Granada and Laguna de Apollo

Well firstly, I suppose I should apologize for waiting so long to update my blog. Since I last wrote I have traveled through Costa Rica and a good part of Nicaragua. I spent several weeks at a fairly isolated beach called Popoyo and am now in the City of Granada. If I have time I will go back and fill in the details of my travels, but for now I will update you on the last few days.

I left Popoyo early Monday morning as Semana Santa drew to a close. The road out it typical of a Central American coastal road, that is to say barely a road at all. It consists of asphalt with so many potholes the locals drive beside the road if possible and the odd patch where the asphalt has been completely eroded and now there is just dirt. I have discovered that there are two approaches to driving on such roads. Option A is employed by the more prudent driver involves a painstaking attempt to avoid as many potholes as possible. Option B is slightly more reckless, simply gun the vehicle in as straight a line as possible, suspension be damned. My driver on the way out happily opted for option A and both I and my surfboard arrived in Rivas in one piece.

I hopped on yet another chicken bus for the hour and a half ride to Granada. Situated on Lake Nicaragua, Granada is one the countries jewels. The Architecture harks back to the colonial period and recent restoration coupled with new paint in the requisite bright colours and white trim means the city has a rather civilized feeling.

This is only emphasized further on entering any of the high ceilinged houses as wicker rocking chairs and ceiling fans descending on long arms adorn the interiors. Perhaps it is my English roots but I always expect to see someone requesting a, "spot of tea" in such surroundings.

There is a lively market, situated in the remains of a dilapidated building, that sells everything including kitchen sinks. There is also a wonderful and frugal food mall for want of a better description. Mall does not quite do it justice as it has a slightly more thrown together feel than the word implies. The food, however, easily exceeds the fare available in a western equivalent in quality if not in variety.

After two days spent wondering the city streets I opted for a day trip to Laguna de Apoyo, a lake that sits inside the crater of a now inactive Volcano. The water is a balmy 28 degrees and contains sulphur. My Canadian host assured me the sulphur would do wonders for my skin, but also eat rapidly through my sunscreen, a double edged sword if ever there was one.

The crater is said to be some 200m deep and home to at least three species of fish that are unique to the Lagoon. I wonder about these claims on occasion. Nicaraguans also claim to posses the only lake with Freshwater sharks. I am aware that the same species of shark inhabits freshwater in both the Zambezi and Florida, whether it has made into a lake is another question, but I approach such bold claims with at least a modicum of skepticism.

I spent a relaxing day around the crater and have now returned to Granada. I will spend another day here and then head back to the coast. Two friends from Canada have just arrived in Central America on their own trips, and I would like to meet up with them.

I will strive to update this more often, but I am keeping a Journal too and by the time I have written that the last thing I feel like doing is sitting in front of a Computer and attempting to retell the same story.