Nicaraguan Adventures 6: Jinotega, Selva Negra, and Matagalpa

This is the scene my wife and I, sitting down after a hike up the mountain, were enjoying when the masked young man came out of the bushes. “I want that phone”, he said, holding up his machete. My wife threw down some money, but he didn’t want that.

“Give me the phone or I’ll kill you.“

“Kill me then“, I said, standing up. At the same time my wife stood up and yelled, “Ladron!” (“Thief”). At this point he lost his nerve, running back into the bushes. I threw a rock at him but don’t think I hit him. We were a bit shaken after this and reported the incident to the police. They faulted us for not going up the mountain with a police escort! I doubt if they even filed a report.

This was our most lasting impression of Jinotega.

The next two photos below are also from this town.

In between the ratty town I just told you about and Matagalpa is this delightful piece of greenery, La Selva Negra (The Black Forest). It is quite extensive with lots of trails, marked and unmarked. The entrance fee was about five dollars per person. Sometimes we paid for it and made a day of it. Other times we just went as far as to the entrance. The dirt road connecting the highway to this entrance was about a kilometer, so there was already plenty of wildlife to see as well as the peaceful scenery.

This dirt road to the entrance was semi-open woods in some areas, the grounds given to coffee plantations. If the worker has to wear a mask this fumigation cannot be good for the animals or the entire ecosystem.

Plantation worker.

Some wildlife along the dirt road. Bushy-crested Jay, Cyanocorax melanocyaneus

Eighty-eight Butterfly. Sometimes their wing-pattern looks more like eighty-nine.

Streak-headed Woodcreeper, Lepidocolaptes souleyetii. Woodcreepers are always fun to watch. And, unlike many birds on flimsy twigs, woodcreepers are much easier to focus on. He was seen in the trees lining the entrance of this nature reserve/coffee plantation. Some of these trees along the road were long-bearded with Spanish Moss, reminding me of photographs of old Confederate generals.

Yellow-backed Oriole, Icterus chrysater, eating blossoms from a Banana Tree

Some of these trees are fascinating in their byzantinely detailed gnarls and folds. I guess I am a tree-hugger.

Staying at La Selva Negra was also an option.There were accommodations less rustic than this, but we decided to pass on staying at the park. This building shown here may not even be a place to stay in anymore, but I think it would be an idyllic break from this crazy world.

Instead we stayed at the town just the south, Matagalpa, more economical. Our hotel was close to the center as well as the market and bus terminal.

A river runs through it. A trashy, sewagy river.. Trash, sewage – and the occasional egret and kingfisher – are seen here.

These fine gentlemen came to the rescue when I had problems with my guitar. I also bought some new strings here which they set up right there.

Heading south. We took the bus to Boaco (see map). But first we made a short stop at Sebaco. We just call this Fruit and Vegetable Town. In the five minutes we wait there a dozen or so vendors come on board selling tomatoes, peppers, onions, bananas, and other fruits.

The next article will mostly cover Sebaco, Boaco and Juigalpa.