Volcano Boarding, and other mini-adventures, in Leon

After my last day at school and a fun weekend in Granada with all of my favorite things (friends, good food via barbecue, drinks, and some dancing), I decided to go to Leon for a few days. My volunteer days were over, and I was looking forward to a free week to just travel and get to know more of Nicaragua.

The second largest city in Nicaragua, Leon is kind of a tourist trap like Granada but with a completely different flavor. There is no main tourist strip like the Calzada in Granada, but there is a distinct culture, a discreet feel to it unlike any other Nicaraguan city. It was a key location during the revolution and civil war in the late 70s, and you can still feel that heat, both literally and figuratively, bubbling just below the surface.

The first afternoon there, I booked volcano boarding at Cerro Negro with Bigfoot Hostel. That sentence probably makes no sense to those who haven't been here or heard of it. Cerro Negro is a volcano about an hour out of Leon and is one of the most active in the country. Its sides are covered in volcanic ash and rock, which makes it ideal to slide down on a wooden board with a panel of formica on the bottom. At least that's what someone thought a few decades ago. Now it's become one of the most sought after experiences for adrenaline junkies. CNN named it number two on its list of fun but terrifying experiences. I knew I was in for a good/maybe scary time.

The hike up the mountain was tiring, and I wasn't even carrying my board like most people. There was an option to pay $5 for one of the guides to carry it; it was the best money I spent all day. There are two craters at the top of Cerro Negro, and our group admired them while waiting for another tour group to go ahead of us. The tour guide, Ashley, asked us to follow her over to the other crater where she was going to show us an "experiment." On the trip there, she asked if anyone had, by chance, brought any butter. Of course no one had and I wondered what it was for. When we got to the edge of the second crater, she told us to dig our shoes a little bit to feel the heat of the volcano underneath the ground. Then she dug with her own shoe and pulled out a small potato from the ground. Apparently the day before, she'd buried a potato there to see if it would bake. The inside was a little dark and burned, but still cooked through. I felt the heat from the ground one more time, and thought about sliding down the side of this mountain in just a few minutes. If it could burn a potato, what could it do to me while sliding down at 20 or 25 mph??

The second crater at the top.

How to really bake a potato.

We suited up in our orange onesies, and I waited for the majority of people to go. They disappeared over the ridge, the mountain too steep to watch them descend (thank you, Will, for help with this wording). Eventually, it was my turn to sit on the hard board and wait. The guide motioned for me to go, and began shuffling my feet. The slope became steeper and soon I was moving my legs to try to keep straight. Ashley told us to never put our feet on the board, but always on either side of the board on the surface of the volcano. We could steer with our feet, but I found it difficult. It veered right and left, and I barely had time to register which leg to move to steer. I picked up speed and sand and rocks flew at my face and in my mouth. Thank goodness for goggles.

My suit was a bit big.

Trying my very best not to crash.

Getting into it by now, despite the look on my face.

After about 30 seconds, I could see the group waiting below. This was the steepest part, the last 100 meters. I tried to be as sleek as possible while also trying to avoid crashing. The wind rushed past me, and I watched the people get closer and I got faster. Then it felt too fast. I worried I would crash into someone, but at that point I really couldn't do anything about it. So I embraced it. I enjoyed the last few meters, feeling the wind rush through my hair and the heat of the volcano below me as I sped down toward the crowd.

The ground leveled off, and I stopped a few feet away from the group. Glee rushed through me. It was over, and it was amazing.

I had gone 55 kph (35 mph). When the guy told me my speed, he added, "muy rapido, chica." I could only smile. The fastest girl went 64 kph. On the trip back, Bigfoot gave us a warm cookie and a cold beer. The adrenaline rush was over, and everyone was more chatty, relaxed and loose from the beer and the morning's excitement.

Back at the hostel that afternoon, I met the family of some friends that lives in Leon, and spent a pleasant few days with this very sweet and hospitable family exploring their beautiful city. I visited the cathedral, the Ruben Dario museum, went to a KaraoKanta bar, ate some of the best fried chicken at a very local restaurant, and since they didn't speak any English, I practiced a lot of Spanish.

Gorgeous cathedral rooftop.

View of Parque Central from the Cathedral.

Cathedral.

Our tour guide explaining some Nicaraguan legends and traditions.

Traditional "gigantona" statue.

I left Leon on Wednesday, but not before lots of hugs and gifts and promises to give their love to my family. Climbing into the hot and crowded bus back to Managua, I felt hungry, and the only thing I could think of was a volcano-baked potato.