I was tempted to stay another week but figured I could go home and get a little more situated first...it is only $220/week for daily Spanish lessons, homestay with a family including breakfast, lunch and dinner. I wonder if any of these Nicaraguan families would have enough patience and understanding to deal with a vegetarian? Anyway, it was too complicated to change my ticket at such the last minute and when I finally did get connected to Continental via skype, they said it was a 30 min wait to speak with an actual person. I didn't want to waste our last night together at an internet cafe swarming with mosquitos...so instead, we grabbed a bottle of vino blanco and stopped by Fidel's house- he promised us a ride back to Mango Rosa- but we were too late, he was in the middle of cooking dinner with his family and had raw slabs of carne in his hands...the baby waa in her pajamas and we apologized for disturbing them...a friend of his who was there and offered to call us a cab and explained once he hung up that it would be about 10 minutes and they were now charging double- $20 since it was nightime, comprenden?
We agreed, after all we didn't want a repeat of last night...and seconds later Fidel was outside ushering us into his Hilux...it then became clear that it was all a scam to get us to agree to more...Fidel charged us $10 earlier when we went scuba diving...I guess I can't blame him for being a manipulative business man.
The hotel lobby was abuzz with guests: there is a wedding here tomorrow. We headed back to our place and got the bottle in the freezer. A hot shower felt amazing...scrubbing off the accumulation of 12 hours of sunblock, salt, sweat and sand...and probably a good layer of dust/dirt from traveling these unpaved roads all day.
We were exhausted but it felt great to collapse on our large sectional couch enjoying the AC and vino :)
The next morning we woke up to birds chirping outside and the sun forcing its way through our bamboo blinds. Guess we'd better get up and enjoy our last manana in Nicaragua. We started packing (translation- threw everything into our duffle bags), showered and headed to the lobby for desayuno, cafe con leche and la cuenta. Our whole bill came to approximately $415 for all food, drinks and accomodations for 3 nights. By Nicaraguan standards this is muy caro (expensive) but we considered it reasonable...Brian got a few last minute resort photos and before we knew it, Richard was here to pick us up.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday...Hitching a ride
Wouldn't be a trip to Nicaragua without hitch hiking at least once...
The cars were all accounted for by perhaps some better prepared travelers...there were no attended taxis and the parked ones we presumed were waiting for particular passengers and we were basically in the middle of nowhere. Just when I began to process this reality and confirmed my lack of cell signal, a group of Nicaraguans headed by a tall, blonde, American surfer started piling into their Toyota Hilux beside us. The surfer asked if we needed a ride as the older of the 2 boys helped him secure his board in the back of the pickup. Brian said 'sure where are you headed', 'San Juan' he replied as if that was a given. This seemed like the better of two options with the other being living out on own Survivor series and trekking it back to town on foot...
He let me ride in the front while Brian jumped in the back with the 5 kids ranging in age from 5 to possibly 18...2 boys and 4 girls...
I climbed in the backseat of the pickup and was sandwiched between 2 generations, la abuela to my left and la mama to my right. Surfer (we never did catch his name) and his esposa in the front...and of course el perro.
Everyone was aboard and we backed up onto the dirt road...surfer took a swig for his newly opened Tona (and replaced it in his cup holder) and asked his wife for his wedding band back...she looked like she was no more than 20 and he had to be at least 30...he slid the ring on his hand and they chatted in very basic Spanish...
Something about the festival tomorrow and the full moon party tonight at the farm, 'quierimos ir a la fiesta del noche?' she asked, 'porque no!' he replied...
He barreled down the roads with little regard for everyone in back although he seemed to periodically look in the rearview every now and then, I suppose to make sure no one had flown out...
Some fleeting anxieties drifted through my mind...maybe this is an elaborate plan of kidnapping us? Or maybe we're going somewhere else (how the hell would we know the right way back?!)...but I hoped he was just being friendly...which fortunately turned out to be the case. He dropped us off out front of their house and refused any payment. We thanked them and headed down the one block to the beach just in time to watch the sunset as an impromptu futbol game developed. We chose the Italian restaurant (Fidel told us that the owner is Italian and makes all the dough at home so as not to spoil his secret recipe)...got a margherita pizza and a couple of Tonas as we watched the sun set for the last time on SJDS.
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The cars were all accounted for by perhaps some better prepared travelers...there were no attended taxis and the parked ones we presumed were waiting for particular passengers and we were basically in the middle of nowhere. Just when I began to process this reality and confirmed my lack of cell signal, a group of Nicaraguans headed by a tall, blonde, American surfer started piling into their Toyota Hilux beside us. The surfer asked if we needed a ride as the older of the 2 boys helped him secure his board in the back of the pickup. Brian said 'sure where are you headed', 'San Juan' he replied as if that was a given. This seemed like the better of two options with the other being living out on own Survivor series and trekking it back to town on foot...
He let me ride in the front while Brian jumped in the back with the 5 kids ranging in age from 5 to possibly 18...2 boys and 4 girls...
I climbed in the backseat of the pickup and was sandwiched between 2 generations, la abuela to my left and la mama to my right. Surfer (we never did catch his name) and his esposa in the front...and of course el perro.
Everyone was aboard and we backed up onto the dirt road...surfer took a swig for his newly opened Tona (and replaced it in his cup holder) and asked his wife for his wedding band back...she looked like she was no more than 20 and he had to be at least 30...he slid the ring on his hand and they chatted in very basic Spanish...
Something about the festival tomorrow and the full moon party tonight at the farm, 'quierimos ir a la fiesta del noche?' she asked, 'porque no!' he replied...
He barreled down the roads with little regard for everyone in back although he seemed to periodically look in the rearview every now and then, I suppose to make sure no one had flown out...
Some fleeting anxieties drifted through my mind...maybe this is an elaborate plan of kidnapping us? Or maybe we're going somewhere else (how the hell would we know the right way back?!)...but I hoped he was just being friendly...which fortunately turned out to be the case. He dropped us off out front of their house and refused any payment. We thanked them and headed down the one block to the beach just in time to watch the sunset as an impromptu futbol game developed. We chose the Italian restaurant (Fidel told us that the owner is Italian and makes all the dough at home so as not to spoil his secret recipe)...got a margherita pizza and a couple of Tonas as we watched the sun set for the last time on SJDS.
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Friday-The road to La Playa Hermosa
We hired a taxi on the main calle in SJDS to take us to the surf competiton...he quoted us as $20 total- if more people get in then we split it evenly. Despite warnings in the books about shared cabs, the discounted rates were starting to appeal to us. Unfortunately no one else tried to hail him down :(
The driver, Jose, was young and energetic. Told us he was 25 years old and recently married his novia in enero (January). He showed us his plain gold band. He picked up a little girl on the corner who had her thumb out- hitchhiking is quite common here. He dropped her off not much later to a deserted dirt road and explained that many families live in the more rural outskirts of SJDS and head into town for various necessities. I practiced my Spanish with Jose while he practiced his Ingles and Brian zoned out- guess he was exhausted after the morning's dive.
Jose explained that Survivor was just filmed here in Playa Hermosa and that ' that company has mucho dinero'. He went on to say that they paid $20 per hour to do various tasks and the people liked having them here because it brought them work and paid better than some other jobs which are usually less than $8/hour. He said he did tours for them for 12 hours at a time...sounds like he was quite the hustler. He was driving us in a hyundai sedan but explained he also had a Toyota four runner that he used during that time...
The roads were ridiculous. I felt like we were back on Ometepe. Brown/orange dirt mixed with rocks and huge puddles everywhere made for a very bumpy ride. Jose zipped through them- he knows this road like the back of his hand. He had on a white baseball cap and bright white sunglasses and half the time seemed to be looking at me as he talked in his rear view instead of focusing on the road.
We paid our entrads, 15 cordobas each, to a woman with an armed guard standing behind her (with a machine gun strapped across his chest). A wooden house on stilts was just past the gate on the left, and a mother with a few young children waved to us as we drove through.
The roads got even worse. This is torture for my sore neck! We finally arrived at Playa Hermosa to a parking lot full of cars...which was funny because we didn't seem to pass any on the way down!
Dance music was playing and we could hear the announcer describing the surfing competitors in the distance. We paid Jose and walked down to the beach...
Where did all these Americans come from? We wondered. The only natives were sitting at a Claro booth (one of the 2 cell companies) marketing their product and some construction workers building what would appear to be the first permanent structure on this beach. A generator was set far back in the sand and makeshift bars and tents with rows of plastic chairs sectioned off the spectators. There were even fresh water showers set right in the center of all the action.
The crowd was a bunch of suntanned surfers with stereotypical curly blonde hair. Some looked more like hippies with dreads and still others more like hipsters with their regulatory sleeved arms of tattoos. We found a spot on the sprawling beach and watched as four surfers all ran in together competing for the same waves.
The waves were perfect and enormous. Rolling from one end to the other until they would sometimes collide into each other. It was really cool to watch these surfers ride them, cutting forward and backward the entire length of the wave and then some of them would do a little flip thing when the two waves met in the middle...I found that to be most impressive. I wanted to see las chicas compete but there were only 4 and after an hour or 2 we were ready to head back to SJDS...Not before I had a chance to swim for a minute though...the water here is surprisingly warm and clear for the Pacific...
We showered and hiked past the horse farm which reeked of manure back to the parking lot...hmm. And now how were we going to get back??
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The driver, Jose, was young and energetic. Told us he was 25 years old and recently married his novia in enero (January). He showed us his plain gold band. He picked up a little girl on the corner who had her thumb out- hitchhiking is quite common here. He dropped her off not much later to a deserted dirt road and explained that many families live in the more rural outskirts of SJDS and head into town for various necessities. I practiced my Spanish with Jose while he practiced his Ingles and Brian zoned out- guess he was exhausted after the morning's dive.
Jose explained that Survivor was just filmed here in Playa Hermosa and that ' that company has mucho dinero'. He went on to say that they paid $20 per hour to do various tasks and the people liked having them here because it brought them work and paid better than some other jobs which are usually less than $8/hour. He said he did tours for them for 12 hours at a time...sounds like he was quite the hustler. He was driving us in a hyundai sedan but explained he also had a Toyota four runner that he used during that time...
The roads were ridiculous. I felt like we were back on Ometepe. Brown/orange dirt mixed with rocks and huge puddles everywhere made for a very bumpy ride. Jose zipped through them- he knows this road like the back of his hand. He had on a white baseball cap and bright white sunglasses and half the time seemed to be looking at me as he talked in his rear view instead of focusing on the road.
We paid our entrads, 15 cordobas each, to a woman with an armed guard standing behind her (with a machine gun strapped across his chest). A wooden house on stilts was just past the gate on the left, and a mother with a few young children waved to us as we drove through.
The roads got even worse. This is torture for my sore neck! We finally arrived at Playa Hermosa to a parking lot full of cars...which was funny because we didn't seem to pass any on the way down!
Dance music was playing and we could hear the announcer describing the surfing competitors in the distance. We paid Jose and walked down to the beach...
Where did all these Americans come from? We wondered. The only natives were sitting at a Claro booth (one of the 2 cell companies) marketing their product and some construction workers building what would appear to be the first permanent structure on this beach. A generator was set far back in the sand and makeshift bars and tents with rows of plastic chairs sectioned off the spectators. There were even fresh water showers set right in the center of all the action.
