camembert, & Feta; vegetables and fruit crops; pork and sausages; laying hens and meat chickens, etc.

Activities are all eco-touristic: mountain hiking, horseback riding, bird watching, and coffee plantation tours.

We did the coffee plantation tour, where we were walked through the stages of the process. We were introduced to the machinery that sorts and washes the coffee beans. We tasted some of the defective coffee. Selva Negra sells coffee all over the world, mostly to the U.S. but also to Australia, Mexico and Czech Republic. One of their biggest customers is Whole Foods in the U.S.

We watched the raking and drying of the coffee beans. Depending on the type and quality of the beans, drying can take days to months.

There is much integration on the farm: leftover food from the restaurant feeds the pigs, the pigs’ waste generates methane gas used to fuel the kitchen that cooks the sausages made from the pigs. They also use multiple methane gas processes from coffee wastewater, animal manure and human waste.

driving to Selva Negra

Selva Negra

machinery at Selva Negra

coffee beans at Selva Negra

coffee beans

machinery at Selva Negra

coffee beans

tasting defective coffee beans

machinery at Selva Negra

Sign for Selva Negra

more signs at Selva Negra

signs at Selva Negra

the owner’s house in the middle of the operation

German owner’s house

more signs

a little pond on the coffee plantation

coffee beans drying

Adam, Mike, me and Alex at Selva Negra

the coffee map

the youth hostel at Selva Negra

Selva Negra

At Selva Negra, we took a 4WD down into the coffee plantation. We drove past the workers’ quarters. Deeper into the plantation, we saw giant lemons, which they let fall to the ground to make the soil more acidic. Cacao grows on the plantation as well. The coffee hacienda grows 100% organic shade coffee.

On the bumpy ride, there was only room inside the truck for Mike and me and two Nicaraguan women, one of whom wanted to set her daughter up with Adam. Adam and Alex had to sit in the truck bed, not comfortable because of a sudden smattering of rain and the bumpy ride.

workers’ quarters at Selva Negra

lemons on the plantation

cacao on the plantation

the shade-grown coffee

Coffee plants

coffee beans

The two Nicaraguan ladies on our tour

We witnessed the lunchtime break for the workers on the coffee plantation. They work from 7-4 each day with a 10-minute lunch. The company brings the food down in a kind of chow-wagon (truck), and workers stand in line to get their food and gobble it down. They carry their bags of coffee beans down to lunch because they want to keep access to the beans they’ve picked; they’re paid by the box, about $2/box. Most workers pick 5-10 boxes/day. It’s very labor intensive and they’re not about to leave their bags behind during lunch.

workers head to lunchtime at Selva Negra

the chow wagon at Selva Negra

After our tour, we drank the free coffee we got as part of the tour and ate some cheese we bought at a table in the dining area, which overlooks a small lake.

When we got back to the hotel, Alex wasn’t feeling good, so he took a nap while Mike, Adam and I wandered around Matagalpa. Mike and Adam did a little dance to some music bursting from a storefront.

Adam and Hotel San José

Matagalpa mural

Matagalpa wanderings

We strolled over to the Coffee Museum. It tells the story of how in 1852, Luis Elster (1814-1916) and his wife Katharina Braun (1830-1887) arrived with their two-year-old boy, Wilhelm. While awaiting a ship to California in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, they found two North Americans returning to New York. They were told conditions were bad for children in California. They were told to go north, close to Matagalpa, where there were gold mines. They went north in a wagon pulled by oxen to Matagalpa and then to San Ramon, where they bought land from indigenous people and founded their farm Ludwigwalk, or “La Lima.” Luis dug for gold, but didn’t find big quantities. Instead they planted coffee seeds and were surprised when the bushes yielded cherries bigger and more aromatic than those on the Pacific. (I believe this is the same couple referred to above at Selva Negra, but the names and dates don’t match exactly).

The Elsters dried the beans in the sun and after dried, they exported them to Germany to be dehusked. There were many problems, mainly that transporting them was too bulky and the taste was affected. They thought of a way to remove the dried shells using wood cylinders.

We saw a map of the coffee trajectory. European and North American immigrants received land from the government with the condition that they had to plant coffee (in Matagalpa and Jinotega). We learned of different types of coffee and different roasts.

the Coffee Museum in Matagalpa

We wandered past street markets where Adam introduced us to Nicaraguan street food: buñelos (yucca cheese sugarballs); respado (a snow cone with sweetened condensed milk and fruit syrups; atol (milk & grain sweetened); and unripe mangoes with salt, lime and chili.

