This past weekend, I finally got to do the only hike we offer that I had not done yet; Volcan Cosiguina. If you look at the map of Nicaragua to the right(click to enlarge), Volcan Cosiguina forms the peninsula you see at Nicaragua´s upper left corner where Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua come together. From atop Cosiguina, you can look over the Gulf of Fonseco to Honduras and El Salvador. The volcano is huge but inactive. The crater stretches over a mile wide and is filled with water forming a glowing blue-green lake. This is a 3 day trip and begins by spending most of the first day on a bus to the village of Potosi. The road is more like an old mine field filled with Jeep-challenging potholes and ravines. My spine felt more like a "slinky" (remember those things?) when it was over but we were rewarded with a refreshing swim in the gulf. The following day, we hiked to our campsite and the crater´s edge. This is our "greenest" hike through amazing rain forest and jungle where we observed huge colonies of leaf-cutter ants, enormous spiders, and the occasional free ranging horse and cow. Our campsite was made and used by Sandanista rebels during the war against the US government funded Contras back in the 80´s. Perhaps Ollie North and the Iran-Contra affair sound familiar? On the third day, we returned to Potosi for a dip in a spring filled swimming hole, lunch, and the long bus ride home. This was probably my last adventure with Quetzaltrekkers. I need to exit the country by October 3. I get 90 days in my passport for Nicaragua and either need to cross a border and return with another 90 days, or just continue traveling. As of right now, I am interested in getting to Costa Rica and Panama and then on to a new continent; South America!!!