The crowd was a bunch of suntanned surfers with stereotypical curly blonde hair. Some looked more like hippies with dreads and still others more like hipsters with their regulatory sleeved arms of tattoos. We found a spot on the sprawling beach and watched as four surfers all ran in together competing for the same waves.
The waves were perfect and enormous. Rolling from one end to the other until they would sometimes collide into each other. It was really cool to watch these surfers ride them, cutting forward and backward the entire length of the wave and then some of them would do a little flip thing when the two waves met in the middle...I found that to be most impressive. I wanted to see las chicas compete but there were only 4 and after an hour or 2 we were ready to head back to SJDS...Not before I had a chance to swim for a minute though...the water here is surprisingly warm and clear for the Pacific...
We showered and hiked past the horse farm which reeked of manure back to the parking lot...hmm. And now how were we going to get back??
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Wednesday: Goodbye Ometepe...hello SJDS!
Our last morning on Ometepe...Brian decided to shower once more in our open-air compost heated shower...he actually liked the lukewarm water. I figured we'd be at our final destination soon enough and at the beach or the pool in no time, so why bother showering first? I got up, pulled back our three thick heavy cotton drapes to reveal views of Concepcion and the pale morning sky. I grabbed my bag and started to pack...using the bed as a table and that's when I saw it...a huge black spider loitering on the wall just above my pillow -on the opposite side (thank God) - of the mosquito netting...Brian later admitted that he noticed it hours earlier but opted against telling me- after all, it was on the other side of the net. I suppose ignorance is bliss...
We lugged our bags up to Reception and piled them high by the desk...requested our passports back from the safe and sat down for breakfast.
We decided on typical Nicaraguan breakfast again today...complete with rice and beans, juevos, and plantains with a single slice of starfruit :) Did I mention that starfruit just makes me happy?? Tamarind was el jugo del dia but it was a bit too bitter for my taste...Andrew met us and decided to do the Totoco tour with us...Mary, he said, was enjoying an hour long massage on their porch with Yolanda. A massage sounded wonderful- as I was quite sure I was suffering from a mild case of whiplash after 3 successive days traveling up and down these roads- but we were pressed for time and I wasn't sure I could handle someone even touching my sore neck right now :(
I popped 2 Aleve after breakfast (and discovered I was running low) and the 3 of us embarked on the tour...(see separate blog entry: Totoco Eco-lodge)...afterwards Martin led us to the gate where our taxi driver was waiting patiently for us...with our bags already piled on top of his ancient Jeep. He didn't speak any English...and was conversing in Spanish to a woman who sat up front. We dropped her off at the beginning of the paved portion of the road and waved, all saying adios. The driver seemed concerned with the noises the car was making...once we were on pavement I guess I expected it to sound better as well, but it still sounded like we were riding on the dirt road. He pulled over and tightened the lug nuts. He was somewhat satisfied with his work and hopped back in but the car was still making noises. It was 10:30 already (the tour ran a little longer than we expected) and we had to get to the ferry by 11am...
We drove another mile or so down the roads of Ometepe...coasting along the shore now near Playa Domingo (the only developed beach here according to the guidebook). We passed by hotels and guesthouses, hostels and homes. Children walked or rode bikes down the road in their uniforms and we had to stop now and again for cattle, horses, ox, chickens, dogs etc.
Our driver waved at a friend- an older man sitting out front of his house with presumably his wife and son and dog. He pulled over and started talking to him...he said something to us and we realized that they were about to change the tire. This was an impressive 5 minute tire change...the new tire was smaller than the old one but not quite a "donut". The tire they took off had a huge slice down the side of it....no wonder it was making that horrific noise. 
Back on the road with the Nicaragua radio station playing...did I mention that they really seem to like the Black Eyed Peas here? The driver was speeding and beeping at people, cars, animals, etc...we were obviously in a hurry now to make it to the ferry on time. I could now separate the banana trees from the plantain trees...thanks Francisco! To add insult to injury we arrived in a town and now there was a succession of speed bumps. So the driver would still speed but then slam on brakes just before the bump or he would try to veer around it: my poor neck!
Just when we seemed to be in the clear...we pulled up behind policia who had a big truck pulled over and were standing in the middle of the road. It was obvious we were not allowed to pass. We stopped behind them for a moment and the driver then decided to pull right up to the officer. A short pleading of our case, an intense stare from the officer, and some cordoba later and we were back on our way...pulling around the vehicle and being waved off. It wasn't far now...
We finally arrived at the dock and he unloaded our bags. I apologized "Lo sienta para muchas problemas, muchas gracias" and handed him 50 cordoba extra ($5)...we paid another 15 cordoba each to get on the ferry...and climbed aboard. They were strapping down a large truck as we squeezed passed them and up the narrow metal staircase to the interior of the boat. The day was windy and overcast so I opted to wait inside while Brian scoped out the rest of the ferry. A few women appeared at the top of the staircase with bags full of food wearing aprons...shouting "plantains, mangos, helado"...we jumped on the opportunity for plantain chips this time :)
I sat inside and blogged, leaning on our stacked up luggage, half-heartedly watching a dramatic Nicaraguan soap opera where a woman delivered a baby at home while the FOB paced outside the bedroom. A woman dressed in white with a hat on wrapped the baby up and tried to hand it over to the mother but she wanted nothing to do with it. The man (dressed in a suit) entered the room and held the baby...was very excited and the woman just looked miserable and kept turning away from him...and then it was over. I wish I could have understood what they were saying!!! The other passengers seemed very into it.
Brian got some good shots of the fading volcanos, then came back inside and rubbed my neck for me :) This ferry ride seemed a lot shorter than the ride over to Ometepe...the sun was peeking through the clouds when we docked in San Jorge and as promised, our driver was waiting for us with a sign: "Totoco". 
The driver of the truck caused a ruckus when he tried to pull off the boat while he was still strapped down...we noticed a couple sitting in their car with tags from Virginia...
We got into Pedro's car which was clean, with cloth seats and like many cars in Nicaragua had manual windows that no longer had the mechanism to roll them up? I wondered if this was just because the cars were so old or if it was a way to prevent cars from being broken into? We passed by "tricycletas" or...basically the Nicaraguan version of the Thai tuk tuks...a tricycle with a seat in front for tourists. We pulled into a gas station where men walked around trying to sell us large bags of cashews...he filled up the tank and we continued on through La Virgin (a town just beside San Jorge) with a huge baseball field...
this is where the windmills are located. We talked to Pedro about the roads on Ometepe and he told us that the roads to Mango Rosa weren't much better....ugh :(
I managed to fall asleep again...what can I say? And woke up when we hit the dirt road, Calle de Chocolata...Brian pulled out the map he printed and for the first time we realized that we were going to be pretty far away from the city center. Details. The roads were dusty and not quite as bad as Ometepe but still. We passed by a large landfill where plastic bags must come to die. The place was covered in multicolored plastic bags drifting around in the wind. The sun was shining now and Pedro turned on the AC...the roads were too dusty to keep the windows open. We occasionally passed by houses, but mostly it was wide open spaces...with horses, chickens and cattle roaming...
We turned left off of the main road and followed signs towards Mango Rosa. We pulled into the parking lot and were surprised to see a big man wearing an orange "Seguridad" vest...Security. Otherwise the grounds seemed very nice...landscaped with palm trees, bright flowers as well as almond trees (I recognize them now!). We paid Pedro and thanked him, then headed toward reception where a girl grabbed our keys and showed us to our room...P4.
We passed by the open air lobby and swimming pool and she led us down a stone paved path towards our bungalow which had a stone porch complete with table and chairs out front.
She led us inside and we were surprised at how big it was! A huge living room with a large sectional couch, wide screen TV, open kitchen with a large island and the bedroom with vaulted ceilings. 2 air conditioner units and a real toilet...this was definitely not an eco-lodge! She said to keep our valuables in the safe and keep the door locked at all times...this place was so desolate, I wondered what kinds of safety concerns we really faced here...?
We quickly changed into our bathing suits, slathered on a layer of SPF 50, and headed back to the lobby...leaving most everything else in the safe. We planned on sitting by the pool the rest of the day. We ordered lunch...Brian got the "must have" fish tacos with mahi-mahi. I opted for the vegetarian nachos. We sat at a couch and swatted away flies as we ate. There were a few other guests here too...mostly Americans. It was hot, but dry and windy...and Black Eyed Peas played in the background. (I'm sorry but in my personal opinion...Time of My Life is not a song that should be re-made, especially not the way they did it!). Greg- the bartender and apparently part-owner of Mango Rosa- introduced himself and invited us along for a ride to La Playa Madera. He was taking a few other guests down there to surf...planned to stay for about an hour or so...we finished up lunch and figured what the hell? Why not? We followed Greg and a few other guys around to the front of the hotel...Greg was a big burly guy, probably pushing 50. I was surprised to learn he was a surfer and Mango Rosa's surf instructor...he didn't really fit the surfer stereotype. They chose some surf boards and piled them onto the pickup. He let us sit inside with one other guy from Georgetown...he was a teacher, here for his friend's wedding which was apparently taking place at the beach on Saturday. We drove down the dirt road and eventually came to a traffic jam. People were stopped and backing up. One guy said something along the lines of 'no pasar' and Greg decided to pull into the hotel parking lot which happened to be just to the right. We descended down the dirt path on food and discovered a truck whose axel basically detached coming up a hill. Several men were trying to re-attach it and get the truck up the hill...it seemed as though they'd be at it for hours...
We continued down to the beach. Greg assured us it was safe to walk here from the hotel but the teacher inquired about an "incident" that happened in the fall and mentioned that a young kid had told him it wasn't a safe road, particularly to walk on alone...Greg brushed it off but I decided to heed the local's advice. This beach seemed too far to walk to anyway.
We arrived to a party like atmosphere and lots of Americans. The beach was relatively small with a hostel situated on the left and a beach bar/taco place on the right. Dammit, why didn't we bring any money?! Everyone was just laying on the beach on towels or blankets...there were no chairs to rent (what kind of place is this?) and certainly no umbrellas in the drinks. The sand was super fine and the waves were HUGE. The beach was bordered by rock formations on either side...and by now there were few clouds in the sky which meant little refuge from el sol. The water was crammed with surfers...tons of them! I wondered how they weren't colliding into each other left and right? This was certainly not the place for an introductory surf lesson, I thought. Brian got in the water first...and I decided to lay down and settle into my book...I no sooner got situated that a strong wind gust blew sand all over me...from head to toe in one stinging, painful blast. The SPF 50 was like glue and I was instantly covered and uncomfortable. Ugh. Sand.
By the time he came out I was anxious to get in...I was surprised at how warm the water was (definitely 60s) for being the Pacific. It was also really clear...I was in above my waist and could still see my feet! The water was just beautiful...the waves were perfectly formed and when they would crash would leave behind an intricate design of foam that the sun danced and shimmered off of...the water seemed to go on forever...
I scrubbed off the sand that I could, but it was no use. As soon as I got out of the water I was whipped by a sand storm again and instantly covered. My ears were even filling up with it! We laid around for a while and I tried to read but it was far too windy. As beautiful as the beach was, I couldn't wait to jump in the pool back at the hotel. We turned around to see that Greg must have retrieved the truck at some point and was standing up by the taco shack place. We started to gather our stuff together to leave just when we ran into...Janet and Peter.
