Riding around the Nicaraguan Jungle
Trip Start
Dec 14, 2007
1
164
300
Trip End
Nov 04, 2008
Where I stayed
El Castillo, Nicaragua
Thursday, June 5, 2008
There are 3 main things one can do in El Castillo apart from the fortress visit:
- go fishing to the Caribbean (turpin all over)
- go caiman spotting at night
- horse riding around the hills
As we had plenty of caiman in the restaurant and we are not anglers, we decided on our favourite pass time...and for $15 dollars per person for 3 hours it was a great deal.
The ride was spectacular (not so much in connection with the riding itself as it was mainly up and down muddy hills), but it was unique as one speaks to the local farmers and can get very much close to howler monkeys that dont move away if a person gets close to them on a horse.
The farmers around the place are delighted with the Spanish help via the AECI (Spanish Association for International Cooperation) as they had received knowledge on alternative crops which they can sell to Europe and much needed financial help...there go Marcos´ taxes again!
The guide´s name was "Negro" (blackman...obvious why from the picture) and he delighted us with 3 hours of conversation on local customs, history, etc. He even related quite a bit on the civil war which he was forced to fight in...we didnt manage to discover on which side but probably the contras...
The horses themselves were well kept (Marcelino and Colombino) although Marcelino seemed to be out of breath most of the time...perhaps Marcos´ weight?
Anyway, the rest of the day is very similar to yesterday: excellent food, hammocks for the siesta and lightweight walks along the town...