It was quite busy in the streets with all kinds of commerce and blaring music and loudspeakers announcing various bargains.

Nicaraguan street food

We found a statue in Morazan Park of Carlos Fonseca and Comandante Tomas Borge Martinez, both drivers of the revolution.

Comandante Tomas Borge Martinez andCarlos Fonseca

me and Mike with the statue

another famous person

I wandered into the Matagalpa Cathedral, also known as Catedral de San Pedro, which still had a large nativity scene. It is the third largest cathedral in Nicaragua, built in 1874 as a parish church under the Jesuits. It reflects the opulence of Matagalpa in that age. It is built in a Baroque style with heavy bell towers set at both sides of an airy spacious interior. Dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle, it is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese in Matagalpa. It was finally completed and consecrated in 1897.

Matagalpa Cathedral

nativity scene at Matagalpa Cathedral

Matagalpa Cathedral

We also stopped at the Carlos Fonseca Museum, once the revolutionary leader’s childhood home. Carlos Fonseca Amador (23 June 1936 – 8 November 1976), was a Nicaraguan teacher, librarian and revolutionary who founded the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN – Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional). He was killed in the mountains of the Zelaya Department, Nicaragaua, three years before the FSLN took power.

The small and simple house, made of taquezal (mud and wood), holds two exhibition rooms, one small office and a salon-turned-library. Photo exhibits of Fonseca, showing images of different stages of his life, as well as important people in his life, line the walls. On display are also information about his childhood and family, his revolutionary activism in different countries, guerilla partners and more. There were many faded old news clippings, including one about his death in the war against the Guardia Nacional (Somoza’s army), as well as personal artifacts.

Carlos Fonseca Museum

returning to our hotel

We returned to the hotel to find Alex well-rested, although he still didn’t feel good. We all went out to dinner for local Nica food at El Taquero, which made the guys happy but not me because too much meat was involved in every dish. Even the Chalupina I ordered because I thought it didn’t have meat, was full of fatty meat. 😦

El Taquero

Alex, Adam and me at El Taquero

dinner at El Taquero

Steps: 10,490; Miles: 4.45.

Below is a video of our time in Matagalpa.

The following day, Friday, we would be on our way to León, where we would stay to welcome in the New Year.

anticipation & preparation: nicaragua & costa rica

wanderessence1025 December 21, 2022

We are going to Nicaragua and Costa Rica after the Christmas holidays. This will be our first time to Central America, and I feel good that this year we’re giving some love to the Americas outside of the U.S. Our primary reason for going to Nicaragua is to visit our youngest son who has been staying on Ometepe Island in that country almost since the start of the pandemic. We’ve seen him on FaceTime and Zoom, and talked with him frequently, but we haven’t seen him in person since early 2020.

Mike was the driving force behind going to Costa Rica, which adjoins the southern border of Nicaragua; to be honest I wasn’t originally all that thrilled about it. Heat and humidity are not things I enjoy; neither are bugs, poisonous snakes, bullet ants, and other unpredictable wildlife. Plus, Costa Rica is a different ballgame altogether with all of its adventure sports and active volcanoes. However, after reading a lot about it, I’m now fully onboard and have even opted to try numerous adventure sports such as ziplining, tubing, rafting and superman ziplining, as well as walks over hanging bridges and guided wildlife walks.

Spanish studies

I’ve continued my Spanish studies with The Great Courses and with Duolingo; so far I have a 212 day streak and I’m determined to meet daily goals and to keep practicing.

Duolingo stats 2022

Books

Of course, I always love to read books set in my destination, so I read some of the books below (indicated with stars and ratings). I own the books in green and will read them sometime during the year.

books set in Nicaragua

Nicaragua

The Country Under My Skin: A Memoir of Love & War by Gioconda Belli *****
The Jaguar Smile: A Nicaraguan Journey by Salman Rushdie ***
Nicaragua: Living in the Shadow of the Eagle by Thomas W. Walker
Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua by Stephen Kinzer (currently reading)
The Ladies of Managua by Eleni N. Gage (Kindle) ***
Lonely Planet Nicaragua ****

books set in or partly in Costa Rica

Costa Rica

Moon Costa Rica by Nikki Solano ****
Costa Rica: A Traveler’s Literary Companion, Ed. by Barbara Ras
The Ticos: Culture and Social Change in Costa Rica by Mavis Hiltunen Biesanz & Richard Biesanz
Monkeys are Made of Chocolate: Exotic and Unseen Costa Rica by Jack Ewing
Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica, & Living the Zero Hour Work Week by Nadine Hays Pisani (currently reading)
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The Lost World by Michael Crichton
The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond (& San Francisco, CA) ****
The Best Short Stories of Quince Duncan by Quince Duncan
A Beach House to Die For by K.C. Ames
See Before You Die: Costa Rica by J.E. Leigh
The Scent of Jade by Dee DeTarsio
It’s Every Monkey for Themselves: A True Story of Sex, Love and Lies in the Jungle by Vanessa Woods

