Ilsa Ometepe, Nicaragua

How long: 3 nights
Where stayed: The landing Hostel, Moyagalpo
Travelling with: Susan, Derek & Tom

Finally got it together to leave San Juan and make out way to Isla Ometepe where we were going to meet up with Tom. After much farting around and talk of local buses and saving money we ended up in Kenneth's car again taking the lazy option. About an hour to San Jorge and then we got a ferry over to the island. Ometepe is basically an island created from the eruptions of two volcanos. Volcan Conception and Maderas. Conception is still active but there hasn't been any activity for a long time. Maderas is extinct and is covered in a cloud forest. Coming over on the ferry you get a great view of both of them.
Arrived about 2 and met up with Tom at The Landing hostel. So good to see him again so we repaired to the roof to drink some beers and catch up.
Next day we hired some scooters and went to explore the island. Derek crashed his into a wall before we left the shop so he had to go pilion with Tom. Spent a lovely day zipping around the island stopping off in an interesting little museum, then over to Santa Domingo for lunch, after which we got stopped by the police and got told off cos we werent carrying our drivers licences. They told us we would have to leave the bikes and walk home. This went on for a while and finally they relented and sent us on our way with a warning. Next stop was a wonderful natural pool in the forest. Beautiful cool water to cool off on a stinking hot day. There was a tarzan swing out over the water which tom was like a monkey on. Susan eventually decided to give it a go and let go immediately and landed in the water about 1cm from the wall. My heart stopped as i was sure she had split her head open...i wasn't the only one...the whole place was watching then erupted with relief when she surfaced unharmed. Needless to say she was barred from the swing for the rest of the day. Started to get late so time to go but on way home got caught in the mother and father of a rain storm...literally couldn't see! Finally made it back to town where the road back to the bike shop had turned into a river! Great fun...once the bike was safely returned :) Had a quiet night as had to be up at the crack of dawn to head off to climb Maderas. We got a taxi to the base, picking up our guide along the way. Started walking about 8 and as it was another hot sticky day so we were all dripping with sweat within minutes. Susan started to lag and was finding it tough going, as the climb intensified and a got further into the cloud forest it started to get really slippy and wet. After about an hour she had to admit defeat and turn back. The guide called the driver and got him to go back for her. A continued but after a few more minutes Derek decided he had enough too and turned back. So it was just Tom and me and the guide. We ploughed on and it started to get really tough. The cloud forest is basically always raining so the higher you go the wetter it gets....so we were slipping and sliding through rivers of mud on an almost vertical climb! Eventually made it to the top and down into the crater which was really cool but unfortunately a dark rain cloud had settled at the top so we could see nothing. We made a brief stop for lunch and then set off back down again just as the rain came on in force....same as day before. So it was a very wet and slippery decent! But we ploughed on and made it down in record time. Great feeling!
Back to town for a much needed shower, quick nap and then we treated ourselves to a nice dinner and wine...a rare treat!!
Decided time to head off so we made plans to head to Granada the next day while Tom opted for one more day in Ometepe.Read more