Spirit Airlines
My father always told me to take any opportunity presented. Well, Google presented me with a $395 USD round-trip flight to Managua (from Chicago). I took it; even though it was on Spirit Airlines. I have always avoided Spirit. And, flying the airline for the first time validated my reasons for doing so. I was flying to Managua on Thursday evening, June 23, 2016 via Fort Lauderdale. My flight was delayed; and no, it was not due to weather. Luckily, my connection was also delayed. Apparently, this is normal for Spirit, as all of their flights are expected to be delayed – almost like an unwritten rule. Oh well, out of my control.

The drunk screaming passengers made sure that I would not get a minute of sleep. I could not help but smirk when the Broward County Sheriff’s Office was removing said passengers off the plane upon arrival in Fort Lauderdale. I hope they made their connections? At the end of the day, if you have a nonstop flight, long connection, or flexible schedule, Spirit Airlines can save you hundreds of dollars on a flight. My travels are usually action-packed and allow no time for travel disruptions – so, I do not think I will be traveling on Spirit Airlines anytime soon.

Granada
I arrived in Managua just shy of 2:00 in the morning. I had prearranged a transfer since no public transportation was available at that hour of the night. Private transfers from the airport in Managua to hotels in Granada are pricey – about $45 USD each way in the middle of the night. If you wait until morning, you can walk over to the bus station and take public transportation for a dollar, or you can take a taxi (also pricey). The driver was timely and drove me straight to the Hotel Patio del Malinche in Granada. What a lovely budget hotel.

I paid about $150 USD for three nights, excellent customer service, full breakfast, and free wireless internet. The hotel is centrally located in Granada and also has a pool and a bar. Initially, I had planned to stay in Managua, but my research led to believe there was not much for me to do there. Granada was the place to be. Colonial-style, colorful buildings – I was not sure if I woke up in Antigua, Guatemala or in a new country. Déjà vu.

Leon
After three hours of sleep, I was awakened to leave for the day. A three-hour drive separated me from volcano boarding Cerro Negro. Volcano boarding (or sand boarding as some call it) was actually the sole reason for my trip to Nicaragua. Each year, I attend the Travel and Adventure Show. During one of my last two visits, I learned about volcano boarding. After some research, I also discovered that this activity was only available in Nicaragua (to my knowledge). I am sure that Nicaragua has a variety of tourist attractions country-wide, but volcano boarding was what drew me in. Volcano boarding tours from Granada are abundant and can be relatively inexpensive (about $65 USD). However, volcano boarding tours from Granada for one traveler for under $250 USD are near impossible to find. Solo travelers have the option to join a group leaving from Granada with the various tour operators, but for some reason, there were no group tours for me to join on Friday, June 24, 2016. I learned that most backpackers stop at the Bigfoot Hostel in Leon. The hostel offers daily group volcano boarding tours for about $31 USD. If I had more time, I would have stayed overnight in Leon and done the same. After days of searching, Costa Rican Trails (operating as Nicaraguan Trails) agreed to take me for $150 USD. And then, they canceled on me last minute, after they realized they agreed to take a solo traveler for that price. I ended up rebooking the tour with Vapues Tours for $201 USD. And, I am happy I did.

My guide and driver were wonderful people. I wish I wrote down their names so that I can recommend them specifically. Shy of three hours of sleep, my guide let me take a quick nap on the way to Leon. I woke up when we arrived at a gas station located on the outskirts of the city. I bought some water, and was moved to a 4×4. A short bumpy ride later, I was finally at the base of Central America’s youngest volcano, and one of Nicaragua’s most active.

From the base, the volcano looked small – after all, it is only about 712 meters (or 2,336 feet) above sea level. I was reassured that I would think otherwise when I finally reached the top. You have a choice between a stand up board, which has straps for your feet, or one that you can simply sit on. As a snowboarder, I wanted the one that you could stand on. But, my guide convinced me otherwise. He was right. I watched two people struggle to move inches, each time sinking into the ash instead of gliding. Go with the board that you can sit on or you will be very disappointed.

With the board and a bag of “equipment” (overalls, gloves, and goggles) in hand, my guide and I started the climb. The climb takes about an hour and is directed up the rocky side, and you eventually slide down the “sandy” side of the volcano.

The ascent offers stunning views over the Maribios volcanic range, and of the crater itself. At the top, you feel the heat, smell the gases, and you can see the smoke rising between the ashes. I also felt the adrenaline rushing through my veins. The descent looked steep. I gave in, and finally admitted to my guide that I was scared. I did not want to get severely injured or break any bones.

After a quick safety briefing, I handed my phone to my guide so that he could videotape me going down. Shaking, I drew the rope reins in, causing the sled to slow down. This probably was not a good idea since the sled started to wobble. I was told it was the wobbling that would cause a person to lose control and start rolling down the hill. I took a deep breath and let go. With sand flying everywhere, I made it down in one piece. I let out a sigh of relief and proceeded to clean my face and body from the black sand.

Was the experience all that I thought it would be? No, it was not. But, it is definitely something different; something that you cannot do elsewhere. At the end of the day, I would still recommend the trip and activity.

I only spent a couple of hours in Leon after volcano boarding. My guide left me at a local restaurant situated in front of a large, white church. I enjoyed a typical Nicaraguan lunch, and then proceeded to quickly walk through the historical streets of the city.

On the way back to Granada, my driver surprised me with a stop at the Masaya Volcano. Masaya is Nicaragua’s first and largest national park. Incredible. It was also the first time that I had seen lava in person.

Granada (Continued)
There are several attractions within close proximity to Granada, but there is not much to do in the city itself. I walked around the beautiful cobblestone streets, visited some cathedrals, and ate some delicious Nicaraguan food. I also took a walk to the waterfront, where I collected and ate mangoes that were falling off the trees. Delicious.

I booked a Las Isletas Boat Tour through Costa Rican Trails (operating as Nicaraguan Trails). The tour was only $30 USD, but I had to pay for two people in order for the tour to operate – the perks of traveling alone (sarcasm). Per the tour operator, Las Isletas consist of around 365 small islands that were formed 20,000 years ago by a massive volcano explosion. This is also where prominent Nicaraguans have their vacation homes and where the local fishing community makes a living. The tour stopped at a Spanish fortress from the 17th century and we fed some monkeys that lived in the area.

My trip was ending; I soon had to leave for the airport, as my flight left Managua at about 1:00 in the morning just a few hours later. Two days sure do go by fast. I sat down for dinner, where the server brought me a drink that I did not order. Turns out, an American couple sitting tables away saw me eating alone, ordered me a drink, and extended an invitation to join them for dinner. What I love most about traveling solo is meeting people. When you travel alone, you adopt a different mindset. You have to put yourself out there.