Ometepe Island: one moto, two volcanoes, and many monkeys and magpies

From Lake Nicaragua, created by the wonder of twin volcanoes connected by a low isthmus, rises the majestic island of Ometepe. Its hour glass shape measures 276 kilometers and is filled with a rich archeological and cultural background, incredibly fertile soil and lively forests that enjoy a high biodiversity.  For obvious reasons, the island has always represented a paradisiacal destination. We can’t agree more. 

Volcan Conception is the northwest half of the island. It has the shape of a perfectly cylindrical cone and is still considered an active volcano.  It reaches an altitude of 1610 meters and is considered the world's highest lake island. The southeast half of the island consists of Volcan Maderas, which has a crater lake, supports a diverse rainforest environment, and reaches 1394 meters.  Much of this part of the island is now a nature reserve. 

Getting the van on the ferry to go to Ometepe was like playing Tetris, level 10. Go husband go!!!

Much of the terrain was too rough for Sprinter to traverse over, so Tree and I rented Beef Cake, Sprinter's illegitimate son.  I sat on the back and held on for dear life as Tree and Beef Cake tested each others' boundaries. In the end, I believe they established a mutual respect, and my butt only had two or three bruises to show for it. Not bad...

An indigena woman doing laundry in the lake, reminding us of what slower and sustainable living looks like. Maybe because I was raised in Los Angeles with a Maytag, I find this scene...challenging. Could I do it? Someday I'd like to try living off the land-- you know, cooking over a wood fire, doing laundry in the river, eating food from my own organic garden. It's incredible to think how inept I am at surviving without the trappings of civilization compared to the young woman in this photo.  Anybody want to take bets on how long I'd last in the wild? How about Kiki?

Tree is always looking for internet so he can work on Outdoorplay. It has been a major surprise that the internet now appears to be everywhere. This sign pointed straight into the forest! The other helpful sign, evidently for the Gringos, is pointing out the direction to run should the volcano erupt. 

We rode our moto to Finca Magdalena to check out the organic and sustainable farming cooperative. The grounds were gorgeous, an absolute feast for the eyes. Everywhere we looked there were varying hues of green leafiness peppered with sunset pink and orange orchids, tropical fruits, and brave blue magpies. The cacophony of howler monkey and jungle birds added to the mystique. From the Finca which also serves as a hostel, you can take a 1km walk to see the ancient petroglyhps, or you can make the long hike to the lagoon located at the top of Volcan Maderas. According to the islanders, the area is inhabited by fairies and other supernatural spirits. Or, if you're like Tree and I, you can not go anywhere and drink cold beer in the comfy hammocks instead. 

We finished our day off with a swim at the sinkhole called Ojo de Agua (Eye of the Water).

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Red Hot Lava and Firetrucks - Sprinter Life Tour Continues

After leaving Lake Apoyo we decided to get a closer look at one of the Nicaraguan Volcanos, so we drove to Masaya Volcano. This is one of those attractions that would just never fly in the USA. For $5 you can drive to the crater rim of an active smoking volcano and peer over the edge into the lava spewing abyss. The "guard" looks the other way when you hop the 3 foot safety fence to get a closer look. A weird sulfur taste enters your mouth while volcano fumes creep into your lungs. You feel dizzy. You take another deep breath. Ahhhh, It's the best $5 high ever.

Although this thing hasn't erupted since 2001, it still looks rather angry. The last eruption killed people right where we were standing. I wasn't scared or anything, but it was already hot and the orange lava below only increase the temperature. My imagination was running. This was the type of place they use to sacrifice virgins thousands of years ago. Luckily there are none of those in this family. Wait a second... Kiki... Oh my god Kiki, RUN!

 

From the Volcano we headed toward Granada, one of the most famous cities in the Americas. Founded in 1524, Granada is probably the oldest city in Central America. It has a long and rich history. For the most part Granada avoided damage during the years of conflict in the 1980s, so the buildings are preserved and beautiful. Our first order of business whenever we enter a new city is to find a place to stay. We were in the mood to save money and wanted to sleep in the van. All we needed was a safe place to park, and where better than the fire station! With a little sweet talking from Stevie we paid $2.50 and were allowed to park inside the firehouse compound which is only 2 blocks from the main square. One of the firemen asked if I was Stevie's husband. When she replied "yes" he asked if she wanted another one. I smiled politely before realizing he looked serious. 

If you live in Granada and your house catches on fire, I recommend evacuation. Although the Bomberos are a lively bunch of fellows, chances are they won't be arriving to extinguish your fire in a timely fashion. Aside from their extra curricular activities with your wife, I'm not even 100% sure the fire engines would start up in an emergency.

