Yoga, Cocibolca and still more volcanoes

"Alright, now we're moving into the Bow pose, lie on your stomachs and grasp your ankles; now push your ankles into your hands and raise your thighs and chest off the ground."

I'd been hearing many such instructions during my time in Granda.  Lene and I had signed up for a weekly pass at the pure yoga studio.  Yoga is something I'd wanted to try for a long time but had somehow never gotten around to it.  Fifteen dollars gave us full access to as many classes as we wished for the week; a deal that was hard to turn down.  The instructors were great and overall the class was beginner friendly.  Despite not being able to perform most of the poses correctly there was nothing so difficult that I could not attempt it at least.

One of many old churches in Granada

It was a nice change to settle down and have a routine for a while.  In the mornings we would explore the city, walking along streets lined by beautiful colonial homes.   I spent the afternoons in Spanish lessons in an attempt improve my speaking abilities and in the evenings we would spend an hour and a half at our Yoga class.

The courtyard where I had my Spanish lessons

Though very touristy, Granada is filled with charm and many of the buildings open to beautiful courtyards brimming with lush greenery.  However, by the end of our weeklong stay we decided to move on towards the mythic island of Omotepe.

View of Granada from a bell tower

Omotepe, sitting in the middle of the vast Lake Nicaragua (Cocibolca to the locals) is an arresting sight.  Two stunning volcanoes connected by a thin isthmus form the island which is home to some 30,000 people.  It is difficult to get a feeling for the sheer size of the lake until you are on it.  A strong wind made for a choppy ferry crossing from the town of Revas and if I hadn't known better I would have sworn we were on the open ocean.  Opposing shores are invisible to each other on the lake and it is possible to watch the sun rise or set over the water depending upon which side you find yourself.  At one point the lake was considered a candidate for an Atlantic-Pacific connection, an honor which fell to Panama instead.  Lake Nicaragua connects to the Caribbean via river and so a canal needed only extend from the Western edge of the lake to the Pacific Ocean.

The volcano nearest Granada

Upon the landing of our ferry, we quickly took a bus to Playa Santa Domingo where the nicest beaches and best accomodations were supposed to be.  Unfortunately, the same wind that made for such a choppy voyage also left us with less than desirable weather on the island.  Worse, the lake level is quite high during winter and spring and most of the beaches were covered in water.  I had planned on climbing one of the volcanoes on the island but cloudbanks rolled in which covered the peaks.  I decided against a sweaty all day hike that would leave me with nothing to see but the inside of a cloud.  We did go to the Ojo de Agua (Eye of Water) a natural spring fed pool that is frequented by tourists and locals alike.  It has been built up to serve more as a swimming pool but the sandy bottom and tiny fishes darting about reveal the water's source.

The Ojo de Agua on Omotepe

After an afternoon at the pool we were hit by unexpected rain (especially since it's the dry season) on our walk back to the hostel which soaked both us and the backpack we were carrying straight through.    Since the weather didn't seem to have any intention of improving we decided to head for the coast and to the main beach resort in Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur.  Since we left on a Sunday there was only one bus going to the ferry and I guess a lot of people had the same idea we did since it was packed.  I've never seen a bus this full yet nevertheless when it pulled up they said they could fit five more.  People were already hanging out of the doors but we managed to squeeze in anyway for the hour long ride to the port.  It was like being squeezed into a sardine can and thrown in an oven.  One girl actually fainted on the bus due to the heat.  She had also made a poor fashion choice by wearing leggings under her dress which I'm sure did nothing to cool her down.  After sitting down for a while and drinking some water she seemed ok and we arrived at the ferry shortly after.

The volcano Concepcion on Omotepe

I still have plenty of time down here to take another shot at climbing one of the two volcanoes on Omotepe but right now we are having a great time at the beach.  We are also going to be here for a huge music festival this weekend called the Pitaya Festival.  We met one of the organizers in Granada and they have been showing us around San Juan del Sur this week.  I'll save the music festival and San Juan del Sur for another post though as this one is already getting a big long.  I'll also get some pictures up when I can find somewhere with a faster connection.