We met with our guide at 7 in the morning and proceeded to walk towards the lesser of the two volcanoes on the island. With gallo pinto in my belly, and Denielle fuelled by pancakes, we were in for a 9 hour round trip, deep into the belly of the beast. It would turn out that Volcan Maderas was lesser only in elevation and not experience. Extinct for over 800 years, the hot spot had shifted to the taller, still active Volcan Concepcion on the north side of the island, allowing the jungle to take over. Our trip here began when we boarded the ferry in San Jorge, on the west side of Lake Nicaragua. The winds, as always, blew strong and upon leaving the safety of the harbour, the ferry began to rock violently side to side. Fears of the car sliding off into the side were quelled once the boat turned to face the six foot swell head on. The waves on this side of the lake were the biggest we had seen in Nicaragua so far, and this was on the lake and not in the ocean. We offloaded the car and drove across the island on some of the worst roads we have encountered to date and found a nice hostel right on the water for 10 dollars a night where we could hike straight up the volcano first thing in the morning.
Having no real idea of what to expect other than the length of the hike, we began with great anticipation for what lay ahead. As the path elevated and the trees enclosed, we heard our first indication of the monsters on the island. Of course there are monsters on an island formed by not one, but two volcanoes in the middle of a tropical lake. Close your eyes and think back to the first time you watched Jurassic Park, now open your eyes and you are there with us. We climb higher and higher towards the ever present clouds that shroud the top of the volcano. As we get higher, the prehistoric roars grow louder, and closer, then quiet and further away. Several hours in, our path now consists of nothing more than a plethora of roots and mud, straight up a ridge not more than two meters wide with either side falling precipitously off to oblivion. This is no Sunday walk in the park. Hooking into roots with the hands while the feet slip helplessly off the mud and the clay, we slowly work our way to what I think, and what Denielle hopes is the top of our ascent.
Well within the clouds now, every step threatens to sink under the mud, filling the shoes, only to suck back, ready to claim the next foot. It is clear that we are on the top now, but we do not stop. Now we descend into the crater, going down now more treacherous than going up. The clouds briefly open below and give us a vantage point of the lake that lies within the crater a few hundred meters below. With bellies grumbling we continue on ahead. After hours of climbing vertical pitches of mud encased root ladders, our guide now tells us to be careful because the next section is “dangerous”. Denielle’s eyes open wide because the past few hours have been anything but safe. One slippery misstep here now results in relentless tumble into the crater. Dangerous now only because there are no tangled roots reaching out to abate your fall. But we arrive unscathed, ever so slowly, to the bottom of the crater and quiet the monsters within our bellies.
A few hours later, just before the end of our tour, we come upon the source of the monstrous roars. Two small howler monkeys perched silently in a tree, staring inquisitively at us down below. These are not monsters at all, but the monsters must be somewhere on the island. The giant insects in our hotel room could be mistaken for monsters. I thought I saw a bat fly across the room and land on the wall, but it was only a moth no smaller than my hand. Huge. Anyway, If you have a chance, google howler monkey sounds to get a taste of the feeling. Remember to close your eyes and picture yourself in the middle of Jurassic Park. We arrived back at our hotel soon after encountering the monkeys, covered in mud, rather caked in it from head to toe from slipping and sliding carefully back down the volcano. This day was an adventure and an experience that will not soon be forgotten. Denielle seems to have had her fill of steep slippery volcano hikes, but I still yearn for the peak of the bigger active Volcan Concepcion. After a day of rest, perhaps kayaking up the river to see some wildlife, we may venture to the north of the island so I can make an attempt on the peak and discover the true monsters of the island.
Tyler.
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