Blogs from Isla de Ometepe, Southern Pacific Coast, Nicaragua, Central America Caribbean - page 3

Geo: 11.5217, -85.6013The storm last night presented Annemarie and I, and our new travel buddies, a bit of a set back. We now had to travel again to get to our small town destination of Santa Cruz on the island.After a quick breakfast we were able to locate a bus that would take us. We arrived about an hour later where we were once again dropped on the side of the road. We asked directions and in blind faith hoped for the best. We had a nice walk of about 2km up a gentle hill. Along the way we were entertained by a small band of noisy howler monkeys. Arriving at a hostel, that doubles as an organic farm and a local coop for coffee growers, we had to decide our next step. Annemarie was really ... read more

After a delicious waffle in Kathy's famous waffle house we climbed the spiral steps up the church tower to get some amazing views of Grenada before we set off. Scotty couldn't resist buying a hammock seat in a handmade hammock shop which takes in men and women who have been in trouble with drugs and alcohol and give them jobs. Now when we search for a house the criteria will have to include a beam suitable to hang it from! The travelling wasn't too bad, we stood for an hour and a half on a chicken bus then got off at a very chaotic market before heading to the ferry to Ometepe. This is where we stay with local families and our hostess' name is Susana and she lives with her husband and grandson who instantly ... read more

We'd heard we just had to visit the lake island of Ometepe. Several people we'd met raved about it and even stayed longer than planned. Ometepe is an island popping out in the middle of Lago Nicaragua (which itself seemingly makes up half the country's area) and consists mainly of two large volcanoes that can be hiked up. Dan did his homework for accommodation and found a nice little place called Hacienda Merida which gives back to the community in two ways: they run a bilingual school, teaching English as a second language, to prepare kids to enter the tourism trade on the island; and they request that all tour guides soliciting business from guests bring four water bottles filled with non-biodegradable garbage (collected on the island) which will then be used as building materials. The ... read more

Summit Volcán Concepción - a 1,610 m (5,282 ft) active volcano in Nicaragua = check! Our weekend trip to the Isla de Ometepe (Ometepe Island) has definitely taken its spot as the highlight trip of my time here so far. Together with the other interns I have been to Volcán Masaya, Mirador de Catarina (viewpoint), Granada and Volcán Mombacho, León (Volcano boarding!), Estelí and Reserva Natural Tisey, Playa Jiquelite (beach on the south pacific coast near Tola), and now la Isla de Ometepe. Every weekend has been incredible, but this past one has definitely surpassed the others. We had heard that Ometepe was a place we couldn't miss when in Nicaragua, and I wholeheartedly agree. I only wish we had more time there! We only had a little over 2 days on the island, and only ... read more

We ended up staying another two nights in San Juan del Sur, and find ourselves back here after visiting Isla de Ometepe for 5 nights. Ometepe is an island made up of two impressive volcano's in the middle of lake Nicaragua, Concepcion and Maderas, the later which we climbed. The journey to get there involved our first chicken bus ride, a taxi, a ferry, another chicken bus and finally one more taxi. The chicken buses are so called because sometimes you could find yourself sitting next to someone carrying a chicken. They are old 1950's and 60's American school buses, and are usually done up with crazy graffiti and flashing lights on the outside, and decked out with a good sound system on the inside. Most have extra large mufflers attached and the sound of the ... read more