We ventured out in search of volcanic action today at Masaya Volcano, the most active volcano recently in Central America. Rumour has it that you can drive right up to the crater lip and park your car facing out "just in case". When we arrived at the entrance gate we were greeted by security guards who told us in Spanish that it was closed. When we returned to Granada later that day we understood why...the lava has risen 15 feet this week, and they are playing it safe. It last erupted in 2001.
Instead we drove to an amazing crater lake nearby called Laguna de Apoyo, a beautiful fresh spring water lake inside a volcano that blew its top off hundreds of years ago. We drove thru small villages up the volcanoes side and then over the lip and down down down. There are lovely little villas here that you can stay at for the day and night, and we found a lovely one called San Simeon. It had terraced levels leading down to the lake and we worked our way past private cabanas, hammocks and chairs and found ourselves with a lovely view for lunch. We swam in the choppy warm water and giggled at the thought...we're swimming in a volcano! We relaxed here for the day and enjoyed the solitude and the relaxation, swinging side by side in hammocks. The cool breeze was a real respite from the hot heat of Granada!
Nicaragua may be undeveloped for tourists in many ways but we are really enjoying little paradises like this that are quiet and not expensive. The service is typically slower than ever but what's the rush? We are in a beautiful place enjoying the solitude, knowing how lucky we are to be here.