http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Nicaragua , Isla de Ometepe , Merida en-us Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:23:30 BST Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:23:30 BST To get out of Costa Rica we had to go via Liberia to get the Nicaragua bound bus. From Liberia we needed the bus that travelled onto Rivas and from here we planned on getting a boat to Isla De Ometepe a volcanic island on the Lago Nicaragua. We were organised and although it was only to be a 2 night stop we were keen to get to the island. The bus to Liberia was on time and we arrived at the poi http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-312518.html Made it to Isla de Ometepe the island made up of two volcanos. I have great pictures of the two volcanos. I will upload them soon. We stayed two nights. The first night we stayed at hotel that was very secluded and had very little for children to do. Macayla did not enjoy it so we moved on the next day. Plus this place Hotel Merida had a monopoly since it was the only place to eat. We p http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-309612.html OK...so one of those was imagined... my last few days in San Juan del Sur should have been lovely but then I caught a touch of Sandino's Revenge at least that's what I think you would call it in Nicaragua since Montexuma wasn't really present down here. Suddenly glad that when I left Hotel Estrella I got a private room with a bathroom I went through about fifteen hours of being convinced I http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-290522.html I decided to separate our Nicargua Adventures into two entries because between 4 people we took a TON of pictures. Don't want to make this entry to much information to handle in one sitting. Thought I would try to make it easier for everyone Ashley and I have successfully returned from doing another border hop but this time we had some company Our boss hired a new girl M http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-288618.html So I met up with my brother and sister last tuesday in Liberia I ended up getting in about 45 mins after them because I missed the early bus out of Managua oops. Rather than double back across the border we spent a day in Costa Rica at Rincon de la Vieja park. Tiff and Dane were getting used to the hot and humid climate while I was enjoying the cool dry weather. It's definetely not 'honduras http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-277670.html Tras Costa Rica continuamos nuestro viaje centroamericano por Nicaragua. Un pas donde mis padres de Ivn y mi hermana vivieron 3 aos a finales de los aos 70. Un pas muy presente desde mi infancia.Comenzamos nuestra andadura Nicaragense en la isla Ometepe en el lago Nicaragua uno de los lagos ms grandes de Centro Amrica y el nico en el mundo donde se encuentran especies de agua salda http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-266410.html Idag maatte vi nok en gang staa opp klokken 6 for aa starte den 12 timers lange reisedagen vi hadde i moete Idag skulle vi inn i Nicaragua Central Amerikas stoerste og nest fattigste land Landet sliter fortsatt etter de oekonomiske odeleggelsene orkanen Mitch foerte med seg i 1998 og korrupsjon i baade politiet og staten er ikke uvanlig Landet er delt inn i tre regioner The Pacific Lowlands http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-260802.html Yesterday seemed like one long series of crazy drives. We enjoyed tasty banana pancakes and gallos pinto at Amigos then finished packing for our 830 am shuttle. Failing to recognize that we were now on Nica time we started to panic when our shuttle was over 20 minutes late. Especially since it meant the next bus to Rivas wouldn't be until 11 am. Once we found our ride our driver did his be http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-235090.html Blogin kirjoittaja paattaa vihdoin melko pitkaksi venyneen joulutaukonsa ja tarina jatkuu viela taman entryn osalta Nicaraguasta. Leonista taas liikkeelle chicken bussilla Managuaan jossa vaihdoin Granadaan menevaan bussiin aikomuksena jatkaa Lago de Nigaragualla sijaitsevalle saarelle Isla de Ometepelle joko saman tai seuraavan paivan aikana. Lautat saarelle lahtivat jarven lansipuolelta San Jor http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-229598.html Hello Nicaragua Goodbye Costa RicaThats it Im gonna have to do it After being in Costa Rica for a month I got sick and tired of the lazy tourists and the super safe reputation that makes Costa Rica a haven for fat Americans and other bad tourists. The locals are jaded to the tourism and lack any desire to interact with people on the road of life. This is a particularly difficult situation http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-197206.html Hoi hoiIk zit nu weer in Granada na een paar dagen op Isla de Ometepe.De reis er naar toe ging gewoon te soepel. Op zon manier dat ik dacht waar zal het dan mis lopen Het begon al met een gezellig gesprek in de eerste bus met een jongen uit Belgie die op weg was naar de kust om te surfen.Bij de ferry naar Ometepe aangekomen vertrok de ferry al binnen een kwartier. Je zag al heel mooi het ei http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-197007.html Isla De Ometepe.From San Juan we made our way to Isla de Ometepe. To get here was a bit of a nightmare it took 3 buses a taxi and a ferry and 7 hours of travel in total. The last bus on the island was the worse as I donrsquot think it went over 10 mph.The island is made up of 2 volcanoes merged together by eruptions in the past and surrounded by Lago Nicaragua. The lake is so huge Central A http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-129944.html Hiked to a waterfall with Grace and