Weekend in Matagalpa

Two weeks ago we had our two days of orientation, which was about 1/4th orientation and the rest was getting lunch and going on a tour of Managua. Immediately afterward on Friday us four ISEP students left for the weekend for Matagalpa, which is about two hours to the northeast of Managua.

After a couple taxis, and a very crowded and crazy bus station we were on the bus headed away from the city. Although no one even checks your bus ticket when you get on, bus seating arrangements are surprisingly organized here and everyone is expected to sit in the seat assigned to them on their ticket.  

Everyone kept warning us of how "cold" it gets in Matagalpa since it's up in the mountains, but really
the air just cooled down to a bearably hot temperature instead of the roasting heat of Managua.

Finding anything in Nicaragua is always an adventure since things like street names don't actually exist here. When we got to Matagalpa we trekked through the city trying to find our hostel, La Buena Onda.

On Saturday we went in search of la Cascada Blanca (white waterfall) that we had seen on posters at the hostel. The posters advertised day trips for $35 a person, but we decided to do things the more adventurous/cheap way and go on our own. Finding the bus station, asking around for the right bus, and then the right stop was a little tricky but paid off since we ended up taking a bus for 15 córdobas (less than $1) and then paying only 50 cords ($2) to enter the property. We spent the day there swimming, hiking around the river and eating mangos and bread we brought from the market. The "ecolodge"there has been open for about 6 months and is really just a little restaurant/bar overlooking the waterfall but I got lunch including Nica coffee and a beer for under $4, so I definitely approve. 

The four adventurers

 

On Sunday we trekked Cerro Apante, a nature reserve just outside the city. I somehow forgot to take pictures the whole way up but there was a waterfall and beautiful forest. The hike wasn't too long but made up for it in sheer steepness, it was hard to keep your footing toward the top where it was the steepest. At the top there was a great view of the whole town of Matagalpa. 

I forgot to take pictures on the way up... oops

We walked all the way back to town, finding yet another bus station and caught a bus back to Managua  finally arriving home around sunset completely exhausted and ready for the first week of school.

-Kayla Duskin