Miraflor

Yesterday (Thursday) I went hiking with my friend Sally and our guide Rodolfo in the natural reserve called Miraflor. It probably wasn’t the wisest choice considering that I was sicker than a dog all night Tuesday night and was bed-ridden all day on Wednesday. However, I was determined to keep my reservation, and I really wanted to go with Sally, who is leaving tomorrow.

Miraflor covers about 120 square miles and was declared a protected wildlife area in 1990. It is home to a few hundred family farmers, who grow organic coffee, cocoa, beans, corn, sugar cane, and smaller crops of tropical fruits (tomatoes, papaya, bananas, and others that we don’t have names for in the States). Although it is only 17 km away from Estelí, it took about an hour to get there because the roads are so bad (rivers covering bridges, holes large enough for the bus to bottom-out, etc.). Let’s just say that my stomach was really not happy with me, particularly after the days we’ve had.

I thought that we would be hiking all day long, but it was definitely a Nica style adventure—very chill or ‘tranquilo’ as they say. We’d hike for an hour, get to our destination, and then relax for a long time. Then we’d climb back down and have coffee in someone’s house. We had some good climbs, but if it hadn’t been for the mud, barbed wire fences, river crossings, and other obstacle courses, it would have been more of a nature walk. I have never seen mud like this in my life, and neither Sally nor I ever really got the hang of it. You can’t be too cautious or you get sucked in—Sally lost her shoe at one point—but you can’t go too fast or you’ll make a misstep and fall in calf- or knee-deep. It’s a gamble that we both lost on several occasions. We were completely covered in mud by the end of the day, while Rodolfo’s stylish jeans and even his boots were spotless. It was unbelievable.

Although it wasn’t what Sally and I had envisioned, it was really pleasant. I really enjoyed getting to talk to the people and learn about their lives and views about the world. Several families earn their living based on ecotourism. Visitors stay in their homes and go on guided hikes for several days, learning about sustainable agriculture and life in the country.

The couple at Linda Vista ('beautiful view') offered us organic coffee from their farm. It was delicious! (However, again, not the smartest dietary choice for someone with a stomach virus.) Rodolfo cut a few nodes of sugar cane with his machete for us to eat along the trail, and we tried a few tropical fruits that I had never seen before. We got an incredible view from the lookout point (‘mirador’), and we would have swum in the waterfall if it hadn’t been so cold.

On the way back, Rodolfo folded each of us origami-like roses out of long leaves from a tropical plant and later taught us how to make them ourselves. (I had bragging rights because I quickly folded my rose, while Sally broke her leaves apart and Rodolfo basically had to make hers for her. It was pretty funny.) We also hopped on a horse for a quick jaunt down the trail. Man, that horse was strong! I’ve never gone that fast on a horse before, particularly over such rough terrain. Even though it knew what it was doing, I was surprised that I had to steer it like a car. I think it was going to gallop right into the fence! (I think I’m probably the clueless one—not the horse.)

Here I am at the waterfall having spent the last ten minutes trying to wash and scrape out the mud from outside and inside my shoes.

Sally and I at the lookout. Just an aside: I was a little offended on the bus ride up when Rodolfo asked Sally if I was her mom. (She's 23 and I just turned 26.) How did I go from looking young to looking old? Sally took it that she looks really young. She said, "Hey, if they think you're 30 and I'm 17, it's a real possibility here. I guess that's true--it's typical for girls to have their first kid at age 13-15. Also, I've decided that as far as Nicaragua is concerned, I'm married. (Sally actually brought a fake wedding ring with her--good idea.) Considering the macho culture here, it won't deter everyone, but it will at least eliminate me as a candidate for the gringa-Nica phenomenon in Esteli. Apparently it's very common for North American and European women to get involved with younger, Nicaraguan men. Perfect strangers ask me my marital status before my name, and if I politely say that I'm not married, they begin to tell me how beautiful I am. Actually, they do that regardless. Every guy learns to say 'beautiful woman' here, and says it to every gringa he meets. Sally and I both look forward to the days when we can walk down the street in the States and nobody will care. :-)

Sally and Rodolfo on the horse. Sally isn't much of a horse person it turns out. :-)

Rodolfo and I at the waterfall.

Here is part of the trail. At least I felt better after Rodolfo said that he took us on the toughest trails all day long.

The porch at Linda Vista where we sipped coffee and chatted after the lookout hike.

The path leading up the Linda Vista cottage.

Corn growing along the side of our hiking path.

One of the panoramic views from the lookout. Beans are growing in the dark patch below.

Another panoramic view of Miraflor. The building in the center is the single school for the area. Kids really have to work to get there. We visited it later on.