07/18 - 07/21
A few of us Nica 61ers met up in Matagalpa for the weekend. Matagalpa sits up in the North-Central region of Nicaragua in a valley surrounded by a beautiful mountain range. The city itself is home to a little over 100,000 people and is known for the coffee-growing industry of the region. So far, this has been my favorite destination of Nicaragua. Although it is a bustling city, the area is great for outdoors recreational activities.
Our first full day in Matagalpa, we went on a hike up one of the mountains that surround the city. We literally started walking from our hostel in the center of town near the Cathedral and continued up a steep hill through neighborhoods as the walk gradually changed from pavement to dirt roads. After about 30 minutes, we found ourselves at the base of the mountain ready to begin the "real" hike. Completely out of breath (I gave up on running every morning in Diriamba a few weeks ago), all I could think was, "We aren't done yet?". I was immediately regretting my choice to go out the previous night with the other volunteers. Later, I found that it was all worth it. The hike was absolutely beautiful, with sites of rivers and miniature waterfalls. Once we arrived at the top, the views of the city tucked inthe valley of green mountains was taking and definately worth the suffering.
The following day we went to Cascada Blanca which is a massive waterfall that is about a 45 minute bus ride from the bus station in town. The entrance fee was about $2 USD and you walk down constructed paths that lead you to this waterfall in the middle of the tropical forest. The path you follow leads you all the way around to a cave that sits behind the waterfall. EVERYTHING you have on you gets soaked from this walk but it is so worth it. We made sure to take turns leaving valuables with others further up on the trail. Most of us found little boulders to sit on while letting the freezing cold water crash onto our heads.
While waiting for the bus, which consisted of us waiting for 2 hours, soaking wet and freezing on the side of the highway, we noticed a sloth walkind across a telephone wire on the other side of the street. We were able to get within three feet of him and take a ton of photos of him having lunch. Fun fact: "sloth" in Spanish is "perezoso" which also means "lazy".
For dinner that evening we went to an Italian restaurant that had AMAZING pizza! Easily comparable to what I could find in the States. I may seem crazy to mention this but I've only had pizza one other time since I've been in Nicaragua and it was horrible. Finds like this make us overly excited!
A few of us Nica 61ers met up in Matagalpa for the weekend. Matagalpa sits up in the North-Central region of Nicaragua in a valley surrounded by a beautiful mountain range. The city itself is home to a little over 100,000 people and is known for the coffee-growing industry of the region. So far, this has been my favorite destination of Nicaragua. Although it is a bustling city, the area is great for outdoors recreational activities.
Our first full day in Matagalpa, we went on a hike up one of the mountains that surround the city. We literally started walking from our hostel in the center of town near the Cathedral and continued up a steep hill through neighborhoods as the walk gradually changed from pavement to dirt roads. After about 30 minutes, we found ourselves at the base of the mountain ready to begin the "real" hike. Completely out of breath (I gave up on running every morning in Diriamba a few weeks ago), all I could think was, "We aren't done yet?". I was immediately regretting my choice to go out the previous night with the other volunteers. Later, I found that it was all worth it. The hike was absolutely beautiful, with sites of rivers and miniature waterfalls. Once we arrived at the top, the views of the city tucked inthe valley of green mountains was taking and definately worth the suffering.
The following day we went to Cascada Blanca which is a massive waterfall that is about a 45 minute bus ride from the bus station in town. The entrance fee was about $2 USD and you walk down constructed paths that lead you to this waterfall in the middle of the tropical forest. The path you follow leads you all the way around to a cave that sits behind the waterfall. EVERYTHING you have on you gets soaked from this walk but it is so worth it. We made sure to take turns leaving valuables with others further up on the trail. Most of us found little boulders to sit on while letting the freezing cold water crash onto our heads.
While waiting for the bus, which consisted of us waiting for 2 hours, soaking wet and freezing on the side of the highway, we noticed a sloth walkind across a telephone wire on the other side of the street. We were able to get within three feet of him and take a ton of photos of him having lunch. Fun fact: "sloth" in Spanish is "perezoso" which also means "lazy".
For dinner that evening we went to an Italian restaurant that had AMAZING pizza! Easily comparable to what I could find in the States. I may seem crazy to mention this but I've only had pizza one other time since I've been in Nicaragua and it was horrible. Finds like this make us overly excited!
