July 21: Matagalpa

Saturday I got up relatively early and travelled to Matagalpa. It is the capital city of the department of Matagalpa where San Isidro is located. The bus ride was only about an hour, which was good because it was packed. Matagalpa is known for its coffee production because it is significantly cooler than other parts of the country because it is located higher in the mountains. The city itself is very mountainous.

My original intention was to do a coffee tour and then explore the city. I wanted to return to San Isidro on the same day rather than springing for a hotel room. Upon arriving in Matagalpa, I grabbed a taxi to go to the other bus station in order to head to a nearby village known for coffee tourism. It was only about 15minutes away, which was good because everything was closed for some reason. Therefore, I did not do a coffee tour.

Instead I headed back to Matagalpa and explored for the day. There are three large Catholic cathedrals located throughout the city. There are also some very beautiful parks. I also visited some shops and bought a few things. One shop made black ceramic. The owner explained the process to me and even let me watch as she made some pieces. It was really cool. Black ceramic is only made in a few places throughout Central and South America. It is an indigenous practice that turns the clay black through the firing process. I also bought some untoasted coffee from a street vendor who talked to me at length about the toasting process. Now I am going to attempt to toast it myself.

Main Cathedral in Matagalpa

Mountains around Matalgala