carts filter past goat-herders,
defying the afternoon heat, whilst
small children walk home alone
from school alongside the single
main road. Life is safe and simple,
though I see, not easy.
Photo: Anisha Shah
Remote beaches
I head straight to the Charco Verde
ecological reserve. Sprawling 20
hectares of forest, well-marked
walking trails wind through
eucalyptus and mango trees,
howler monkeys, cormorants and
iguanas. Most dramatically, the
hikes open up to three secretive
beaches of whimsy.
Playa Bancon is utter undeveloped
fantasy. The ‘mirador’ or view is a
cornucopia of raw wilderness on
the banks of the lake, with jetcoloured sand looking out to ‘El
Quiste’ Love Island in the waters.
This has to be the most romantic
spot on Ometepe. It’s a sweet finale
to my rather unfriendly welcome
into the site. Following my guide,
Juan Bosco, I drift off, retreating
into my head as we wander
through forest and wilderness, and
I don’t hear his warning calls. Being
thumped on the head, unexpectedly, I feel as if I’ve been hit with
a golf ball. Then I see it, slithering
down my shoulder and thudding to
ground. I’ve been hit by the faeces
of a large male howler monkey,
perched high up on a tree above
my head. As I gaze up in shock, I
have to be pushed out of the way to
avoid a full-frontal disaster. Luckily,
I have my hat on, but by this point,
my guide is on the floor laughing.
Welcome to Ometepe, indeed!
The afternoon is spent in the
shadows of the supreme Volcano
Concepcion, on Playa Santa
Domingo, which is a sweeping
wild and rugged black sand
volcanic beach lining the lake. It is
a theatrical scene. Windswept yet
sun-drenched, wild horses roam
free, driftwood punctuates the hot
sand and lush jungle backs a wide
elongated coastline, otherworldly
in its remoteness. Only one young
couple stroll along the beach. I
take a horse ride from the local
stables. Galloping astride my wilful
and graceful beige beauty, across
several kilometres of sweeping
beach, overlooked by foaming
Volcano Concepcion, it literally feels
like a movie scene. Ometepe feels
like a haven because it has always
been one. Throughout the wars and
outbreaks of fighting, Ometepe
remained relatively untouched.
Diverse and crowd-free
Nicaragua’s diversity is its most
fascinating allure. This remote island