February | 2016 | Tricia's Travels

A few weeks ago I traveled to Nicaragua to combine some tourism with a Habitat for Humanity volunteer build. I’ve been working on a few stories from that trip when suddenly today my inbox was bursting with “breaking news” – the Telica Volcano has erupted! Wow, really? I was just there – right on the edge – 2 weeks ago…. Here’s what it was like before the latest eruption. 🙂

Telica is located near León and is a pretty accessible volcano for hikers. It’s “only” 1061 meters high and if you make the rocky trek, you are rewarded with upfront views of the magnificent 700m wide double crater. Even though it was not the most physically demanding hike, it truly has some of the most incredible views I’ve seen in a while! Perhaps my favorite day in Nicaragua.

Getting to Telica is possible on your own, but for $35USD it’s pretty easy to let someone else worry about the rough road and take you right to the base of the volcano. Is that lazy? I think it’s smart. 🙂

We went on a sunset tour with Julio Tours and couldn’t have been happier. When we arrived, just 2 other small groups were at the base and we quickly set off to get a bit of a head start. Here’s the view as you get ready for the climb (it doesn’t look like much…):

On the way up, there are some views of the valley but nothing that I would describe as spectacular. Plus, we were mostly looking at our feet to make sure we had secure footing. And keeping our mouths closed to avoid getting big gulp-fulls of the sulfurous air!

But OHHHHHHHH when you get near the top!

Now that’s what I call awesome.

You can get right up to the edge of the crater and check out what’s going on 120m below – no railings, no safety waivers…

Who could resist taking some selfies here?! 🙂

We hung out up top for maybe 10-15 minutes but the sulfur was pretty strong so we headed down around the back of the crater to catch some views of the entire range before the sunset.

We stopped for a break…luckily a local entrepreneur schlepped up the volcano (in flip flops, of course) with a cooler of soda and beer to complement the salty snacks we had in our packs. When it was time for the sunset, it was quick but beautiful:

And then….darkness fell fast. We trekked back up through the sulfur clouds to catch a quick peek at the magma (see it there, those little dots? 🙂 ):

And then we hiked down…in the dark… Bring a headlamp or hire a guide that provides flashlights, you’ll need them. You can also camp below the rim if that’s your thing. But whatever you do, just go. You don’t want to miss this!

What a whirlwind! It’s been two weeks already since I returned from a fabulous volunteer trip with Habitat for Humanity‘s Global Village program in Nicaragua. In the course of just 5 days, 14 volunteers joined together to build a home for Gloria and Freddie – and had a little fun along the way. 🙂

After meeting in Managua, we traveled about 1.5 hours southwest of the capital to the municipality of San Rafael del Sur, where we would spend the next week working on our project. After settling in at a fabulous hotel on the Pacific coast, we geared up for our first day of work.

Upon arrival, we met our the homeowner Gloria and had a chance to learn more about her current living conditions. She is currently unable to work due to a medical condition and her husband, Freddie, works as a night security guard at the chicken processing plant for a national fast food chain. Their daughter lives with them in the community of San Ceyatano but was visiting her grandmother during the week we were working.

Their current home consists of a small metal shack. Within one room (separated by curtains), all three family members sleep, eat and relax. The roof has many leaks and the walls are not secure.

As we started out, there were all of the usual Habitat tasks…

Moving blocks:

Sifting sand and moving rock:

Mixing mortar and concrete (again and again and again):

Cutting and tying rebar to reinforce the house:

Pouring the foundation:

And laying block after block after block:

We were constantly running out of water so it was delivery after delivery to unload:

And don’t forget about the preparation of the floor…

But despite all of the hard work, there was always time to jump rope or color with the kids:

To take lots and lots of photos or to find a quiet moment:

Or to mess around in the wheelbarrow (I’m coming for YOU! 🙂

How does all of this come together to build a house? Check out my lo-tech timelapse for a condensed view of our five days of hard work. 🙂

At the end of the week, the most important goal was met: a new home for Gloria, Freddie and their daughter. The doors, windows and roof would be installed by the masons within a few days of our departure and the family should move in within 3 weeks! We had a ceremony to bless the house:

Then Gloria cut the ribbon!