In the Clouds
Sunday, January 27th, 2008
When hiking in mud, the first time you fall, it hurts. The second time you fall it hurts your pride. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th times it´s really funny. When the trail is a waterfall of mud, it´s even funny the first time. We laughed 8 hours up and down Volcano Maderas.
The gaggle of Nicaraguan school children leapfrogging us up the mountain taught us the words “arriba” (up) and “cansado” (tired) while they laughed the loudest.
This hike has been our only struggle in a week on Ometepe, an island of 2 volcanoes in the middle of Central America´s largest lake.
We spend our mornings sipping coffee grown on the side of a volcano, and watching the colorful birds glide by while clouds shroud the view. During the days, we are amused by the antics of howler monkeys in the trees, catch glimpses of scurrying lizards and snakes, or simply watch herds of cows drink from the lake. At night we wind down in a hammock, sip some rum, and wonder how the days go by so quickly.
Adam