Paradise Found, Island Sunset And Boat From Hell
Trip Start
Sep 29, 2007
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37
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Trip End
Ongoing
Where I stayed
Isla De Ometepe, Charco Verde,
Nicaragua
Monday, November 19, 2007
We saw our first glance of Ometepe which is sparsely developed and formed by two large volcanoes, Volcan Conception which rises 1610m above the lake in an almost perfect cone and Volcan Maderas at 1394m. Lava flowing between the two volcanoes created an isthmus between them and united both in a single island. Concepcion is still active. We had a very good feeling that this was going to be a special place. However, the site that greeted us outside a tourist office was that of two very angry spider monkeys wearing metal collars and on short chains connected to a tree. The feeling of seeing this site was an ill nausea and an anger at the humans keeping these pets.
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They looked like tiny, bitter, old shrunken men, very human like. At the dock there was a choice of two boats and pirates from different boats each tried to convince us that their boat was a better ride. There were two sizes of boat, the worst one leaving first but taking longer and the bigger ferry, leaving an hour later. It was raining so we took the punt on the smaller boat, The Karen Maria. There was a woman on board causing a terrible scene, she appeared to be in grief, wailing and crying. After some time a western traveller sedated her temporarily with some pills from his first aid kit. The ride across the lake was rough with waves spilling water into the passenger cabin and wetting our feet. The wooden boat started leaking water from the upper deck part way across the lake, we had our packs covered in the grain sack and plastic sheeting. A glance above our heads revealed some worn life jackets that seemed to have been used. We made it through and it was smooth sailing from that point on. We hooked up with a couple to share a US$3 taxi shuttle to our chosen accommodation, Charco Verde.Once on the island we cruised on a gravel road passing small coastal settlements where people live by fishing and farming- maize, bananas, citrus fruits, sesame, beans and other crops all flourish in the volcanic soil. Parts of the island are still covered in primary forest, which harbors abundant wildlife, including howler monkeys and green parrots. There are gorgeous blue tailed birds seen everywhere called urracas.
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Lifestyle seems ecstatically happy and simple here. All the children are smiling from ear to ear. People seem fairly self sufficient. We checked into the highly recommended Hotel Charco Verde on the lagoon. The room was clean and simple and the setting spectacular. There was a cross eyed Dalmatian dog with one blue eye and one brown eye who was our immediate best friend trying to jump on our bed. We met a guy who had been travelling for 7 years and got the low down on all his favourite places. The hotel bar and restaurant was gorgeous with a large thatched roof tiki style and ambient lighting overlooking the lagoon. We ate our dinner of fresh fish with geckos providing a chirpy soundtrack overhead. The sunset here at Charco Verde was the most extravagant show of light i have ever seen with colours of oranges and yellows melting together, pinks making an aura and highlighting the mainland of Nicaragua far away and the last sprinklings of blues in remaining patches, a surreal vision and one not to be repeated again. The whole sky was moving as clouds shifted. There was a slight rainfall adding to the picture as the last fisherman returned home in his dugout canoe with the days catch. Birds coloured snow white flew in flocks towards the nature reserve we are to visit tomorrow. ...... glorious. We took many pictures of this wonderful time of peace in paradise.
Tomorrow we will head to Finca Magdalena coffee plantation and Santo Domingo in order to view the area from all the other angles. This place is a special one, magik is here.
