May 9, 2004

NICARAGUA

not sure who put the OM in Ometepe, but it worked... a little change of scene seems to do the mind good...

the island is two volcanoes sticking out of the lake... yep, look like slightly askew breasts... the northern is pointy and active, equivalent of a Madonna space-bra look,... the southern is flattened and extinct like Mother Teresa... first is Concepcion, fire; the second Maderas, water (there is a crater lake at the top)... the Nahuatl legend tells of a forbidden love, which of course doesnt work out and as she dies her breasts remain above the water level of the lake...

stayed at hotel Istiam the first night... only thing truly special about it is the host, Faber... more energy and wanting to please than the friendliest dog... he showed me and a couple other gringos around the petroglyphs at Finca Magdelena... check it out, look at this, wanna take my photo?... only of course all in spanish so I couldnt help but improve in mine...

and the petroglyphs are way cool... great swirls and spirals depicting what could be butterflies, the two volcanoes, a person, a boat, a spaceship... strange landscape with the scattered chunks of volcanic rock in the fields, like they landed there after the last rattling explosion, too big to be easily moved...

next couple nights I spent at Finca Magdelena, the Finca is beautiful... the coffee season if through, and the great cement sorting yards out back sit empty, but theres always work to be done, like turn the manure compost... ooo, fun... the views are out over the lake, and back behind to the volcano Maderas breezes flowing through the windows

bunked there with the crowds of backpackers... who are these people? was I that rude when I started traveling?... definitly a case for making Cultural Sensitivity and Manners 101 a course that has to be passed before one can get a passport... did meet a few nice couples, one set from Orcas Island, WA, even invited me to stay at their cabin if Im ever in the area...

as hikers returned from the lake at the top coated in mud, disappointed about not seeing anything in the clouds I became convinced that Id hike somewhere else... the waterfall

infortunetly there arent many buses on the island... so after 3 hrs of hiiking to get there, I then hiked up and back (another 2.5 hrs) to see the truly lovely Cascada san Ramon... then due to poor bus scheduling connections (ha! like theres a schedule they keep) another 1.5 hrs on the road... so after no exercise for so long, 7 hrs walking hurts me... but in true form, couldnt just quit and hope someone would come along and rescue me... arent enough cars for that...

way back again... found it strange to see that more people lived on the active volcano (last rumble in 1957)... bunch of adrenalin junkies... you could tell by the way they egged on their mules and hacked like madmen with their machetes...

okay thats enough reading for you... tell me how's life there?...

take care
love Laurel