They were staying a short ways away and asked us if we wanted to join them for dinner at El Timon in San Juan del Sur (SJDS). They offered to pick us up around 7 :) We headed back with Greg and by the time we arrived at the pool (around 4:30 pm) the sun was almost dipping below the trees. I rinsed off what sand I could in the pool side shower and scrubbed off the rest with the clear, warm pool water...laid face down on the wooden lounge chair and promptly fell asleep. I woke up about an hour later when the sun was no longer keeping me warm...we headed back to the bungalow for a real - hot - shower. Afterwards, I relaxed on the porch while Brian headed up to the bar to grab us a few drinks...Mine was a slushy white rum drink with a thick pineapple slice on the side. Yum, good choice :) Sitting outside didn't last long because I realized I was dinner for the local mosquitos. We moved to the living room and the pumping AC.
We hung out in the room for a bit, enjoying the free (if not shotty) hotel wi-fi and soon Janet and Peter arrived. We showed them our bungalow, finished our drinks and headed out...down the pitch black Calle de Chocolata. El Timon had a variety of fresh fish dishes and we sat close to the beach. It was warm but still a bit windy. Brian and Janet both ordered the lobster...Peter had the whole red snapper...and I went for boring chicken. The food was really good and really cheap. The fish dinners all came with dessert which was a tres leches with a bright green maraschino cherry...
We piled back into the car and headed back towards Mango Rosa...overall was a great evening...Thanks Janet & Peter! I was So ready for some sound sleep with air-con no alarms, and was looking forward to our completely UNPLANNED Thursday :)
We lugged our bags up to Reception and piled them high by the desk...requested our passports back from the safe and sat down for breakfast.
We decided on typical Nicaraguan breakfast again today...complete with rice and beans, juevos, and plantains with a single slice of starfruit :) Did I mention that starfruit just makes me happy?? Tamarind was el jugo del dia but it was a bit too bitter for my taste...Andrew met us and decided to do the Totoco tour with us...Mary, he said, was enjoying an hour long massage on their porch with Yolanda. A massage sounded wonderful- as I was quite sure I was suffering from a mild case of whiplash after 3 successive days traveling up and down these roads- but we were pressed for time and I wasn't sure I could handle someone even touching my sore neck right now :(I popped 2 Aleve after breakfast (and discovered I was running low) and the 3 of us embarked on the tour...(see separate blog entry: Totoco Eco-lodge)...afterwards Martin led us to the gate where our taxi driver was waiting patiently for us...with our bags already piled on top of his ancient Jeep. He didn't speak any English...and was conversing in Spanish to a woman who sat up front. We dropped her off at the beginning of the paved portion of the road and waved, all saying adios. The driver seemed concerned with the noises the car was making...once we were on pavement I guess I expected it to sound better as well, but it still sounded like we were riding on the dirt road. He pulled over and tightened the lug nuts. He was somewhat satisfied with his work and hopped back in but the car was still making noises. It was 10:30 already (the tour ran a little longer than we expected) and we had to get to the ferry by 11am...
We drove another mile or so down the roads of Ometepe...coasting along the shore now near Playa Domingo (the only developed beach here according to the guidebook). We passed by hotels and guesthouses, hostels and homes. Children walked or rode bikes down the road in their uniforms and we had to stop now and again for cattle, horses, ox, chickens, dogs etc.
Our driver waved at a friend- an older man sitting out front of his house with presumably his wife and son and dog. He pulled over and started talking to him...he said something to us and we realized that they were about to change the tire. This was an impressive 5 minute tire change...the new tire was smaller than the old one but not quite a "donut". The tire they took off had a huge slice down the side of it....no wonder it was making that horrific noise. 
Back on the road with the Nicaragua radio station playing...did I mention that they really seem to like the Black Eyed Peas here? The driver was speeding and beeping at people, cars, animals, etc...we were obviously in a hurry now to make it to the ferry on time. I could now separate the banana trees from the plantain trees...thanks Francisco! To add insult to injury we arrived in a town and now there was a succession of speed bumps. So the driver would still speed but then slam on brakes just before the bump or he would try to veer around it: my poor neck!
Just when we seemed to be in the clear...we pulled up behind policia who had a big truck pulled over and were standing in the middle of the road. It was obvious we were not allowed to pass. We stopped behind them for a moment and the driver then decided to pull right up to the officer. A short pleading of our case, an intense stare from the officer, and some cordoba later and we were back on our way...pulling around the vehicle and being waved off. It wasn't far now...
We finally arrived at the dock and he unloaded our bags. I apologized "Lo sienta para muchas problemas, muchas gracias" and handed him 50 cordoba extra ($5)...we paid another 15 cordoba each to get on the ferry...and climbed aboard. They were strapping down a large truck as we squeezed passed them and up the narrow metal staircase to the interior of the boat. The day was windy and overcast so I opted to wait inside while Brian scoped out the rest of the ferry. A few women appeared at the top of the staircase with bags full of food wearing aprons...shouting "plantains, mangos, helado"...we jumped on the opportunity for plantain chips this time :) I sat inside and blogged, leaning on our stacked up luggage, half-heartedly watching a dramatic Nicaraguan soap opera where a woman delivered a baby at home while the FOB paced outside the bedroom. A woman dressed in white with a hat on wrapped the baby up and tried to hand it over to the mother but she wanted nothing to do with it. The man (dressed in a suit) entered the room and held the baby...was very excited and the woman just looked miserable and kept turning away from him...and then it was over. I wish I could have understood what they were saying!!! The other passengers seemed very into it.
Brian got some good shots of the fading volcanos, then came back inside and rubbed my neck for me :) This ferry ride seemed a lot shorter than the ride over to Ometepe...the sun was peeking through the clouds when we docked in San Jorge and as promised, our driver was waiting for us with a sign: "Totoco". 
The driver of the truck caused a ruckus when he tried to pull off the boat while he was still strapped down...we noticed a couple sitting in their car with tags from Virginia...We got into Pedro's car which was clean, with cloth seats and like many cars in Nicaragua had manual windows that no longer had the mechanism to roll them up? I wondered if this was just because the cars were so old or if it was a way to prevent cars from being broken into? We passed by "tricycletas" or...basically the Nicaraguan version of the Thai tuk tuks...a tricycle with a seat in front for tourists. We pulled into a gas station where men walked around trying to sell us large bags of cashews...he filled up the tank and we continued on through La Virgin (a town just beside San Jorge) with a huge baseball field...
this is where the windmills are located. We talked to Pedro about the roads on Ometepe and he told us that the roads to Mango Rosa weren't much better....ugh :( 
I managed to fall asleep again...what can I say? And woke up when we hit the dirt road, Calle de Chocolata...Brian pulled out the map he printed and for the first time we realized that we were going to be pretty far away from the city center. Details. The roads were dusty and not quite as bad as Ometepe but still. We passed by a large landfill where plastic bags must come to die. The place was covered in multicolored plastic bags drifting around in the wind. The sun was shining now and Pedro turned on the AC...the roads were too dusty to keep the windows open. We occasionally passed by houses, but mostly it was wide open spaces...with horses, chickens and cattle roaming...
We turned left off of the main road and followed signs towards Mango Rosa. We pulled into the parking lot and were surprised to see a big man wearing an orange "Seguridad" vest...Security. Otherwise the grounds seemed very nice...landscaped with palm trees, bright flowers as well as almond trees (I recognize them now!). We paid Pedro and thanked him, then headed toward reception where a girl grabbed our keys and showed us to our room...P4.
We passed by the open air lobby and swimming pool and she led us down a stone paved path towards our bungalow which had a stone porch complete with table and chairs out front.
She led us inside and we were surprised at how big it was! A huge living room with a large sectional couch, wide screen TV, open kitchen with a large island and the bedroom with vaulted ceilings. 2 air conditioner units and a real toilet...this was definitely not an eco-lodge! She said to keep our valuables in the safe and keep the door locked at all times...this place was so desolate, I wondered what kinds of safety concerns we really faced here...?
We quickly changed into our bathing suits, slathered on a layer of SPF 50, and headed back to the lobby...leaving most everything else in the safe. We planned on sitting by the pool the rest of the day. We ordered lunch...Brian got the "must have" fish tacos with mahi-mahi. I opted for the vegetarian nachos. We sat at a couch and swatted away flies as we ate. There were a few other guests here too...mostly Americans. It was hot, but dry and windy...and Black Eyed Peas played in the background. (I'm sorry but in my personal opinion...Time of My Life is not a song that should be re-made, especially not the way they did it!). Greg- the bartender and apparently part-owner of Mango Rosa- introduced himself and invited us along for a ride to La Playa Madera. He was taking a few other guests down there to surf...planned to stay for about an hour or so...we finished up lunch and figured what the hell? Why not? We followed Greg and a few other guys around to the front of the hotel...Greg was a big burly guy, probably pushing 50. I was surprised to learn he was a surfer and Mango Rosa's surf instructor...he didn't really fit the surfer stereotype. They chose some surf boards and piled them onto the pickup. He let us sit inside with one other guy from Georgetown...he was a teacher, here for his friend's wedding which was apparently taking place at the beach on Saturday. We drove down the dirt road and eventually came to a traffic jam. People were stopped and backing up. One guy said something along the lines of 'no pasar' and Greg decided to pull into the hotel parking lot which happened to be just to the right. We descended down the dirt path on food and discovered a truck whose axel basically detached coming up a hill. Several men were trying to re-attach it and get the truck up the hill...it seemed as though they'd be at it for hours...
We continued down to the beach. Greg assured us it was safe to walk here from the hotel but the teacher inquired about an "incident" that happened in the fall and mentioned that a young kid had told him it wasn't a safe road, particularly to walk on alone...Greg brushed it off but I decided to heed the local's advice. This beach seemed too far to walk to anyway.
We arrived to a party like atmosphere and lots of Americans. The beach was relatively small with a hostel situated on the left and a beach bar/taco place on the right. Dammit, why didn't we bring any money?! Everyone was just laying on the beach on towels or blankets...there were no chairs to rent (what kind of place is this?) and certainly no umbrellas in the drinks. The sand was super fine and the waves were HUGE. The beach was bordered by rock formations on either side...and by now there were few clouds in the sky which meant little refuge from el sol. The water was crammed with surfers...tons of them! I wondered how they weren't colliding into each other left and right? This was certainly not the place for an introductory surf lesson, I thought. Brian got in the water first...and I decided to lay down and settle into my book...I no sooner got situated that a strong wind gust blew sand all over me...from head to toe in one stinging, painful blast. The SPF 50 was like glue and I was instantly covered and uncomfortable. Ugh. Sand.
By the time he came out I was anxious to get in...I was surprised at how warm the water was (definitely 60s) for being the Pacific. It was also really clear...I was in above my waist and could still see my feet! The water was just beautiful...the waves were perfectly formed and when they would crash would leave behind an intricate design of foam that the sun danced and shimmered off of...the water seemed to go on forever...
I scrubbed off the sand that I could, but it was no use. As soon as I got out of the water I was whipped by a sand storm again and instantly covered. My ears were even filling up with it! We laid around for a while and I tried to read but it was far too windy. As beautiful as the beach was, I couldn't wait to jump in the pool back at the hotel. We turned around to see that Greg must have retrieved the truck at some point and was standing up by the taco shack place. We started to gather our stuff together to leave just when we ran into...Janet and Peter.
