Unexpected for me is the ferry departing a few minutes ahead of time:
who would think something second/third world giving us a problem by
running ahead of schedule?
So, we wait ~an hour for the next ferry to Isla Ometepe, arriving on
the 2-volcano mass (largest freshwater island, I think) after an hour
of lurching with a hint of diesel in the humid air.
Our hotel's nondescript but for the ceiling tiles lurching upward:
when there's a strong wind, I'm fairly sure the metal roof's getting
airborne and anchored only by the dropped ceiling below, which keeps
lurching upwards. Not exactly the most robust arrangement, but our
stuff doesn't seem to get wet. A chunk of metal wire does appear to
shoot from above at one point, but this is more entertaining than
dangerous.
We bike to explore, finding a cluster of houses with big fat pigs
roaming the streets but not our hoped-for petroglyphs. It can't be
repeated enough: road bikes are NOT appropriate for transportation any
extended distance in Central America. I can't say for sure outside of
Brazil, but note to self not to find out the hard way when next in
South America. Really, anywhere economically south of western Europe
probably wouldn't be playing it to safe...
Dinner's something I've been missing: pizza. Tastes half decent,
too... especially with dos litros de la cerveza se llama Toņa (I could
definitely get used to this liter beer thing). A few rum and cokes
followed by relatively competent work on my bike concludes the
evening.