The Road to Ometepe

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Got up early, breakfasted at the market and caught at $10 cab to the port at San Jorge. Just in time for the ferry to Moyogalpa and from there we bit the bullet and got a $20 cab to the hotel in Playa Santo Domingo.

Villa Paraiso is a cush place compared to Istiam where I stayed before. I had reserved a $29.00 double for us, but we soon realized that the room they put us in was much nicer than my reservation. When we asked them about it they said it was actually the $60/night room but that they would give it to us for $50. Umm, no, we´d rather just move. Soon it became $40/night. Still not cheap enough. She offered $35 to which we said we´d still like to see the other $29 room. But after seeing it we agreed $35 would be worth saying in the nicer room. When we went down the price had gone back up to $40 so we began to gather our things to move. Then it was back down to $35 for the night and so we stayed. It´s low season here, rainy season, the tourist has the power.

We got a coffee and stared at the volcano Madera as it gently rained. In the afternoon when the rain cleared we went for a walk down the dirt road taking photographs and eventually came to my old hotel from 6 weeks ago. Robyn agreed that Villa Paraiso was a good change.

Dinner is very good here (although rather pricey for Nica), but sorta a captive audience too. We opened our bottle of wine later and enjoyed it in our room. There´s really not much to do on Ometepe at night, sorta forces you to enjoy the company of whomever you´re with - either that or talk to yourself. Fortunately I had Robyn.

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