Journey to the Center of the Earth

Hello all! I write this during a brief siesta at the Hostel Oasis in the heart of Granada.
We just arrived here by chicken bus earlier this afternoon, but before I go on about this gorgeous city of Spanish building fronts and colonial churches I must recount these past couple days....
Adventura Dos began (as all our Nicaragua adventures do) in the bus terminal of Rivas, in the heart of the marketplace encased by ceviche stands, street vendors, and miscellenious tiendas. Jenny (my travelling companion) and I wended our way North through a bus to Managua, a relatively expensive taxi to the terminal, another bus for León, and a long walk with a local in love with Nicaraguan poet Rubén Darío to the Catedrál in which the aforementioned prodigy is buried. León is Nicaragua´s second largest city, with the third largest church in Latin America--one built, as a gregarious local explained, on the backs of the indigenous of the area during the Spanish colonial period. These indigenous still live near León, but are divided from the city by a street.
The rest of our night in León consisted of tacos, cheese, ice cream, music in the park, galleries of local art, and a couple mojitos at Big Foot hostel. The mojitos were quality; the hostel was not. All things considered, you can´t win all the time.
The following morning we awoke at 5:15 to walk to Quetzaltrekkers, where we threw all our necessities into backpacking packs (mine was rented), hitched a bus to a point on the highway in front of Volcán Tolica, and hiked 6 hours into the sulfuric dust of the crater. There, we set up camp in the grassy knoll beneath the rock fields. Seeing the crater was one of the most awestriking experiences, one that reminds you that you see very little of what goes on in this Earth--especially when you live in the city as I do. We mounted the hill to the crater three times. First, when we arrived and the volcanic pit poured so much smoke that it was impossible to see in the crater or around ourselves. Second, at sunset we could see two more volcanoes as well as a vista of all the farmland stretching to the sea lit up by the gold dusk. The crater itself was clearer, and the circle of its lip and pool of boiling water inside were visible. Third, after dinner when darkness descended, the night was cloudless. Lava churned bright red, lighting up the bottom of the crater. This, dear friends, is indescribable. Pictures and words do not do it justice. But I felt like I was mere feet from the center of the Earth. Afterwards, we all gathered around the fire to roast marshmallows and talk before retiring.
Our guides woke us early to race to the top of the hill overlooking our campsite. I stumbled over rocks steaming with geothermal heat to the precipice containing a vista of a line of volcanoes on the other side of the crater, and stared directly into the rising sun covered by volcanic dust. Afterwards, with a breakfast of toast, guava jam, and oatmeal raisins, we picked up again and descended through farm-fields of maíz y gandules to the highway. All the way up and down the mountain were campesinos and their horses tending to their fíncas. At the bottom was pits of boiling mud, similar in heat and shape to Yellowstone but without the color. We ate at a fantastic Comedor and caught the bus back to León. From there, we exchanged information and said our goodbyes to our travel companions from Germany and LA, and hopped on the busetas (little busses) to Masaya. The one from Managua to Masaya was so packed that I had to hold dearly to the front seat on which my sitting pad was attached, my knees pressed against locals sitting in front of me and my hands falling asleep from exertion. But no matter, I didn´t have to sit that long.
Masaya was simple to navigate, and with a quesillo (corn tortilla with thin cheese, sauteed onions and chiles, and tons of salt and sour cream) in my hand I was immediately endeared to the city. The hosted in the guidebook was unmanned, so we found our own, and washed ourselves thoroughly (by that point we smelled of sweat, sulfur, mildew, and all other manners of odors we may have picked up on the way). I will tell you now, as that was my first backpacking experience, the first night back you sleep better than you ever have before. Our room was quite dark and had a fan, which made it that much better.
The morning consisted of gallo pinto, plantains, queso frito, and café con leche in the central park, then we ventured to the markets. We spent twenty minutes or so perusing the stalls of the gringo market without purchases. So we left and walked five blocks or so to the more local, more tightly packed market...which was wonderland for me! We bought all our kitsch and presents, then sat for tiste and people watching. Lunch was street food--fried yucca, flour donut, and a rice empanada with cabbage salad--before we had to check out of our hotel and catch the next bus to Granada. And here we are, back at the beginning. There is not much to this adventure in Granada besides free coffee and internet (and reading of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, so good!), but more is to come. Hasta!