Up early to catch the local bus to the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
It was only half an hour to the border where we were dropped.
Hallo real Central America - chaos - people running around trying to help,
for payment of course, money exchangers
and one person saying "this way" - and another saying "that way".
It is at times like this that I am so grateful that Tony speaks such good Spanish.
We got our exit stamps from Costa Rica, the next hurdle was to find the
Nicaraguan immigration offices amongst all the lorries, cars, trucks and buses,
most of them with engines belching forth foul black smoke!
It was tucked away in a corner -
no signs of course well a little sign saying foot passengers this way!
We were lucky there was no queue - Bang, got our stamp - thank you that will be 40 US$!!
Can you tell us where we catch the bus to Rivas? A wave of the hand to the left, outside the wire!
It cost us another $2 to get through the wire and there were the buses.
old school buses from the USA are used extensively to plough the local routes.
They are loveingly decorated.
At the bus station station stall holders were trying to sell refreshments.
We waited until we were full and off we roared down the bumpy road.
Photography as always from a bus was difficult,
All the grass was scorched - it is the middle of the dry season here.
Our destination wa to Ometepe Island. The biggest island in Lake Nicuaraga,
which is the largest lake in Central. America.
We had to catch a boat across a very choppy lake,
We were glad we did not have to take this boat!
But the one we did take was little better!
This was identical!
The island is dominated by an active volcano - the perfect shape.
when we were out for our after noon walk she decided to puff a little black smoke.
The village is small, everyone very friendly. We visted the church.
and had a chat with the Padre.
The street are lined with adobe houses.
Rocking chairs are like our armchairs-
they are moved out of the house in the evening.
There are street stalls.
A Vegetable shop,
Where we bought some fruit.
Small shop keepers carefully weigh products.
We wondered why the packets were hung upside down!
There are many Americans retiring to Central America,
we wondered if someone would buy this house and restore it!
Next door a pig was snuffling around.
These old school buses are called "chicken buses". Why I have no idea!
The next day we hired a taxi for the day.
The driver turned out to be a very good guide.
We went out to a lagoon, where we watched a troup of monkeys playing in the trees.
We saw huge trees with beautiful pink blooms,
And trees with barks slashed to extract locally used medcine..
There are still horse drawn carts.
and oxen work.
The villages are very poor, but the church is always a focal point.
these houses were built of wood, which is unusual.
We stopped at a spring, which had been dammed up to form a swimming pool.
They were selling coconuts, very refreshing in the heat - it is hot - around 34 degrees!
Lunch was taken at a lake overlooking the lake, where there used to be a beach.
The lake level is so high that the beach is flooded - the rainy season was very bad last year.
These friends thought that they deserved a bit of our lunch.
Which was beans, fried yucca and plantains, with cream.
A local delicacy!
The next day we were off on the boat again to go to Granada.
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