Somoto Canyon Big Adventure

We had a big time in the canyon today!  Getting here was part of the fun, by chicken bus of course.  Usually bus stations are chaotic but the Esteli station was calm so I took some pictures of all of the old American school busses that get a new lease on life in Central America.

The ride took just over 2 hours stopping for everyone and everything, and cost 1$ each.  The guide from Somoto Canyon Tours met us at the bus station in Somoto as promised and drove us out to the cabins on his property for us to spend the night.

They were clean and safe, had a front row seat on the Pan American Highway, and were situated 3 miles from the Honduran Border.  In addition to trucks, motorcycles, and horse carts in the front yard there were all manner of farm animals meandering though the property with their accompanying noises and smells.  Some were pettable which always makes Maya happy.

The attraction in the area is the Somoto Canyon.  A four hour tour hikes through lush hills with stunning vistas, but the majority of the time is spent in the water wading, boulder scrambling, jumping of ledges, and floating. The floating was the very best part.

It starts with a short walk along the highway

Passing the local soccer field along the way.  Yes that is a donkey.

Wandering along livestock paths.

Making our way down to the river.

Feeling  excited at the beginning of the best part.

Then came the first jump.  Everyone wanted Luis to go first.  He took his time mustering up the courage but he led the way.

We all made the jump, about 30 feet.  I will admit it was terrifying of course, but I knew I would never live it down if I chickened out.

The home stretch on the water is done by boat. Then another 2km walk back to the guides house. 

We took a rest and got a ride back to town in the back of a pick up truck.

We are staying at Hotel Panamericano in Somoto in 2 rooms, 15$ each.

Bare bones and dumpy but I was feeling super happy about that low price, and just for a night so who cares, it is clean and safe.  Somoto is super tiny, with a cute Central Park and an adobe cathedral dating from 1616.

Feeling a little Meh.

A few street scenes and murals again.

Topping off a great day with a basket of puppies.

Getting to Know Esteli Part 2

The boys are on the mend, but now what ever they had has hit poor Maya who spent the day in bed...it's only a matter of time before it gets me too! But for now I am well and had a whirlwind day of two tours to make up for lost time.

I'm not necessarily into cigars but I know some of the best is the world are made right here in Esteli so a tour of a cigar factory was on the agenda.  We used a socially responsible tour company (Treehuggers) that pays fair wages, tours places where workers are treated well (not sweatshops), and which uses profits to put into the community projects it supports, for example a library bus or micro lending programs.

The cigar making process is pretty cool from the box making, to drying, to the rolling.

There were just 5 of us on this tour so we were able to see a lot and ask questions.  The factory is a smaller operation employing 50 people.

A cigar rolling team is always made up of a man and a woman.  Together they will roll about 500 cigars a day.  He gathers the prepared tobacco leaves, into an experienced handful, rolls them in a belt contraption thing and puts them in a rack.  She then takes the roughly rolled stogie and wraps a carefully selected leaf as an outer wrapper, glues one end shut with a yucca based glue, and stacks them in piles.  Other guys come around and collect them in bundles of 50 and bring them to a labeling and packing room.  

Not sure what we will do with these but I couldn't help but buy some.  They were 1$ each, except for the commemorative cigars with the black and red label celebrating 37 years of Sandinista power.  Those were 2$.

Using a flyer I saw posted in town I contacted Highland Tours to take me on a walking city tour.  I will tell you that I have never paid for anything like that preferring to figure it out myself.  This time though I am so glad that I did.  The guide was just starting his tour business and it was very very good.  I was mostly interested in a mural tour of Esteli, which is covered in murals and is well known for them. I like street art and these were some of the best ones...

See those holes? Genuine bullet holes from the revolution.

So many murals, I took a picture of just about every one that I saw.  

Like many Latin American cities Esteli is block after block of cell phone shops, jewelry stores, and used clothing stores.  In fact second hand stores are everywhere here.  Where do all these used clothings come from? The US and Canada....from charities that ship it down here in giant bales of clothes that are then sold to small shops to resell to the public.

It's like a Salvation Army explosion.  These are all bales of used clothing from America. Bales and bales of it.

I also met some artists who make mosaics out of pieces of colored corn husks, pretty unique material.

No one In the family was well enough to go so I did this tour by myself.  It was pretty fun and I didn't have to worry if anyone else was having as much fun as I was so I consider it a win.

Maya was still in bed when I returned but the boys were ready to go out. I took them to the cafe I have been frequenting for granitas.

Then a little street food snack which was outstanding.

And lastly the three of us went out for a final Esteli dinner at a restaurant serving inexpensive traditional foods.  Super good.

Eating the food and meeting people are some of the best parts of traveling.

Tomorrow we have an early bus to Somoto to stay for 2 nights and a 4 hour rock scrambling, boulder jumping, river floating adventure!