Movies

I found movies set in Nicaragua and Costa Rica, but sadly I haven’t seen any of them. Hopefully, I can find some of these in the coming months.

Nicaragua

Alsino and the Condor (1982)
Under Fire (1983)
Latino (1985)
Walker (1987)
Clinton and Nadine (1988)
Sandino (1990)
Carla’s Song (1997)
La Yuma (2010)
Now & Later (2011)
Kill the Messenger (2014)
The Naked Screen (La Pantalla Desnuda) (2014)
Drunk Wedding (2015)

Costa Rica

Caribe (1987)
Jurassic Park (1993)
Jurassic Park & The Lost World (1997)
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Spy Kids 2: Island of Lost Dreams (2002)
The Blue Butterfly (2004)
The Red Sky (El Cielo Rojo) (2008)
The Path (El camino) (2008)
Cold Water of the Sea (Agua fría de mar) (2010)
Costa Rican Summer (2010)
Runner Runner (2013)
After Earth (2013) – in La Fortuna
The Happiest Place in the World (El lugar más feliz del mundo) (2015)
Journey (Viaje) (2015)
After Words (2015)
Imprisoned (Presos) (2015)
About Us (Entonces nosotros) (2016)
The Heat After the Rain (El calor después de la lluvia) (2016)
Paths of Love (Los caminos del amor) (2019)
Land of Ashes (Ceniza negra) (2019)
The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)
One Step from Me (A un paso de mí) (2021)

Our Itinerary

It seems our time in Nicaragua will be more laid back than our time in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a real tourist destination with so many activities to choose from that it boggles the mind. Below is our itinerary. The Costa Rica part includes numerous options, some of which we haven’t yet narrowed down. I hope to wait until we’re in country and can get recommendations from our hotels or tour guides.

Nicaragua

Our entire trip encompasses 22 days, including the travel to Nicaragua and from Costa Rica.

1) Tuesday: Fly into Managua, Nicaragua. Pick up rental car and drive to Matagalpa. (2 hr 12 min):

Hotel San Jose, Matagalpa

2) Wednesday: Overnight in Matagalpa

Hiking opportunities abound. Boulder, fields and red rock faces of El Ocote
Cafetín Girasol: Sells detailed leaflets for self-guided walks
Esteli: (1 hr 34 min): Reserva Natural Miraflor (???) (too far and too much time?)
- Stunning cloud forest with rivers and waterfalls
- One-day trek 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. and cost around $20/person (inc. 2 meals and mandatory guide). All money goes to supporting community and farmers.

3) Thursday: Overnight in Matagalpa

Reserva Natural Cerro Apante: Cloud Forest Reserve and shade-grown coffee plantations, pleasant cool climate (2 hour round trip hike to mirador)
Selva Negra – hike any of 20 km of trails

4) Friday: Matagalpa to León (2 hr 36 min)

Hotel La Posada del Doctor
Leon City Walk, p. 145 guidebook (Revolutionary and Cultural Leon)
- Museo de Arte Fundación Ortiz-Gurdián (contemporary art, $2, way to escape the heat)
- Iglesia de la Recolección – most beautiful church in city
- Museo Histórico de la Revolución (Museum of the Revolution – $2)
- Catedral de León 8 a.m. to 12 OR 2-4 pm Monday-Saturday (Cathedral-Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary)
  - Largest in Central America, Tomb of Rubén Darío (poet)
  - Climb to top for views ($2)
- Street Art of the Revolution
- Dine at Al Mirador for views and sunset
- Explore local markets: Mercado Central most popular and renovated, across street from Cathedral

5) Saturday: Overnight in León

La Peñitas – white sand paradise
Poneloya
Mas Adventures – hiking trips to Telica, El Hoyo, Cosigüina * Asosasca Volcanoes
Reserva Natural Isla Juan Venado (not sure)

6) Sunday: León to Granada (2 hr 25 min)

