Mombacho Volcano near Granada, Nicaragua

There are 3 trails, short, medium and long which wind around the four craters of the volcano. I wanted to take the short trail, because I expected it to blow at any time and I didn't want to be up there when the molten lava starts to blow hundreds of feet into the air! The guides say it has not blown for 1500 years, but you can't trust them. I think it was probably only like 1000 years, so I wanted to hurry. There are many species of tropical plants to see, a few of which are only known in this area. I was outvoted and we did the medium walk, which is a combination of the short and long trails. Augustin & Jackee were our guides. In order to go on the “Puma” trail (the long trail), a guide is required and is well worth the small price on any of the trails. The Puma trail is only for those in good shape. They tell you the length of the trail, but what they don’t tell you is you will be going up several hundred meters (about 600 feet) in altitude. Whew! Don’t even think about it on a day when it is too cloudy to see the view, its probably not worth the effort. Even when it is cloudy on the short trail you can see many flower and plant species as well as hear the howler monkeys (which sound like a pack of dogs howling) and feel the hot, humid air blowing up through the old lava tubes. Word to the wise: it can get a little chilly and wet up there no matter what the weather is below. Also, wear comfortable walking shoes. To get to the volcano, you have to turn off the road and go a few kilometers to the landing. You pay about $15 per person to get in a Mercedes diesel truck with seats mounted in the bed and which leaves about 8:30 and 10:30. The brochure says it is closed on Monday, but they were open when we went there on Monday. The rest of the trip is pretty much straight up. I didn’t get a warm, fuzzy feeling when, half way up, grinding in granny-gear drive, the driver stopped and filled up a jug with water and went to the radiator, which was covered by plastic held with rubber bands instead of a cap and put some water in. The trip went without incident though and on the way down we stopped at the Las Flores Coffee Plantation gift shop, which is about half of the distance down. They have several coffees made and give free samples. It was good enough that I bought a pound. Also, the dark chocolate was some of the best I have ever tasted.