Volcano Maderas mud hike to hell - and back

We got up early this morning. Our hike was supposed to start at 6:30 so we were all more or less ready at 6 AM - only to realise that our guide was a bit late, there was a couple of guys signing up late, and well - island time.

Eventually we headed up the hills, through the forest and enjoyed the first hour of hiking on a small trail listening to and looking at howler monkeys. Then it suddenly got a bit steeper and a bit more muddy. Malene asked our guide whether it would get more muddy towards the top and the answer was a clear yes. So she decided to turn around and head back to town not feeling like skidding up and down the mountain on a narrow footpath. The rest of us decided to push on - stupid but we didn't know that.

The next three hours turned out to be less hiking and more survival as the mountain got steeper, the mud got more slippery and we all tried to stay on our feet. It was fun, tough and back breaking to hike one step at a time. Eventually we made it to the top and then hiked down to the lake for another ten minutes all thinking about how we eventually had to hike the same way back.

We had a lunch stop at the lake with around 40 other hikers, all of them looking like they had rolled down a pool of mud. After a short lunch break we headed back to the top of the mountain realising that we were all tired and sore and that we had at least three hours of mud hiking ahead of us.

Mikkel was the first one to be back a the "civilised" part of the path where the mud stopped and it was easy to walk back to town. Waiting at a place where the howler monkeys jumped around in the afternoon sun Matilde and Michael caught up with him. We didn't know where Frederik and Berit were, only that they were with the guide somewhere up the mountain.

We hiked slowly back to the town and they caught up with us. All of us exhausted, covered in mud and completely drained for energy. But we made it to the top and back. Malene was waiting for us in the garden at the hostel, having had a nice day in town. We just wanted some dinner and an early evening in bed but the local cafe offered nice Sunday BBQ so we waited patiently for the food to get done while sharing a lot of beers and a lot of stories about today's mud adventures. What a hike and what a day.

Casualty from last nights party in the village

Ready for the hike to the laguna

Howler monkey

Mud

More mud

Extra mud

Finally at the top

Muddy lunch

BBQ getting ready

Heading for Isla Ometepe and Lazy Crab Hostel

Everything comes to an end - eventually. Also our stay at Magnific rock. We really enjoyed it and the others arriving from Denmark looked like they also liked it a lot. Laid back and quiet and with the beach just down the road - and those Pacific sunsets.

On the other hand we were all happy to cram into the way too small minivan that was going to take us to Rivas and the ferry. Just one hour or so of driving. Nicaragua is a wonderfully small country to travel in. After our trip through South America everything seems to be right "around the corner" here.

So off we went, just having to make a technical break in Rivas town to get cash at the ATMs in town not really sure whether there were ATM's on Ometepe. Maybe there would be, maybe they would work. No really worth taking the risk.

We arrived at the ferry just 10 minutes or so before it was leaving. It was really busy but they kept loading people and cars onto this small ferry, Eventually there could not be more people on the boat and we left for a very slow, very windy and very nice crossing of the lake Nicaragua with big waves splashing over the side of the ship. This is where you cannot help to think of those news stories from "somewhere" in the world where this boat has capsized on some odd lake and 400 people have drowned.

Anyway, we made it to the other side of the lake, the captain did some very slow manoeuvres to dock the ship and a tidal wave of tourist headed for the taxis - including us. We had to pass through a big crowd of people waiting to go back to the mainland and there in the middle of a lot of people we bumped into Bridie and Claire from Bocas. It's a small country. We managed to give some new years hugs and then they had to board the ferry and we had to find a taxi and off we went. 30 minutes later we were dropped off in front of our hostel and got the keys to our room.

We went straight for some late lunch at a local cafe and realised that this was the Nicaraguan country side. Laid back, friendly and a bit slow. Eventually we got food and hung out for a few extra beers before heading back to the hostel.

In the evening we headed down the main road and found a place for more cold beers. The town was celebrating something so they had a mini-festival organised on a small field complete with beer, food and bull-fighting. It turned out to be ox-fighting with the local jumping around trying their best to annoy some very lazy oxen. Back to the hostel for some sleep and packing for our hike to the top of the volcano tomorrow.

Last morning at Magnific Rock

No, Michael is not a giant, its just a very small van

Order to go

6 of us - and driver in a small van

Heading to Isla Ometepe

Late afternoon beers, sunshine and local market

Everything packed for our hike tomorrow - almost

First day of 2016 - first swim in the ocean 2016

OK. We were all a bit hung over this morning but it is probably related to an early but fairly drunken new years party last night. Our last day at Popoyo and Magnific rock, Matilde and Michael tried their luck with surfing and got a bit beaten up by the waves.

We on the other hand, didn't do too much except for being on the beach or doing "power-naps" and a bit of staying in touch with friends and family at home reading and sending a lot of new years messages and mails.

Having waited for ages at the local restaurants for our food we opted for the fast option of having late lunch and Magnific rock. We are leaving for Isla Ometepe tomorrow and not knowing how the Internet is there we also spent a bit of time booking places to stay for the coming week. Including a couple of rooms at a hostel in Granada.

One last sunset on the beach and getting all our stuff ready for a morning departure tomorrow. Magnific rock has been good to us - now it's time to move on.

Hung over breakfast

Afternoon surf