2019-10-01 Wanderlust

NICARAGUA

142 wanderlust.co.uk October 2019

Thefollowingmorning,Iwoketo

achorusofbirdsongandtook

outakayakforapaddlealongthe

Isletas’narrowchannels.Fishermen

werealreadybalancedontheir

dugoutscastingtheirnetsand

apurplegallinulebirdhoppeddaintily

betweenlilypads.AsIturnedmy

backonMombacho,acrossthevast

expanseofthelake,Igotmyfirst

glimpseofOmetepeIsland–mynext

destination–andtheoutlineofthe

VolcánConcepcióninthedistance.

Immaculateconcepción

Thelake’slargestisland,Ometepe,

alsocaptivatedMarkTwainwhenhe

visitedin1867.Hegushedinhis

journalthatOmetepe’svolcanoes

“looksoisolatedfromtheworldand

itsturmoil–sotranquil,sosteeped

inslumberandeternalrepose.”

Iwasstartingtounderstandwhathe

meant.Likethemainlandinmicrocosm

therewerepastel-colouredchurches

shadedbyvividorangeflamboyant

trees,roadsidefritangas(informal

restaurants)servingupfriedporkand

rice,regimentedrowsofcornand

tanglesofuntamedvegetation.Isaw

allthisandmorewhilemydriver

dodgedwholefamiliesonmotorbikes,

skittishhorses,amblingpigsand,

mostsurprising,afarmerridinghome

astrideaBrahmabullalongthe

island’s–oftenunpaved–roads.

AtthesmallElCeibomuseum,

Iwasshowntheircollectionofmore

than1,500ancientceramics,

includingceremonialgourds,

funeraryurnsandapottery

precursortothevibrator,knownas

aconsoladora.Mymorningtour

endedwithashotoftequila-like

islandmoonshinemadefrom

fermentedpineapple,riceandcorn.

Later,asIatetilapia–afreshwater

fish–atarestaurantoverlookingthe

lake,Icouldunderstandwhythe

Spanishconquistadorsmistookthe

vastbodyofwaterforthesea,atleast

untiltheirhorsesbegandrinking

fromit.TheydubbeditLaMarDulce

orthesweetsea,andIwatched

Holy smoke
(clockwise from above)
Ometepe Island and
Volcan Concepción in the
distance; the cathedral in
Granada

‘My driver dodged whole

families on motorbikes and a

farmer astride a Brahma bull’

 AWL Images