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Showing posts with label Masaya Volcano. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Masaya Volcano. Show all posts

Friday, February 10, 2017

Granada (Nicaragua) - Pastels in the shade

GRANADA (NICARAGUA)
10 February - 12 February 2017



We were happy to leave Ometepe. Nothing against the island itself, it could have been extremely pleasant but for the tools at El Jardin de la Vida.

Disembarking from the ferry at San Jorge we were immediately ushered onto the Chicken Bus  express to Granada.  The fervour of the ushering I’m sure caught all the gringos off-guard, and again, in accordance with our own prior experience, we should have known that the local engagement to get us on a ‘soon to be departing’ vehicle was a small scam. Not an overwhelming scam, just a minor one. Still, moderately annoying to us when we discovered how it worked.


Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua


Somewhere outside of Granada, approximately 5-6kms from the actual centre of town, appeared that same style of fervour, in this incarnation it was the need for an ‘immediate evacuation’. From the front of the bus we heard ‘Granada, Granada, vamos, vamos’. It was a call made specifically for the sake of all the Gringos once again, but what can you do, you can only believe in what you hear. OK, time to move we thought. So on a relatively empty highway there we were, bags off loaded amongst a throng of awaiting tuk-tuk drivers….huh, where did they come from? Why were they waiting for us?  It didn’t take long for us to discover that we were not in fact in Granada and these tuk-tuk drivers were waiting for us…the collective ‘us’ being the Gringo travellers that didn’t know any better and that now needed to pay for a tuk-tuk into the city centre. Ahh, another day, another scam in Central America. Welcome to the art of being worked.


Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua


Arriving in Granada however immediately elevated the city to ‘surprise packet’ status. It’s actually a real treat when you come across places of unexpected beauty or attraction. With its Moorish and Andalusian style architecture, colourful facades, and Spanish colonial feel, this city immediately had an appeal of charm, interest and fun. It wasn’t long after dropping our bags at our lodging that we went off to discover a city that was sprightly and energetic. Bars full of vivacious and perky punters, interest restaurants and a couple of cigar dens offered automatic engagement.


Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua


In terms of an offering that was the Granada that we witnessed. A small but interesting town that has gone through a type of renaissance on the back of interest from travellers. As the visitors have moved in more money has been spent on the restoration of some quite impressive old colonial buildings, many of which have been painted in pastel colours, making for a vibrant and colourful destination. Outside of Granada there are things to do like hikes, ‘volcano discovery’, outdoor style adventures. Of these we actually chose to see an active volcano, which is what brought us to the Masaya caldera.

The complex volcano is composed of nested set of calderas and craters, the largest of which is the Las Sierras shield volcano and caldera, with one of the sub-vents being the Masaya volcano.


Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

Granada - Nicaragua

On the way to the Masaya volcano - Nicaragua

Masaya volcano - Nicaragua

Masaya volcano - Nicaragua


An interesting sight without being outstanding, it was interesting looking into the bowels of the earth and wondering what the hell truly goes on down there. Is this really a fair and true representation of all things ‘core’ to earth? Are we eternally going to be in ‘chill’ mode. A quick investigation tells you then by the time that our inner core ‘fully chills’ that our magnetic field will actually be lost and we’ll become susceptible to such things as the harmful particles that the sun throws at us. Food for thought huh?

In any case, back to Granada, a town that’s made for those who enjoy a casual stroll, a drink in the sun and absorbing what it has to offer. Definitely a stop worth a few days if you’re on the Central American trail.