We weren’t ready for Nicaragua. Not at all! And yet, we completely fell in love with this incredible country full of contrasts. In Nicaragua, we rediscovered why we travel: intense emotions, unforgettable memories, breathtaking landscapes, and dreamy wild campsites. For us, it all started at Telica Volcano. Come along as we explore Nicaragua and its volcanoes!
Friday, June 2, 2023
The border crossing into Nicaragua is known for being complicated. And well, it lived up to its reputation! 🤪 Upon arrival, the customs officer is sick and in a foul mood. When she finds out we haven’t filled out the document that’s supposed to make the process easier, it’s the last straw for her. So, she confiscates our passports and sends us to sit in the corner without further explanation. We’re being punished—nothing left to do but wait. 😐
We wait and wait. When she finally finishes dealing with the long line of people, she begrudgingly gets to us, and 20 minutes later, our Nicaragua visa is stamped… on a piece of paper, which she slips into our passport. Now, it’s time to deal with JP. And it’s total chaos! 🤨 Everyone keeps passing the responsibility around, sending us from one counter to another. We wait, we ask, we search, we wait some more. “Are you the ones on bicycles?” No! “Are you the ones with the cat?” No! We have to pay here, then there. Get one paper stamped, then another. A signature here, then over there. The customs officer who’s supposed to inspect JP opens the back door, takes one look, and suddenly seems too lazy to bother. He closes the door and says it’s good to go. Well, okay then!
We return to the office with our papers, relieved. Finally! Oh no, a signature is missing. A customs officer calls out to us over the waiting line: “Drone?” The dreaded question. But we have nothing to hide; our drone was sent from Honduras to Costa Rica. “No!” we reply. But the officer, smiling, knows the drill: “Sí, drone!” No! Sí? No! Rémi mimics an airplane: “Se fue el drone! Costa Rica.” Ah! He signs our paper but still notes “scanner,” indicating that the Jeep must go through the dreaded scanner to check if a drone is hidden somewhere. But in a twist of fate, just when we think we are heading for the scanner, we suddenly find ourselves at the exit. Final verification of our papers, and after 3 hours and 30 minutes of struggle, the gates of Nicaragua open for us!
Saturday, June 3
After the border, we didn’t get very far. We settled at a rest area by the side of the road. All night, the comings and goings of trucks rocked us to sleep. The only advantage was that we didn’t see anyone, so we didn’t have to pay anything. We drove to Chinandega to withdraw Cordobas, the local currency, do some shopping, and buy a SIM card. Then we headed to the Pacific Ocean to spend the night at William’s place, a Frenchman who owns a beautiful property in the hills.
We settle in his huge garden, under the coconut trees and especially… near the pool! It’s our first pool in a long time, and we’re making the most of it! At 38°C, the only place to be is in the water. We spend the afternoon by the water, resting and swimming, then once the sun sets, we cook a delicious fresh gazpacho. Oh, and I go to the hairdresser! Layered cut, balayage, blowout… Well, actually, Rémi just cuts the ends roughly (with much dedication 😘), but what a joy to shorten it in this heat! 😅
Then for dessert, we head up to the restaurant to enjoy a gem of local cuisine: a chocolate mousse! Well, okay, it’s not very local, and we can definitely taste William’s French touch behind this light, perfectly balanced mousse, not too sweet, accompanied by a few slivers of almonds and a scoop of vanilla ice cream 🤤 Anyway, you get it, a masterpiece! And to top it all off, William even offers us two shots of Calvados, directly imported from France and from his personal reserve. Just like home!
