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This morning we left Granada and made our way back to Managua for the last day of our amazing trip. This morning we stopped to visit a market area overlooking one of Nicaragua’s many lagoons. Lagoons are formed when volcanoes become dormant. We then made our way to the prime attraction, Masaya Volcano.
On our way to the top, we stopped at the information center to familiarize ourselves with volcano and get some general information. Masaya is one of eighteen volcanoes that make up the Nicaraguan portion of the Central American Volcanic Belt. It’s located 20 km south of the actual city of Masaya. We received pamphlets describing the dangers of the active volcano as well as general rules and guidelines. One particular advisement stood out, “In case of rock explosions, you can protect yourself under your car.” Thank goodness we did not have to worry about rock explosions today.
Upon arriving at the top of the volcano and exiting our bus we could instantly smell the sulfur coming from the volcano. There was also tons of smoke coming from the crater along with some unsettling rumbles which had some of worried that we were a little too close to the active center. Luckily, we had nothing to worry about and we soaked in the incredible view from safety. Right next to the volcano was a huge set of stairs that we all climbed to get a better look down on the opening. 184 stairs later coach said, “What a great conditioning work out this could be in remembrance of Nica”. The view was absolutely breathtaking.
Tonight’s match was the most exciting one yet. With some additional players Nicaragua was prepared for us and ready for a great match. It went to four and ultimately ended with us losing in the fourth game after making a great comeback. The match was definitely hard fought and a lot of fun despite the loss. We exchanged jerseys and banners with the team in our previous match-up and our match hosts exchanged bracelets with us today!
Overall, this trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity and is something that we can look back on and remember for the rest of our lives. The experiences we had culturally and as a team have made us closer and left us with life lessons we’ll always have. We can’t thank coach and especially our guide, Tim Kelly enough. Hope you all have enjoyed following our trip and we can’t wait to get back to the states and tell you all about it! See you soon!
-Claren Harris & Courtney Cook
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