Heading over to the Island of Ometepe in the middle of Lago Nicaragua on the roof of a boat with no guard rails, we chatted with friendly locals who pointed us in the direction of the best spots on these twin volcanoes . Getting on the local bus, we were approached by a guide who offered to show us a good hotel. On the way he let slip that he would like to guide us up one of the volcanoes and no sooner had the suggestion passed his lips, we were organising a packed lunch and early start.
At 4am the next morning we caught a bus to the start of the Volcan Maderas trail. This would take us up to the summit 1400m above sea level, quite a climb for one day.
On the way we stopped to talk to environmentalists catching birds to check for avian flu, smelt herbal remedies for colds and sore throats, ate flowers and coffee beans fresh from the tree (quite unusual), made faces at Cappachino and Howler monkeys, touched 10000 year old petroglyphs (stone sculptures) stepped on massive ants and scrambled up over 4km of steep muddy volcano.
At the peak the mist had descended so we trekked down into the crater to see the lagoon and eat a bite of lunch. A very spooky place but worth the effort. Unfortunately the water was too cold for a swim.
On the way down we slipped pretty much all the way and after 8 hours reached the bottom with sore knees, dirty feet and a massive sense of satisfaction. We had just climbed a volcano - Woo Hoo!
(thanks Daniel C)
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