I wake up to the sound of waves crashing against the concrete barrier. I really had not planned to be on Ometepe, but all Nicaraguan travellers’ itineraries seem to lead here. The other guests are packing up from Playa Santo Domingo,this forlorn looking place that fails to deliver the promised pristine beach. Marie and Nicolas are moving, but 3 of us decided to stay behind, the move being too much trouble for one night.
We hike up to the base of Volcan Maderas to walk among petroglyphs. No telling how old these ones are. Did a farmer carve them up last week just so that tourists will gawk at them instead of trampling through his farm?
The long walk to El Porvenir and back in the hot midday sun takes its toll. We rent a couple of bicycles and head to Ojo del Agua, a swimming hole whose waters are fed by a volcanic spring.
The owner of Gloriana’s Restaurant seemed desperate for customers. It cannot help that the only access to this local restaurant is via a beach that is nonexistent currently. Juan Carlos ushers us, his first customers of the night, through another restaurant to get into his. The sad-looking eatery is attached to a humble home, but his effusive personality and the lovingly prepared meal of vegetarian curry washed down with a tasty lemonade makes the experience a wonderful one. We promise to return for breakfast. Nicaragua is the second poorest country in the Americas, and Juan Carlos and his family certainly seem to be living at the bottom end of the scale. I just hope that the little bit of business that we provided will help the family to survive a little bit longer. Great food, friendly hosts, hard working couple--they deserve to succeed. I can only hope that the world they live in is a bit more forgiving.
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