After my difficult decision forego my trip to Pearl Lagoon (this time!), I made a tentative plan to head back to the Pacific side of the contry, starting in Masaya, and seeing where I would end up at the end of my trip. Most of what I had hear about Masaya was that while some of the surrounding areas were worth a go, the city itself was nothing special, and could be done in a day trip from either Granada or Managua. Nevertheless, I decided to crash here for a few days, to see the sights and get my bearings. I hate to say it, but I was expecting a rather dumpy, boring town with nothing going for it.
Luckily, my expectations have been exceeded. While Masaya isn't quite the gem that, say, Leon is, it's nicer than I was expecting. The main draw to Masaya is shopping, both in mini-malls, and markets, and as a result, the city has a very modern, buzzing feel to it. There's a lovely parque central with outdoor restaurants and smoothie stands, and I have had some of the best meals of my trip here.
My main reason for passing through Masaya, however, was to visit Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya.
Home to several volcanoes and craters, Volcan Masaya is definitely
worth a visit. The main volcano is still very much active. It has erupted many times over history, the most
recent being in 2012. Back when the Spanish were settling what is now
Masaya, they feared the volcano, naming it La Boca del Inferno (the mouth of hell), and they even planted a cross at the top to ward off the Devil.
Before I arrived, I had read about visiting the volcano, which is constantly smoking away. I had even heard that on occasion, people have seen the liquid hot "magma" (sorry) boiling way down inside the volcano. This was a done deal for me. I paid $30 (pretty standard pricing, as I found out) for a guide to take me on a night hike (which runs from 4:30-7:30 because it gets dark so early here). I was all for the cooler temperatures, greater chances of seeing some sort of boiling lava phenomenon in the dark, and bat cave excursion, which was included.
It is possible to hike all of the way up to the volcano, but we took the slightly easier way: we hitched a ride with the park rangers (in the back of their pickup - sorry mom!), and then hiked to the top from the spot they dropped us off. The smoking volcano is quite something. There is a heavy stream of sulphur-y smoke, and I could immediately feel it in the back of my throat. It's recommended to only stay for a maximum of five minutes, as the smoke can really take a toll on your lungs. Duly noted.
The rest of the hike in the setting sun was pretty spectacular. I saw the different craters, and all of the massive black rocks from previous eruptions, covering a gigantic area of the mountain, stopping just short of the highway (I can't imagine how terrifying it would be to see it in action!)
Once it grew dark, we walked into a deceivingly deep cave. Before enterring, my guide warned me that there were bats - but not the vampire kind! Just little Stellaluna fruit bats. He made me promise I wouldn't cry. I confidently told him I was 90% sure I wouldn't. It was pretty surreal to stand in a pitch-dark cave with only a feeble flashlight, learning about how the Indigenous people had believed that a witch inhabited the cave, and therefore, virgins and children were once sacrificed there, as bats zoomed by, missing my head by mere inches. (FYI: still didn't cry)
But the best part? Leaning against a sketchy, falling-down railing at the lip of Volcan Masaya, looking way, way down, and spotting the unmistakeable glow of lava, boiling inside the volcano. It was a surreal experience, an amazing sight, and worth the strange looks I got when I made a Mordor reference.
The next day, I took another day trip to the Pueblos Blancos, or White Villages, named for the whitewash originally used on the buildings. Each village specializes in a certain artisan tradition (such as flowers, woodworking, ceramics, hammocks, and so on). Although there are about eight villages in total, I only visited a few. While I appreciated the handicrafts, smaller towns and houses, and apparent pre-Columbian influence, I think my expectations may have been a bit high (or I was in the wrong parts of the pueblas to really see the amazing stuff - this is entirely possible!) There is a beautiful walk around Lake Apoyo, and honestly, I would recommend it as a day trip, as it is interesting to have a look at the different handicrafts. Maybe just look more into it, and it will be more worth your while, rather than just hopping on a bus, like I did.
My last day in Masaya was reserved for checking out the markets. I had heard about the famous Artisan Market, and this was originally where I planned to go. However, my guide from the volcano hike tipped me off that this market was very tourist-centred, and therefore, more expensive. He mentioned that the Mercado Municipal Ernesto Fernandez is a better place to go - you're able to buy the same sort of items, but for way less. So that's what I did. I was expecting to be hassled by the vendors, but I was pleasently surprised that while they will approach you, they are no way in your face, and are content if you tell them you're just looking. Generally, bartering isn't a big part of the shopping experience in Nicaragua, but you can usually negociate here and there. The market is housed in a rather dark, run down building, but it felt very safe, not overcrowded in the least, and overall, was a much more interesting experience. Apart from handicrafts and souvenirs, here you can also purchase fruits and veggies, handmade shoes, dog food (!), bizarre-looking pinatas, and so on. (I did have one bad moment where I full-on dry heaved when the scent of some raw beef wafted my way. I'm sorry everyone!)
After the Mercado Municipal, I checked out the Mercado Artesanias, just for comparison. This is definitely the cleaner, more open and organized market, with open stalls, and organized displays. However, lo and behold, the items were basically identical, and I was glad that I had visited the other market first. It's worth a go, but pro-tip: always go to the local market when you want to spend money! It was safe and inexpensive...what more do you want really?
A quick shout-out to Nelson from Samaritan Tours: when I first arrived in Masaya, he approached me right away. Being the rather cynical traveller that I am, I assumed that there was going to be a catch of some sort. I'm happy to say that I was wrong. Not only did he give me directions to my hostel, tips about the markets, and a fantastic hike up Volcan Masaya, but he was incredibly genuine, knowledgeable, and liked my jokes and movie references. Would recommend!
Questions? Comments? Criticisms? I'd love to hear them all!
the-wanderingjew@hotmail.com
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