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Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising out of Lake Nicaragua, one of the world's largest lakes.
We reached the island by way of a "ferry." This is in quotes because many people I know would have called it a "boat." Derek and I drove up to the ferry dock where we were directed onto a wooden plank to board the ferry. Oh my. A couple muscly Nica fellows took the reigns they were aboard quickly. After securing the boat with a rope, they directed us to sit down. With little/no guardrails or seats, sitting is a very good idea. Though it seemed a bit sketchy, we had no troubles in the crossing.
Once we reached the island, we were faced with a choice: drive around the volcano on the left side or on the right side. We went left, for no particular reason. The road to the left was paved for about a mile, then it turned into a gravel road, then it turned into a lumpy gravel road, which turned into an angry river bed. And guess what dear fans: I kicked butt. For about an hour and a half, I kept my elbows out, my throttle on, and my fingers off the front brake. Total success. (The picture is of the good part of the road) Then we found pavement again and found a beach. The beach was a bit windy, but warm and sandy. In the morning, Derek and I got up early and watched a beautiful sunrise over the lake.
We decided to spend two nights on the island but moved to the opposite side. Sadly, on the 1/4 mile of sandy driveway to our destination, I dropped my bike, and she landed on my foot. My foot swelled-up and I was reduced to hobbling. (Luckily, after the rest of the day in a hammock and some of Derek's prescription ibuprofen, I was able to squeeze it into a boot the next day, but no hikes for a while!) On the up side, we watched a beautiful sunset over the other side of the lake from our new vantage point--sunrise and sunset into the lake: lovely.
Next stop: San Juan Del Sur, a beach town where we will be able to catch the Seahawks game on Sunday ;)