ISLA DE OMETEPE

In Rivas we arrived before the rains came and managed to get a taxi for $1 per person to take us to San Jorge a town where the ferry to Ometepe docks. We had a good lunch first of a fish called Mojarra, very delicious and its from the lake. We bought our ferry ticket for 230pm, the Danish girls we met travelling took the lancha at 130pm, we heard it was supposed to be really rough in the afternoon so we skipped it plus a lancha is much smaller. Arriving in Mayogalpa we took a local bus to drop us off to Playa Venecia, from the road we walked about 10 minutes to the hostel and we took a cabin as no dorms are available, the rooms are nice with toilt and shower, Joey needed to internet so we went to Charco Verde hostel 500meters away we wade in the lake to get to the other side, while he waits I went for a walk at the Nature trail nearby, joey joined me later and we walked up to the top of a ridge, lots of local birds and some black birds that makes a noise like pigs. Lgoing down, lots of birds nesting in the trees as we watch the sun , we also saw a dead monkey on the trail.

Got back in time for dinner the kitchen oddly enough closes at 7pm so we have to hurry, after dinner off to bed. the place is quite nice there is a sitting area with hammocks next to the water good view of the Volcan Concepcion behind. It was windy and rain started but did not last, like in Atitlan, in the eve it gets some wind, not as cold though. The next morning we took the island tour, not cheap but we wanted to see as muc of the island as possible in 2 days that we are here. We stopped first at Altagracia to see the idolos, which apparently hade been recently discovered but could be thousands of years old, made from volcanic rock the figures are very interesting. They are located in the San Diego church compounds, we have to pay to get in and as always here in Nicaragua they all struggle to change 500 cordobas, be it a hotel or a busy shop, they seem to have nothing in their cashier box all the time, getting quite annoying, of course the ATMs hands you 500 cordobas most of the time.

We went to a small shop and bought water and luckily they can break the 500, from there we headed to the town of Santo Domingo with many beaches but the wind is fierce and the water choppy, not a good day to lay on the beach. we stopped at El porvenir to check out the petroglyphs, nothing to write home about but just as interesting as the idols if not for the history alone, some look like smudges and only protected by a simple roof, they are left where they were found. And in the area there were plenty of fruit trees, which are also common to Filipinas.Guyabanos, chicos, bananas, camachile, siruelas etc. Our driver and guide, Javier wanted us to stop at a posh looking place to have a few drinks but we said no we want to go to the Ojo de Agua "ahora mismo" he wasnt happy he willnot get a commission from them, The roads are bumpy, the paved road only lasts from Mayogalpa to Altagracia, beyond is a rocky tumbling road. The swimming hole is quite nice, cold water but with the heat its perfect. We stayed for 3 hours had our lunch there then left, we gave a weird Canadian girl a ride back to the Playa Venecia where she will stay as well, i think she was flirting with Joey so i did not butt in to their conversation, meanwhile i can sense Joey to be trying to get rid of her. She lived in Holland before, had a boyfriend from there etc.

Back at the Playa we took a siesta and in the eve we went to walk to Charco Verde the long way going to the highway, it was dark so i thought better this way than wading through the lake, took us a good half hour to get there, and Joey insisted we go by the lake on the way back, we ordered tilapia ceviche which was excellent and fried tilapia the size of a giant plate server thing, it rained hard as we decimate the fish and we walked back to the hostel wading on the lake, i am a bit freaked out because i cant see what is there in the water, Joey called me a wuzz so i shut up and dealt with it. Relieved to be back in 5minutes we had beer to top the night off and off to bed. The next morning we paid our bills and walked towards the town of San Juan half hour walk with heavy packs, quite relieved that the service truck from the hotel picked us up on the road and dropped us off at the ferry. While waiting to board the lancha we watched as they unload supplies from the mainland, they were unloading sacks of Urea which seems to be fertilizers, Joey and I dont understande why they need it when the soil here is supposed to be very fertile, its volcanic after all., anyway we waited for an hour then the wooden lancha left, the wind was blowing again and quite choppy, but worse came when we are 10 minutes from San Jorge in the mainland, the boat was rockin and i thought I was going to hurl but made it safe though. Then took a taxi to Casa de oro in San Juan del Sur, for $9 each we got door to door service, we did not argue as I was a bit sick and the bus apparently leaves at 245pm we are not in the mood to wait.

