Magic Carpet Ride II

A few more details about the ride back to Granada.....
While we waited for the scheduled departure of our bus from Rivas to Granada, a parade of food vendors circulated among the passengers, barking descriptions and prices of the Nicaraguan version of fast food: pastries, Eskimo ice cream bars, chicken tacos, cold drinks and so on.
Though the offerings were tempting, we were a little hesitant to consume anything unfamiliar, so we limited our choices to some cookies and an ice cream.. Not bad, but those tacos sure looked good! We did have more opportunities to buy food along the way, since this was the "milk run". Vendors would jump on the bus and ride to the next stop...all the while, selling their tasty goods to a hungry, captive audience.
When departing the bus alongside the highway, the old and the lame are cut no slack. Case in point: a man of some years, with a cane, was able to make his way onto the second bus, bound for Granada. He slowly worked his way down the crowded center aisle of the bus, toward the rear door, in anticipation of a smooth exit at his upcoming stop. It was obvious that the gentleman's progress took every bit of effort as he labored to hold onto his cane and the luggage rack at the same time to maintain his balance. He departed, so it seemed and the bus gained speed. Then came the panicked shouts of "STOP! ALTO!" from those at the rear. And as we looked back, we could see the door opening and closing as the old fellow held on for dear life. He had gotten stuck on the ladder to the ground. Fortunately, his grip was strong and he escaped injury.
Hooray for happy endings!

Magic Carpet Ride Part I

There aren't too many people with their own cars in Nicaragua, so public bus transportation is the typical mode of travel from place to place. People jump on and off the packed bus, grabbing their bicycles, packages, produce and even building materials, while the bus barely comes to a stop. From secure (though cramped) seats, we tourists marveled at how smoothly the local folks had perfected this routine. A shrill whistle from the ticket taker at the back door lets the driver know when passengers have reached their destinations. Just as quickly, another whistle signals the driver to move on.

Clockwork! Piece of Cake!

Our journey from Granada to Rivas went well enough..... HOWEVER, the return trip was a bit more of an adventure and a truly humbling experience!

Our taxi from the ferry dropped us off at the area in the town of Rivas where busses arrived and departed. It was a bit confusing, but we were directed to the Granada-Managua bus by a helpful, enterprising man - - who earned a tip for his trouble. We were assured that yes, this was the right bus and yes, it would get us back to Granada. So, we confidently settled in for the two hour ride north, up the Pan American Highway. As we got closer to Granada, we got just a little nervous when we passed the cut-off to Granada. Greg checked with the driver, who assured him that this bus indeed would get us to Granada. A few moments later, we came to an abrupt and unexpected stop and pandemonium seemed to erupt. Many of the passengers leaped off the bus as shouts of "Granada, Granada!" came from the ticket taker.

Across the highway, another bus bound back to Granada stood idling, with an impatient driver waiting for the Nicaraguan version of a Chinese firedrill to be completed. Juggling our backpacks, cameras, books and water bottles, we joined the mass exodus to the other bus. Of course, all the seats were taken and there were two BIG wooden beams taking up most of the aisle. As we roared down the highway, there were shouts from the front, ordering the new passengers to move back to make room for all those who had hastily crowded into the aisle. Soon everyone was situated, with a number of people standing on top of the beams. Thankfully, this leg of the trip into Granada was mercifully short. It was just a brief walk back from the bus yard to the Xalteva condominiums and ice cold beer never tasted so good!

Ometepe Highlights

View from our lakeside bungalow on Isla Ometepe

Petroglyph seen on a tour - more pictures to come

Local Lizard

One of MANY birds we saw!

Volan Concepcion - the larger of the two volcanoes that make up Isla Ometepe.

We're back "home" in Granada and are off to the mercado to shop for groceries this morning.

This is a quick preview of the Ometepe adventure!

More to come later today........

Delivery by Raul the Horse!

There aren't a lot of cars in Granada, so items are often picked up and delivered by horse or donkey and cart. Raul and his driver brought in some wood yesterday to be used for some picture frames for art work to be hung in the condos. It was a great photo op!

We're off this morning to the island of Ometepe for a few days of exploring. Next blog entry will be Thiursday PM.

We will have a lot to tell you!

Isla de Ometepe Excursion

Not far from Granada, in Lago de Nicaragua - "El Mar Dulce" - is Isla de Ometepe, an island that was created by two side by side volcanoes, not unlike the Hawaiian island of Maui, though much smaller in size. Concepcion, the larger of the two volcanoes is still active and occasionally spews ash into the air. Maderas, the smaller, extinct sister volcano, is covered in cloud forest, which provides sanctuary for exotic birds and other wildlife.
Pre-Columbian petroglyphs and statues tell of the reverence for the animal spirits held by past inhabitants. Present day islanders, descendants of these pre-Columbian cultures, form fishing and farming communities.
There are no resorts on the island, but visitors are welcomed warmly and we hear that water-front accommodations are comfortable, the sunrises are breathtaking and the food is "muy rico"!
Our plan is to depart Granada tomorrow and travel south by bus to the town of Rivas; then taxi to San Jorge, where we will catch the ferry to Moyogalpa. We have reserved beach-side bungalows for three nights.
We will return to Granada Thursday, in time for the start of the week-long poetry festival. More about that event later this week!

Food!

A stroll down town provides a number of tempting culinary options!

Morning brings the aroma of freshly baked pastries from the panederia down the block - pineapple empanadas, crusty loaves of bread, sweets and treats of all kinds!

For dinner, a full plate of filete de pollo barbacoa (barbequed chicken breast), gallo de pinto (rice and beans), platano frito (fried banana) and a cabbage salad satisfies the taste buds and fills to tummies! A couple of liters of Tona cerbeza, shared between the four of us - nice!

A hungry street person snuck into the restaurant and asked for our left-overs. He was quickly hustled out by the management. Begging is firmly discouraged in Nicaragua. We asked if we could order him a to-go dinner - and they agreed. One more happy tummy in Granada tonight!

Stepping Outside Granada

With pastries and several cups of coffee under our belts, we were ready for a morning of touring when Tornio arrived at our doorstep at 9.

First stop (top photo) was Reserva Natural Laguna de Apoyo, a caldera caused by the collapse of a volcano, which now holds the deepest lake in Nicaragua. When we stopped for a soft drink at a restaurant on the shore of the lake (photo 4), we were greeted by the calls of howler monkeys perched up in the tree canopy - pretty impresssive! (photo 2)

Next stop was San Juan de Oriente, a village known for pottery. We browsed the shops and selected a few treasures small enough to transport in our carry-ons.

Our final destination was Catarina, a village perched high above Laguna de Apoyo. Above the lake, from the viewpoint (photos 3 & 5) at the restaurant where we had lunch, we could see Granada in the distance, cloaked in a mist of clouds.

From there, it was back to Granada for an afternoon of "chores" - a trip to La Colonia, the local supermarket that accommodates the needs of gringoes - for provisions.

Tomorrow, we will move into our own digs downstairs. Kathy and Lonnie have been fantastic hosts these first few days in Nicaragua! We really appreciate their hospitality!