They were staying a short ways away and asked us if we wanted to join them for dinner at El Timon in San Juan del Sur (SJDS). They offered to pick us up around 7 :) We headed back with Greg and by the time we arrived at the pool (around 4:30 pm) the sun was almost dipping below the trees. I rinsed off what sand I could in the pool side shower and scrubbed off the rest with the clear, warm pool water...laid face down on the wooden lounge chair and promptly fell asleep. I woke up about an hour later when the sun was no longer keeping me warm...we headed back to the bungalow for a real - hot - shower. Afterwards, I relaxed on the porch while Brian headed up to the bar to grab us a few drinks...Mine was a slushy white rum drink with a thick pineapple slice on the side. Yum, good choice :) Sitting outside didn't last long because I realized I was dinner for the local mosquitos. We moved to the living room and the pumping AC.
We hung out in the room for a bit, enjoying the free (if not shotty) hotel wi-fi and soon Janet and Peter arrived. We showed them our bungalow, finished our drinks and headed out...down the pitch black Calle de Chocolata. El Timon had a variety of fresh fish dishes and we sat close to the beach. It was warm but still a bit windy. Brian and Janet both ordered the lobster...Peter had the whole red snapper...and I went for boring chicken. The food was really good and really cheap. The fish dinners all came with dessert which was a tres leches with a bright green maraschino cherry...
We piled back into the car and headed back towards Mango Rosa...overall was a great evening...Thanks Janet & Peter! I was So ready for some sound sleep with air-con no alarms, and was looking forward to our completely UNPLANNED Thursday :)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Tuesday 2/16: Cascada de San Ramon and kayaking
Brian and I woke up early, packed our stuff for the very long day ahead of us and managed to beat Andrew and Mary up to breakfast (I recall they carried a bottle of wine back to their room last night, perhaps that's why??). Roslyn was there and asked how I was feeling today and seemed very relieved that I was better. We talked for a little while (we discovered that her and Jonathan have a 2 year old little girl) and she insisted we do the waterfall first and then go kayaking -which was the reverse of our original and carefully laid out plan by Brian- as the birds are most active around 3pm. Mary hurt her foot yesterday on the hike during the coffee plantation tour so we weren't sure she was up to more hiking...I was happy to defer to Brian as far as handling the making of plans as well as changing the plans :) Roslyn also said the path 'ala cascada' was "well worn" and she assured us it was "well marked" and we wouldn't need a guide...
We ordered the typical Nicaraguan breakfast today...jeuvos, platanos, arroz con frijoles, jugo de naranja y starfruit (fruta de estrella?)...aren't they just so beautiful? Doesn't a fresh slice of starfruit with breakfast scream vacation? I want one of these Every morning!
We said our goodbyes to Janet and Peter- they were off to San Juan del Sur...and piled into Andrew's Toyota Hilux. Roslyn warned us that the roads on the other side of the island are even worse than those around here...was this really possible? I wondered. Again, the tortuous descent ensued. I felt the familiar, unavoidable, snap-back of the seat belt constantly...the roads went from being semi-paved at Totoco, to dirt with rocks, to sand, back to dirt with rocks, and more and more and bigger and bigger rocks...it took us over an hour to reach the other side...we passed huge trucks piled high with bananas (attended by children) and saw farmers cutting down their own -bright green and unripe- bananas out front of their house...getting them ready for pickup (guess they are embarking on their long journey to US supermarkets). Cattle were herded across the path here and there, stray lactating dogs, thin horses, men on their way to work, children clad in white oxford shirts and navy pants/skirts headed for school...we passed an "escuela" and "la cruza roja" -the Red Cross. Plantain farms as far as the eye could see and where the ended the lake seemed to begin...stretching out as far as the eye could see...and looking beautifully clear and surprisingly calm considering the winds. The sky was bright blue and the sun was beating down. The wind whipped against my face along with dirt and occasional bits of gravel so I kept my sunglasses on for most of the ride...
A young boy held his thumb out and Andrew excitedly held his own thumb back out to him...not realizing the kid was trying to hitch a ride and perhaps throw his broken mountain bike in the pickup :( Most people waved to us or said "hola", "buena" or "buenas dias" as we passed...most seemed friendly despite the fact that we were barreling through these rural roads in an enormous pickup without any cargo while women carried cargo on their heads and boys guided horses with cargo on their backs...some little boys -when their elders weren't looking- stuck their tongues out at us or pretended to shoot us with imaginary machine guns..."they're just little kids" said Mary, but I couldn't help but think they must have learned that from somewhere...and I also couldn't blame them. I wondered what they really thought of us...?
We stopped here and there to snap some photos of the "miradors"...getting quite a different perspective from this side of the island...and finally arrived at our first destination: the well manicured biological center and hydroelectric generator site. We paid the fees to enter and began the smooth ascent up the first 1 km...passing lemon and -very ripe- avocado trees along the way.
The path, to Roslyn's defense, did appear to start out well-worn. But then got really narrow and overgrown, and she failed to mention the light rock climbing that ensued. It was also fairly steep, which I guess we should have expected en route to a waterfall. I led the way as I felt beads of sweat trickle down my bag despite my fancy ventilation backpack. We stopped to see marching ants carrying tiny pieces of leaves across the forest floor, stopped to have a few sips of water, stopped just cause. Some gravel was loose and slippery (my running shoes were proving to not be as supportive as I had hoped)...geckos quickly shuffled about sometimes letting us spot them just before camouflaging themselves into the leaves...(and no, they did not try to sell us any car insurance)...parts of the path seemed to be supported by a complex weave of barbed wire and pipes carrying water downhill sporadically appeared...we didn't see one other person along the way and joked that at the end of the line we'd come upon a McDonald's and a Starbucks...but thankfully we didn't...after a few false-alarms we finally rounded the last bend and there it was...the San Ramon waterfall (cascada) in all it's wonder...definitely worth the hike.
A few European tourists were there (with a local guide) and I quickly kicked off my shoes and peeled off my socks to step in the refreshing water...the spray felt so good against my sunblock sealed skin (thanks Roslyn!)...I was so inspired I even attempted a few yoga poses :)
We felt pressed for time- as we had to be at the kayaking place at precisely 2:15 for our pre-scheduled English speaking guide- so we headed back down...fortunately Brian was paying closer attention to the path than I was (we might still be there otherwise)...the road back down definitely was faster than the hike going up but required a little more mental focus. Brian and Andrew bantered about day trips out of Philadelphia (they're also from NYC) and we talked about meeting up once we were back in the states...we were relieved to see the car still there. A man was watering the avocado trees nearby...
We wondered if we had time for lunch at Hotel de Omaja (where Roslyn recommended) and decided while we might be 20 mins late, maybe we could be on "Nicaraguan time" as well? We decided to risk it and it was great to wash my hands with real soap and water and I even treated myself to an ice cold 7up...yum. Despite asking the waitress in our broken Spanish which meals were the fastest, we still opted for the typical Nicaraguan dishes that she warned might take longer...when I went up to pay the bill and older American man- possibly in his 70s -asked where we were from and we started conversing. Turns out, he's from Omaha Nebraska (hence the name of the hotel) and he's here visiting his son who owns the hotel along with his Nicaraguan wife.
We drove another 10 mins or so down the road to the "road that doesn't really look like a road but is a road" and made it to the kayak place: Cabellita del Mar...we slathered on sunblock, put our valuables in plastic bags and hoped the rest of our stuff would be safe in the car. The place was settled under a thatched roof with hammocks, picnic tables and plastic lawn chairs (where do they get these things anyway??), and attached to a concrete house on the beach, presumably the owner's home. A couple shared a plate of freshly caught fish with their toddler who was dressed as if she were attending a wedding right here on this volcanic beach...Calm waves lapped over the black sand and the kayaks bobbed about behind the boat that would carry us to the mouth of the "river"...which is technically not really a river, but we'll go with it anyway.
The four of us (with some assistance) climbed aboard along with Nolan (his name is up for debate) and another teenager who would be driving the boat...when we arrived at the "river" we gently climbed into our double kayaks and followed Nolan through the wetlands...beautiful orange flowers and their tiny leaves were actively falling forming a beautiful layer over the water to the point that it didn't look like water at all! It was more like a forest in the water. We saw herons, blue magpies (sp?), even a 5-6 foot caymen! Which Nolan exclaimed was his first this season! He pointed out tiger birds which have huge throats that bulge open wide when they make this sound...rooster's of the sea (little black birds that looked like miniature roosters)...and even saw a cow grazing in the foot deep water...Nolan made us taste the orange flowers...I could see why the birds and butterflies flock here...the inside was filled with a tiny pool of sweet water or dew that tastes like honeysuckle. It was so serene here... I could have spent all day :)
But it was soon time to head back...we got to the boat to find our driver asleep on the deck...he heard us approach and helped us climb back in. We stopped by Nolan's uncle's to see how many fish he caught and Nolan helped himself to one...he tossed it on top of the anchor rope and I watched sadly as it struggled through it's last few breaths...we climbed out just as dusk was setting itself upon the horizon, settled our bill and got back into the Hilux.
We were all exhausted after such a loooong day and so much activity that when Mary said she spotted a monkey jumping on a dog we really didn't believe her. Andrew backed up anyway and sure enough- there was a white faced monkey leashed up to his "house" and jumping/partially hanging himself in the process on a dog who must be a glutton for punishment. Fidelio was his name and the residents and his owners called us over: "mas circa, mas circa" they said and invited us onto their property to get closer to Fidelio- the white faced monkey. They admitted that they captured him on the volcano (there are 2 types of monkeys here- howlers and white-faced). He looked almost human when you got up so close! His face was tan with white fur and he munched on a piece of banana...his fingers were long and his movements unpredictable. Flashbacks of the movie "Outbreak" ran through my head and kept me at a safe distance!
Once back at Totoco I was happy to accept keys to bungalow Ometaple for a hot shower tonight (thanks Martin!). I was suffering from a severe case of whiplash at this point and double dosed myself on Aleve. I figured that plus a glass of white wine would do the trick- but I was wrong. I could barely turn my head to either side and especially couldn't look up. Eating dinner proved difficult...but it was delicious...an Indian Bharta something? Brian wished he had gotten it himself but instead he chose the chicken with jalopenos. We chatted with Andrew and Mary, soaking up our last night hanging out together before going our separate ways. Mojitos and Victoria's were plentiful and mid-conversation a tarantula scurried across the floor...YIKES. I was just glad I didn't see that thing in our bungalow! Andrew -who used to own a pet tarantula- assured us that they are very fearful of humans and wouldn't harm/bite anyone unless provoked...it was somewhat reassuring information I suppose. I myself, still would prefer to see tarantulas safely in glass aquariums, in pet stores --where they belong :)
Monday, February 14, 2011
Monday still: Ojo de Agua (Eye of the water)
We quickly changed and met up with Janet and Peter in the lobby...Peter had fallen asleep to his kindle but quickly jumped to attention (we all wanted to make the most of the sun's attempts to pierce the otherwise overcast day) and we headed for their car...it was a 2-door white Suzuki, not sure the model but it reminded me of a Rav4. We squeezed into the backseat and *buckled up*. I was nervous, even moreso after our rough start (Peter stalled out a couple of times before we headed down the steep descent out of Totoco) but if nothing else, this would surely be an adventure! So, wtf? We didn't even really know where we were going (not that there were many roads on this island)...but the twists and turns and rocks and livestock proved to be a challenge and I crossed my fingers that we wouldn't experience any car trouble (or other trouble for that matter). Peter kept inadvertently hitting the horn at the most appropriate moments (i.e. when headed straight for a ___insert farm animal here___ ); which attracted attention from passerby and kept us all in hysterics. I am thankful to Peter for keeping us safe on such a torturous road with unfamiliar terrain...and I am quite thankful for such effective seatbelts.
