Coming Up?

The black water running down the drain with some white foam topping it from the soap, little by little I wash off the ash and black sand of Cerro Negro Volcano from my body.
After a good half an hour under the shower, I feel fresh and clean.  Then coming out of the bathroom, I see my shoes and my socks; you cannot tell anymore that they were once white,  they are black now.  This brings me back to the morning when the adventure started. 
We arrived at 9am in Corinto, Nicaragua.  The largest cargo port in Nicaragua.  To leave the port with our tour coaster bus is an opportunity to see all the trucks coming in and out with the goods. Corinto port town is simple, with some local business but no real tourist attractions. However, a good way to explore it is to take an eco-taxi.  The locals adapted bikes that look like a tuk tuk and are used to transport people to their destinations.
During the 2 hours’ drive to reach Cerro Negro, you pass by many sugar fields, some small properties, you see some cattle along the road and chickens, which remains me of the famous local transportation: the chicken buses. That is right, they transport still more than people! And you know how many people fit in this buses? Always one more!
Reaching closer to the volcano, there are some sparse small properties. The kids are running around in the yard, waving to us. It seems a happy and piece full life.  People are content with what they have and seem to make the most of it.
The main economic source of income is the agriculture and tourism is starting to play an important role. The minimum wage approx. $300 per month, which gives a good picture of the reality in Nicaragua.  Just Haiti is poorer than this country in Latin America.
The closer to Cerro Negro the more remote is the area, the less habitats, the dirt road is narrow, only small vehicles can come through. In the horizon, the volcanos are getting more impotent. Nicaragua has more than 25 volcanos from those seven are active. Cerro Negro’s last e eruption was in 1999. He has been quite for the last decades, there is just some steam coming out of the crater.
Upon arrival, there is an entrance gate to the park where they to a check in control and restroom facilities. Thereafter it is just a few minutes’ drive and there you are, at the foot of the mountain. It is very important to have at least two bottles of water with you, hat and sun lotion. It gets very hot during the day.

The hike up is kind of around the mountain and up. The trail goes over rocky terrain, loose gravel. It can be quite challenging.  It takes over an hour to reach the top, the mountain is over 600 meters and what an amazing feeling it is: the breeze, the view, the power of nature, the celebration of the achievement.

After appreciating the stay at the top of Cerro Negro is time to make the way down. The route is not the same as the one that you came up. The trail is down the sandy side of the mountain and it takes less than half an hour down, then you slide down. It is a lot of fun. Next time, I will do the Sandboarding; it is a speed ride down the mountain.

Once you reach the bottom, it is time to take off shoes and take out all the sand and look back amazed to the power of this mountain.

Our trip continued to the  colonial city of Leon, where we had lunch and some free time. Leon is another amazing destination not to be missed.

My thoughts get interrupted by the phone, duty is calling. Until a next adventure!