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.

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?´

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...

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.

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 :)