The 10am slow boat arrived on time and the trip to El Castillo lasted about 40 minutes.
Once the boat docked I headed uphill to visit the fortress while Marissa and another girl we met on the boat set off in search of cheap lodging. A small museum at the entrance to the fort told the history of it’s purpose, construction and the various battles against pirates- the pirates typically being mostly heroic characters from English history, like Sir Francis Drake. For once the Spanish signage was accompanied with a smaller but passable English translation.
A few cannon balls, some old cannons and even some parts retrieved from old sunken steamships were scattered around the museum area. Steamships were used on the river during the time of the California Gold Rush as a means of crossing from the east to the west coast of the USA- it was apparently safer and faster than a land crossing of the USA. At one point there was even the thought of using the Rio San Juan and Lake Nicaragua as an alternative to the Panama Canal. Somehow Panama won out and the rest is history.
The fortress itself contains very little in terms of its original internal structure. A few broken walls remain to show the locations of structures like the church and living quarters. The external walls, obviously restored, are complete and show the fortress as it would have appeared to anyone considering an attack on its formidable location.
The view over the surrounding countryside and the rapids is spectacular, clearly showing why its builders chose that particular site.
After leaving the fort I spent some time exploring the main street- a paved pathway of approximately 8 feet in width which paralleled the river for about a km. There are no motorized vehicles in the town so people walk or bike. A variety of hotels and hospitajes offer accommodation from as little as $4 to $60 a night while meals range from $2 to $20 in the various snack bars and restaurants.
With boats operating on a reduced Sunday schedule I made sure to catch the 2pm boat back to Sabalos in order to avoid being trapped for the evening.
The boat back was packed, with some people standing and by the time we arrived in Sabalos another 40 or more people were waiting to climb aboard for the trip to San Carlos.
Tonight my hotel is completely vacant except for myself. As I write this a chorus of frogs up and down both sides of the river are jack hammering their mating call to one another. Across the river the lights of the town are subdued compared to last night, Obviously Sunday night is time for some rest after a weekend of too much partying.
My plans are to get up at 5am in order to catch the express boat that leaves around six and which will hopefully have a spot for me. With Managua a further 8 hour bus ride away, I wont be staying up too late tonight.
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