Real Nica on Ometepe

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Nicaragua has a whole chain of volcanoes running through it, north to south, some currently or recently active. About a week ago I boarded a large ferry and giddy-upped across a gusty lake Nicaragua (wet luggage) to Ometepe island, created by 2 massive volcanoes, one at each end. In between the volcanoes lies a very productive, agricultural saddle of greens, corn, beans, yucca, bananas, various nuts, , and then going up the slopes of the volcanoes, there's more beans, coffee, cocoa, big tropical timber and finally, moist cloud forests cap the summits. Down on ths coast the food and cooking the Nicaraguan way is delicious. The island has been cultivated by humans for ovsr 3 millenia, and hence its also a bit of an archeological treasure trove.

On one of the first days I hopped on one of the local buses to check out the real vibe on the figure 8 circumferences of the island: learnt all about being squished on a full Nica bus, as in "there's always room for just one more,..for just one more Nica" and all his/her agricultural goodies, they leave no-one and nothing behind. Next day was onto a "fresh air" scooter to markets, museums and beaches. Then the next, onto some serious guided hiking up the smaller of the 2 volcanoes, Volcano Maderas. The summit and lake are about 1400m high; forgive me but I only made it to 1100m into the cloud forest; the heat, mud and humidity got to me; it nearly killed me, and that's why you have here writing away (i.e. nursing sore leg muscles).

Anyway so much for being a discovery tourist. Next week it's back to being DECADENT. Out to the Carribean, snorkling away on the Corn Islands.

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