Road from Leon via Masaya National Park to Granada, Saturday, 17th October

It was a late start to give Zoetime to pick up her newly bought computer so we had a chance of a lie in but it was already hot and humid and having been up early so many days in a row it is hard to stay in bed. At lesat the roads were of reasonable quality  as we headed from Leon to Granada.

 En route we stopped at the Masaya National Park where there is an active volcano, only 635m high but continually throwing out steam and gas. Picture of a lava flow from an eruption in 1772.

Afier stopping at the visitor centre at the base of the volcano some of us wanted to go on a tour of a lava tunnel, a long thin cave left from an eruption after the lava had drained out of the tunnel. We left the non cavers at the rim of the volcano and drove over a ridge to another area. A view back down to the rim.
                                      
Betsy left at the side of the road as we got ready donning helmets and lights.

I thought it odd that the guide had the mask but we were left unprotected. Apparently he is at greater danger as he does it every day.

The entrance to the cave that runs down from near the rim several kilometres down the slope. There are also more than 50,000 bats that fly out of this cave in an evening. And we saw several flying around as we went deeper into the cave. There was a distinctive bat guano smell deeper in the cave.

Inside the cave but very few of the pictures turned out very well.

The entrance on our return to the surface.

Bak at the crater rim we could stare into the caldera but the bottom was always obscured by steam and gas with occasional faint glimpses of what was beyond the mist.

On the way to Masaya town we paused to admire the view across another lake that had formed in the caldera of another volcano.

A stream and waterfall cascading down into the lake.

The market building in Masaya, built in 1891 as per the inscription above one of the doors.

Finally after a short drive we found our hotel, the Oasis in Granada and whilst some of the group ate n their rooms, some crashe out and a small group went out to find a restaurant that had been recommended and although it was quiet it was a great restaurant.