Ometepe

Another super clean hostel in Nicaragua is Hotel Castillo. From the dock where the ferry arrives, a truck will take you to the hostile for $1 per person. At the hostel, they have there own restaurant with a reasonably big selection. The menu is in Spanish, but they have English-speaking employees to help you out. Most items are under $4, and they have good breakfast selections. The dormitories have 1 to 3 beds, are clean and come with a window. They also have private rooms with a private bath for $7. It is better for your budget to get a dorm and use the public bathroom; it’s not any better than a private one. You will want to bring your own pillow or ask for another because the pillows they provide are very worn out and pretty much none existent.

Like most places in Nicaragua, they work on the honor system-you don't pay until you leave. Everything you order goes on a ticket and is added up at the end of your stay, but keep in mind that they add tax in as well. The hostel is very quite and cozy, especially in the evenings. The market is just a block a way, along with the bus station. Buses leave about every 2 hours for the other side of the island. You will definitely want to travel to the other side of the island to see Volcan Merida and the San Ramon Waterfall.

I spent one night here, only because I had plans to go to the other side of the island the next day. Had I not gone to Merida, I would have definitely spent more time here.

Castillo is a great place to stay, but there is not much to do in Altagracia, so you will probably only spend a night or two there like I did. There are only three places to stay in Altagracia, and this is definitely the best bang for your buck.

From the hostel, you have a less than 10-minute paddle to Monkey Island. On the lake, you have a great view of both volcanoes on Ometepe-Concepcion and Merida. This is a great photo opportunity. DON'T park your kayak and try to get out, just paddle around the island. The island is small, so you are guaranteed to see monkeys. The monkeys are wild, and there is a sign warning you that they will bite.

When I went, we took two kayaks, and a monkey almost jumped into the kayak that I wasn’t in. You want to be cautious about floating under limbs and drifting too close to the edge. A couple of other guests that went to the island said that their faces looked like George W. Bush, but the small trip is worth the ride and view. You also pay for the kayaks one time and are able to use them the whole time you stay at the hostel.

Only a half-hour bike ride from Hacienda Merida lies one the most spectacular waterfalls in all of Central America. San Ramon Waterfall is located about a third of the way up Volcan Merida. The hike is a tough, three-kilometer climb from the bottom of the Ometepe Biological Field Station. The entrance fee of $2 is well worth the price of this amazing site. Even an experienced hiker will get winded from this one- to two-hour hike. The first two kilometers of the hike are the easiest of the three. The third is almost a climb through the stream, created by the falls. Make sure to bring at least a liter of water -- you are sure to have it finished by the time you get to the falls. The hike up is spectacular, with plenty of places to stop for a photo opportunity of the lake and fields below. Most of the way, you are in the sun, which makes the waterfall that much more refreshing when you reach it. The source of water for the island comes from the waterfall, so up the last bit of the trail pipes parallel the edge of the stream. The water is very crystal and clean, so feel free to drink the water at the higher elevations, but do not bathe in the stream. Also, do not use the bathroom near or around the stream -- do that at the bottom before you start the hike.

Upon rounding the corner for the last kilometer of the hike, you can hear the water rushing in the valley below. It almost seems like you should already be there, but you are still about 20 minutes away. The water at the falls is shallow, so don’t expect to swim. You can, however, step under the waterfall, but watch out for the occasional falling rock. Because there is no swimming, you will want to bring a lunch or a book so you can stay at the top for while. The hike back down is almost as hard as going up. I did it in sandals and was all right, but shoes would have been much better.

There are several ways to get to the waterfall, including biking, horseback riding, or kayaking. I biked to the park and then hiked to the falls, but I would recommend a horse if you’re not an experienced hiker or don’t want to walk three kilometers. San Ramon Waterfall is definitely not something to be missed in Nicaragua. The island of Ometepe itself is an adventure not to be passed up. If you find yourself in Nicaragua, make sure you check out Ometepe on Lake Nicaragua and all the sites it has to offer.

I was awakened this morning by little kids screaming and the sound of someone hammering. I left the room to go take a shower, but was stopped because Pirates of the Carribean was on the TV. After sitting through the whole movie, I made it to the shower. Our boat for Omepete didn't leave until 2pm, so we hung around the Oasis Granada for a while.

When we went into town to catch a cab, it was flooded with people and rows and rows of flea market-type shops. The cab took us to the gate to buy tickets for the ferry. The women at the counter didn't speak any English, and she kept asking if we wanted up or down tickets. We didn't know it at the time, but "up" and "down" were first and second class. We went for the cheaper ticket and got the "down" ticket. We didn’t know until we got on the ferry that it was going to be a four-hour boat ride to the island.

After about an hour on the ferry, the volcanic island came into view. It looked as though the ride wouldn't be as long as expected. But looks can be deceiving. It was still about another three hours until we reached the dock on the island. We gathered our bags and went to the front of the boat to take in the sights along the way. A local Nica from San Carlos tried to talk to us, but he did not speak any English, and we didn't speak Spanish. So Chris got out his translation book, and we had about a two-hour conversation with him until it started to rain. From a distance, you could see the storm over the lake, and we could tell we were going to get rained on. When the rain started, the waves picked up and occasionally splashed up on deck, soaking anyone standing there.

When the ferry reached the port, the rain was pouring down. We ran under a roofed area to stay dry, waiting/deciding what to do. A local boy came and got us and loaded us and our bags in the back of a truck and headed up a muddy road into the night. To keep us from getting wet, there was a tarp in the back of the truck, and the guy spread it over us. The ride was less than ten minutes before we got to our hostel, Hotel Castillo. When we arrived, we checked in at the counter, which was also the counter for the restaurant. The restaurant served awesome food and was really cheap. Naturally, this is where we ate our dinner and breakfast the next morning. The rooms were pretty nice, but small, but the experience was worth the four-hour ferry ride.