Summer Camp at the Lake

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We stayed at a picturesque family-run hostel called El Cortijo del Lago (The Farmhouse of the Lake) owned by an American ex-pat, his Honduran wife, and their children.



It sprawled leisurely across a small valley away from the road and overlooking the lake.



With the big, breezy screened-in common areas, books and board games, canoes and foosball, it felt a lot like summer camp.



We managed to navigate a cobbled dock-boat out into the lake (to anchor and swim off) - it was a 6´x 6´ platform mounted and precariously balanced on a couple of narrow pontoons - it was rather awkward but fun to maneuver with some Brits we met.



The egrets and the hawks soaring and feeding above the shores reminded us that this spot of nature hadn´t yet been conquered by man.



The second day we decided to skip the more popular waterfall trip, and made our way to a nature preserve near by.


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Parque Nacional Cerro Azul Meambar

We almost had another Amazing Race moment as we were overcome with frustration at our inability to communicate in Spanish.



We finally negotiated a ride up a bumpy, steep road, happy that we hadn´t decided to walk as our driver pointed out guys standing around he claimed were banditos.



Once up to Cerro Azul, we followed a neat, arduous trail for four hours, without seeing another soul, save birds a plenty.



It led up and down along the side of hilltops and around the crowns of cloud forests, opening onto wide views of the lake and valley below, before winding back down past waterfalls and over creeks.



It was a great afternoon, and a peaceful and idyllic weekend.



The egrets and hawks around the lake, the peace and quiet, and the beautiful sounds of birds and crickets in the night almost made up for the bug bites all over Brittany´s face.



The feeling of being a little less dug into the ruts on the gringo trail was frustrating and rewarding.

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Photos

Serenity
The backyard of the hostel, looking out onto Lago de Yojoa

Suspension Bridge
No more than two at a time!
Muy bouncy

Bad Ass
Don´t mess with da woods