Montezuma was nice, lots of backpackers but also locals. The last night I sat with Reini chatting to a Swiss guy who was telling us about all the places one must never visit and how certainly crossing from Guatemala to Mexico should only be done by plane. We laughed so much because he just mentioned one place after the other that we are going to and of course we are both crossing the border by bus. It was completely exaggerated, just so you know. He´s probably gonna stay stuck stoned in Montezuma forever with fears of leaving, how boring! Honduras, however, IS a dodgy place and thus I will probably just make for the islands straight away and not visit much else. The islands are safeish.
So stories! The border crossing was fun, just a long dirt road connecting both countries. A circus was crossing with us :). In Nicaragua we took the ferry from San Jorge to Isla de Ometepe crossing a huge lake (the only one in the world with sharks) and it was yet another shacky experience. The boat itself looked like out of a movie, small cabin and all made from wood, old school. It was getting dark and they were showing some freaky kids movie, like if you imagine David Bowie directing it. In all that weirdo atmosphere the boat was rocking from side to side so much I thought we were gonna capsize any time. I was making escape plans, designing evacuation routes depending on which side the boat capsizes and in particular how I would get out of the cabin, my biggest worry. Better if we were in an open boat, at least I could just jump and swim (with the sharks).Whilst I almost shat myself making survival plans, I looked over to Reini, who had opted for yet a completely different strategy. He thought, it's scary, best just sleep, and that´s what he did. How the fuck he could is a riddle to me. So annoying. Anyway, arrived safely, and the people in Nicaragua and particularly on Ometepe are so friendly and cute and helpful it can make your eyes water.
Isla de Ometepe was created by two vulcanoes, one of which I climbed with Reini. It took 8 1/2 hours up and back. You´re supposedly only allowed up with a guide because people died, but since there is no check point we went without. Don´t know how people managed to die, maybe they fell in the crater. It was a tough and adventurous climb with lots of falls! When you pass the tree line it just gets rocky and sandy, with loose ground. The real beauty was, that up there you are way above the eagles. That was the mightiest impression for me, seeing them glide far below you. When we got to the top it was still cloudy and we didn´t even realise we were at the top! We saw some metal bars and crouched down and beyond were just white clouds. So we went back down and up another part of the ridge and as the clouds disappeared we had actually already made it. Impressive crater. And great views! We half slid down, with a little incident where we slid and the backpack didn't. It was towering above us out of reach with the ground all soft, such a struggle to get it back!
I have been having a great time, but I also got ill and again there are so many stories that have happened in the meantime I can't even write them all down now. Must have a photo and stories party when I am back! So when I crossed the border from Costa Rica to Nicaragua I went straight to the Isla de Ometepe. The people there are so cute and friendly it is heartwarming. In fact, this is the case with the Nicaraguans in general, such friendly and helpful folks. Anyway, on the Isla de Ometepe amongst other places I stayed at an ecological finca. They make bread and things themselves, all organic, grow loads of fruit, herbs and veg, have compost toilets and so on. It is up on a hill and really beautiful. In the mornings there is a free yoga class on a little terrace looking down the hill. First time I did some Kung Fu as well in the evening when there was nobody there, perfect space. I also joined a circus workshop (acrobatics, hula hoop, poi) and thoroughly enjoyed that. One day I thought I should join them making natural products, as I'd seen all those homemade natural remedies, shampoos and NUTELLA they had for sale. So I go, and what happens? They have me make Italian pasta sauce (as if I couldn't make simple tomatoe sauce already) and papaya chutney, how disgusting. I don't even like chutney and besides I live in the UK. Out the window went my dreams of learning new natural tricks or munching some homemade chocolate spread! Instead I was telling the Nicaraguan head chef how to treat hair and skin naturally, haha. The thing I enjoyed less was their filtered water. And with me quite a number of people! I was sleeping in my hammock at the finca the same night as me two other girls fell ill. It was no fun having shitteritis and throwing up and almost passing out outside the compost toilet. The other girls had fever as well, one had 40 degrees fever, at least I didn't really have any. I was just lucky that Reini was still at the same place travelling with me, so when he found me in the morning half dried out he got me some fresh bottled water. We went to the hospital that day, like three emerging zombies, which really was some experience! First of all the clinic looks more like a small old school that is in need of a clean. The reception room had some old flowers in a sink and whilst we spoke to the nurse a swarm of tiny flies was flying around our heads and between her and us and into our mouths. Then we had to provide a stool sample. Well. We had, if I didn't make that clear, diarrohea in its severest form. And they gave us some random collection of "plastic cups" for the samples the size of a thumbs' fingernail. This was obviously impossible. In addition, there was no soap or running water in the toilet. Lovely! If that weren't disgusting enough, we then had to WALK with the little open, see-through cup with our sample THROUGH the clinic to the laboratory. Mega embarrassing. And its not like we are not standing out already. They found parasites and bacteria in us. The pills we got they took out of some chest of draws and counted them on the table, all the while I was thinking this man could not have washed his hands... Counting is not a strength of many people here, so we had to point out that they didn't give us the right dose of antibiotics. Well, I am fine now, I think those antibiotics actually made me feel worse after some days.
After Isla de Ometepe
Ah it is so lovely. Right now as I am writing I am sat on the second floor of a little house in Aposentillo, which is my home at the moment. It is more like a roof terrace open to the sides and with a wood and palm tree leaf roof and you get to it over a wooden outdoor staircase. I have a desk and tables here, my hammock and a bedside table. I even have electricity. I am writing on the laptop of two Americans whom I met in Leon in Nicaragua and who gave me a lift to playa Aserradores, where I am now (northwest of Nicaragua). The little house is sat on a large piece of land full of palm trees, avocado, lime, mango, cashew and papaya trees. The "bathroom" is open air and really is just a wall around a toilet and a shower. At night you can watch the stars whilst you wee. The family that live on the land have a horse which I may ride. Maybe tomorrow! Today I went surfing with Linda and Aron, such a nice couple, and I had a little go at the long board. So much fun, in the red evening sun it was almost too cheesy ;). Ah and we roasted some fresh cashew nuts! I have a whole new level of respect for cashews. So much work! One cashew per fruit!
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