Nicaragua: Rebuilding Hope in the Shadow of a Volcano
By Cpt CLRogerson, World Traveler and Salty Sailor
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Spring of 1999. I was a young father with one child already in diapers and another on the way. While most people in my stage of life were focused on house projects and baby-proofing, I was flying into Managua, Nicaragua, to help rebuild after one of the most devastating natural disasters in Central American history—Hurricane Mitch.
This trip was different. Bigger in scope. Heavier in heart. We weren’t just there to lend a hand—we were walking into the aftermath of a national trauma.
We made our way to León, a city steeped in culture and colonial charm, but still trembling from what had happened less than six months before.
Volcán Casita: The Mountain That Fell
The hurricane itself didn’t just bring wind and rain—it triggered something far worse. On October 30, 1998, heavy rains from Mitch caused the side of Volcán Casita to collapse in a massive landslide. A lahar—an avalanche of mud, rock, and debris—raced down the mountainside, wiping out entire communities in minutes.
Over 2,000 people lost their lives.
As we drove into the region, we passed a haunting sea of wooden crosses—thousands of them, standing in the dirt where homes once were, where families once lived. That moment hit different. There was no tour guide, no postcard, no brochure that could prepare you for that.
We weren’t just there to build houses. We were there to stand with people who’d lost everything.
Building in the Ashes
We stayed in León and worked in a newly established settlement near the volcano—one of several temporary towns created to house displaced survivors. The homes we built were basic: one-room structures, tin roofs, dirt floors. But they were something. Shelter. A fresh start. Stability in a place where everything had been torn away.
What stuck with me most wasn’t the devastation. It was the spirit of the people.
They didn’t just let us build for them, they built with us. Side by side. Laughing, sweating, lifting tin and hammering nails like we’d all grown up on the same block. They shared what little food they had. They treated us like family.
You don’t forget that kind of generosity, especially when it comes from people who’ve lost so much.
Swimming in the Pacific (Sort Of)
At the end of a long work week, someone suggested we take a break and head west. Before that trip, I’d never swum in the Pacific Ocean. I imagined long, smooth waves and golden sand. What I got instead was a violent baptism.
The surf in Nicaragua doesn’t play nice. It slams you, drags you, flips you upside-down and laughs while doing it. Just when you think that you’ll die, the waves recede and you find yourself on the sand, taking a much needed breath, and smiling. I didn’t swim. I survived. And I loved every second of it.
Climbing Casita
One day, we climbed Volcán Casita itself. It felt important—to stand at the top of the same mountain that had collapsed just months earlier. We passed steaming vents, the scent of sulfur sharp in the air, and followed the trail to the edge of the landslide scar.
Looking down into the void, it was impossible not to feel humbled. Nature gives, and nature takes. And yet, here we were—rebuilding, healing, climbing forward.
What Nicaragua Taught Me
This was the first time I traveled with the weight of being a father. My growing family was back home. I carried them with me, even while I worked. That trip planted something in me—something about responsibility, legacy, and the way travel can be about more than seeing the world. It can be about serving it.
Nicaragua wasn’t about checking a box on my passport. It was about showing up when it mattered. It was about bearing witness, lending a hand, and walking away with a heart fuller than my suitcase.
CL
About Cpt CLRogerson
World traveler, licensed captain, dad of three, and full-time architect of unforgettable journeys. From rebuilding after hurricanes to navigating through life’s big transitions, Cpt CLRogerson helps others trade routine for adventure—and build a life that tells a story worth reading.
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