LEON - 45 minutes by pickup from Leon lies an active volcano called Cerro Negras.  It last erupted in 1999 and since it usually blows every 7 years it´s due for another magma burp, well, right about now.  Naturally that makes for a popular tourist destination.  Enter a particularly inventive and slightly daft Aussie - and local Hostel owner - named Darren who for 20 bucks will drive you to the base of the volcano, will let you haul one of his ´volcano boards´ to the summit, and will then unceremoniously toss you off.  Now that´s my idea of a good time!  Mind you, Anna and I decided to try this little adventure only after his girlfriend served us a few delicious dollar-fifty mojitos from their hostel bar.

Here´s a shot of the volcano from far away... note the board trails down the face.  Looks a little janky.



The hike up wasn´t too bad, but it was pretty windy.  So windy in fact that the guide took some of the girl´s boards so they wouldn´t be blown off the mountain.  But the view made it all worthwhile.  In the distance is the largest volcano in Nicaragua.



Here´s a shot of us suiting up, like lambs to the slaughter.  Everybody looks very serious and Git-mo-esque.



Check out the crazy slope of the mountain.  We kindof had to dig our feet into the volcanic sand to keep from sliding.



This is how you hold a volcano board... you can see I´m getting ready to shred some pumice.  The boards are good for two runs before they get replaced.  On the bottom is sheet metal covered with a self adhesive laminate that scrapes off from the friction.



Ride it like you stole it!



Here´s Anna at the bottom.  Her board is ready for the junk heap cuz she went so fast.  You can get up to 60 km/hr on these babies.

 

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