Nica what! (part 1)

Well it’s been a while since our last post and we are now back in San José, Costa Rica for one night getting ready to leave in the morning.

After we spent a couple of nights in the old colonial town of Granada in Nicaragua, it was time to head to the Island of Ometepe, which is made up of two volcanoes. The ferry ride over was 4 hours and pretty comfortable. Of course we had to buy the most expensive tickets being tourists but it was still pretty cheap. The view of the volcanoes was amazing as they came into view. The fun started when we got off at the dock and were ushered into the nearest minivan, which was overflowing with people and some poor 7 ft German guy had to sit on the roof. Not sure traffic laws apply here and due to bad roads the suspension bottomed out several times.

After staying at a couple of uninteresting places around the big volcano we chose to head down and stay at Merida on the southwest of the island which we heard good things about. Buses on the island sometimes decide not to run but luckily we got a lift with an American couple going our way. The roads got worse and we passed more and more little shack villages until we arrived at Hacienda Merida. This place had a great atmosphere and plenty of things to do but also a great place to just chill out in a hammock. We chose to hike halfway up the smaller volcano to the San Ramon waterfall, which turned out to be quite a hardcore 6 hour trek in 30 degree heat. We were not exactly prepared but somehow we made it back without getting lost or dying of heat stroke.

Romance at the waterfall

 Before Petra's feet broke out in about 10 blisters

One of the numerous pretty sunsets at Ometepe

Jurjen, our Dutch friend from Bocas del Toro, joined us at the hostel and we decided to do a bit of kayaking. First to Monkey Island where apparently if you get too close the monkeys WILL jump on you and bite you. It’s true they did look pretty damn angry. After a bit of lunch it was 1 and a half hours kayaking along the coast to the river that runs between the two volcanoes. This place was so tranquil and it was so nice to just drift though the trees in the water and watch the animals. A few more monkeys made an appearance here. The way back was timed perfectly and allowed a great view of the sunset over Lake Nicaragua.

Petra's very first kayak, and already doing better than Tony!

Angry monkeys guarding their island

River kayaking, team work success!

It was discovered that the main food to be found was rice, beans, plantain chips and some sort of meat. It gets pretty boring very quickly especially as there is no sauce, so dry. The local restaurant in Merida was entertaining. Sitting down we had several animals running round the place, turkeys and a pig with a leash around its neck to name a few. A local riding a motorbike through the restaurant was common and we were treated to the topless fat owner with his trousers undone chasing the turkeys round the table threatening to turn them into a stew. This is all normal for here! After 5 days on the island we felt it was time to say goodbye and get a ferry back to the mainland, so we headed to San Juan del Sur, a surfer village on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. This place was far from the tranquil, authentic Ometepe, but now we really need to hit the airport! So will return with stories from Gringoville once we settle in LA. Holla!

Our ride from Merida to the ferry on an old American school bus