After breakfast at the local restaurant we discovered yesterday, and a dip in the Laguna de Apoyo, we headed out of one Volcano Crater into another!
Volcan Masaya is Nicaragua's most active volcano, with molten magma ominously bubbling and glowing deep in its crater whilst sulphur gas belches out in a huge cloud visible from miles around! Dangerously, and for just 100 Cordobas, we drove right up to the lip of Masaya's Santiago crater and looked over the edge into the 'Gate to Hell' as the Spaniards described it 500 years ago! They erected the Bobadilla Cross at the highest point of the crater - from where they allegedly threw many troublesome indigenous warriors to their death - in the name of God of course!!
Santiago belched extra fiercely in 2001 hurling larva 500 metres into the air, showering visitors and their cars, but he was well behaved today - although sulphur gas is well stinky! His last major eruption was in 1776 and the lava path remains today - tough black rock through which nothing can grow - flowing like a poisonous river down the volcano's cone and into the Laguna de Masaya several miles south.
We stayed at Las Cabanas Encantades de Nindiri inside the enormous El Vantarron crater, in a Cabana which looked great on booking.com, but turned out no so! No worries, we got ourselves a discount on the cost - and David found a WW2 Willys Jeep in a garage at the back of the compound! Bit of nostalgia for him!!
PS - The black hairy stuff in David's hand is apparently a by product of Volcano belching! it's prickly and sharp - and no doubt highly toxic! Thanks Amanda!!
