Sailing a Crater

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As it is our last day as a group of five, we decided to head to the Lago de Apoyo (crater lake) then the city Masaya for the day. Tomorrow James, Justin, and Jeff will head to Ometepe then on to San Juan Del Sur while Matt and I take Spanish lessons. When we are done we will meet Justin in San Juan as Jeff and James fly out. It is the number one surf spot in Nicaragua so they will be surfing for the next few weeks. Matt had a really late night so he didn't join us today. After a quick breakfast we headed out in a collectivo (van bus). Lake Apoyo is quite the sight, being in an old volcano crater it is 900 feet deep and has many different fish in it. This is a little odd because it is isolated on the volcano with no intake or out flow rivers/streams. We payed 5usd to use a hostels dock and toys such as kayaks then went for a swim. It was very windy so we surfed on the kayaks and lounged about. There were some catamurans on the shore and we all were very enticed. For 20usd we could take the sailboat out for an hour. There was no question after that, we all jumped on and with a guide pushed off. What a ride, Jeff and I were soaked instantly as waves crashed over us! We did a square around the lake sitting on the edges of the sailboat. After most of the day on the lake eating pizza and swimming, we headed to the markets of Masaya. They are known for their leatherwork and wood carvings. This was perfect for Jeff because he broke his sandals last night and was walking in bare feet. I intended to buy some nice leather sandals too but ended up getting a leather wallet instead. Jeff got a pair for 10usd and we wandered for a time. After a guys shopping trip (30 minutes) we were done and headed back. I liked the artwork but with a backpack it would be impossible to take it home without ruining it. Back in Granada James and Jeff went for naps while Justin and I along with a new friend Tanya headed to the church. They have a huge bell tower so we climbed that to take photos of the city while the sun was setting. Later we headed for some dinner from the market and then back to the hostel.  

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