---On a more serious side note---I should mention that I couldn't help but feel a bit awkward driving around the island without a local. We passed many native islanders either walking, riding unhealthy looking horses or bikes in various states of disrepair, women struggling down the roads balancing enormous baskets on their heads...all these people going about their normal day without access to such luxuries that we -as Americans- take for granted...like vehicles. Roslyn had explained how most people cannot afford to own cars here. First off, they are more expensive than in the US and on top of that- it is impossible to get an interest rate under 26%! And the rates constantly change- there is no such thing as a fixed auto loan in Nicaragua. Not to mention the cost of maintenance on these roads! Roslyn said they need to fix tires about every 2-3000 miles; that's more often than I need an oil change! A young girl pushing a bicycle, about the age of 10, held out her thumb to us on the road...I couldn't help but feel guilty for being tourists in their country and just recreationally having access to such a sturdy vehicle. I will definitely consider donating my car to someone in Nicaragua if I am ever at the point where I no longer need one and/or will be buying a new one. The cars here may seem ancient, but the people consider them precious---
Brian- in his effort to be helpful- spotted a sign in the opposite direction which prompted a couple of unnecessary U-turns but ultimately we found it...The eye of the water. We pulled up to an older man sitting under a thatched hut with a few children and stray dogs. Flies buzzed about his head as he beamed at us about the natural healing wonders of these waters...he spoke only in Spanish and amongst the four of us we caught that the water is filled with all kinds of volcanic minerals with healing and anti-aging powers. He told us that a 100 year old woman stepped out of the waters feeling as if she were only 40 and we would experience that too. He seemed so genuinely excited about it and was completely oblivious to the flies circling his head...they were everywhere here...so far all over the island but they usually hung out more at ground level...I guess with all the water here maybe there are more? We paid our $2 entradas each and drove in to the dirt parking lot.
There were locals and tourists alike enjoying the healing wonders of the waters...some Nicaraguans immersed in the water fully clothed (in their typical fashion), relaxing alongside the water or manning their tables of handicrafts. The dry dirt turned to mud and we zigzagged our way through to the edge of the water...circling around to the other side crossing a makeshift bridge separating a smaller pool from the larger pool until we found several chairs together. The water was cool but felt warmer than the pool at Totoco...and in the trees above our heads, green parrots squawked. Brian and Janet were the first ones in...Janet kept saying how young she felt once she jumped in :) and promised me her towel if I would "just get in already". I slowly eased myself in eventually...just in time for the clouds to drift overhead and spit out a few isolated raindrops. Brian had his water camera and we made several attempts at getting a good underwater shot...he kept cheating by opening his eyes and even smiling!
The water was clear but I wished I had water shoes -as the bottom (which was possible to touch in certain places) was coated with algae and rocks. But I made Brian hold me up most of the time, which I don't think he minded :)
We didn't stay very long...the wind picked up and the clouds threatened further rain...I was grateful for Janet's towel (thanks Janet!!)
We were surprised to see rather large puddles on the way back up the volcano...turns out that Totoco got the worst of the rainfall. We persuaded Pablo to let us use another room for a HOT shower (with an electric "suicide" box) and not just a lukewarm one through the compost pile. Since Jill and Scott left today, their room was free and he slipped us the keys. I <3 Pablo. That shower was INcredible. By the time dinner rolled around I really wasn't that hungry and the vegetarian option of Asian inspired vegetable crepes really wasn't all that appealing but I did pick at it. I was acutely aware of wasting food here and felt bad, but I guess my stomach wasn't completely back to normal yet. Brian had "grass fed beef"...(was there really any other types of beef on this island??) and caramel flan was dessert. Janet even let me borrow her iPad to blog using their sporadic wifi while Brian busied himself with making plans for tomorrow and snapping some great night shots...stars feel so close here...
Monday: Ministry of Health
We woke up early on Valentine´s day to a pictureque view of Volcan Concepcion. My stomach was still feeling unsettled -and for those of you who know me best- I was craving an ice cold ginger ale. We got dressed and headed up to the lobby for breakfast. Jonathan approached us and asked what we wanted to drink, I asked for a ginger ale and he looked so puzzeled I explained I wasn´t feeling so great. He seemed genuinely concerned and said he´d see what they had. Andrew and Mary were already having breakfast and we talked to them for a few minutes. Jonathan came back and said there was no ginger ale but perhaps a ´coca cola´? I said that was fine and when he brought it over he started asking more questions...what symptoms was I having, when did they start, etc. I felt weird discussing my violent overnight vomiting episode in such a public forum but eventually relayed that while I was sick overnight I was now feeling better...we ordered breakfast. I decided on simple scrambled eggs, Brian got his sunny side up, with toast...
Jonathan came back and asked if I ´would like some ginger tea or perhaps to chew on a fresh clove of garlic´? I relented and said absolutely not to the garlic but would take him up on the offer for tea. He said they would not be charging us for the previous night´s dinner or our stay. We argued that that wasn´t necessary but he insisted...
Breakfast came and shortly thereafter Roslyn came running down to the lobby looking breathless and faught with worry. She came straight for me...¨áre you ok, what kind of symptoms did you have, when did they begin, what did you have to eat yesterday, did you brush your teeth with the faucet water´ ...I admitted that yes I had used the faucet water but I didn´t think that was it, the lentils sat heavy in my stomach and I wasn´t used to them and I just thought it was random, but they looked at each other and said that I was the fourth person this week that had fallen ill and now she had a mind to contact the Ministry of Health to check the water supply...before we even finished breakfast she discovered that another hotel had 25 sick guests...they used the same water supply.
It was getting disturbing but I really was feeling so much better so I wasn´t all that concerned...they held an emergency staff meeting at the bar and discussed whether they should close the kitchen and/or cancel reservations or both...Francisco stopped by to take us on the coffee plantation tour so we left them to make their decisions...I just hoped they wouldn´t base them on only me.
Jonathan came back and asked if I ´would like some ginger tea or perhaps to chew on a fresh clove of garlic´? I relented and said absolutely not to the garlic but would take him up on the offer for tea. He said they would not be charging us for the previous night´s dinner or our stay. We argued that that wasn´t necessary but he insisted...
Breakfast came and shortly thereafter Roslyn came running down to the lobby looking breathless and faught with worry. She came straight for me...¨áre you ok, what kind of symptoms did you have, when did they begin, what did you have to eat yesterday, did you brush your teeth with the faucet water´ ...I admitted that yes I had used the faucet water but I didn´t think that was it, the lentils sat heavy in my stomach and I wasn´t used to them and I just thought it was random, but they looked at each other and said that I was the fourth person this week that had fallen ill and now she had a mind to contact the Ministry of Health to check the water supply...before we even finished breakfast she discovered that another hotel had 25 sick guests...they used the same water supply.
It was getting disturbing but I really was feeling so much better so I wasn´t all that concerned...they held an emergency staff meeting at the bar and discussed whether they should close the kitchen and/or cancel reservations or both...Francisco stopped by to take us on the coffee plantation tour so we left them to make their decisions...I just hoped they wouldn´t base them on only me.
Monday: Coffee Plantation tour
Francisco picked us up at the hotel lobby...he was 25 years old, a university student in Rivas, born and raised on Ometepe. His English was fair and he directed us up the trail to Volcan Maderas- the inactive volcano. We wouldn´t be going up to the top but a good 2 horas alta. One of the first things he pointed out were los monos, the monkeys :) They were hanging out en los arboles, sleeping or as Francisco said, ¨taking a siesta´ in the mango trees. We even saw a mama monkey with a baby on her back! So cute!
The walk was fairly easy, although I was glad I took Jill´s advice from last night and wore long pants... there were these little plant dagger things sticking all over me. It was overcast but very humid and the sun was trying hard to peek through the clouds. Butterflies were everywhere...one particularly huge blue one flew out of a bat cave and I freaked out and thought it was a bat, but ´tranquilo´said Francisco...only a butterfly. We also noticed ants marching across our path and termite nests were everywhere. It´s interesting, they make nests in trees and create paths for themselves (that look like thick tracks down the sides of tree trunks) to the forest floor and then go around in search of dead wood to devour. Yuck...I wondered if some might be crawling into my shoes right now. Francisco pointed out trees with pointy things on them...apparently ants live in the pointy things and they also deter animals and people from messing with the ants and/or the plant itself. Good survival strategy.
Francisco told us that banana trees commonly grow alongside coffee trees because both prefer shade, whereas plantain trees need full sun. (the banana and plantain trees otherwise look exactly the same to the untrained eye). He pointed out the coffee plants but most seemed to be harvested already...there were a few remaining seeds left which we dissected, but the real season is November. We arrived at the coffee mill and it was deserted. Francisco said that in Nov-Dec there are about 200 workers here...shelling, processing, drying, separating the coffee beans, but now it is off-season and empty. We stopped at the restaurant and had a cup of cafe con leche nevertheless...we shared some homemade banana bread from Francisco´s hermana and a plate of plantains con queso. We watched as blue magpie birds swooped through the garden in front of us. I kept yelling for Brian to get his camera but he never seemed to grab it in time, the birds were always faster. Ironic- for an Eagles photographer isn´t it? ;)
We saw the nearby hostel where you could rent hammocks (and not much else) for $1 per day. Francisco pointed out the national trees of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Guatemala respectively: Madroño, Guanacaste and Seiba. He pointed out the most expensive tree (muy caro) for construction was the Cedro tree whose wooden flowers littered the forest floor. After our coffee, he made us hike up more to see the 1600 year old petrogylphs which are commonly found on Ometepe. They are symbols of the sun, eternity and other ancient symbols. They are not sure who engraved them but think they may have been related to the Mayas.
We headed back in the direction of the cafe and spotted some almond trees with big red hulls on them...they turn red when they are ripe. I picked one off when Francisco wasn´t looking (shhh) and Brian and I tried our damndest to break that thing open. I expected like 30 almonds in there, but Francisco saw us trying to no avail and came over and hacked the thing with a rock to reveal...just...one...almond. No wonder they are so expensive! I´d be charging a lot too if I had to do so much work. The five of us rationed out the almond...yes, that´s right, we each had a small piece. Of an almond. It was that much work. Just remember this next time you have one :)
Oh did I mention we saw some green parrots?! And a place where they harvest honey...there were SO many bees! He wouldn't let me get a picture because it was dangerous to get too close, but it was this huge field with 'houses' that were basically filled with honeycombs and millions of bees were swarming overhead.
On the way back I started quizzing Francisco about his life, what it´s like here in Ometepe. He said that kids go to school from age 5-10 and it´s free but you have to wear a uniform which can be expensive. At the age of 10 boys earn their first machete and go off to work...they might work cutting down bananas or plantains, help in hotels or on farms, etc. He said that most women deliver babies at home with the help from their families but if something goes wrong they can go to the hospital and have a cesarean birth. I told him that 30% of the women in the United States have C/sections and he laughed as if I were joking. He works 2 days per week doing tours and takes English classes in Rivas. He said Concepcion last erupted 75 years ago but often lets out sulfur gases.