Granada Airbnb
Motorbiking is a good way to get around in Granada; NO UBER. Get around by Tuk-tuk, taxi or foot.
Drive by Masaya volcano (stop at Mirador Catarina) – if you go at night from Granada you can see the magma lit up
Fortaleza La Polvora – best views in town to Lago Nicaragua
La Capilla María Auxiliadora – beautiful interior
Cemeterioide Granada – outskirts of town

7) Monday: Overnight in Granada

City Walk: p. 88 guidebook
- Explore main plaza: Parque Central, Catedral de Granada
- Go to Iglesia La Merced (near Cathedral) and climb bell tower ($1): stunning views of Cathedral and the city in general (great sunset location as well)
- Convento y Museo San Francisco
Iglesia de Merced – Sunset Views from bell tower

8) Tuesday: Overnight in Granada

Volcan Mombacho – hikes. Open with regular hours (Fri, Sat, Sun only??)
Reserva Natural Laguna de Apoyo – Crater Lake
- Go to Paradiso hostel; message them on Facebook and book direct for free access to tubes, sun loungers and kayaks, small fee for paddle boards ($10/person if book with them directly)
Isletas de Oranada

9) Wednesday: Granada > Rivas (1 hr 13 min) > to Santa Cruz, Ometepe (2 hr 12 min – cross ferry)

El Encanto Garden Hotel, Santa Cruz
Punta Jesus Maria
Ojo de Agua (The Eye of Water) Ometepe – natural spring. (Carol & Carlos recommended)

10) Thursday: Overnight in Santa Cruz, Ometepe

Motorbikes? Or bicycles?
Hike to Cascada San Ramón
Horseback ride to Volcán Maderas
More of our son’s life

11) Friday: Santa Cruz, Ometepe (cross ferry) > San Juan del Sur (2 hr 40 min)

HC Liri Hotel
Explore San Juan del Sur: Clapboard Victorian houses, pretty beach for sunset stroll, statue of Christ: Cristo de la Misericordia (1 hr hike up and 1 hr down)
Eat dinner at El Timon San Juan del Sur – Nicaraguan beach restaurant with thatched roof – Latin live music J (Recommended by Carol & Carlos)

Costa Rica

12) Saturday: LEAVE NICARAGUA. San Juan del Sur > Peñas Blancas > Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica (2 hr 26 min)

(Trade in rental car and get new one at the border in Peñas Blancas)
Our son returns to Ometepe and we travel onward.
Hotel El Velero
Laid back vibe, Relax on the beach, stroll 4-block boardwalk

13) Sunday: Overnight in Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica

Diamante Eco Adventure Park
- Zip line and Aerial Adventure + 30 foot free fall Quick jump. Scheduled for 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Relax on the beach

14) Monday: Playa Hermosa > Airport (29 min) > Liberia (19 min) > Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin (32 min)

Take Alex to Guanacaste Airport near Liberia by 10:00 AM. (32 minutes)
Liberia:
- Iglesia La Agonía
- Giant El Toro Statue
- Parque Mario Cañas Ruiz & Central Church of Liberia
- Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin, Rincon de la Vieja National Park
- (Massages??)

15) Tuesday: Overnight at Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin

2x 1 day Adventure Pass 8:30 a.m.
- Canopy (zipline tour), rapelling through the Rio Blanco Canyon, a tubing adventure on the Rio Negro River with class III rapids, horseback riding expedition to nearby waterfalls, relax with volcano heated thermal waters, steam and mud bath.

16) Wednesday: Hotel Hacienda Guachipelin > Catarata Llanos del Cortes (47 min) > Bijagua, Costa Rica (55 min)

(TOTAL drive 1 hr 33 min)
Catarata Llanos del Cortes (quick stop at waterfall)
Celeste Mountain Lodge
Volcán Tenorio: Rio Celeste: hiking: Sendero Principal 3km 1 way 1.5-2 hours last entry 2 pm.
Rio Celeste: $2 to park by trailhead and $12/person to hike the trail (8 am – 4 pm)
- Along bright blue river
- Enter park through El Pilón Ranger Station
- Catarata Rio Celeste (waterfall)
- Mountain Mirador
- Laguna Azul
- Borbollones & Los Teñideros
Also: Frog Paradise and Wildlife Sanctuary nearby (night tour?)

17) Thursday: Bijagua > Tilaran (1 hr 7 min) > Monteverde (1 hour 41 min) Take route 145 and 606.

