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Published: August 21st 2008
Leon
mausoleo de los heroes y martiresIt doesnt matter how far you go or how short you assume the journey, for some reason it always takes a day! My trip up to Matagalpa was just that!
I left Leon on a local bus and headed to San Isidro, as apparently i could get another bus from here! a faster bus was heading to Esteli, but I had to wait an hour.
Several hours later I am dropped off on a major highway junction...I´m used to this by now and my, slowly developing, Spanish is put to the test once again. I glance over my shoulder to see the Esteli bus just on our tail...Well spending time on a bus is just as much fun as sitting at the bus station with a heavy pack. Oh! When I say bus station, what I really mean is hot, dusty bus park with numerous market stalls and food sellers and everybody shouting at once...You have to have your wits about you!
The bus journey is like any other...slow with constant stopping and ceaseless amazement at how many people, bags, baskets, sacks and chickens you can fit on...and still the conductor can make his way through with his large wadge of
Leon
murals are everywhere cash collecting fares. As with most countries, a 3 hour journey costs less than a dollar.
Its not long however, until a bus comes destined for Matagalpa! Off again! Oh, now I´m taking taxis from the bus terminals, at 50 cents they´re quite a bargain!
I spent the day at Selva Negra, a coffee plantation just outside Matagalpa. This place is amazing and I spent a good few hours wandering the trails around the property. Most of the land is protected rain forest and some of the sentados were quite tricky...I felt like a little kid again, squelching through the mud! It was wonderful to wander and hike in a safe environment. There are so many warnings everywhere in Central America to not hike alone or without a guide (usually an armed youth!) It makes it very difficult, or expensive to go hiking, but here is perfectly safe! Some of the trails are quite hard involving scrambling rocks and muddy, slippery landslides! All in all it was a great visit, finishing off with the local coffee in the cafe overlooking the lake...an incredibly tranquil place.
Matagalpa is a bustling town and the people are friendly and curious. I always get
Leon
FSLN flag people calling at me, but not the hissing I was expecting! Always hello or goodbye in Spanish or English. There are very few tourists here and even fewer white faced, blond haired women. I know the machismo is there but, fortunately I don´t see it!
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