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Published: April 3rd 2014
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I’m scribbling this as we wait for a working boat to take us up river to San Carlos. We were due to leave at 11.30 on the quick boat but the engine has conked out so we now have to wait for the slow boat that leaves at 2pm. Such is the life of the traveller; we have fallen into the stride now so delays like this no longer feel like a problem. The helpful lady at the tourist info has kindly invited us into her office/house so while we wait Helen is researching Costa Rica, our next destination and I am taking the opportunity to keep our beloved readers informed of our adventures.
Whatever gets you through the night We are on the Rio San Juan on the border of Nica and Costa Rica, a place from another time where things move slowly and wilderness abounds. Getting to the river from Ometepe was not easy.
I thought I could sleep anywhere. It’s not the case.
We took the overnight boat from Altragracia on the north coast of Ometepe thinking crossing a lake would be easy sailing. It may have been but we just happened to choose
the night when the wind was blowing a gale.
Helen had read that renting deck chairs was the most comfortable option for the 10 hour crossing. They were indeed comfortable but only while we were docked, once we launched the wind hit as did the waves. We were getting soaked. By now the tourist cabin was full but we had no option but to try and squeeze in but minus our bags, they had to stay on the deck. We found some space on the floor and put our heads down, Helen had taken 2 dramamine to counter potential sea sickness which helped her sleep, she was out within minutes.
I was not so fortunate and quickly became a little jealous of Helen’s drugs. I had drunk several tequilas with some Spanish travellers we met at the dock which had made me drowsy but despite this it took me over an hour to get off and I only lasted an hour. Broken, uncomfortable sleep continued for me all night; at times I felt as if I was trying to sleep on a roller coaster and I was also anxious about our bags on the deck so every time
I woke I got up to check on them. They were ok and only a little damp because I had placed them onto the deck chairs we weren’t using, covered them with bin bags and turned them against the wind.
It was a horrendous journey but we survived it. However we did miss our connection at San Carlos and had to take a bus to our next destination. We weren’t the only ones who missed the connection either so the bus was packed but thankfully we were only on it for an hour or so.
Farmhands Once we arrived at the Grand River Lodge it all seemed worth it. The lodge, despite its name was very rustic and set in farm land which sits on the bank of the river. We only spent 2 nights here but could have easily have spent more.
For $20 dollars we had a private chalet complete with balcony and view across the river, there were bats living in the rafters which wasn’t quite so nice but only because we would occasionally find droppings on the floor; for this reason our mozzie net had an additional plastic sheet above it. The
price also included breakfast and various tours.
We took advantage of the horse riding tour on our first day where we saw various wildlife including white faced capuchin monkeys. The horses were well fed and looked like they were well treated which is something I sadly can’t say about many of the other horses I have seen in other parts of Nica. They were also easy to ride although Helens horse was a little spirited and trotted off at one point; it was Helen’s first time on a horse so it was sods law that hers would be the problem one. She handled it well and our ranger quickly got the horse back in order.
We also did a morning walk through the adjacent forests and a tour through the owner’s cacao fields. Both of these tours were run by the farms owner who was an excellent guide; he was informative and also very patient in his explanations because of our limited Spanish.
I think staying on a working farm with the family around made this short stay all the more fun. The children were constantly entertaining; one evening they found the remains of a dead caiman
and spent a good hour playing with the stinking carcass like only boys can. The grandfather, whose Spanish was near incomprehensible was always trying to tell me something about the local wildlife or the farm and would call me every time he found a bug he thought I would find interesting. He knew me well!
Pirates! It was sad to leave the farm but we have to work to a schedule for the next few weeks because we have flight out of Panama booked and there was more to see on the Rio San Juan.
Our next destination was an hour and half up river to El Castillo.
The San Juan is a strategically and economically important river; only in recent months did a Chinese consortium receive the contract to propose construction plans to build a canal through the San Juan to rival Panama’s. However whether it actually gets built remains to be seen, after visiting El Castillo we learnt that this idea has been discussed for centuries and after speaking to the locals it seems most people think it impossible.
During colonial times the Spanish king built El Castillo to combat pirates coming down
the river to attack Granada. The remains of the fort are still in the town and sit atop a hill overlooking the river. It was fun to climb and overlook the jungle that seems to go on forever. I tried to imagine the small Spanish garrisons keeping watch whilst also being set in the midst of an unknown jungle where all manner of nasty creatures dwell. The fort was attacked many times and was finally captured by a sprightly 22 year old called Horatio Nelson; apparently it was quite a triumph and one which Nelson was very proud; his portrait at the maritime museum in Greenwich includes El Castillo in the background.
From the fort you can see the Indio Maiz jungle on the left and the Costa Rican border on the right. We took a day tour down river to trek the Indio Maiz, nothing too strenuous but jungle nonetheless.
The tour on the river proved the most fruitful in terms of spotting wildlife. The trek was more of a walk in the woods where we heard more than we saw; our guide was very good and did his utmost to ensure we had a good experience
and he did find a small litter frog and a poisonous strawberry dart frog in the leaves which were among the highlights. Along the river we saw an American crocodile, countless birds including toucans, ospreys and kingfishers and we also saw a sloth. Although the sloth was a bit too far for a photo it was easily made out with a pair of binoculars.
Our tour ended with a dip in the river. The crocodile infested river! We were taken to a shallow spot where we were assured it was safe. Even with the assurance is was still a little disconcerting; only the night before we had taken a night tour to spot caimans and we had spotted dozens. However our guide seemed to know his stuff and the swim was welcome after our two hour trek. As we left we were bid farewell by a couple of spider monkeys which was a nice way to end the tour.
It looks like our boat is getting readied now so I’ll leave it there. Next stop Costa Rica.
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Bridget
non-member comment
So jealous you\\\'ve seen a sloth! I love them, I reckon they have life figured out :) Alastair reminds me a bit of a sloth