Melissa today. Lots of sweating and lots of uphill but SO VERY worth it. Tomorrow headed to Granada Love you all Peep some photos http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-105244.html Saturday long day of travel. Made it to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua. Hot sweaty BEAUTIFUL little town. Sunday I went to another beach called Maderas where a world class surf competition was underway see pictures. Sunday night two funny Canadian girls talked me into heading to Isla de Ometepe with them on Monday. Packed my junk and I jetted with them and 5 others in the back of a truck to th http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-105054.html Voila plus d'une semaine que nous sommes au Nicaragua un merveilleux pays. Les 4 premiers jours ont ete sans histoire nous avons respectivement visite les villes coloniales de Leon Managua Masaya et Rivas. Nous avons ensuite pris un petit bateau pour se rendre a l'ile d'Ometepe une ile composee de deux volcans au centre du lac Nicaragua. Le plus grand volcan Concepcion se trouve a etre le p http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-104792.html With the hassle of the US visa done the real holiday could start I went for a weeks visit to Isla de Ometepe to lay back at Hacienda Merida. Isla de Ometepe is a twovulcano eightshaped island in Lago Nicaragua Central Americas bigest lake. Merida is the remotest place you can go to on the island and the Hacienda Merida a ecological lodging project was the right place for me to lay back at http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-73591.html As I watched the sun set off the shores of Isla de Ometepe I thought back over my day of travel and canrsquot say it was painless. What should have taken 45 hours took me eight but thatrsquos all in the past. I have plenty of time and a whole new place to explore so all is good. Upon arrival at Hacienda Mrida which is nestled at the base of Volcn Maderas I recognized a lot of famili http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-58703.html A four hour boat ride took us to the island of Ometepe. The sun was setting as we approached and volanco Concepsion was in full view with smoke steaming from its crater. Ometepe is a very large island centered in the world's largest freshwater lake. It was formed by two volcanos named Maderas and Concepsion. Twenty years ago there were thousands of Bull sharks inhabiting its waters. They were able http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-55551.html Hola amigosDeze zaterdag is compleet anders verlopen dan gepland. Ik wilde vanochtend met de boot het eiland verlaten maar kon mijn kluissleutel niet vinden... Hopelijk verloren en niet gestolen.... Mijn kluissleutel lag op een tafel mijn kluisje was open... en leeg. Geen paspoort travelercheckes cash credit card of bankpas meer...Niemand in het hotel wist er iets van dus gestolen... wat nu http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-38423.html Hola AmigosMijn eerste dagen van alleen reizen zitten erop. En het is hier nog steeds geweldigDinsdag ochtend ben ik zo snel mogelijk uit Managua vertrokken. En nu ik alleen ben merk ik dat mijn Spaans toch zo slecht nog niet is ik ben blij dat ik de extra week in Estel heb gedaan. Ik heb een uitgebreid gesprek gehad met de taxichauffeur die zoals zoveel mensen hier geen ander werk kon vi http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-38422.html Mette went earlier to San Jose Costa Rica so Anna is the only one of the three amigos that can update the blog about Isla de Ometepe. And sorry amigos Im NOT sure about the date because I dont have a calendar and the days all blur into one...So here we goFrom Granada we took a chicken bus to Rivas early in the morning. There we were met by the eager taxi drivers and told that there are no b http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-29818.html So i left Costa Rica feeling excited and not at all sorry to be leaving even though it is a beautiful country it didnt quite float my boat. As soon as i got through customs you could literally feel the change. I actually met people who lived in Nicaragua for a start And the culture was back breathing out of every pore of the country. The noise the colours the poverty. So i head for Ometep http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-9708.html Ive changed my mind about Nicaragua although I never did fall in love with Granada. Maybe Leon is just more my style. Nicaragua on the whole however is ranking right up there with Guatemala for me now.... I am loving it hereI ended up in Granada for a few days again sucked in by an alwaysfun allinclusive hostel called The Bearded Monkey. I met Debra Tom and Jim in the hostel bar at the e http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-7250.html So I am still a bit behind on my journal entering here because I have been very busy without really doing much here in Granada. Doing a month's worth of errands in the space of 5 days makes for some pretty uninteresting blogging. After we left Santo Domingo on the Isla de Ometepe we headed to the Volcan Maderas side of the island for a brief stay in Hacienda Merida. Within 30 minutes of being the http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-4384.html Journal excerpt 8th Feb 2005 Though i had already been to Isla de Ometepe on account of it being listed among Lonely Planet's list of Central American jewels my memories of this supposed wonderland were none too marvelous. It had been raining most of the time on my last visit I had gotten food poisoning and the jeep we had rented to tour the island dragged along at 5 MPH along the unpaved roa http://www.travelblog.org//Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Merida/blog-4246.html