Sunset view of Conception Volcano from Merida, Ometepe Island.
“In the middle of a lake, two volcanos form an island, that is magical like Kauai....”, those are the words I remember from a conversation with a man from Kauai, who had recently traveled through much of Central America. I was in the planning stage of this trip at the time and pressured him to tell me which country was his favorite. “Nicaragua” was his quick answer. I was intrigued, as Nicaragua was not on my radar and I asked the simple question, “why?”, fully aware that that question is never simple to answer as a traveler. I am sure he went into further depth, expounding on why he preferred Nicaragua, but only the brief description of the mystical island stuck with me. I couldn’t recall the name, but with a name as unusual as Isla de Ometepe, I don’t blame myself. Luckily, an island with two volcanoes in Nicaragua was not hard to locate. Ometepe is on the list of sights for travelers in Nicaragua, but it is often passed by for the sun, surf, and parties of San Juan Del Sur or the colonial quaintness of Grenada or Leon.
We choose to visit Isla de Ometepe after the Corn Islands. It is often tiring, time consuming, and sometimes disappointing (i.e. Dobedo on Little Corn) to pre-book accommodations, so we had a few ideas of lodging in our heads but nothing reserved. As luck would have it, the day we arrived at the ferry station the owner of Hacienda Merida was in town doing errands and had a 4x4 truck waiting for his return on Ometepe. We were invited to ride with him for free. I had been wanting to stay at Hacienda Merida since talking to a family of four on Little Corn who had visited there the summer before. The well-spoken, twin 15 year olds told us about the remote hotel with kayaks, bikes, and a bilingual school on the property. It sounded wonderful but I was hesitant since I didn’t want to “push” the kids too far. This was another long travel day, or at least it was meant to be. We had flown from Big Corn to Managua on the morning flight and then gotten a taxi to the bus station. The taxi driver quoted $15, which seemed expensive but matched the price quoted in the guide book. When the driver heard we were headed down to San Jorge, the jumping off point for Ometepe, he said “Why not go all the way by taxi? $55” The bus for all 4 of us was going to be $13, plus the $15 taxi to the bus station, so we made the executive decision to spend the extra $27 to enjoy the relative luxury of a taxi ride for the 2.5 hours to San Jorge.
We choose to visit Isla de Ometepe after the Corn Islands. It is often tiring, time consuming, and sometimes disappointing (i.e. Dobedo on Little Corn) to pre-book accommodations, so we had a few ideas of lodging in our heads but nothing reserved. As luck would have it, the day we arrived at the ferry station the owner of Hacienda Merida was in town doing errands and had a 4x4 truck waiting for his return on Ometepe. We were invited to ride with him for free. I had been wanting to stay at Hacienda Merida since talking to a family of four on Little Corn who had visited there the summer before. The well-spoken, twin 15 year olds told us about the remote hotel with kayaks, bikes, and a bilingual school on the property. It sounded wonderful but I was hesitant since I didn’t want to “push” the kids too far. This was another long travel day, or at least it was meant to be. We had flown from Big Corn to Managua on the morning flight and then gotten a taxi to the bus station. The taxi driver quoted $15, which seemed expensive but matched the price quoted in the guide book. When the driver heard we were headed down to San Jorge, the jumping off point for Ometepe, he said “Why not go all the way by taxi? $55” The bus for all 4 of us was going to be $13, plus the $15 taxi to the bus station, so we made the executive decision to spend the extra $27 to enjoy the relative luxury of a taxi ride for the 2.5 hours to San Jorge.
Out the front window of our taxi, with the local bus in front.
So the idea of an additional 3.5hrs on a bus to get to Haciend Merida, on roads the guide book described as “laughable except in the rainy season when there is nothing funny about them.”, after the 1 hr ferry ride, did not sound like a good choice. BUT a 1 hr free 4x4 truck trip with the owner sounded perfect.
The ferry journey was a quick 1 hr enjoyable ride. The views as we approached the island were otherworldly.
The 4x4 jaunt was entertaining as we passed may areas of the figure eight shaped island created by two majestic volcanoes connected by a small strip of land. The pace of life is slow in a natural setting. There was a very nice paver-rock road for about 3/4 of the trip and only the last 20 minutes or so were on a very rocky dirt road. Lucky for us, the rainy season has been delayed this year, and even the dirt road was easily navigated.
Hacienda Merida did not disappoint. We really enjoyed the remote setting, the tasty and reasonable priced food (particularly the coconut ice cream, mango smoothie), and the very hospitable owner. Our room was quite comfortable with 1 twin bed and two double beds in bunk bed configuration with private bath, $25/nt.
Hacienda Merida did not disappoint. We really enjoyed the remote setting, the tasty and reasonable priced food (particularly the coconut ice cream, mango smoothie), and the very hospitable owner. Our room was quite comfortable with 1 twin bed and two double beds in bunk bed configuration with private bath, $25/nt.
View from the dinning area of Hacienda Merida
Hammocks to relax at Hacienda Merida.
They have bikes for guests' use ($15 per bike for use for entire stay) so on our first day we opted to bike to the local waterfall. We were in luck with bikes that fit the kids too. Yoda wasn’t thrilled with the color scheme of his, pink and blue with flowers, but he eventually gave up caring as it was the only option. But the terrain proved to just be too difficult. Our kids have never mountain biked and the road was less like a road and more like a mountain bike trail.
