Vistas of Nicaragua

One of the few things that the central American nation of Nicaragua shares with the Pacific Northwest is the abundance of volcanoes. After all, it is the same ring of fire that stretches down from the Alaskan coast through the narrow isthmus of Central America down to Patagonia. And by virtue of being in the tropics, the volcanoes of Nicaragua can be ascended year around, unlike those of the Pacific Northwest.

Here are views from and of two volcanoes, Concepcion and Mombacha, that dot the Nicaraguan ring of fire.

Nicaragua

High Above Nicaragua

View fullsize

The volcano was mired in clouds and fog as we were climbing up during the wee hours of dawn. Not that we could have enjoyed the views - the steep sprint up slushy terrain, rocky scree, and thick vegetation had left us pretty exhausted. And the possibility of not having any views from the top of the Concepcion volcano in Nicaragua had dampened our spirits as well.

Then, just we were about to descend, the skies opened up. Lake Nicaragua, the largest inland water body in the country, stretched before us, with the mainland visible far in the distance. Puffy white clouds were floating lazily above the lake and the distant landmass. And it was only now did we appreciate the steep ascent we had made, and the steep descent that we were about to face.

Volcan Concepcion

Rivas, Nicaragua