What's Happenin' in Nicaragua!
Welcome to Nica Land, an inside view of what's going on in Nicaragua... the property, the people, and the reality of living the dream.

 

Braving the mountain August 12, 2008

Hi everyone, and welcome back to Nica Land. For those who are just joining us, my name is Kassidy, and my good friend Chanelle and I are committed to showing you the land that Dale's been telling you about, and what's happenin' down here in Nicaragua.

It's been a busy couple of weeks filled with fun and exploration. There is so much to see here that it would take years to discover, including the hovering mountains and vast valleys of southern Nicaragua. Every day that I drive to Hacienda Iguana from Gigante, I pass by La Majosa, the stooping giant overlooking Iguana. I heard rumors that you could see the Caribbean side of Nicaragua from the top, and Dale told me stories of traversing it on horseback years ago. To get a better idea of my bearings, I had to do it. With my other adventurers by my side (or in front of me rather) we began the trek with a super tranquilo Nica named Rafael. He came along with his machete to help us find the trail, and it didn't seem to phase him at all that he was about to climb straight up for a 3 hour round trip.

As i dug my boots into the natural stone stairs of the incredibly steep Majosa, my breath was short and my vision blurred. The sun wasn’t saturating this area, but there was little breeze because of the overgrown brush that blanketed the trail. My friend Morgan stayed with me and told me about the archeology of the path and how paths like this are how a road begins...a part of history, the more and more years that the locals traverse it. I hung on to his every word, concentrating only on the sound of his voice to keep me from passing out. This trail was literally straight up with no landings for a break. Of course Rafael is basically running up it in his jeans and flat shoes. Of course through the whole thing, he had not one sip of water or a bite to eat. This, for him, was an everyday thing. After this, he probably had a whole field to clear with his machete. This, for me, was enough exercise to last me a month.


An hour later, calves burning and and in sweat drenched t-shirts, we chopped our way to the summit. I snapped out of my meltdown and realized how far up we had just gone.... incredible. High in the clouds we hung over the cliff that showed us Gigante, Hacienda Iguana, Rancho Santana, Tola, Rivas, Lake Nicaragua, and the island of Ometepe. Rafael said that on a clear day, the Caribe would show itself too. This particular mountain, is part of a finca owned by local, Steve Snyder, who told me it's also filled with three toed sloths and monkeys. It truly is an amazing specimen of natural beauty and part of the many gorgeous landscapes that Nicaragua boasts, besides it's white sandy beaches.

I bought Rafael two liter’s of Toña for his kindness and delivered them on a Sunday....perfect day in Nica for a couple beers. I think he was pretty thrilled, as he waved like a crazy man at me this morning from the field as I drove by.

Come visit us down here and see what all the talk is about!









At the top of the Mahosa, overlooking Iguana


Sunset over Gigante