To Katarina and Back

From the Monkey Hut on the Laguna de Apoyo I decide to take a two hour hike with the goal of reaching the highly recommended outlook overseeing not only the lake but the entire area (all the way to Costa Rica). But getting there was a bit tricky because of course there are no signs and as it turns out no road – just a few simple dirt foot paths, intertwining and going off each in its own direction. But getting to where you want to go is easy because there are houses everywhere with friendly people happy to point you in the right direction. My favorite aspect of the journey was exactly these encounters with the local people: their simplicity and genuineness. It is always special to obtain a glimpse into one of the houses along the way. Although, since I left southern Mexico many things have changed (skin color, languages, foods and cultures), I find the content of these small houses surprisingly similar. It also always reminds me how privileged we are to lead our luxurious life styles: the kitchen stove is heated by a wood fire (it can take women hours daily to collect firewood), a fridge is huge luxury and the toilet is generally located in an outhouse. Most regions have electricity (although outages are a daily occurrence) making a television a staple even for poor families. Houses also tend to be connected to the water grid but most of the time it only works a few hours per day and is definitely not drinkable.

After a steep two hour ascend through a forest passing countless of these houses and meeting many of its inhabitants, I finally reach the town of Katarina and its spectacular outlook. My reward is generous because the view is indeed amazing and I meet a group of university student who are on a day trip. They tell me about their lives and Nicaragua. But then again no reward for the steep and sweaty hike was necessary because the journey itself was my favorite part of the whole trip.