The land of lakes and volcanoes - Nicaragua

In the 1980's, words like Sandinista, Contras, Ollie North, revolution, dictatorship came to mind when you thought about Nicaragua.  A brief refresher. The Contras were various U.S.-backed and funded right-wing rebel groups that were active from 1979 to 1990 in opposition to the Marxist Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction Government in Nicaragua, which had come to power in 1979 following the Nicaraguan Revolution. During their war against the Nicaraguan government, there were numerous examples of Contras committing human rights violations and using terrorist tactics. Supporters of the Contras tried to downplay these violations, particularly the Reagan administration in the U.S., which engaged in a campaign of white propaganda to alter public opinion in favor of the Contras. The rebels received financial and military support from the United States government. After U.S. support was banned by Congress, the Reagan administration covertly continued it. These illegal activities culminated in the Iran–Contra affair. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras. The Contras were defeated, and the Sandinistas retain power to this day. However, the current government is filled with corruption and nepotism.

I was looking forward to my four day stay in Nicaragua visiting both Leon and Granada.

Leon - León has been the intellectual headquarters of the nation, with a university founded in 1812, which is why it is known as " University City " or " Metropolitan City." It is also an important agricultural and trade center of Nicaragua. The city of León was the first city founded in what is now Nicaragua in 1524 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. We walked down the busy streets filled with vendors selling everything from clothes to shoes to food admiring the Spanish colonial style architecture.

The next day we geared up for a volcano hike to a lava crater.  30 kilometers from León, Volcan Telica is popular for hikes to watch the sun set behind the majestic line of Maribios volcanoes. The moderate hike also rewards with glimpses of glowing lava at the smoking crater's bottom, which last erupted in 2015. We walked on the edge of the volcano where lava is boiling at a depth of less than 120 meters. The Telica volcano is part of the volcanic chain that descends towards the south of the country and includes the volcanoes of Lake Nicaragua.  

Granada - before the US became involved in the Nicaraguan revolution, there was William Walker.  In 1854, a civil war was happening in Nicaragua as the Legitimists centered in Grenada and the Democrats in Leon battled for power. In Mexico, Walker tried to conquer the territories of Sonora and Baja California, calling it the "Republic of Sonora". This war ended in failure. In 1855, together with a group of recruits and slaves, he headed towards Nicaragua, a country that was immersed in a civil war, and fought on the side of the democratic side, which sought to overthrow the legitimist president Fruto Chamorro Pérez. However, as he advanced in his military campaigns, he managed to assume power through a rigged election, in which he was elected president of the nation for one year. William Walker's campaigns in Central America provoked Nicaraguan nationalism and a Central American unity.

Granada is located on the shores of Lake Nicaragua. Is home to multiple Spanish colonial landmarks that have survived repeated pirate invasions. The city’s main plaza, Central Park, is dominated by the colorful, neoclassical facade of the Cathedral of Granada, originally dating to 1583.  We walked through city center learning about William Walker.  

We also drove to the Pacific coast for a boat ride through the mangrove Forest to the coast where we visited a turtle hatchery and released several baby Ridley turtles back into the ocean.  

Fears aside, Nicaragua is completely safe to visit.  A country with rich history and amazing landscapes.  Unfortunately, much of the growth and improvements necessary to increase tourism is lacking due to a corrupt dictatorship.