The Sweet Sea-Ferry Ride on Lago de Nicaragua

Sitting on a grey painted bench, I stare out the hole in the side of the passenger ferry. Without much thought, my travel companion and I chose 'second class' seats, but now, as the ferry has been delayed for two hours, sitting on the hard bench is starting to seem a little tedious. Finally, moving, the wind barely blows through the window, rustling lightly the cobwebs that cling to it, making me wonder what big spiders are lurking near my freckled arm. No matter, I think, I will just catch some sleep over the course of the next 4 hours on the boat. What I didn't think of is that there is a large jagged bolt right beside my head, making leaning on it impossible. So, I begin to amuse myself by watching other passengers, the large family of 6 sitting in front of me, all dressed in brightly coloured garb. I watch as they buy flourescent coloured ices from vendors, and wrap them in hankies to eat. I regard the vendors with their woven trays, and buy a little parcel of cashews to much on, as the green foamy water churns beside my window. In the distance, I can see a cloud or two, but for the most part the sky is hazily blue-made so by the sweltering sun, and the humidity of the afternoon. After a while, I decide to get up and go to the deck, a small swath of ground covered with pipes, tarp, and a few other white tourists-two skinny white looking fellows playing starwars cards....interesting. After standing awkwardly for a moment, I go back inside, back to my hard bench, and continue to stare out the window.

Several hours later, Isla de Ometepe comes into view, and the giant volcano (Concepcion) is breathtaking. It is capped in a tiny, jaunty puff of cloud, and as the sun falls, we pull into port...