Buena Onda y Ometepe

I am currently sat in a surf resort named Buena Onda (www.buenaondaresort.com). It is on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua, about 2.5 hours south of the capital Managua. The 2015 World Surfing Games are being held here, so I’m mixing with the likes of the Scottish and Portuguese National teams, who are residing at this amazing resort. The place is owned by a Swiss couple, Phillip and Sara, and having bought the property ten years ago, have turned it into a real paradise. Even now as I type, I can hear the thunderous waves crashing down, and see a spectacular light show caused by the electric storm far out in the ocean.

We actually arrived here two weeks ago, but due to the surf competition, we only had a few days before the place was fully booked out. But, as they allowed us to leave our major baggage here, we were able to don the small rucksacks (SOOOO GOOD!!) and venture out into the country without having to drag the stupidly big bags we usually lug around. Our first stop was Ometepe, an island in the huge Lake Nicaragua, made up of two volcanoes, Maderas and Concepcion. The lake is that big, there are full on waves! We got the ferry from San Jorge to Moyogalpa for about 50 Cordabas each. After a coffee and some deliberation, we decided to rent a motorbike for the first time in a long time! Previously, the only bikes I had really rode were ‘rev and go’ mopeds many years ago in Cyprus, but this one had gears and everything! After stalling numerous times, and the initial head-jerking gear changes, I finally got the hang of it and loved it!

This enabled us to see every part of the island without depending on the infrequent buses or expensive taxis. We found a private room for $10 in Hotel Kencho, our cheapest accommodation in quite some time. It was very basic, but exactly what we needed. We dumped our bags and headed straight for Ojo de Agua, a natural spring pool fed by an underground river coming from one of the volcanos. There was a rope swing attached to a huge tree that allowed a big swing out into the deeper part of the spring, and many sun beds to relax, read and doze in the shade of the surrounding trees. Once you feel the humid temperatures of Nicaragua, coupled with the travelling in chicken buses, you really start to appreciate any cool water for a dip, even more so when it’s fresh water!

We were meant to climb a volcano whilst staying in Lake Atitlan, so finally, unarmed of the fifteen excuses I found in Guatemala, we made the trip up Maderas, the smaller of the two volcanoes. It was still 1394m above sea-level and was no walk in the park! More like a walk in a forest; the terrain proved to be a little more challenging than first thought, but was still easily achieved, even for two smokers with little experience in hiking or climbing.

Our guide was lovely, a young man named Rady, and we met him in the morning in the reception of our next hostel, the Hacienda. I thought we would be travelling to the base of the volcano with a car, but I soon realised we were hiking from doorstep to peak! We made a quick stop at his house whilst he changed out of his professional guide uniform and into something more comfortable! Lena and I looked like we were nipping out for a trip to the shops, but we had dressed as well as our little backpacks allowed. There wasn’t much chatting for the first part of the trek, I was saving my breath for the steeper scrambles I had read about, but soon, we were getting filled in on the local fauna and tree names.

We stopped for a brief, welcomed rest every twenty minutes or so once the climbing began. Even though it was still very early (we had set off at 7), the sweat was pouring out of me. Granted, it was the first major exercise we had undertaken in a good while, but the heat soon started to climb with the sun. We were well shaded for the majority of the hike, but every now and again, you could peer out through the forest to catch a glimpse of the surrounding area growing more distant. It took about 3 hours to reach the summit, and what a sight!

From the vantage point, you could look down on what is called ‘the woman’s hips’ (the thin strip of land between volcanoes) and the smouldering peaks of Concepcion. There was a lake inside the creator of our volcano, but to visit the lake would have added two extra hours onto the hike, so we chose to admire it from above!

   

There were many things to do in Ometepe; lots of kayaking, hiking and cycling options, and is definately worth a visit should find yourself on the West coast of Nicaragua and a few days to spare!