Sunday, June 4
There are places harder to leave than others! William’s little paradise is the perfect example. We’d stay another night, maybe two or even four, but the road calls. We still take the time to make some pancakes, have one last dip in the pool, and take a refreshing shower amidst the frogs. By noon, we’re ready to hit the road, and as a farewell, William gives us a beautiful French baguette. A baguette. It smells absolutely divine, and with our eyes closed, we could almost believe we’re back in a French bakery. Thanks again for your hospitality, William! 🙂
We stop on the way to eat some revisited Cantonese rice at a new restaurant run by a super nice young couple, the Rice Bambu. Rémi even gives them their first Google review! Then we leave the road to take… Oh wait, we just missed the entrance. U-turn! Fortunately, traffic in Nicaragua is very calm compared to its neighboring countries. It’s true that the police here don’t joke around! We’ve also noticed that the locals have the habit of flashing their headlights to signal roadblocks. And there are a lot of them! So, we leave the road to take a dirt path that cuts straight toward the Telica volcano. We pass through small villages, some houses, and weave between cows, dogs, horses, pigs, children, and carts.
Finally, the trail turns into a muddy and rough path that takes us to the foot of the volcano. The Telica volcano is currently the most active in Nicaragua. Its summit is crowned with a plume of smoke and clouds, and for now, we can’t see much. JP handles the climb like a pro, saving us from a strenuous 8-kilometer approach on foot. Once again, long live the 4×4 in Central America! 😁
And on top of that, we can camp at the foot of the Telica volcano. For the first time since Belize, we’re about to do some wild camping. Alone, in the middle of nowhere, far from everything. A few farmers pass by on horseback, and all greet us with a smile, which reassures us. Tonight, we pull out all the stops: to honor the baguette given by William, we bring out a pâté we’ve been saving for a special occasion. Or rather, for some good bread. The baguette is excellent, but the pâté is disappointing.
No time to feel sorry for ourselves, however, as thunder rumbles in the valley and could strike here at any moment. We take refuge under the tent for a wet evening (thanks to the rain!).
Monday, June 5
We wake up with our heads in the clouds. Everything is soaked, starting with the tent. We wait while having a hearty breakfast, and by noon, a miracle happens: the clouds clear, and Telica finally reveals itself in all its splendor!
Without wasting any time, we put on our hiking boots and set off to conquer the Telica volcano. The path is easy; it ascends gently, and we only encounter a few donkeys and horses grazing. In less than an hour, we reach the volcano’s rim. And there, astonishment. We find ourselves facing an immense void. Or rather, we sense an immense void behind a mass of clouds and smoke rising from the crater. It’s breathtaking. The edge of the Telica volcano is jagged and plunges steeply into unknown depths. The acrid smell of sulfur emanating from the crater stings our eyes and throat, and the low, continuous rumble resonates in our ears.
We were far from expecting such a spectacle, facing a volcano that looks so harmless from below. Here, there are no safety measures or warning signs. We would later learn that part of the volcano’s rim had collapsed recently due to erosion. It’s best, then, to keep our distance! We are alone facing the void. The smoke is so thick that we can’t see the bottom of the crater or gauge its size. However, we can feel the immense power emanating from the volcano. Nature in all its strength, just as we love it on volcanoes. It’s truly impressive.
After spending a little over an hour at the summit, we head back down. The valley spreads out before us, with the San Cristobal in the background, the highest volcano in the country, also quite active. We’ll tell you all about our wild adventure on San Cristobal in a future post! 😉
We return to the Jeep, where we cook a delicious bolognese sauce. The camp is packed up, the dishes are done, and we’re ready to hit the road. But at the last moment, an unexpected twist! The weather suddenly clears up, with a bright sun and no clouds in sight. A crazy idea comes to us: what if we went back up to finally see the bottom of the crater?
We hesitate for only a second before lacing up our hiking boots again. Three hours after our first ascent, here we are, climbing the slopes of the Telica volcano for a second time! This time, the motivation is at its peak because the window of time is narrow. At any moment, the weather could change. After all, it’s the rainy season! We make it up in almost 30 minutes. And there, in front of us, is the Telica crater, with its monstrous mouth plunging into the earth, continuously spewing its plume of smoke! Magnificent!
We didn’t know it, but if we had stayed at the summit until nightfall, we might have seen lava! But we quickly descend because the clouds are gathering rapidly. Already, the valley is completely covered. By the time we reach the Jeep, it starts to rain. We had packed up camp, but now we need to unpack it again because we’ll be spending another night here before heading to our second volcano in Nicaragua tomorrow, which promises some thrilling experiences!
