With a 9.20 am chicken bus departure we left the hotel at 7.45 am to ensure that we made the terminal on the other side of town in plenty of time to get a seat on the chicken bus. Thanks Bec forgetting us there in plenty of time. The walk avoiding the doggie *^*#(&_)$c, wheeling our bags across town through the market place took next to no time and then we had an hour to kill at the terminal or should I say at what was merely a dirt parking lot.

We were allowed up on top the bus where our bags were being packed and tied down.

As it was only suppose to be a short 1 ¼ hour trip, I chose to take the single seat at the very back and this proved to be a good move. I didn’t want the seat over the wheel arch and I am glad that I didn’t choose an aisle seat as I would have normally have done. As the photos will show how crammed the bus became and those on the aisle would have been knocked around by the people standing and getting on and off.

Got to Rivas just before 11 am and a road side transfer into a waiting minivan for the short transfer to the wharf only to be told that the 12 noon ferry wasn’t sailing (motor issues) and we would have to wait for the 2 pm one. Yes, we could have taken the slow chicken boat but I am sure that sea sickness would have run wild.

The strong wind here was really blowing the sand across the beach and I was glad that we had the Bar Y Restaurante to stay inside for the two hour wait. Lunch was El Navegante Spaghetti all amatriciana - Italian tomato sauce and bacon. That at C $ 160 plus a Tona C $ 30 came to with tax C $220 / NZ $ 10.40 / US $ 8.50.

How rough would the crossing be? I did not take out of my bag my remaining sea sickness tablets or wrist bands as it was suppose to be a calm crossing.

Anyway my fears proved to be nothing as the vast Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America was near flat. Yes, a few waves over the bow as we moved out of the shelter of the breakwater protecting the little harbour. 

This lake was once a large ocean bay, but seismic activity caused the land to rise, cutting it off from the sea. This has left the lake with fresh water sharks and other salt-water species. No sharks were spotted.

Talk about filling a boat. Again I do not even want to think if there were enough life jackets for probably a double load of passengers and several trucks. We were standing / sitting on virtually all of the available deck space and various passage ways.

The crossing took only 1 ¼ hour and 2 vans took us to the other side of the island.

We were to be promised quote “the unspoilt and tranquil island of Ometepe, located in the middle of the lake. The name of the island means "between two hills" and was formed by the two volcanoes, Concepción and Madera. The fertile volcanic soil provides the local population with perfect farming conditions for the many crops grown.

This is the 'true heart of Nicaragua', and is the perfect place to escape from the fast-paced normalities of life”.

It is ¾ of my way through the trip being now well over a month on the road and a “rest” day was quite in order. Actually I was not feeling at all energetic to choose from:
- hire a local guide and spend my free time touring the island on an 8 hour trip and searching for ancient stone statues and petroglyphs which have been found all over the island = US 35 plus entrance fee and pay for your own lunch.
- Nor did I feel athletic enough to go for 6 - 8 hour volcano hike being straight up and down with no active crater to look into and with the cloud cover, may not even have views from the top of the two available volcanoes here.
- I don’t horseback ride so this excursion on the black sand beach was out.

No doubt like some others, the less energetic of us will be spending our time lying in hammocks, or taking a dip in the lake or the nearby freshwater spring.

Ometepe is an island formed by two volcanoes rising from Lake Nicaragua in the Republic of Nicaragua. Its name derives from the Nahuatl words ome (two) and tepetl (mountain), meaning two mountains. It is the largest island in Lake Nicaragua as well as the largest volcanic island inside a fresh water lake in the world.

The two volcanoes, Concepción and Maderas, are joined by a low isthmus to form one island in the shape of an hourglass. Ometepe has an area of 276 km². It is 31 km long and 5 to 10 km wide. The island has a population of 42,000, and an economy based on livestock, agriculture, and tourism. Plantains are the major crop.

As of June 2010, Ometepe was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Preserve. Thanks Mr Wikipedia.

Tonight, yes it will be Mariscada (langosta, camarlones y pescado) seafood plate lobster, shrimp and grilled fish served with green salad, rice and cooked vegetables. Yes, it was the most expensive item on the menu at US $ 17 / NZ $ 20.80 plus the tax. 

I was going to eat the lobster at US $ 14 / NZ $ 17.10 plus what ever the tax rate is but others in the party who had eaten earlier advised me not to and take the seafood platter instead.