Will make this brief because I´ve got people waiting on me. I climbed Maderas and we are now in Monteverde.

Update from home:

Okay, the full story of Ometepe . The hike up the volcano was a killer. I guess I'm in pretty bad shape, because it nearly did me in! My calves ached for the next week, and I could barely walk down stairs for a few days.

It's an incredibly steep climb, and very muddy and slippery near the top. My shoes, shorts, and shirt were all caked in mud by the end. Oh yeah, and this was the easy volcano! The other one is apparently much tougher. As pathetic of a hiker as I am, I did manage to make it to the top, which I was proud of, even if there's nothing special to see up there except a sign marking the top. The real good views are from about half way up.

Needless to say, I had no difficulty sleeping that night, despite the un-air-conditioned, bug infested hotel room.