Hola mi amigos y mi amigas y mi familia,
Aviv and I are well and getting tan on the shoulders
and the universe is good.
We have been meeting good people all along the way and making friends
and learing paquena espanol as we go. Currently we have left the
paradise like abode of Via Via in Leon and are staying tonight at the
Hacienda Merida on Isla Ometepe. We arrived by ferry to Ometepe this
morning having left Leon yesterday and spending much of the day
spending many hours in busses. Public transportation a la Nicaragua is
a fascinating experience deserving of the term adventure all on it's
own. At one point we passed on the road the next bus we needed to take
and pulled over in the middle of a highway got out and flagged down
the new bus very speedily. We were unfortunately unable to get to the
island yesterday and had to spend the night in Rivas which we
gennerally agreed had bad vibes. We stayed in a hostel which of course
couldnt live up to Via Via's standards but more than that we both
slept terribly and had awful (and oddly similar) dreams. We seem to be
developing a psychic connection.
Anyway this is the story of Ometepe. The ferry took about an hour and
very pleaant enough. Also aboard the boat were some Quebecers whom we
believed to be headed to the very same finca (farm) as us so we all
got a minibus together but when we passed our turn it became suddenly
aparant we were not headed to the same place afterall. My fellow
Canadians were uncommuncative prefering to tease us in french (which
they probably didn't think I understood) and unsympathtic (more bad
vibes). However, we arrived at a different finca which seemed nice
enough and by the lake unlike the one we were headed to originally so
here we decided to stay the night.
Because we were now on the lake shore we made appropriate use of this
new development by renting a kayak and striking out to explore! We
inadvertantly paddled our way to "monkey island" which the hostels
many colourful signs had warned us not to get too close to.
Evidentally the monkeys, unsatisfied with their captive existance, are
want to jump on to nearby kayaks and bite the occupants. So we
remained at a respectful distance and slowly circled the islands
getting some good primatological observation time in. The monkeys
seemed to enjoy watching us even more than we did them so there was
plenty of monkeys to be seen and also a slew of tropical birds in
bright colours.
We have been leaving our travel plans up to fate largely and
consulting th tarot cards and i-ching at important junctures. So far
things are working out just fine as such and we are having a grand old
time. For not having spent a great deal of time together ever before,
Aviv and I are getting along famously. Our motivations for being here
and attitudes toward travel are very complimentary.
Where we go next once we have had our fill of beautiful Ometepe is
Costa Rica for Christmas with my father. There though I think we shall
not linger too long because the farthest point we absolutly want to
reach southward keeps getting further away. So we have much distance
to cover if we are to reach (currently) Bolivia, with a long stopover
in Ecuador for some organic farming and more continuous spanish
immerion. The major hitch in the plan at the moment is that you cannot
go from Central America to South America by land, as was the idea,
because there is a 200 km gap between Panama and Columbia where there
are no real roads except labrythine logging roads and no real people
except loggers and narco trafficking guerillas. Needless to say we
shall not attempt this. Our options, then, are air or sea.
Sea sounds quite fanstastic as an option and evidently you can hire
and experienced sailing Captain and all inclusive 5 day trip for the
same or less than the cost of a flight (ship, weather and Captain
permitting). If the question is sailing to Columbia? The answer is
YES! Columbia is highly recommended by the Quebecers.
Tomorrow we hike to a waterfall on one of the islands two volcanos.
The volcanos are rather less features of the island than they make up
the entirety of it complete with perpetual clouds on th peaks. So off
to bed for me early with high hopes for friendlier dreams.
Cheers my dears.
Morgan
--
"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."
-Henry David Thoreau
Aviv and I are well and getting tan on the shoulders
and the universe is good.
We have been meeting good people all along the way and making friends
and learing paquena espanol as we go. Currently we have left the
paradise like abode of Via Via in Leon and are staying tonight at the
Hacienda Merida on Isla Ometepe. We arrived by ferry to Ometepe this
morning having left Leon yesterday and spending much of the day
spending many hours in busses. Public transportation a la Nicaragua is
a fascinating experience deserving of the term adventure all on it's
own. At one point we passed on the road the next bus we needed to take
and pulled over in the middle of a highway got out and flagged down
the new bus very speedily. We were unfortunately unable to get to the
island yesterday and had to spend the night in Rivas which we
gennerally agreed had bad vibes. We stayed in a hostel which of course
couldnt live up to Via Via's standards but more than that we both
slept terribly and had awful (and oddly similar) dreams. We seem to be
developing a psychic connection.
Anyway this is the story of Ometepe. The ferry took about an hour and
very pleaant enough. Also aboard the boat were some Quebecers whom we
believed to be headed to the very same finca (farm) as us so we all
got a minibus together but when we passed our turn it became suddenly
aparant we were not headed to the same place afterall. My fellow
Canadians were uncommuncative prefering to tease us in french (which
they probably didn't think I understood) and unsympathtic (more bad
vibes). However, we arrived at a different finca which seemed nice
enough and by the lake unlike the one we were headed to originally so
here we decided to stay the night.
Because we were now on the lake shore we made appropriate use of this
new development by renting a kayak and striking out to explore! We
inadvertantly paddled our way to "monkey island" which the hostels
many colourful signs had warned us not to get too close to.
Evidentally the monkeys, unsatisfied with their captive existance, are
want to jump on to nearby kayaks and bite the occupants. So we
remained at a respectful distance and slowly circled the islands
getting some good primatological observation time in. The monkeys
seemed to enjoy watching us even more than we did them so there was
plenty of monkeys to be seen and also a slew of tropical birds in
bright colours.
We have been leaving our travel plans up to fate largely and
consulting th tarot cards and i-ching at important junctures. So far
things are working out just fine as such and we are having a grand old
time. For not having spent a great deal of time together ever before,
Aviv and I are getting along famously. Our motivations for being here
and attitudes toward travel are very complimentary.
Where we go next once we have had our fill of beautiful Ometepe is
Costa Rica for Christmas with my father. There though I think we shall
not linger too long because the farthest point we absolutly want to
reach southward keeps getting further away. So we have much distance
to cover if we are to reach (currently) Bolivia, with a long stopover
in Ecuador for some organic farming and more continuous spanish
immerion. The major hitch in the plan at the moment is that you cannot
go from Central America to South America by land, as was the idea,
because there is a 200 km gap between Panama and Columbia where there
are no real roads except labrythine logging roads and no real people
except loggers and narco trafficking guerillas. Needless to say we
shall not attempt this. Our options, then, are air or sea.
Sea sounds quite fanstastic as an option and evidently you can hire
and experienced sailing Captain and all inclusive 5 day trip for the
same or less than the cost of a flight (ship, weather and Captain
permitting). If the question is sailing to Columbia? The answer is
YES! Columbia is highly recommended by the Quebecers.
Tomorrow we hike to a waterfall on one of the islands two volcanos.
The volcanos are rather less features of the island than they make up
the entirety of it complete with perpetual clouds on th peaks. So off
to bed for me early with high hopes for friendlier dreams.
Cheers my dears.
Morgan
--
"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live."
-Henry David Thoreau
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