After putting in my Outdoorplay work time at the Euro Cafe, we spent the rest of the day strolling around the city taking in the sites. Over all we really liked Granada. It has been compared to Antigua in Guatemala and I would say that is accurate, only there are far less white people here. The buildings are beautiful and the people are friendly. The food and drinks in Nicaragua are really cheap compared to its northern neighbors. We tried to take advantage of the generous happy hour specials on our stroll through town. I think we did a pretty good job. The other thing that is completely absent from this country is guns. Guns were everywhere in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. Nicaragua feels so safe after driving through those other countries. 

Whenever we sleep in the van to save money, we allow our food budget to increase for the day. Granada has some amazing restaurants. I enjoyed a feast of sausages from 4 different countries! Stevie got the Filet Mignon with Gorgonzola. Heaven.

From here we will continue our tour through inland Nicaragua before heading back to the coast to look for more manageable surf. Time is ticking as my April 2nd flight to the USA approaches. I will be returning to Oregon for 2 weeks for Outdoorplay while Stevie hangs in Costa Rica solo. I won't be leaving her near any fire stations, that's for sure! TREE

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Exploring Nicaragua - Leon and Lago de Apoyo

The Boom Wave. What can I say about the Boom Wave? Well, I tried surfing it every morning for 5 straight days. In the end I broke one board, cut my face with my fin getting rolled on a duck dive, had several hold-downs, and only managed to catch 1 good wave. If you've been surfing since you were 4 years old you'll probably rip the Boom. But for a middle aged gimp like me, it was time to move on.

We left the beach at the crack of noon after our routine 9 cups of dank coffee, (that's per person Folgers Bitch!). Our first stop was the city of Leon. This famous city is where all the left wing radical revolutionaries hung out, so you can imagine it was high on Stevie's list. Although all the tourist books give it rave reviews, we honestly found it a bit dumpy. There are some beautiful old churches and buildings, but it was obvious that the war had taken its toll on this place. We shot some photos and decided to move on.

We headed toward Lago de Apoyo which was recommended to us by our probes from ADVODNA. We cruised good roads and took in the insane views. Nicaragua is a country known for it's volcanos. There is a chain of volcanos that run through the entire country from north to south. Driving past them is absolutely breathtaking. Check this one out smokin from the top...


The cars in Nicaragua have to compete with the other street traffic, which happens to be a surprising number of horse drawn carts...

After a gorgeous 4 hour drive we arrived at the rim of our destination. Lago de Apoyo was created when a giant volcano imploded on itself over 20,000 years ago and then filled with water.  The deepest measure point of this lake is over 200 meters making it the lowest point in all of Central America! It is also one of the cleanest bodies of water so the swimming is supposed to be amazing.

Despite the expensive price we had made reservations at a swank hotel called San Simian right on the water. When we arrived I was thrilled when the manager had no idea who we were. They had lost our reservation. Stevie is a veteran all-pro nomad and went right into tear mode. We're not talking hard core I-spilt-my-milk weeping mode, but light misting in the eyes followed by comments like, "Honey, what are we going to do. It's going to be dark soon." The manager rushed around making phone calls and was thrilled when I told him we'd be willing to sleep in our van in the parking lot.

He refused when I offered to pay a couple bucks for camping and started feeding us free drinks. Cars were immedietly moved and a level parking spot was made for the Sprinter. We were given full access to the entire facility, including free use of the kayaks. He even offered Stevie his private bathroom so she could take a hot shower. I squashed that offer immediately. He was a finely groomed Euro and spoke 4 languages. This ain't my first rodeo buddy, check the ring on that finger. We opted for a swim in the lake instead and settled into gin cocktails for the night. Life is good. TREE

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Playa Aserradores - Northern Nicaragua

Rolling into Nicaragua I had one thought on my mind, surfing! This country is famous for its uncrowded waves. Most people who do travel here to surf go to the south, but since we were coming in from the north I was stoked when our friend Jordan in El Salvador told me about a little property that he claimed was paradise. Located just north of Marina Puesta Del Sol (translation, Sunset Marina), Hotel Chancletas sits right in front of a famous surf spot know as "The Boom Wave". The owners are American and they've set up an amazing destination. Great affordable rooms, internet connection, and a fabulous restaurant are the bullet points. But the real draw is the view and location. You literally have your own private beach and wave right out front.

This is the view looking out from the restaurant at Hotel Chancletas. We've got the same view from the sunset rack on the Sprinter. Insane hang. We are loving it...

Shay and his wife Loretta are the owners of Chancletas. Shay rips pretty hard. Here he is going backside on the Boom Wave...


Another surfer goes left on the Boom Wave. This thing is pretty sweet when it's working. I'll post some photos of me as soon as I figure out how to ride it without getting pounded. Give me a few days...

Family beach time. Our favorite.

Here is Sprinter Life's exact coordinates in Northern Nicaragua...

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