Today I got to see some of the most beautiful parts of Nicaragua. Scott, Julie and I left Managua this morning to visit the nearby Masaya Volcano. This was the first time I have looked down into an active volcano. I had seen them from a distance but this time actually got to climb to the top. We were so high up you could not see the bottom of the volcano, partially from height and partially from the thick smoke and sulfur. After the volcano, we went to the nearby town of Masaya which had a great market. We then went to Catarina to have lunch. Catarina is my favorite town in Nicaragua. It overlooks Laguna Apoyo & is the horticulture capital of Nica- beautiful flowers and tropical plants everywhere. We had lunch overlooking Laguna Apoyo while being serenaded by local Nica musicians. A great lunch despite our waiter attempting to add an extra $20 onto the bill (a lot of money there!)

After lunch, we drove to Granada where I will be staying for the next few days until meeting up with Doug & his wife Julie at their home in Jinotepe. Granada is the most touristy city in Nica. It is very charming and full of beautiful brightly colored Spanish influenced architecture. It also sits next to Lake Nicaragua.