Now the Aventuras really begin

Bubbling mud + mountains + cold air + artisanal goat cheese + waterfalls + delicious Cuban food = Perfect road trip to begin our Aventuras with the new car!

On Saturday, Elder and I headed out after noon up towards Esteli, a town in the mountains a couple hours north. On the way, we stopped to check out the Hervideros de San Jacinto (boiling mud hot springs - yikes, watch your step!) and to eat at a restaurant famous for its "carne del monte" (literally meat of the mountains) such as snake, rabbit, monkey, armadillo, iguana. We tried the boa. Eh - not impressed. It was rather tough and stringy. And the place was kind of depressing, with cute animals locked up in cages out back.

So after that not-so-appetizing meal, we skedaddled up into the mountains over dirt roads to the little village of La Garnacha, known for its artisanal cheeses produced with Swiss techniques (you know that was the real draw for me!). On the way up, we gave a ride to three young women and a little girl, who still had 2km more to walk home after we dropped them off. The chattiest of the bunch acted as tour guide, telling us how she loved the smell of the pines and the sound of the wind in the trees up in La Garnacha, but that the cold up there was a bit much for her.

Sure enough, it got cooler and cloudier as we drew up into the mountains. We stopped for a short hike which led us through a forest of moss-covered trees and taller-than-me agave out to a breathtaking overlook where we marveled at the patchwork green valley below us and mist-covered mountains all around us.

Then on to the village where we stayed the night in a rustic cabin with uncomfortable beds. It was cold and rainy that evening, and I snuggled into bed wearing my pajamas for the first time in Nicaragua. We woke the next morning to warm sunshine and after a breakfast of beans, eggs, goat cheese, and pineapple juice, we hiked over to see the community's overlook - another amazing view.

After stocking up on their goat and cow cheese, we headed down the road to another spot in the Tisey Ecological Reserve - an Eco-Posada with a restaurant, rooms with much more comfortable beds (if we come back, we'll stay there!), a farm and a nursery where we bought a baby calla lily (my favorite flower) to plant in the garden here at home.

A steep climb through the woods brought us to another amazing look-out with an almost 360 degree view where we could see the gleaming city of Esteli down in the valley. Further down the road, we took another short but grueling hike (need to get in shape!) to visit the towering Estanzuela waterfall which pours out into a perfect swimming hole.

And finally, as a reward for all our exertions, we went into the city of Esteli to el Rincón Pinareño, an excellent Cuban restaurant where we enjoyed one of the best meals I've had in Nicaragua - the famous Cuban sandwich of ham, thinly sliced pork, mustard and pickle; tender roasted suckling pig with yuca, chicharron, and black bean soup - washed down with a cold glass of bright purple lemony pitahaya juice. Delicioso!

Finally, outside of Esteli on the way home, we stopped at La Casita, a beautiful cafe with a nursery, gardens, and a park out back. The main attraction for me was, of course - the cheese! They make their own cheese - including brie! - as well as yogurt and freshly baked loaves of wheat bread.

Driving back to Leon, the rain really kicked in - man does it pour here! At times it felt like the sky was truly angry, violently throwing buckets of water down at us. I drove slowly with the windshield wipers beating incessantly and we made it home by early evening.

The perfect road trip to kick off the Aventuras!



And as usual, here's a slideshow with more cool photos: