Volcan Mombacho

Not many people can say that they climbed a volcano last weekend.  Well, I guess quite a few people could say that, really, but we're still very proud of ourselves.  Mombacho looms over the city of Granada, and would be a pretty scary sight if it wasn't dormant.  Scientists think it had one great cataclysmic eruption about 20,000 years ago, blowing its cone and spraying huge chunks of earth and lava into Lake Nicaragua (the origins of the lake's beautiful isletas).  It last erupted in the 1500's, devastating a small village before calling it quits for good.

It's about a 8 kilometer hike up the mountain from where the bus drops you off, or you can opt for one of the military-issue 20 passenger trucks with enormous tires and very low gears (the grade up the volcano is VERY steep).  Jenna and I decided to hike, since we consider ourselves to be young and healthy.  It turns out "foolish" is also a good adjective for us.  We made it about 4 kilometers up the mountain, to an organic coffee farm, where we flopped down exhaustedly into rocking chairs and drank some nice fresh coffee. 

Then we caught a truck to the top, where thick clouds shrouded the lush green precipice of the mountain. While we didn't see any wildlife or any spectacular views due to the cloud cover, we did experience the mystical disorientation of stepping into another world.  The top of the volcano was deep green, dark, chilly, and foggy.  For the first time in months it would have been nice to have a sweater!