So after returning the bikes we started out again on foot. The road to the hike was suppose to be maybe 30 minutes, after 1.5 hrs we finally made it. The kids were really dragging, and it felt like we were pulling teeth. We asked at the waterfall entry gate how long to expect up to the falls and we were told another 1.5hrs up and 1.5hrs down. The kids collapsed, refusing to go on. Kiko and I had talked about how we thought we needed to get the kids active again to get out of whatever funk it was that we were stuck in since entering Nicaragua. We tried to push them, even threatening "no more free iPad time". We jumped in the lake hoping that after cooling off they would reenergize. Nope. Finally Kiko and I gave up after talking with some travelers who upon returning from the falls reported that there was hardly any water coming down off the falls and it was not deep enough to really swim. Oh thank goodness we didn’t drag these two Hawaii-raised-waterfall-spoiled- kids up there. So we opted to just head back.
I was dreading the hike back. We would be walking for hours considering the moods of the kids. But as we got ready to return Yoda decided to use his sarong to dress up like a Ninja. Then Zuki did the same. And before we knew it we were walking back at a comfortable pace, followed by two Ninjas, who had instructed us to ignore them since they were invisible, all the while giggling at the inquisitive looks of the locals. This was so not the plan and was so much better then the actual plan of visiting yet another waterfall. For me it clicked; there is really something special about letting go of having a plan, even letting go of the family discussions of the day's plan, and just letting the day happen. The day walking with Ninjas in mystical Ometepe is a memory soon not to be forgotten.
I was dreading the hike back. We would be walking for hours considering the moods of the kids. But as we got ready to return Yoda decided to use his sarong to dress up like a Ninja. Then Zuki did the same. And before we knew it we were walking back at a comfortable pace, followed by two Ninjas, who had instructed us to ignore them since they were invisible, all the while giggling at the inquisitive looks of the locals. This was so not the plan and was so much better then the actual plan of visiting yet another waterfall. For me it clicked; there is really something special about letting go of having a plan, even letting go of the family discussions of the day's plan, and just letting the day happen. The day walking with Ninjas in mystical Ometepe is a memory soon not to be forgotten.
Can you see the invisible Ometepe Ninjas?
And then as if to substantiate the lesson, around midnight on our second night, Zuki fell out of her bed while still asleep from the 6' tall top bunk on to the hard cement floor.
I had been up a little late that night, finishing up the "Roller Coaster in Nicaragua" blog post and was in super deep sleep mode. I could hear commotion but couldn't figure out where we were, what the noise was about, or how to get out of the bed. Luckily Kiko went right to Zuki in the dark. It took me a few moments to remembered where we were, and then I could tell that both kids were crying very loudly. Kiko told me Zuki had fallen out of her bed but that just didn't make sense. She had never fallen out of her bed; how could it be that she fell out when the bed was so high and on to the hardest floor possible? I couldn't think. Since Kiko was already with Zuki, I soothed Yoda enough so that his crying stopped so it wasn't so crazy in the room. Then I went where Zuki sat on the floor looking dazed with Kiko. "I don't think I can move" is what she said. Then it started to sink in. She fell out of this bed, not like she missed the last step when coming down to use the bathroom, she fell out in her sleep like a sack of potatoes on to the cement floor. We asked what hurt; her back and her shoulder. We did a quick examine and she was able to move so we helped her up to my bed. That night she barely slept, neither did I. She said she had never felt pain like that and I knew something was broken. I just prayed it wasn't something that couldn't be mended. It all happened so fast. It could still be a dream and I would just wake up. Then she threw up. Did she hit her head? Was an internal organ hurt? Her stomach felt tight when I touched it. Doctors always feel patient's stomach to check internal organs. I wanted to start packing. I knew we would need to go to the hospital but wouldn't be able to leave until the morning. So we slept on and off, until 5am. By 7 we were packed, had gotten advice as to the best hospital, paid our bill, and were off on the taxi, ferry, taxi for a total of 4 hrs to the best hospital in the capital city of Managua.
On the bumpy ride to the ferry, Zuki said "why did this have to happen to me?" But I think it was Zuki that answered her own question. She remembered a short story from a book we use to read at home Zen Shorts. To be honest I can't recall the exact details but it depicts the duel nature of luck. I recall the main gist being that a man finds a horse and people said "how lucky" and the man answers "maybe, maybe not", then his son brakes his leg riding on the horse and the people say "how unlucky" and again the man responds "maybe, maybe not", and then the military come to town to enlist all the young men to fight in a war and the son is not taken because of his broken leg, "how lucky', "maybe, maybe not".... Zuki and I begin to list off all the bad things that were possibly averted by Zuki falling from the bed, while realizing we most likely will never know how this event changed other future events. I have a strong belief that we as a family have been surrounded by "luck" and that "good" usually follows us, even when it is not initially something perceived as "good".
With all of our luggage in the hospital waiting room.
The hospital was surprisingly wonderful.
After taking some X-rays we were told nothing was broken. I couldn't believe it! And I truly feel so so lucky. I feel like we were given back something. Everything could have changed after that fall and it was a wake up call I needed to regain more appreciation of what I have in this life.
After taking some X-rays we were told nothing was broken. I couldn't believe it! And I truly feel so so lucky. I feel like we were given back something. Everything could have changed after that fall and it was a wake up call I needed to regain more appreciation of what I have in this life.
 Getting mended.  The swollen bruise on Zuki's shoulder spanning from chest to upper back. |  Warming up with a sarong in the cold hospital room. |
Zuki needs to wear the neck brace for 15 days and the sling for 10 to help her muscles relax and bring her bones back into proper alignment. We have rented a house with AC, strong WiFi, and an included old 4x4 land cruiser on the outskirts of San Juan Del Sur for the last week of our time in Nicaragua to allow Zuki to heal and all of us to regroup as a family.
It almost feels like we have put traveling on hold but that is actually never truly possible. We are surrounded by exotic nature and adventures, we are just reigning it in a bit for a rest.
Beautiful El Coco Beach
Howler Monkeys in the trees near our home, making a ruckus.
The exotic Guardabarranco, Nicaragua's National Bird