WIKI INFO:

Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome (two) and tepetl (mountain), meaning two mountains.

The two volcanoes, Concepción and Maderas, are joined by a low isthmus to form one island in the shape of an hourglass. Ometepe has an area of 276 km². It is 31 km long and 5 to 10 km wide. The island has a population of 35,000, and an economy based on livestock, agriculture, and tourism. Plantains are the major crop.


The island first became inhabited in the Dinarte phase (ca 200... BC), although evidence is sketchy. The first known inhabitants were Nahua Indians from Mexico. In their footsteps came the Niquirano Indians, who established an important settlement on the island. Their ceramics and monuments still amaze.

Traces of this past can still be found in petroglyphs and stone idols on the northern slopes of Maderas volcano. The oldest date from 300 BC.

After the Spaniards had conquered the Central American region in the 16th century, pirates began prowling Lake Nicaragua. They came in from the Caribbean Sea via the San Juan River. The inhabitants of Ometepe were hard hit. The pirates robbed them of their women, animals, possessions and harvest. They also erected settlements on the shore, making it their refuge. This made the local population, seeking shelter, move to higher grounds on the volcanoes.

Ometepe was finally annexed, through settlement, by the Spanish conquistadors at the end of the 16th century. But French, English (such as Francis Drake) and Dutch pirates still endangered the island until the late 17th century.

The most important villages on the island are Altagracia (pop. 4081), on the eastern side, and Moyogalpa (pop. 2905), with its harbor on the northwestern side of the island. These two villages are the centers of the two municipalities, between the island is divided. Many traditions are kept alive. They celebrate more religious and folk festivals than anywhere in Nicaragua.

Today, Ometepe is developing tourism and ecotourism, with the archaeological past and the bounty of its nature sanctuary, the exotic vegetation, animal and bird life as drawcards.

In 2005, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale occurred as a result of increasing pressure within the active Concepción volcano. Cracks appeared in the roads on Ometepe and advice to leave the island was issued. This was the first minor eruption since 1999.



THE VOLCANOES:

Volcán Concepción (once named Ometepe volcano) is the northwest half of the island. Concepción is a symmetrical cone, and is still considered an active volcano (Baker, 2006). Concepción volcano rose in the early Holocene Epoch and, through continual eruptions, now reaches an altitude of 1 610 m. It is the world's highest lake island. This volcano is considered the most perfectly formed volcano cone in Central America. The volcano went through a long quiet period, but on 8 December 1880 Concepción came back to life. This eruption was extensive, and the volcano remained active for a year. More eruptions followed in 1883, 1889, 1902, 1907, and 1924. The most recent eruption was in 1957. This eruption was extremely violent; however few of the island's inhabitants heeded the order from the government in Managua to evacuate the island.

The southeast half of the island consists of Volcán Madera, which has a crater lake and supports a diverse rainforest environment. This volcano also arose in the Holocene Epoch, and rises 1 394 m above sea level. The last eruption occurred in the 13th century. It is considered extinct or dormant. A large lagoon formed in its crater, and was discovered on 15 April 1930 by the farmer Casimiro Murillo. It is covered with coffee and tobacco plantations and the remaining rain forest. This volcano is a perfect destination for the ecotourist. Much of this part of the island is now a nature reserve.

The volcanic ash has made the soil of this island extremely fertile, allowing continuous planting without fallowing. The volcanoes are visible from everywhere on the island, and life on Ometepe revolves closely around them. They also play an important part in the myths and legends of the island, which once served as an Indian burial ground.

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