Day 3 - Our Last Day on the Island

---

Day 3 WTF . . . Get us off this island (4 Aug 2010)

So we started out another day in Paradise or so we thought. After a night of watching a really bad Lifetime-like show with Ellen Degenerous and Tom Selleck, we were ok with falling asleep during the show. We had a wake up time of 6:30 am so we could try and hike the waterfall. We were determined to make it to the top of something on the island. We were ready in plenty of time to have a lovely breakfast, only to be interrupted by those damn birds dive bombing our huevos rancheros. So after fighting off the three birds who wanted our breakfast we waited in the lobby for our guide to take us to the waterfall. We had a 7:30 pick-up. Well 8 o’clock rolls around and someone who at least speaks English informs us that our ride is coming until 9:30. WTF! We had arranged for a late check out and a driver to take us to the port at 12:30, since we would be done with the whole waterfall hike. Now we are scrambling to figure out ferry times, transportation, and checking out. Needless to say, even though it wasn’t the messenger’s fault, we let him have it. They found us a ride at 8:30 but then we also didn’t have a guide, even though we paid for one. But wait, they did find a guide, but he didn’t speak English, hmmmmm. . . don’t think that guide would do us much good. Well after much ranting and raving, they were able to get a hold of the guide we had yesterday, the one on a race to the top that never looked back to see us dripping of sweat and dieing from the hike. Even though his English was limited, we’ll take him. So finally we begin our next adventure at 10 am.

Now the roads on the island are less than desirable, oh wait, they really don’t have roads, just mud covered paths with rocks and puddles. It literally takes an hour to go 10-15 miles. We finally make it to the park where the waterfall is located. Our guide informed us that if we wanted to drive up half way, we just have to pay a little extra! Sweet, we will pay the extra 3 bucks to cut the hike in half. Our calf muscles were very happy about this. So we drive half way up and literally cut 90 minutes off from the 3 hour round trip hike. Now yesterday, our guide is in hiking pants and boots and has his pack with water and food. Today, he is dressed in nice jeans, shirt and Chuck Taylor Converse shoes. This guy doesn’t even break a sweat. After 3 minutes we are again drenched in sweat and breathing heavily as the hike is straight up again. Our calves are begging for mercy. Today, though, was our day. We were victorious in making it to the falls. It was beautiful and reminded us of the waterfall in Maui. We even passed up a much larger, out-of-shape man who had to take smoke breaks on the hike. So score another one for us! We made it half way up the volcano yesterday, when a college kid almost half our age couldn’t get up a quarter of the way, and today when we beat the fat, ugly smoker to the falls.

The trek down was fine, and Kirsten had way fewer slips and slides than yesterday. However, we keep waiting for some crazy rash or something to show up on our arms and legs from the foliage that we walked through. So far so good, no mystery rash or itchy scratchy. Lets just say the Nicaraguan idea of moderate and difficult hikes is much different than the American version.

Since we finished in 90 minutes we had plenty of time for lunch before we had to catch the 3:20 ferry back to San Jorge. Lunch was uneventful, if you consider a herd of cows almost walking right into the restaurant uneventful. Our waiter had to usher the chickens out the door several times during our meal. But, what do you expect for both of us to have lunch for $6 total. It was actually decent. After our meal we were off to the port to catch the ferry. We left in plenty of time because you just never know what could happen. Remember it may only be about 15 miles to the destination, but it will take an hour to get there. But that is just because of the roads, not what is blocking them. The ride was going smoothly until we hit a herd of cattle walking down the middle of the road. This does not alarm our driver in the least. He just gets right up behind the herd and honks his horn and keeps pushing them along. At least it was only a 10 minute delay, the herd turned off right at the next restaurant. Now don’t think that this island is all primitive. They are trying to upgrade their roads. Our next delay incurred when a construction crew was laying pavers for one lane of the road. There was no dump truck to move massive amounts of dirt at once. No, we were stuck behind a truck with 3 men in the back shoveling dirt onto the road to fill in the pavers. This was only another slight delay.

We eventually do make it to the ferry in plenty of time. We were pretty excited to make it back to the mainland and civilization. We get our luggage on the ferry, where it gets buried by a bunch of Aussie or British or South African back packers’ backpacks. We loved the guy who bought the hammock and was carrying that huge, awkward thing around. Note to self, buy the hammock at the end of the trip. We settle in our seats and can’t help but think we hear a chicken. After a while, we realize the woman across the way has a chicken in a sack, a live chicken in a sack that she is transporting back to San Jorge. Interesting. Not judging, it’s just interesting. (OK We judged a bit)

Low and behold, we make it back to San Jorge, our driver is waiting for us and we are headed to San Juan Del Sur. We have rented a house that over-looks the bay and the town. Directly across from our house on the other hill looking over the bay, is what use to be what we liked to call the Skeet-shooting Jesus. San Juan Del Sur is building a statue of Jesus similar to Rio De Janiero. When we were here in March 2009, it had only one arm finished. It was outstretched over the town and we thought it looked like Jesus was skeet shooting, hence the name. Now he looks almost complete, or at least he has two arms now. The house is pretty cool and the bedrooms are air-conditioned! Thank goodness. . We have already sweated enough on this trip all ready. The house has a great infinity pool right out the door. Owner did some food shopping at our request and had beer waiting for us. We love her now. The down side is it is at the top of a steep hill. The rest of the girls arrive tonight and then the official Dirty Thirty Trip can begin. But we are pretty sure they might turn around when they will not likely make it all the way up the hill in the van. Hope they hold on long enough to see the house because the approach is a bit dodgy.

---

Photos

The Falls
80 meters high

Little and Big
There are actually 2 falls.

Wet from the falls or the sweat?
Both unfortunately.

Kirsten and Chester way off in the distance
Our guid is not that great at taking pictures.

Kirsten
Cooling off in the pool

Cool View
Looking up. Pretty cool view

It feels so good
Cool and refreshing

Easy to moderate
NOT!!!!!

A small delay
The car in front let us pass to push the cows with our truck.

View from the top
Kirsten haning out on the top deck of the ferry.

Voted off the island
Chester haning out on the ferry finally cooling down.

Last view
Our view from the ferry as we sail away

Comments

[Barb Sanborn]

Wow!
What crazy fun you're having! I love the photos.