We were all tired after our hike and headed back to the lobby...we invited Francisco to have a drink with us and he helped me with some minor details for my blog! I ran back to the room to change into my bathing suit...was desperately wanting to jump in the pool but by the time I came back Brian had already made plans to go to Ojo de Agua, eye of the water, with Janet and Peter who had their own car and offered to drive us. As we were getting ready I told Brian that our bathroom had tons of geikos all over it when I went back to the room...His response? ´´did they want you to buy car insurance?´
The walk was fairly easy, although I was glad I took Jill´s advice from last night and wore long pants... there were these little plant dagger things sticking all over me. It was overcast but very humid and the sun was trying hard to peek through the clouds. Butterflies were everywhere...one particularly huge blue one flew out of a bat cave and I freaked out and thought it was a bat, but ´tranquilo´said Francisco...only a butterfly. We also noticed ants marching across our path and termite nests were everywhere. It´s interesting, they make nests in trees and create paths for themselves (that look like thick tracks down the sides of tree trunks) to the forest floor and then go around in search of dead wood to devour. Yuck...I wondered if some might be crawling into my shoes right now. Francisco pointed out trees with pointy things on them...apparently ants live in the pointy things and they also deter animals and people from messing with the ants and/or the plant itself. Good survival strategy.
Francisco told us that banana trees commonly grow alongside coffee trees because both prefer shade, whereas plantain trees need full sun. (the banana and plantain trees otherwise look exactly the same to the untrained eye). He pointed out the coffee plants but most seemed to be harvested already...there were a few remaining seeds left which we dissected, but the real season is November. We arrived at the coffee mill and it was deserted. Francisco said that in Nov-Dec there are about 200 workers here...shelling, processing, drying, separating the coffee beans, but now it is off-season and empty. We stopped at the restaurant and had a cup of cafe con leche nevertheless...we shared some homemade banana bread from Francisco´s hermana and a plate of plantains con queso. We watched as blue magpie birds swooped through the garden in front of us. I kept yelling for Brian to get his camera but he never seemed to grab it in time, the birds were always faster. Ironic- for an Eagles photographer isn´t it? ;)
We saw the nearby hostel where you could rent hammocks (and not much else) for $1 per day. Francisco pointed out the national trees of Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Guatemala respectively: Madroño, Guanacaste and Seiba. He pointed out the most expensive tree (muy caro) for construction was the Cedro tree whose wooden flowers littered the forest floor. After our coffee, he made us hike up more to see the 1600 year old petrogylphs which are commonly found on Ometepe. They are symbols of the sun, eternity and other ancient symbols. They are not sure who engraved them but think they may have been related to the Mayas.
We headed back in the direction of the cafe and spotted some almond trees with big red hulls on them...they turn red when they are ripe. I picked one off when Francisco wasn´t looking (shhh) and Brian and I tried our damndest to break that thing open. I expected like 30 almonds in there, but Francisco saw us trying to no avail and came over and hacked the thing with a rock to reveal...just...one...almond. No wonder they are so expensive! I´d be charging a lot too if I had to do so much work. The five of us rationed out the almond...yes, that´s right, we each had a small piece. Of an almond. It was that much work. Just remember this next time you have one :)
Oh did I mention we saw some green parrots?! And a place where they harvest honey...there were SO many bees! He wouldn't let me get a picture because it was dangerous to get too close, but it was this huge field with 'houses' that were basically filled with honeycombs and millions of bees were swarming overhead.
On the way back I started quizzing Francisco about his life, what it´s like here in Ometepe. He said that kids go to school from age 5-10 and it´s free but you have to wear a uniform which can be expensive. At the age of 10 boys earn their first machete and go off to work...they might work cutting down bananas or plantains, help in hotels or on farms, etc. He said that most women deliver babies at home with the help from their families but if something goes wrong they can go to the hospital and have a cesarean birth. I told him that 30% of the women in the United States have C/sections and he laughed as if I were joking. He works 2 days per week doing tours and takes English classes in Rivas. He said Concepcion last erupted 75 years ago but often lets out sulfur gases.
We were all tired after our hike and headed back to the lobby...we invited Francisco to have a drink with us and he helped me with some minor details for my blog! I ran back to the room to change into my bathing suit...was desperately wanting to jump in the pool but by the time I came back Brian had already made plans to go to Ojo de Agua, eye of the water, with Janet and Peter who had their own car and offered to drive us. As we were getting ready I told Brian that our bathroom had tons of geikos all over it when I went back to the room...His response? ´´did they want you to buy car insurance?´
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Unicorns and Manatees
We were so excited to actually make it to Totoco- after reading about traveling on Sundays we were a little leary...but we made it. And all in one piece I might add. The roads are downright scary. There was one road in that was paved and the rest were just a random mix of dirt, sand, rocks, holes...not to mention all the cows, chickens, roosters, dogs, people and occasional oxen crossing...we made a sharp right turn off the main road and if I thought it couldn't get any worse- I was way wrong...the road to Totoco was horrific and we later learned it was basically cleared and laid by the owners (or their crew of locally hired workers). At any rate. We were here...sitting in a tree top bungalow with the other new guests enjoying lunch...
After lunch we took a walk down to the pool...it was perched on the top of a hillside with clear views of Volcan Concepcion on the other side. The water seemed a bit cool since it was rather windy today...there were 3 cabanas, each with 2 lounge chairs and a handmade blind made out of what appeared to be bamboo (mom- maybe we should have considered these instead?)
Pablo, one of the hotel workers who looked like he couldn't be more than 15 - although Brian swears he must have been 18-20. He was small framed but insisted on carrying both of our duffle bags (did I mention my luggage expanded since Granada??) over to our cabin called: Bamboo.
It was a rectangular-sized room with an open porch with views of concepcion, 2 hammocks and a small table and chairs. Pablo opened the door to reveal a queen sized bed with mosquito netting, thatched hut vaulted ceilings, 
unobstructed volcano views to the right and the bathroom was basically outside. He opened the bathroom door to let the sun spill in...the composting toilet was just to the left up three hand laid stone steps...this should be interesting. The sink was to the right and consisted of a natural stone vanity and water flowed freely down a slab of slate into the sink...down a few steps into the open-air shower which Pablo explained was heated through the compost pile. Pleasant. He wouldn't leave without first explaining how to use the toilet and what to do with organic and inorganic waste...
Ok so the toilet...it's a hole except it has a thick wooden cap with a handle that fits neatly into it to seal it off (this system was far more advanced than SE Asia or Peru)...you open it up to reveal a funnel towards the front and a deep hole in the back (requiring precise aim as you can imagine the funnel is intended for urine only). There is a huge bucket underneath which they change 3 times per day (I feel terrible for the guy who has that job). Everytime you use it you are supposed to add 3 scoops (will be a long time before I'll crave raisen bran again) of sawdust to the bucket. They collect all of the 'waste' and put it in a general compost pile...there are pipes running through that pile and they use the heat that's generated to heat our shower...lovely.
Pablo left and we quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed for the pool. Brian jumped in but I considered it too windy..there was another couple at the pool: Janet reading on her iPad and Peter on his kindle. We learned they were from NYC- both avid readers (Janet gave me some great tips on how to keep a bookclub going strong) and they love to travel. They participate in a home exchange program which is part of the reason they came to Nicaragua. Brian ran up to the bar and got himself a local brew: Victoria and a mojito for me which was heaven...crystallized sugar clumped at the bottom and clear liquid swirled around fresh mint leaves...the alcohol was there although it was hardly detectable :) yum- good choice Brian!
The sun started to dip and the wind picked up...we decided to head back to Bamboo to shower and change for dinner. But not before I read one more chapter in the hammock :) The shower was interesting. I tried my best not to think about the path the water took before it was hitting my skin but it was difficult. I know it's natural and probably much more 'green' but still. I guess I never though much about where water comes from...but here it's almost impossible not to think about it...
Brian took some sunset shots, it was pretty cool to have such great views from our room...and we let down the mosquito netting, doused ourselves in a healthy dose of DEET and headed up to the lobby...
We ran into Janet and Peter again (you will notice this becomes a common theme) and there was another couple from Alberta Canada: Scott and Jill. These 2 were super high energy and have been pretty much everywhere...they also love to scuba dive and were headed to Big Corn Island on Monday (the caribbean side of Nicaragua). Scott was telling me about a particularly memorable dive where he saw unicorns...I was like, huh? He's like yeah- unicorns they were so tiny, blah blah blah and I was like hmm I thought unicorns were mythical creatures...hen Jill chimed in and corrected him: seahorses is what he meant ;) I later thought Scott meant manatees when he actually was talking about manarays...oh well.
Dinner was fresh fish from the lake which Brian had and I tried the vegetarian option, lentil stew. It seemed a bit heavy (and later would prove it was too heavy) but the fact that the lake was brown weirded me out to eat anyhing from it...I had a glass of Sav Blanc (what else?) and Brian enjoyed a few more mojitos...
More bantering with the three other couples and staff and we headed back to our room...with our 'torches' to guide us. It was downright balmy and we kept the shades open but the moon was so bright! I was startled awake a few hours later with overwhelming nausea...I tried to ignore it but eventually jumped up just in time to make it to the shower drain. Let's just say none of my dinner stayed down...for the rest of the night I was convinced it was early symptoms of malaria (and was cursing myself for not taking prophylaxis) but was relieved with the sunrise and resolution of my symptoms...it was also especially nice to see the morning light over Volcan Concepcion...
After lunch we took a walk down to the pool...it was perched on the top of a hillside with clear views of Volcan Concepcion on the other side. The water seemed a bit cool since it was rather windy today...there were 3 cabanas, each with 2 lounge chairs and a handmade blind made out of what appeared to be bamboo (mom- maybe we should have considered these instead?)
Pablo, one of the hotel workers who looked like he couldn't be more than 15 - although Brian swears he must have been 18-20. He was small framed but insisted on carrying both of our duffle bags (did I mention my luggage expanded since Granada??) over to our cabin called: Bamboo.
It was a rectangular-sized room with an open porch with views of concepcion, 2 hammocks and a small table and chairs. Pablo opened the door to reveal a queen sized bed with mosquito netting, thatched hut vaulted ceilings, 
unobstructed volcano views to the right and the bathroom was basically outside. He opened the bathroom door to let the sun spill in...the composting toilet was just to the left up three hand laid stone steps...this should be interesting. The sink was to the right and consisted of a natural stone vanity and water flowed freely down a slab of slate into the sink...down a few steps into the open-air shower which Pablo explained was heated through the compost pile. Pleasant. He wouldn't leave without first explaining how to use the toilet and what to do with organic and inorganic waste...Ok so the toilet...it's a hole except it has a thick wooden cap with a handle that fits neatly into it to seal it off (this system was far more advanced than SE Asia or Peru)...you open it up to reveal a funnel towards the front and a deep hole in the back (requiring precise aim as you can imagine the funnel is intended for urine only). There is a huge bucket underneath which they change 3 times per day (I feel terrible for the guy who has that job). Everytime you use it you are supposed to add 3 scoops (will be a long time before I'll crave raisen bran again) of sawdust to the bucket. They collect all of the 'waste' and put it in a general compost pile...there are pipes running through that pile and they use the heat that's generated to heat our shower...lovely.
Pablo left and we quickly changed into our swimsuits and headed for the pool. Brian jumped in but I considered it too windy..there was another couple at the pool: Janet reading on her iPad and Peter on his kindle. We learned they were from NYC- both avid readers (Janet gave me some great tips on how to keep a bookclub going strong) and they love to travel. They participate in a home exchange program which is part of the reason they came to Nicaragua. Brian ran up to the bar and got himself a local brew: Victoria and a mojito for me which was heaven...crystallized sugar clumped at the bottom and clear liquid swirled around fresh mint leaves...the alcohol was there although it was hardly detectable :) yum- good choice Brian!
