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As I watched the sun set off the shores of Isla de Ometepe, I thought back over my day of travel and can’t say it was painless. What should have taken 4-5 hours took me eight; but that’s all in the past. I have plenty of time and a whole new place to explore; so all is good. Upon arrival at Hacienda Mérida, which is nestled at the base of Volcán Maderas, I recognized a lot of familiar faces. From hostel Oasis there was Claire (the wacky Brit), Inger (the crass Kiwi), and a group of Israelis; then there was Nick who had worked a short time at Bigfoot in León. There was no need for introductions; we continued on where we had left off, just in a new setting. Isla de Ometepe is a beautiful volcanic island lying in the waters of Lago de Nicaragua; the largest lake in Central America. This massive lake has 45 rivers flowing into it, and an outlet to the Caribbean via Río San Juan. Many spectacular fish live in these waters; including freshwater sawfish and tarpon and the rare freshwater bull shark.

A South Draw and Three Bloody Kiwis

Jeremy Curl
2006-08-28 13:38:46

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helped her with her southern draw; which in the end was total bollox.

Bright and early Thursday morning, me and some of my new acquaintances (Inger, Adele, and Paul from New Zealand) went over to the local school to cook up a breakfast for the kids. We heard about the volunteer work through the hostel and pulled our money together to buy the food. The morning was great. As the pot of oatmeal simmered, we played outside with all of the kids. We pushed some on the swings and joined others in song and dance (similar to ring around the rosy). Some of the younger kids would attach themselves to our legs as we walked about. We were only feeding a small class of the younger children, but some of the older kids came across the street to meet us. If kids in the states think their classrooms are bad, they should come have a look at these. The older kid’s classroom consisted of a dirt floor, chicken wire wall, thatched roof, a chalkboard, and old hand-me-down desks. After spending some time outside and across the street, it was time for the food. We dished out cups of oatmeal for the children and watched as they scarfed it down. Most only finished a small bit of their meal and then poured the remainder into little containers to take home for later. The kids were so cute with their cheeks full of food. As they finished their meals, it was time for them to continue the day’s activities and for us to return to ours. Their little eyes and smiles showed of appreciation as we said our goodbyes.

Climbing onto our kayaks, the Kiwis (New Zealanders) and I prepared to explore the deadly shores of the Monkey islands. Two to a boat, we only had to paddle out 20 minutes to reach the first island. This was the smaller of the islands and only had two Cara Blanca monkeys living there. We were not allowed to go ashore because these secluded monkeys were very protective of their home and would attack. The monkeys (monos) of this island were not as aggressive ...

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