From Nicaragua to Hotel in Rügen

When I told my family that I wanted to have a holiday in Nicaragua they looked shocked and told me I must be mad. Why did I want to go to Nicaragua? I didn't know myself really but it was a place I had read about and wanted to visit. Usually, I always holiday on the Baltic Island of Rügen which is Germany's largest island. I have been there many times and stay either at the Hotel Rügen or the Baltic Sea Apartments (Ferienwohnung Ostsee) and I know the island very well. But this year I was determined to try something completely different. Though its development as a major tourist destination has been halted by political instability and natural disaster, Nicaragua is well worth visiting. It has the largest lake of Latin America, Lake Nicaragua, as well as active volcanoes at the Masaya Volcano National Park.

I had read that Nicaragua has a tropical climate with generally hot and humid conditions. Temperatures are around or just above 30 degrees Celsius during the day most of the year and most areas are still above 20 degrees Celsius at night. Nicaragua has two seasons regarding rainfall. November to April season and during May to October. Hurricanes occasionally occur from July to August onwards. I decided maybe the best time to go would be June. My plane touched down at the Augusto C.Sandino International Airport (MGA) near Managua and from there I travelled to my first destination, the city of Leon. During my two weeks on Nicaragua I visited the Isla de Ometepe in the central southern part of the country and is an island in Lake Nicaragua. Actually they are twin volcanic islands and an ideal escape away from the larger cities and crowded areas of Nicaragua. The islands are quiet and there are only a few small settlements on the island including some coffee plantations.