As we approached the coast of Nicaragua in the early, pale dawn, what appeared to be wafting clouds above the peak of the volcano that dominated the horizon was actually smoke puffing from the crater. With the recent news of a volcanic eruption off the coast of New Zealand that tragically caused fatalities to cruise ship tourists on an island excursion, it is safe to say I had some trepidation at the sight before me as we headed into port.

Nicaragua, known as “The Land of Lakes and Volcanoes”, with a population of about 7 million, is home to the Maribios chain of volcanoes, situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire, a long horseshoe-shaped seismic area around the Pacific Plate, the most active zone in the world, that is made up of more than 450 volcanoes. The country has had a checkered political history and fairly recently overcame the Sandinista regime and the Nicaraguan Revolution that ended communism in 1990. Now living in peace with no more gangs, Nicaraguans are an affable people blended of Jamaican, European, African, and indigenous ancestry, where the number one national sport is American baseball followed by, a bit surprisingly, boxing. While the country has become popular with backpackers, it is more recently focused on growing its tourism and cruise industry.

We docked in the small, dusty town of Corinto, said to be considered the safest port in Central America. I was quickly whisked away on a tour to the colonial city of Leon, over an hour’s drive away, which was punctuated with rustic roadside stands, scenic tropical forests, horses wandering freely about like the cows in India, and multiple lakes, all surrounded by not so distant, smoking craters. The Momotombo volcano erupted in 1610, destroying the original capital city of Leon, now known as the ruins of Old Leon, and a site in itself.  A new Leon was rebuilt a bit northeast of the original, and the capital became Managua, the country’s now largest city and modern financial center.

We visited the esteemed Centro de Arte de la Foundation Ortiz-Gurian, probably the finest museum of contemporary art in all of Central America, featured in four adjacent houses, each hosting a different collection. The four houses, impressive on their own with large corridors, lounges and gardens, are examples of the most authentic Leon architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries, each once belonging to illustrious families of the city. The collections include a vast variety from pre-Columbian pieces, a number of noted Nicaraguan artists and Latin American masters, as well as works by Picasso, Chagall, Miro, Basquiat and many more. I was particularly attracted to the enduring contemporary works from my art student days…Warhol, Stella, Rauschenberg, Indiana, even the 1970s guru of color theory, Joseph Albers.

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Nearby was the home of Nicaragua’s most famous and highly revered poet, journalist, diplomat and national hero, Ruben Dario, who lived from 1867 to 1916. He is buried in the Leon Cathedral, three blocks away. Constructed between 1747 and 1814, the cathedral dominates the large city center square with its distinct blended architectural style and lovely vaulted interior. A must do in Leon is to find the side door of the cathedral that leads up a claustrophobic sliver of a steep stairway, where you will emerge to walk among the white washed domes of the roof, looking like the famous church domes in Santorini, Greece, with the best views of the city. Afterwards we met at a popular restaurant, had a cold beer and like a local, watched the heartbeat of Leon in the main square, oblivious to the smoking craters in the distance.

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