The sun started to dip and the wind picked up...we decided to head back to Bamboo to shower and change for dinner. But not before I read one more chapter in the hammock :) The shower was interesting. I tried my best not to think about the path the water took before it was hitting my skin but it was difficult. I know it's natural and probably much more 'green' but still. I guess I never though much about where water comes from...but here it's almost impossible not to think about it...
Brian took some sunset shots, it was pretty cool to have such great views from our room...and we let down the mosquito netting, doused ourselves in a healthy dose of DEET and headed up to the lobby...
We ran into Janet and Peter again (you will notice this becomes a common theme) and there was another couple from Alberta Canada: Scott and Jill. These 2 were super high energy and have been pretty much everywhere...they also love to scuba dive and were headed to Big Corn Island on Monday (the caribbean side of Nicaragua). Scott was telling me about a particularly memorable dive where he saw unicorns...I was like, huh? He's like yeah- unicorns they were so tiny, blah blah blah and I was like hmm I thought unicorns were mythical creatures...hen Jill chimed in and corrected him: seahorses is what he meant ;) I later thought Scott meant manatees when he actually was talking about manarays...oh well.
Dinner was fresh fish from the lake which Brian had and I tried the vegetarian option, lentil stew. It seemed a bit heavy (and later would prove it was too heavy) but the fact that the lake was brown weirded me out to eat anyhing from it...I had a glass of Sav Blanc (what else?) and Brian enjoyed a few more mojitos...
More bantering with the three other couples and staff and we headed back to our room...with our 'torches' to guide us. It was downright balmy and we kept the shades open but the moon was so bright! I was startled awake a few hours later with overwhelming nausea...I tried to ignore it but eventually jumped up just in time to make it to the shower drain. Let's just say none of my dinner stayed down...for the rest of the night I was convinced it was early symptoms of malaria (and was cursing myself for not taking prophylaxis) but was relieved with the sunrise and resolution of my symptoms...it was also especially nice to see the morning light over Volcan Concepcion...
Totoco eco-lodge
Martin, one of the original founders of Totoco, took us on a guided tour of the island and explained the beginnings of Totoco. Basically he is good friends with Jonathan and Roslyn and the three of them came up with the idea for a fully sustainable eco-lodge with minimal environmental impact. They also wanted to build a model for clean water and farming without using harmful chemicals- a model that hopefully could be duplicated elsewhere. He started the tour by explaining the water irrigation and recycling system as well as how the pool is cleaned and where that water comes from. It was all very interesting...all of the dirty or 'grey water' as they call it that comes from washing dishes and laundry etc is collected and filtered several times through grey pipes outside the kitchen and any physical debris is removed with a wire mesh filter.
The water proceeds through a series of three collecting wells below ground where layers of grease are skimmed off each time and the water is directed through plant filters and goes through a series of pipes about 16 yards away where it surfaces for further plant filtration and is recycled for watering only the decorative/ornamental landscaping (after all- if you are touting your lodge as a high end resort, it needs to be landscaped and look nice even in the dry season as Martin explained) They don't use grey water to water any fruit or vegetable bearing plants. He then showed us the huge rainwater collection chamber which fills the pool.
They treat the pool water with traditional chemicals now, but eventually they hope to use natural filters such as fish and plants. Any spillage from the pool gets collected and recycled back into the same water system (fyi- this system is completely different from where the clean water system comes from...that water originates in a natural spring on top of Maderas cloud forest...travels to the lodge in a labyrinth of pipes that they filter through clay and silver and then again with chlorine. This water is used for showering/washing your hands, and the super filtered water is used for cooking and drinking).
Martin explained that the forest on Totoco's property is a 2nd or 3rd generation forest- meaning that it's been cleared and harvested/farmed for a while then abandoned and allowed to re-grow several times. The current forest is about 60 years old. When this happens, a monoculture tends to develop with only the hardiest plants surviving (similar to what happens in the US when we use genetically engineered seeds). Martin hopes to clear out some of the particularly hardy plants to make room for some of the more delicate plant species that survive at higher altitudes on Volcan Maderas. I asked Martin if he or the other founders (Roslyn or Jonathan) have any professional training in agriculgure, infastructure development, etc...he simply said that they are all trained in business and came up with this idea, this project, with the intention to serve as an example of sustainability but that they have learned everything they know along the way...
He walked us down a meandering path through the forest and took us to their 'farm' where they are experimenting with attempts at growing some vegetables like spinach, tomatos, and using grafting techniques with starfruit and some other fruits. Grafting is an agricultural technique used to merge the qualities of two fruits together...starfruit that is indigenous to Ometepe is rather sour. But Cuban starfruit is far sweeter and more palatable. Cuban starfruit plants don't survive well in Ometepe so what they did was took a Ometepe starfruit sapling, made an incision close to the roots and took a cross section of a branch from the Cuban starfruit tree...once the graft 'took' the resulting fruit will be more sweet but the plant will survive.
The graft sometimes will try to sprout it's own tree but the farmer needs to cut it away to discourage this growth regularly. Amazing. This technique is commonly used for apples in the United States as well as grapes from certain vineyards. It is possible for a multigrafted tree to exist...where several different types of apples or cherries or starfruit may all coexist on one tree. How cool is that??He showed us where all the trash is separated (glass, metal, aluminum, hard plastics- are all picked up) but the real problem are the soft plastics which he hasn't yet found a way to recycle. So right now they are bagged tightly and piled high...a culmination of 3 years.
Martin said he worked in the business world in Holland for 2 years and got really jaded very quickly. This idea sprounted and that prompted him to move to Granada where he worked as a bartender for 2 years to test out Nicaragua...he's been here ever since. He said he doesn't miss his old life. He gets off the island every 6-8 weeks to visit friends in Granada and will travel back home to Europe once a year. His advice: there's tons of money available to smart people with good ideas...it's just having the drive, developing the idea and believing in it...following it through. They started out with one guest room and have expanded to 4. Their original project has room for 9 which they will add as time goes on. They are adding in projects which will help the community- farming outreach, water sanitation and health care projects. This is a very inspirational place.
We did this tour this morning...Wednesday...I still have to back track and fill in Monday and Tuesday but for now going to relax at our final destination: San Juan del Sur :) the sky is blue and it is HOT..........the pool is calling!
Granada to raw paradise (Isla de Ometepe)
We woke up an hour early on Sunday by accident- but this was a good thing because it gave me a chance to blog :) the morning sun was just starting to spill into the central courtyard of our hotel and the patio tables were being set for 'desayuno'. We packed our stuff and left it in the room while we enjoyed our first typical Nica breakfast which consisted of rice and beans, scambled eggs, fried plantains, and fried Nicaraguan cheese...this was a thick slice of very salty cheese...reminded me of feta but a chewier consistency. And Jul- you would have loved the fruit bowl...fresh white pineapple...was delicious! I passed my papayas to Brian...still can't stomach those after my untimely ingestion at the height of altitude sickness in Peru :(
We no sooner finished breakfast that Oscar, our taxi driver, arrived to pick us up for the 2 hour drive to the San Jorge ferry. He took our bags and we explained 'necessito comprar crema del sol' but he said 'no possible' or something along those lines...sounded like it was too early for las tiendas to be open in Granada and he seemed afraid we wouldn't get to the ferry in time...he suggested we buy some on Ometepe but I was pessimistic. Anyway, we climbed in his car and watched the old architecture of Granada fade into more rural surroundings...Brian pointed out a stake body truck with upwards of 40 guys crammed into the back- all standing up! I wasn't sure if they were being transported to work somewhere...Brian said maybe school but since it was Sunday that didn't make sense to me...
Anyway, there wasn't much traffic or excitement on the road so I soon fell asleep. Brian nudged me awake as we drove through Rivas- the town just next to San Jorge. We zipped around a bend in the road and all of a sudden the choppy Lake Nicaragua
appeared on our right...the gates to the ferry were closed and about 10 women were lined up along thr right selling fresh mangos...only 20 cordoba for a dozen! That's about $1! We bought a bag and then wondered how we might eat them without a knife?
It was soooo windy- the skirt wasn't a good idea.
Oscar unloaded our bags from the trunk and introduced us to his friend Hector...he owned a travel shop just by the ferry gate...convenient. He wanted to book us a hotel and excursions, etc. 'No gracias, no gracias'. We got to the gate and I was surprised to see that the lake had waves...huge ones at that! And there were lots of rocks, etc. Still, people were swimming in there- fully clothed which apparently is the Nicaraguan thing to do :)
We had to pay a municiple tax of 10 cordobas to just get into the ferry port (about 50 cents)...it was like a party in there. One ferry had just docked and people, cars, mororbikes etc were all spilling haphazardly onto the dock. Loud Nicaraguan dance music was blasting from the upper deck. Huge baskets of oranges, mangos, etc were lining the walkway just off the ferry. Huge waves crashed over behind us spraying everyone with the lake. A school bus brightly painted pulled up and emptied out a massive number of people who were patiently waiting to board...the ferry rocked violently from side to side...'This is the Safer one?' I wondered- several of the guidebooks suggested we take this one that also loads cars, etc because it is sturdier...
The last of the motorcyslists sped off - they seemed to have a bit of trouble getting the last of the trucks off:
but a little teamwork goes a long way. We climbed aboard and grabbed a prime spot just behind the captain...it was partially shaded which was key since we still didn't get our crema del sol. What seemed like forever passed (at least the ferry decided to run today) and we were off...little boys tried to sell us fried plaintains but we passed only for Brian to regret it as we watched the group of French tourists nearby munch on theirs. 
I attempted to peel and eat a mango. I would not recommend this without any sharp utensils or access to running water. It was a sticky, stringy, mess. I added dental floss to my mental list of things to pick up...
The volcanos in the background were impressive. A cloud topped each of them like whipped cream on a sundae...quite a contrast to the stark blue sky.
Concepcion to the left (the active volcano) and Maderas to the right. We shared the ferry with a rather large Christian ministry group who were going to 'minister to the deaf children of Ometepe'. They all wore the same pale blue t-shirts and all seemed to be wearing fanny packs as well. And no- my money belt is Not a fanny pack in case you were wondering :)
They were nice- from South Carolina. We talked to a couple of the guys and one of them offered to take a picture for us as we neared the volcanos.
Brian snapped a few great shots of course...an hour or so later and we were docking on Ometepe. Brian befriended a weird older guy named Steve who retired to Ometepe with his wife 3 years ago- they were from North Carolina. He traveled to Rivas to buy some metal shovels. When we got to the dock, another guy was waiting with a sign for us: Totoco. He was holding his son's hand...he couldn't have been more than 3...his name was Alfonzo. They led us over to their Toyota Land Cruiser which seemed to be a late 1980's version according to Brian. Weird guy Steve tried to hitch a ride with us but fortunately our driver shot him down. We climbed in and met Alfonzo's abuela...they were dropping her off at work on the way to our hotel. Little Alfonzo sat on her lap in the front seat but kept wiggling down to stand up.
I couldn't help but think of child car safety laws in the US and how his situation would never fly. He was barely 30 pounds- well under the 70 lb front seat rule.
The roads were paved so far...the land dotted with houses here and there...pigs, cows, horses roaming free. We stopped at a fancy hotel but they were fresh out of crema del sol. He stopped at two more little shops but no luck. We made a hard right at the sign for Totoco about 30 mins from the ferry...the road suddenly became very tretcherous. Tons of huge rocks and poor little Alfonzo flopping all around the front seat...we finally arrived at Totoco's gates
and the road improved but not by too much unfortunately. I felt like I had a slight case of whiplash by the time we got to 'Reception'.