Hotel Claro de Luna
Monteverde Rain Forest Night Walk $34 (@ 2 hours) (5:30 or 8 pm)
- Meeting point: Wildlife Refuge Monteverde: C. Los Camachos, Provincia de Puntarenas, Monteverde, Costa Rica Drive to Cañitas in the 606 nort 1K out of the town to Refugio de vida silvestre in calle Camachos or add in your GPS 85HC+FV Monterverde de Puntarenas when you are there please ask for Johnny Villegas in the front desk of Refugio de Vida Silvestre
- RSVP to the biggest party in Monteverde with this nocturnal tour of the area’s famed wildlife by moonlight, when nearly 80 percent of Monteverde’s mammalian residents come out to play. Join a guide who will help you spot animals such as gray foxes, reptiles, and more as they come out after dark. Guided night walk of Monteverde’s wildlife Spot the animals that only come out at night, including gray foxes and more Nocturnal tour lets you see more of Monteverde’s famed animal life, as nearly 80 percent of its mammals are nocturnal. Read more about Monteverde Rain Forest Night Walk – https://www.viator.com/tours/Puntarenas/Monteverde-Night-Walk/d4506-23968P2?mcid=56757

18) Friday: Overnight in Monteverde. OPTIONS:

Monteverde Sky Adventures Park:
- Sky Walk &Tram @ Monteverde 9:35 pick up at hotel. Adventure from 10:15 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Monteverde Orchid Garden (9 am – 5 pm daily, $14/adult)
- Complimentary guided tour (departs every 15 minutes 9am-4:15pm, 35-45 min) is optional but wows everyone.
Shopping in Santa Elena:
- Woods Art Gallery – Costa Rican souvenirs
- Foresta Arte Local – jewelry, clothing and items made with batik fabrics
- Luna Azul – handcrafted jewelry and clothing designed by Costa Ricans

19) Saturday: Overnight in Monteverde. OPTIONS:

Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso de Santa Elena – cloud forest immersion (7am-4pm daily, last entry 2:30pm, $16/adult). Significantly smaller, slightly higher in elevation, and noticeably less busy than the Monteverde cloud forest reserve (see below). More intimate and peaceful experience. 12km of well-maintained hiking trails.
- Tour guide in visitor center: natural history walk (7:30am, 9:15am, 11:30am, 1pm daily, 2.5 hours, $33/adult) All guided bookings require 2 days notice. By phone or website.
- Guided Sunrise Tour: (4:50 am daily, 1.5-2 hours, $25pp, includes reserve entrance fee). Tour provides access to park before reserve opens; when sunrise tour wraps up, can spend the rest of the day exploring the network of on-site trails at your own pace, at no extra cost.
- Hiking:
  - Sendero Encantado, 3.5km loop, 2-3 hours, moderate)
  - Sendero del Bajjo (2.5km loop, 1.5 hours, moderate) (don’t have to work too hard on either of the above trails)
  - Sendero Caño Negro: (5km one-way, 3-4 hours, moderate-difficult) – roughest, most adventurous trek of reserve’s five trails.
OR Reserva Biológica Bosque Nuboso de Monteverde (12 min drive from Santa Elena. 4×4 recommended but not required) – Park fee $25/person. Most popular cloud forest. Over 4,000 hectares. 11 trails of varying length. Well maintained and easy to follow.
- 7am-4pm daily, last entry 2pm, $25/adult
- Region’s most visited cloud forest reserve
- Guided tours:
  - Early morning bird-watching tour (6am, 3 hours, $65pp.)
    - Resplendent quetzal
    - Three wattled bellbird
  - Daytime natural history walk (7:30am, 11:30am, 1:30 pm – 2 hours, $23/pp)
  - Can arrange tours through the reserve or through tour operators in town – advance reservation for tours are required
  - Park’s trails can also be explored without a guide. Advance reservations recommended but not required, esp. in morning when park is busiest.
  - Hiking: 13km trail system beyond the main visitors center.
    - Sendero Bosque Nuboso, 2km one way, 45 min, moderate)
      - “cloud forest” – dense forest where air is moist and cluttered with clouds. Prettiest trail in park
    - Sendero Camino, 2km one way, 30-45 min, easy-moderate) – less rugged terrain, a wider track and an easier hike, but a less scenic experience.
      - Both of above most frequented, end near La Ventana (The Window) a lookout point over the Continental Divide
Hummingbird Garden (just outside Monteverde Cloud Forest)
Horse Trek Monteverde – choose from mountain and farm rides, during the day or sunset, rides along the Continental Divide and more.
- Half-day ($49-65 pp)
- Full-day ($85 pp)
El Tigre waterfalls:
- 2 trails, both intermediate level, showcasing 4 stunning waterfalls and 9 bridges. $29 entry. 7:30am-2pm.
Selvatura Park (wildlife – hummingbirds, snakes, butterflies, and other species) – Caters to busloads of visitors daily.
- Guided exhibit tours every 15 min (8:30 am – 2:30 pm daily)
  - Hummingbird garden ($6/person)
  - Butterfly Garden ($17/person)
  - Reptile and Amphibian Exhibition ($17/person)
  - Sloth Sanctuary (45 min, $35/adult)
- Adventure tours:
  - Zip-lining canopy tour ($55/adult – 8:30 am, 11am, 1pm, 2:30 pm. 2.5 hours)
  - Treetop Walkways hanging bridges tour (8:30 am, 11am, 1pm, 2:30pm. 2-2.5 hours guided tour – $33/person) A moderate hike through 90% virgin forest. 1.9km of trails over 8 bridges ranging from 170 feet to an amazing 560ft. in length.
Monteverde Adventure Company

