Thewesternprovinceblog

Hola todos! Saludos de Granada! Granada Nicaragua 🇳🇮 that is. The plan here was always to spend just one night in León and then scoot on over to Granada, where you are by the mighty Lake Cocibolca, where the climate is a bit cooler and the city a bit safer. 

I was up and running out of my sweatbox for a good bit of traditional breakfast. Eggs and rice and black beans in the hostal while I waited for my shuttle. It is due for 0930 but it doesn’t show up. Im not sweating can always chicken bus it if it don’t show up. Just on its way to 1000 it arrives and we are on our way. The ride over is pretty uneventful as I’m mostly focused on writing up the blog for León. 

One thing to note is I do overhear from one girl chatting about how 2 other girls from her hostal got mugged walking back from the club at night. Getting out against the wall together the works. Guess they were on the periphery same as me. Not going to judge as don’t know the story but shows you have to be careful! I had an early night and went back about 2245 and there were guys eying me up but didn’t make a move – maybe because I was overdue a shave and haircut and looked like a bum who wouldn’t be worth bothering with.

We pull into Granada and I quickly find my gaff. A lovely colonial hacienda turned hostel-hotel. No AC but got a lovely breeze going through so it’s pleasant in the night for a change. Getting settled in I decide to repeat what I did the night before and book onto a free walking tour. It runs from 1530 to 1830 and run by a guy called Enrique. Another very knowledgeable bloke who takes us round the sights of the city. 

Granada and León were often rival cities for who should be the capital of the colony. The León i was in yesterday is actually new León. The first one got destroyed by a volcano after 30 years and they relocated it some miles away. He talks about the lake and this was how Nicaragua got it’s name. There is a river that feeds into this lake called the San Juan and it goes all the way out to the Carribbean sea. The Spaniards sailed up here in 1522 looking for a passage to the Pacific and met the local chief ‘Nicaga’ I believe his name in modern day San Jorge then sailed up north and founded Granada. Nica agua – Nicaragua.

He shows us the cathedral of Granada. This is interesting. It was destroyed 3 times and rebuilt just to be destroyed again. How so? What does a rich place connected to the Carribbean bring in the 1600’s? Pirates! 🏴‍☠️ Specifically of the 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇳🇱 variety. This place was Sacked 3 times by pirates sailing up river. There are various accounts of attacks but the major sackings were in 1621, 1665 and 1685, one of which was done by our very own famous Welshman Henry Morgan. Yes him who the rum is named after! During these sackings the cathedral would get destroyed right after they finished rebuilding it from the last one! As you can imagine quite comical and the locals here were none too happy about this!

Enrique took us up hill to this old fort where the gunpowder was stored and where the rich would also hide their gold whenever another band of scallywags paid the place the ol’ surprise visit. You can go up the towers here and that we did. You have to climb a narrow staircase then go up a ladder where there is nothing to hold onto up the top. Was a little uncomfortable but great breeze and view. Coming back down you have to watch your step. Some of the girls in our group had the freaks and was quite entertaining to watch. Clearly none of them know anything about working at height and 3 points of contact.

They get down eventually and we head back into town see a few more churches and wrap up the tour. The Enrique chats to me and says if I want to go for a beer. “Siiiii”. “Local or tourist?” “Local!”. We go to a cool locals hang out where I grab some grub and a few beers with him and get the rundown on Granada. If you stay in the historic part it’s safe and chill more so than León and also gave some tips for getting the bus to Rivas for the next leg but that’s a few days off yet. He also recommended a few decent bars and I go check them out after he heads home after an hour. Rest of the evening was uneventful. I like Granada and decide yeah I can spend the weekend here and decide will make arrangements first thing tomorrow………