Roslyn, a tall, friendly woman wearing a white linen dress met us on the stone path. She asked if I was Allison and introduced herself in her subtle Australian accent...she led us into the open air lobby and started telling us about the eco-lodge. Said we had arrived just in time for lunch and she handed us a menu...we asked her about crema del sol- she said not to worry she would get us some. I believed her. We relaxed and had a refreshing glass of juice followed by water with lemon- all the while enjoying our uninteruppted view of Volcan Concepcion.
Another couple arrived...Andrew and Mary...who we shared lunch with and discussed the activities on the island...ahhh: this is paradise.
We no sooner finished breakfast that Oscar, our taxi driver, arrived to pick us up for the 2 hour drive to the San Jorge ferry. He took our bags and we explained 'necessito comprar crema del sol' but he said 'no possible' or something along those lines...sounded like it was too early for las tiendas to be open in Granada and he seemed afraid we wouldn't get to the ferry in time...he suggested we buy some on Ometepe but I was pessimistic. Anyway, we climbed in his car and watched the old architecture of Granada fade into more rural surroundings...Brian pointed out a stake body truck with upwards of 40 guys crammed into the back- all standing up! I wasn't sure if they were being transported to work somewhere...Brian said maybe school but since it was Sunday that didn't make sense to me...
Anyway, there wasn't much traffic or excitement on the road so I soon fell asleep. Brian nudged me awake as we drove through Rivas- the town just next to San Jorge. We zipped around a bend in the road and all of a sudden the choppy Lake Nicaragua
appeared on our right...the gates to the ferry were closed and about 10 women were lined up along thr right selling fresh mangos...only 20 cordoba for a dozen! That's about $1! We bought a bag and then wondered how we might eat them without a knife?It was soooo windy- the skirt wasn't a good idea.
Oscar unloaded our bags from the trunk and introduced us to his friend Hector...he owned a travel shop just by the ferry gate...convenient. He wanted to book us a hotel and excursions, etc. 'No gracias, no gracias'. We got to the gate and I was surprised to see that the lake had waves...huge ones at that! And there were lots of rocks, etc. Still, people were swimming in there- fully clothed which apparently is the Nicaraguan thing to do :)We had to pay a municiple tax of 10 cordobas to just get into the ferry port (about 50 cents)...it was like a party in there. One ferry had just docked and people, cars, mororbikes etc were all spilling haphazardly onto the dock. Loud Nicaraguan dance music was blasting from the upper deck. Huge baskets of oranges, mangos, etc were lining the walkway just off the ferry. Huge waves crashed over behind us spraying everyone with the lake. A school bus brightly painted pulled up and emptied out a massive number of people who were patiently waiting to board...the ferry rocked violently from side to side...'This is the Safer one?' I wondered- several of the guidebooks suggested we take this one that also loads cars, etc because it is sturdier...
The last of the motorcyslists sped off - they seemed to have a bit of trouble getting the last of the trucks off:
but a little teamwork goes a long way. We climbed aboard and grabbed a prime spot just behind the captain...it was partially shaded which was key since we still didn't get our crema del sol. What seemed like forever passed (at least the ferry decided to run today) and we were off...little boys tried to sell us fried plaintains but we passed only for Brian to regret it as we watched the group of French tourists nearby munch on theirs. 
I attempted to peel and eat a mango. I would not recommend this without any sharp utensils or access to running water. It was a sticky, stringy, mess. I added dental floss to my mental list of things to pick up...The volcanos in the background were impressive. A cloud topped each of them like whipped cream on a sundae...quite a contrast to the stark blue sky.
Concepcion to the left (the active volcano) and Maderas to the right. We shared the ferry with a rather large Christian ministry group who were going to 'minister to the deaf children of Ometepe'. They all wore the same pale blue t-shirts and all seemed to be wearing fanny packs as well. And no- my money belt is Not a fanny pack in case you were wondering :)They were nice- from South Carolina. We talked to a couple of the guys and one of them offered to take a picture for us as we neared the volcanos.
Brian snapped a few great shots of course...an hour or so later and we were docking on Ometepe. Brian befriended a weird older guy named Steve who retired to Ometepe with his wife 3 years ago- they were from North Carolina. He traveled to Rivas to buy some metal shovels. When we got to the dock, another guy was waiting with a sign for us: Totoco. He was holding his son's hand...he couldn't have been more than 3...his name was Alfonzo. They led us over to their Toyota Land Cruiser which seemed to be a late 1980's version according to Brian. Weird guy Steve tried to hitch a ride with us but fortunately our driver shot him down. We climbed in and met Alfonzo's abuela...they were dropping her off at work on the way to our hotel. Little Alfonzo sat on her lap in the front seat but kept wiggling down to stand up.
I couldn't help but think of child car safety laws in the US and how his situation would never fly. He was barely 30 pounds- well under the 70 lb front seat rule. The roads were paved so far...the land dotted with houses here and there...pigs, cows, horses roaming free. We stopped at a fancy hotel but they were fresh out of crema del sol. He stopped at two more little shops but no luck. We made a hard right at the sign for Totoco about 30 mins from the ferry...the road suddenly became very tretcherous. Tons of huge rocks and poor little Alfonzo flopping all around the front seat...we finally arrived at Totoco's gates
and the road improved but not by too much unfortunately. I felt like I had a slight case of whiplash by the time we got to 'Reception'.Roslyn, a tall, friendly woman wearing a white linen dress met us on the stone path. She asked if I was Allison and introduced herself in her subtle Australian accent...she led us into the open air lobby and started telling us about the eco-lodge. Said we had arrived just in time for lunch and she handed us a menu...we asked her about crema del sol- she said not to worry she would get us some. I believed her. We relaxed and had a refreshing glass of juice followed by water with lemon- all the while enjoying our uninteruppted view of Volcan Concepcion.
Another couple arrived...Andrew and Mary...who we shared lunch with and discussed the activities on the island...ahhh: this is paradise.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Traveling to Granada
Vida was just outside the double glass doors waiting for us, holding up a sign with our names. We said hello and it was a little awkward at first where we couldn´t decide if we were going to shake hands or hug...we settled on a hug :) I tried to speak some Spanish and introduced her to Brian and then she introduced us to her friend who spoke some English. He said he was glad to meet us and he was going to go get the car and meet us out front. Vida led us through the hectic crowd and we found ourselves on the sidewalk amidst tons of tourists and taxicabs with the taxi drivers preying on the foreigners -or gringos as we are fondly called in Central and South America. I was glad to have Vida be there to protect us from their coersion.
Vida is beautiful! Tall with strong features. Her skin was perfect and she was dressed fashionably in a blue tank top and black capris with strappy sandels and matching blue accessories. She had her braided hair pulled back in a high ponytail and was talking on her cell phone with a wire attached to the earpiece. She tried to explain something in Spanish to me and I thought I understood but all I got was that her car was at the mechanic and her friend was driving us to Granada. I conveniently didn´t catch the part about how he was going to be driving us to the bus station...
The weather report lied, it was what I would call mostly cloudy but still very hot and muggy. Her friend pulled up in a very nice beige car with tinted windows and leather seats. He helped us get our bags in the trunk and we climbed in- thankful to be escaping the airport chaos...
He was playing music that had a mix of Spanish and English lyrics. As we drove we learned that he was from the Dominican Republic and now works at the embassey in Nicaragua. He was wearing a clean, cotton work shirt and dress pants and told us he would take us the whole way to Granada but he had to go to a meeting. Vida told us that her twin sister lives in Granada.
We drove down the main road and hit some traffic...
the streets were dotted with palm trees and a variety of businesses including a hardware store that must have been the equivalent of Home Depot
stretching down both sides of the road (mom- you would have been in heaven)...when we approached a street light we saw guys with huge plastic bags filled with smaller plastic bags and asked what they were...agua fria apparently, reminded me of freeze pops...
He drove us to a bus depot where we parted ways. He helped us get our luggage out and Vida waited with us for the next bus to back into the stall...we climbed aboard and piled our bags on our laps. It was hot but once we started driving the wind cooled us off quickly. There was a little boy in front of us who insisted on putting his arms and head out of the bus window...he was really cute.
The bus filled up quickly after making a few more stops and Vida moved into the aisle seat. A few people were standing...the ride to Granada took a little over one hour. Vida pointed out the volcano and the lake at one point...
The driver came around and asked for our fare and Vida insisted on paying for us...it was about 20 cordobas per person or approximately $1 USD. We got off the bus at almost the last spot...in the Parque Central of Granada. The buildings were beautiful, all brightly colored with stuccoed designs around the windows and doors...we found the hotel were we were staying which was just off the square and there we met with Vida´s sister and her 2 year old neice...
I am getting bit alive as I sit here on the computer at our hotel! Brian wants me to hurry because we have to have breakfast and then meet our taxi who is driving us the hour drive to San Jorge where we will catch the ferry to Isla de Ometepe. I have to run...more later :)
Vida is beautiful! Tall with strong features. Her skin was perfect and she was dressed fashionably in a blue tank top and black capris with strappy sandels and matching blue accessories. She had her braided hair pulled back in a high ponytail and was talking on her cell phone with a wire attached to the earpiece. She tried to explain something in Spanish to me and I thought I understood but all I got was that her car was at the mechanic and her friend was driving us to Granada. I conveniently didn´t catch the part about how he was going to be driving us to the bus station...
The weather report lied, it was what I would call mostly cloudy but still very hot and muggy. Her friend pulled up in a very nice beige car with tinted windows and leather seats. He helped us get our bags in the trunk and we climbed in- thankful to be escaping the airport chaos...
He was playing music that had a mix of Spanish and English lyrics. As we drove we learned that he was from the Dominican Republic and now works at the embassey in Nicaragua. He was wearing a clean, cotton work shirt and dress pants and told us he would take us the whole way to Granada but he had to go to a meeting. Vida told us that her twin sister lives in Granada.
We drove down the main road and hit some traffic...
the streets were dotted with palm trees and a variety of businesses including a hardware store that must have been the equivalent of Home Depot
stretching down both sides of the road (mom- you would have been in heaven)...when we approached a street light we saw guys with huge plastic bags filled with smaller plastic bags and asked what they were...agua fria apparently, reminded me of freeze pops...He drove us to a bus depot where we parted ways. He helped us get our luggage out and Vida waited with us for the next bus to back into the stall...we climbed aboard and piled our bags on our laps. It was hot but once we started driving the wind cooled us off quickly. There was a little boy in front of us who insisted on putting his arms and head out of the bus window...he was really cute.
The bus filled up quickly after making a few more stops and Vida moved into the aisle seat. A few people were standing...the ride to Granada took a little over one hour. Vida pointed out the volcano and the lake at one point...The driver came around and asked for our fare and Vida insisted on paying for us...it was about 20 cordobas per person or approximately $1 USD. We got off the bus at almost the last spot...in the Parque Central of Granada. The buildings were beautiful, all brightly colored with stuccoed designs around the windows and doors...we found the hotel were we were staying which was just off the square and there we met with Vida´s sister and her 2 year old neice...
I am getting bit alive as I sit here on the computer at our hotel! Brian wants me to hurry because we have to have breakfast and then meet our taxi who is driving us the hour drive to San Jorge where we will catch the ferry to Isla de Ometepe. I have to run...more later :)
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