Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua

 

This morning we arrived in Puerto Corinto, Nicaragua. It is the only seaport for Nicaragua, so very busy with containers, but the cruise ship is somewhat separated. We have a tour this morning at 8:30 to the major city of Leon and the bubbling mud pots. We are grateful for the air conditioned bus. Our tour guide is Gerald and he speaks english very well. On the way he tells us all about the agriculture – sugar cane, coffee, cotton. Near the sea is swamp and it produces some black sea shell creature that is collected from the mud and the locals eat and apparently it tastes muddy, but they all like it. There are also many active and inactive volcano's in the country, and we go by San Cristobal which is active and spewing steam. Unemployment is high and making textiles and selling to tourists is a major way of making money. There are carts carrying stuff, little drink stands, and children begging all along the highway. Their homes are often connected and look run down(pic 1) but many have beautiful courtyards. We get to the city of Leon and stop at the central square. We go first to the cathedral, which doesn’t look like much from the outside (pic 2), but is beautiful inside, and we start climbing a very narrow stone stairway. We stop at 2 different levels and look at the view, and on the 3rd level we go out on the rooftop and can see all over the city and the surrounding countryside. It is very hot and no shade up here, so we are happy to go back down the stairs. Outside is a market of handicrafts – textiles and pottery. Much the same stuff we have seen all over except the pottery. Gerald tells us there is a good coffee house nearby, so we find it and have a cold coffee drinks. It is very refreshing, and sit in a little courtyard behind the counter – there is internet here, and many students. Next we are off to the bubbling mud pots (pic 4). It is a geothermal area at the base of one of the volcano's, which is only active on the sides and these mud pots. The area belongs to the gov’t, but there is a little town beside them and these people get the money from the tours – admission is $1. The children (pic 3) of the village follow you around and ask for a dollar. They also sell mud and artefacts supposedly found in the area. On the return drive Gerald tells us the history of Nicaragua, including the political regimes. It connected all the dots from the news stories I remember over the years. Once we returned we went for a little lunch – Joan’s tummy was a little upset as she wasn’t able to see the road from her seat on the bus. After a little rest she came with me to the local Corinto market – nothing new. We came back for a dip in the pool, and it was so refreshing – that’s 3 times in the pool for me. After a shower to remove the salt water it was time for happy hour. At dinner we sat with a couple from Red Deer, AB and a couple from Delta BC. The show tonight was a comedian by the name of Dave Konig. He was pretty good.