Mi Loca Aventura de Nicaragua el Día 2 (Part 1)
Before I continue retelling the tales of my Nicaraguan journey, I must apologize for not writing more entries sooner. You see, I was on yet another adventure...this time in Florida! I cannot wait to share what happened while I was there, however I must finish this story first.
Adrienne and I began our day with a delicious breakfast in the hotel's lush courtyard. As we enjoyed our cafe con leche's we discussed what the day would entail. I also gave her a quick pep talk regarding driving. The previous day's car issues made her a little hesitant to get back on the road, but we are both very optimistic people and we knew that in the end we would get to our destination just fine.
Can you imagine a prettier place to dine?
Cami joined us after breakfast for our drive to Masaya. Masaya is a quaint town about 45 minutes away from Managua. On the way to Masaya is Volcan Masaya, which is nestled in Nicaragua's largest and oldest national park. This volcano is thousands of years old and it is still active to this day. From miles away you can already see the enormous amount of sulfuric gas that is constantly being emitted into the sky.
Once we entered the park, we immediately began driving up a hill that led to the crater of the volcano. I was too busy appreciating my surroundings to notice that our car was not liking the steep incline. And before I could realize it the car stalled. We frantically tried to restart it, but to our dismay it refused to move any further. Cami made a call to Payless to let them know what was going on and while she was on the phone 2 park rangers happened to ride by us and kindly offer to help.
The 2 angels, I mean park rangers, examining the situation.
While the men were working on the car, I decided to walk around and take some pictures of the gorgeous scenery. I have to admit though it was a pretty strange feeling to be "stuck" on an active volcano!
I love this picture. When I look at it, it makes me feel like the roads in life are
endless and that anything is possible!
Within 10 minutes the men were able to get our car started AND up the hill. What miracle workers! We were beyond grateful and tried to offer them a monetary compensation, although they refused to accept it.
As we approached the crater the smell of sulfur was incredibly pungent. I had been at the base of an active volcano before, but never at the crater. It was definitely one of those unforgettable moments that you encounter while traveling. Here are some of my favorite photos of Volcan Masaya:
As we were walking around the crater I saw a sign near a ledge that said, "Danger, no one is permitted to enter this area." Adrienne started laughing, because she knew that of course now I had to go on the ledge. Except, not only did I go on the edge, I jumped on the ledge!
Andi versus the volcano!
Before we left, Adrienne and I wanted a picture of the 2 of us at this special place, so that we could remember the experience for a long time to come...
Then we left for Masaya. The city is named, "The City of Flowers," as the women are supposedly the most attractive in all of Nicaragua and thus are as beautiful as flowers. It is also known for being the heart of Nicaraguan handicrafts and having a not-to-be-missed market.
We strolled around the downtown area for about 15 minutes before visiting the market. School had just been let out and it was lovely to see all of the happy children running around with the biggest smiles on their faces.
The main 16th Century baroque-style church in Masaya.
Me in the main square.
The entrance into the market.
Inside we had to fight the urge to buy everything! We all agreed that we would each by 1 dress. I was so happy with the one I found. It was pink with embroidered white flowers all over it. I have no idea when I will ever where a traditional Nicaraguan dress, though I am sure I can find some occasion! We aimlessly wandered around the large market for about an hour when we realized that time was of the essence since Cami had to be back in Managua for some evening classes, so we needed to make our way to Granada quickly.
We walked back to our car with our new prized possessions and began the short onward drive to Granada. I could not have been more excited, as Granada is considered to be the oldest city in the Americas!
To be continued...
Adrienne and I began our day with a delicious breakfast in the hotel's lush courtyard. As we enjoyed our cafe con leche's we discussed what the day would entail. I also gave her a quick pep talk regarding driving. The previous day's car issues made her a little hesitant to get back on the road, but we are both very optimistic people and we knew that in the end we would get to our destination just fine.
Can you imagine a prettier place to dine?
Cami joined us after breakfast for our drive to Masaya. Masaya is a quaint town about 45 minutes away from Managua. On the way to Masaya is Volcan Masaya, which is nestled in Nicaragua's largest and oldest national park. This volcano is thousands of years old and it is still active to this day. From miles away you can already see the enormous amount of sulfuric gas that is constantly being emitted into the sky.
Once we entered the park, we immediately began driving up a hill that led to the crater of the volcano. I was too busy appreciating my surroundings to notice that our car was not liking the steep incline. And before I could realize it the car stalled. We frantically tried to restart it, but to our dismay it refused to move any further. Cami made a call to Payless to let them know what was going on and while she was on the phone 2 park rangers happened to ride by us and kindly offer to help.
The 2 angels, I mean park rangers, examining the situation.
While the men were working on the car, I decided to walk around and take some pictures of the gorgeous scenery. I have to admit though it was a pretty strange feeling to be "stuck" on an active volcano!
I love this picture. When I look at it, it makes me feel like the roads in life are
endless and that anything is possible!
Within 10 minutes the men were able to get our car started AND up the hill. What miracle workers! We were beyond grateful and tried to offer them a monetary compensation, although they refused to accept it.
As we approached the crater the smell of sulfur was incredibly pungent. I had been at the base of an active volcano before, but never at the crater. It was definitely one of those unforgettable moments that you encounter while traveling. Here are some of my favorite photos of Volcan Masaya:
As we were walking around the crater I saw a sign near a ledge that said, "Danger, no one is permitted to enter this area." Adrienne started laughing, because she knew that of course now I had to go on the ledge. Except, not only did I go on the edge, I jumped on the ledge!
Before we left, Adrienne and I wanted a picture of the 2 of us at this special place, so that we could remember the experience for a long time to come...
Then we left for Masaya. The city is named, "The City of Flowers," as the women are supposedly the most attractive in all of Nicaragua and thus are as beautiful as flowers. It is also known for being the heart of Nicaraguan handicrafts and having a not-to-be-missed market.
We strolled around the downtown area for about 15 minutes before visiting the market. School had just been let out and it was lovely to see all of the happy children running around with the biggest smiles on their faces.
Finally, we made it to the much anticipated craft market, otherwise known as El Mercardo de Artesanias, which happens to be located inside what used to be the old market. It is found near the center of the city and is impossible to miss with its large brick walls that are fortress-like.
We walked back to our car with our new prized possessions and began the short onward drive to Granada. I could not have been more excited, as Granada is considered to be the oldest city in the Americas!
To be continued...
WOW! Mi Amor, what a fabulous blog entry!! It certainly is bringing back fond memories of our time in Nicaragua for me
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