by Amy Kimber
If you’re looking for an off-the-beaten-track adventure, the northwest corner of Nicaragua is an excellent place to start.
A mood of chaos and comedy permeates the roads in this part of the country, due partly to the frequent torrential downpours of the rainy season and the series of mud-filled craters buses are forced to traverse north of Chinandega.
If it is raining when you leave town, you shouldn’t be surprised to see dogs swimming through the intersection. But the absence of all but the most determined street-vendor ladies hawking food and drink at the frequent stops makes you realize the gravity of the flood.
You may also become a little anxious about the siege-like conditions passengers seem to be preparing themselves for, as huge sacks of flour, car tires, miscellaneous farm equipment and, more disturbingly, enough gasoline to last at least three months, are loaded onto the top.
But this is what you signed up for-a unique journey into the remote northwest corner of the country with no frills but many rewards.
It’s difficult to say which deserves the dubious title of The Worst Road in the Country —the route from Chinandega (two hours northwest of Managua by express bus) to Somotillo near the Honduran border, or to Potosi, nestled off the southern shores of the Fonseca Gulf— but both relatively short distances take the buses at least four hours to negotiate.
Upon entering the Reserva Natural Volcan Cosigüina, however, the bone-rattling journey suddenly seems worthwhile. Huge flocks of white garzas soar in formation over vast tracts of brilliant green wilderness with the blue Pacific Ocean rimming the distance. To the west, the sun sets behind the remnants of Volcan Cosigüina, which blew more than half its height on January 23rd, 1835 in an explosion that spread ash as far as Columbia. Once the largest volcano in Central America at more than 3,000 meters, it now stands at 860 meters.
The volcano and surrounding area came under the environmental protection of the Nicaraguan Government three years ago, with the assistance of funding from a program run by US Aid (the Co-management of Protected Areas Project).
From the bottom, the volcano does not look especially impressive, but it´s a solid three-hour hike from the village of Potosi, over a gradually increasing incline, to the top.
The walk begins through grassy fields filled with watermelons and a multitude of brightly-hued butterflies and progresses through canopies of guasimo trees, their long thin roots hanging from the topmost branches on either side of the path.
You may see school children riding horses to school or hear the melancholy coos of the small brown and white paloma birds among the happier twitters of more than a thousand different bird species that have been identified in the reserve. Today, the reserve is home to the only population of scarlet macaws this side of the Segovia Mountains.
The forest is also home to wild horses and the pisote, a potentially vicious fruit-eating mammal that looks a little like the Canadian racoon.
Be sure to wear long pants to protect your legs from the sometimes thorny and overgrown path. If you choose not to go with a guide, a machete is also a good idea, both for clearing the path and for protection against the poisonous snakes that have been spotted in the area.
Toward the top, the path opens up to the breeze and the first views of inland Nicaragua, Honduras and the Fonseca Gulf.
The view of the volcanic lagoon, with a 5,000 meter circumference of spectacular crags, and the El Salvadorean mountains in the distance is truly breathtaking. Falcons circle above the crater´s peaks and clouds cast momentary shadows over the green water below.
You´ll find the remnants of a lookout built 22 years ago by the Nicaraguan military over the Honduran border. The site was the location of a number of gunfights against guerillas from Honduras, but after the Sandinistas lost power the lookout and the military base in Potosi were abandoned.
Potosi itself, with a population of around 6,000 people, is not a village for those who prefer to stay in luxury. There are few accommodations and you are likely to be woken by the blaring horn of the 5am bus to Chinandega. The smaller village of Cosigüina, seven kilometers before Potosi, also has accommodations.
If the five-hour round trip hike seems too much, relaxing on Jiquilillo Beach, an hour and a half drive along the same road from Chinandega, is a wonderful way to spend time. Not too many gringos venture into these parts, so expect to be stared at if you are white —a small price to pay to explore untouched wilderness.
The unpaved road from Jiquilillo curves farther north toward the only hotel in the area, Hospedaje Los Zorros, and around an inlet used for shrimp farming, toward smaller villages and surfing beaches.
You can also hire a rancho for a negotiable fee, but it´s probably a good idea to bring your own food as it can be difficult to find somewhere to eat. The sunsets are spectacular and at night you can see fireflies drifting in the grass by the side of the road.
Nearby Punta Nata makes for an excellent day trip, with awe-inspiring 500 meter cliffs towering over the ocean. A guide can show you a path through the cliffs.
If you are arriving from Leon or Managua, you will need to catch another bus from the central bus terminal to the mercadito in Chinandega, where six buses leave daily for Potosi and Jiquilillo beach and one for Punta Nata.
