Cerro Negro

Yet another great thing about Leon (and another reason so many people stay longer than intended--wish we could, too!) is that it is SURROUNDED by volcanoes, and there are all kinds of trips you can take to various ones for various activities. Next time I come to Nicaragua, I'm going to leave time for the overnight trip that lets you watch sunset, camp, and then watch the sun rise from a volcano rim. This time, we did the more standard volcano daytrip from Leon: volcano boarding!

 

It's basically sledding, but down an active volcano called Cerro Negro.



 

First you have to climb up it, carrying your (unfortunately heavy) sled, protective gear, and lots of water. That was the least fun part.

But the ample reward was the incredible views along the way and from the top--including of other volcanoes in the region, fumaroles of Cerro Negro, and the main crater.

Once we'd taken all the pictures we could take and were tiring of the crazy wind and relentless sun, we donned our lovely protective suits, gloves, and goggles (and, for me, a very attractive hat, too!)...

...and down we went!

They had a radar gun to clock everyone's speed, and I went a measly 30 km or so, but that was fast enough for me, and I loved it. At the bottom, we all looked like we'd just finished a day of work in the coal mines.

During a picnic lunch at the visitor's center, we got to see an iguana farm (don't get attached; these guys are going to be dinner for some appreciative Nicaraguan)...

...and bond more with the great group of people who were on the adventure with us. I just LOVE being around travelers.

We all had so much fun that we made plans to meet up again that evening and hang out together. We thought it was hilarious that among us, there were (from left to right), Jason Statham, Jimmy Fallon, and Christian Bale look-alikes. Lots of digital space wasted on photos like this.