Isla de Ometepe

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ISLA DE OMETEPE:
By Easter Sunday the evidence that there had been a massive week long beach party started to diminish. The only trace of the celebration was smell of urine lining the sidewalks. The streets that were once littered with people, djs and vendors were now desolate and eerie quiet. We waited until the next morning to leave, hoping to avoid any remaining traffic. A group that we had grown close to decided to venture on with us to Ometepe, as they had also spent way too much time in SJDS. We left around 11 and two buses, a cab and a ferry later we reached our destination about 7pm. I was a little nervous traveling to an island with a group of six, and without reservations, but worst case scenario we could all pile into our two tents. We knew where we wanted to stay but not a clue where it was or if they had beds available because they don't let you book online. Apparently even though Semana Santa was over, the island was still overbooked. We didn't get our first choice of hostels but ended up finding room in this crazy lady's guest house. Kev and I had to share a twin bed but I was relieved we found a spot. The next day three of our friends hiked Maderas, the smaller of the two volcanoes on the island, but we declined. We've already decided to hike the Telica volcano in Leon, and one is enough for me! Especially because they're usually eight hours round trip, straight up in the blistering heat. Instead we rented bikes and rode to the Ojo de Agua, a crystal clear volcanic lagoon. I had seen pictures of this place before we came, but they didn't quite do it justice. It was far more beautiful than I imagined and the perfect refreshing temperature. It must've been one of the main attractions on Ometepe because there were a lot of families and other visitors enjoying the serenity while sipping from fresh coconuts and enjoying tacos from the on site restaurant. The next day we wanted to get a better grasp of the island via a motorbike. Our first rental was a scooter that failed to start after a truck backed into it during breakfast. When Kevin picked it up off the ground there didn't appear to be any damage but after the incident the starter wouldn't work. Luckily we rented it right down the road and the man knew we hadn't driven it yet. He let us replace it with a motorcycle that also gave us trouble until Kevin realized that the gear box had the opposite shift pattern of bikes back home. Even though the scooter would've been more comfortable, the motorcycle had more power and was able to go off road. We cruised through Altagracia, a sleepy little town with a much needed ATM, and then on to Mayogulpa where the ferry had initially dropped us off. The town we stayed in took an hour and a half by bus and only 40 minutes on the bike. We lodged in Santa Cruz, and there was also a Sacramento and Los Angeles on the island, weird! Ometepe is still a very traditional place, even despite all the recent tourism. There's more accommodation than in the past but for the most part the way of life for the locals hasn't appeared to change. There's a lot of children and at least four elementary schools that we've noticed. Every family has chickens, pigs and sometimes cattle on their land and in their homes. The animals, including the dogs all seem to live in harmony with each other. It's very organic the way they live; the animals grazing, pecking and roaming freely on the land and through the town with their offspring in tow. It seems so natural and simple and yet no body goes hungry. Everything is so screwed up back in the states, I know we have more mouths to feed, but the way we're getting the job done is just despicable. Sorry, that's the end of my rant. Oh I forgot to mention that we almost paid way too much for this private room, (the second night) thinking it was the only option left in Santa Cruz, and met a guy just down the hill that had beds for $6. No one charges up front for the rooms, so we hadn't paid yet but had still occupied the room all day with our bags. We knew it'd be unethical to leave and change to the cheaper hostel so decided to eat the cost. That was until we came back and there were swarms of gnats lining the walls of our room, our pillows, comforter and lingering in the bathroom. We couldn't even walk out of the shower without them getting stuck to our wet skin. It was horrendous and the perfect excuse to get us out of that overpriced room. Well we're down to our final week in Central America and even though I thought our last few days would be bittersweet, we are completely welcoming the 11th of April. Traveling has been an amazing experience and at the same time a true test of our limits. I'm looking forward to our last few adventures but am also ready to say adios to Central America (until next time)! One ferry, four buses, a couple cabs, and eight hours later we will be in Leon, our last stop before flying out of Managua. Looking forward to a tall beer once we arrive, cheers!

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