- Whitewater rafting
- Safari float excursion on Río Tenorio
- Horsebackriding tour
- Mountain biking tour
- Kayaking tour
- Stand-up paddleboarding tour on or around Lago Arenal
Find the ficus tree bridge hidden in the jungle of Santa Elena

1. Located in downtown Santa Elena, should only take about 30 minutes. Walk from the start of the trail takes only 5 minutes. Try climbing down to the river and get an angle from below.

Finca Don Juan (8am-5pm daily)
- Coffee, Chocolate and Sugarcane Tour (8am, 10am, 1pm, 3pm daily. $37/adult)

20) Sunday: Monteverde > Juan Santamaría International Airport (2 hr 46 min) – drop off rental car) > San Jose (45 min)

Birdwatching Morning Tour 6am-8am. See up to 480 bird species – pickup included. $65.76/person
- Read more about Bird Watching Tour in Monteverde – https://www.viator.com/tours/Monteverde/Birdwatching-Tour-in-Monteverde-Cloud-Forest/d24783-9102P1?mcid=56757 Immerse yourself in the bird lover’s paradise of Monteverde cloud forest on this 2.5-hour early-morning bird-watching tour. With up to 450 species of birds, including the rare Resplendent Quetzal, Monteverde is a natural playground for wildlife enthusiasts and your expert guide will ensure you tick off as many as possible. Don’t just train your binoculars on the treetops either – white-throated capuchin monkeys, coatis, agoutis and deer are also common sightings. 2.5-hour bird-watching tour of the Monteverde Cloud Forest Maximise your chances of spotting birds with an early-morning walking tour Be in with a chance of seeing 450 different bird species, including the Resplendent Quetzal Spot wildlife like coatis, capuchin monkeys and deer No experience necessary: suitable for all abilities Free hotel pickup and drop-off included Small-group tour ensures a personalized experience.

Hotel Santo Tomas/Historical Property

21) Monday: Overnight in San Jose

Can take a San José Free Walking Tour 9 am and 1 pm daily, 3 hours, donations accepted). Covers downtown core. Just meet in front of Aurora Holiday Inn on north side of Parque Morazán.
Sights:
- Cathedral Metropolitana (6am-7:30pm Mon-Sat; 6am-9pm Sun) 4 masses throughout day Mon-Sat.; 7 services on Sunday.
- Plaza de la Cultura (park)
- Teatro Nacional de Costa Rica (can visit for free to see inside) – can see theater on guided tour 9am-4pm daily, 45 min, $11/person)
- Museo del Jade (pre-Columbian history) (See the Night exhibit & the colorful Day exhibit) (9am-5pm daily, $16/person)
- Museo del Oro Precolombino: Gold Museum (9:15am-5pm daily) $14/person)

22) Tuesday: Fly home to U.S.

Travel Journal

Finally, here are some bits of my journal that I’ll be taking along.

a slothy journal

cover page and maps

some cool wildlife to look forward to

Nicaragua (from Lonely Planet)

Costa Rica (from Lonely Planet)

See you again in January. Happy New Year, everyone!

Mirador de Catarina

Posada Ecológica la Abuela

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León

Las Peñitas

León

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In Transit – from D.C. to Miami to Managua

Arrival in Nicaragua and onward to Matagalpa

Reserva Natural Cerro Apante

Selva Negra and a wander around Matagalpa

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Spanish studies

Books

Movies

Our Itinerary

Nicaragua

Costa Rica

Travel Journal

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