Back to Reality... kind of

After the secluded beach of Popoyo, we were excited to head back to reality - not simply to return to some human interaction, but mainly because our friends from Edmonton were flying down to visit! After the bumpy chicken bus back to Rivas, we met them at the ferry for lunch before heading off to the amazingly peaceful island of Ometepe. Though only an hour, sitting under the baking sun made the trip feel much longer; but nobody seemed to mind since we knew we were going to a very special place. Mark and I were very excited to get back to the amazing island we first visited three years prior. Arriving on the island and knowing from our previous visit that we still had an hour and a half ride to where we would be staying, and figured it was going to be about $30 to get there by shuttle. As usual, we bargained with a taxi, then a shuttle driver, then back to the taxi since their prices kept getting lower and lower to compete for our business. Then, since the shuttle driver was already taking another couple to our side of the island, he went even lower again, SOLD! We like to get cheaper than what we are told to expect, like most people, but even getting a ride for $25 was a better deal than we could have hoped for!

After a very uncomfortable bumpy ride, we reach our little paradise. Cozy, rustic little beachfront cabins with a little restaurant offering a simple menu and cold beer - basically all we needed. Having arrived just before sunset, it was perfect timing to go for a swim to cool off and watch the sun disappear over the lake. It was a beautiful welcome.

Following breakfast the next morning, we all decided to rent bicycles and venture to some of the tiny villages on the island. The horrible condition of the roads made for a pretty shit ride; the hills seemed to go on forever and the bumpy rocks in the road made our arms go numb. We rode steady until the ground was paved and we could actually get somewhere, this alone took almost an hour from our place. Deciding we earned ourselves a nice lunch after such hard work, we made our way to the village of Balgue, where Mark and I had been on our previous trip to the island. We headed towards a restaurant that was an old favourite - hoping it was still around. Fortunately it was, and was still as awesome as we’d remembered. We ordered what we ordered last time we came here: the chorizo platter with crema, salsa fresca, re-fried beans and house made tortillas. We were quite hungry so we also ordered fried plantain and queso balls for a starter. It was all fantastic, and as full as we were, we were all sad to be finished!

In the midst of eating all the delicious food, we stopped thinking about the ride back, and once on the road again we planned a couple stops on the way home to make the trip less daunting. Stopping at a chocolate making shop we ended up eating more and getting less willing to bike back. After several hours of riding already in the 34 degree sun, one of our friends said no, she’d had enough and was not riding the bumpy road an hour back after the long day. She was probably right in making that decision, we wouldn’t have made it back before dark anyhow. Thankfully, after our time in the region, Mark and I learned that we can hitch hike easily in these parts, so we flagged a truck down and he agreed to take us and our bikes for a small fee. THANK GOD! During that ride in the truck we realized just how far we had ridden that morning and were grateful our friend made the call to catch a ride! Once more arriving back in time for a nice cool off swim under the setting sun, we relaxed and soaked in the calm.

Stay tuned for the rest of our trip to the beautiful island of Ometepe!