I've been on many beautiful bike rides, and on much more comfortable bikes than this one, but biking between two volcanoes on the Isla de Ometepe is my current favorite biking memory. This past weekend I was able to make a quick trip to the Island of Ometepe with the other five Haverford interns who are in Nicaragua for the summer. We met up in Managua and had a wonderful time with ProNica superstars Ada and Ramon who helped us reflect on our experiences so far and plan for the upcoming rush of the next 7 weeks. On Friday, we were up and on the road by 5:15, taking a bus to the town of Rivas which lies on the shore of Lake Nicaragua, the largest lake in Central America. An hour-long ferry ride later, and we were on the island that is shaped in a sort of infinity sign around two active volcanoes. To recap: a beautiful tropical island of two volcanoes that looks like it's in the Caribbean, but instead lies in the middle of a freshwater lake in Nicaragua. So before I continue: Thank you, CPGC, thank you parents, thank you Nicaragua, thanks be to all.
Now, the bike ride was only the matter of one afternoon, but it was important. My friends and I biked from our hostel to a beach about 11km away. On the way there, I was in awe. Blue sky, lazy clouds, slow heat. Thick fields of plaintain flanking the road on both sides. Slyly curving road, walking the uphill, whooping down the exhilirating downhill. Then, coming to the top of a new hill, the landscape opens up, you can see the ocean (no, lake--but the waves look so convincingly oceanic) glittering just beyond some slopes and fields.
The beach itself is beautiful, of course. Grey volcanic sand, white tipped waves rushing in, bleached thatched roofs, candy colored bar/cafes peeking out from behind thick gardens. To my left, the water; ahead, the strip of sand; to my right, an isosceles triangle of lime green vegetation narrows to its tip at the horizon, behind it the darker green of the volcano rising up and out past the edge of the beach, misty with distance and fog.
On the way back from the beach it is that glorious hour just before sunset, the other volcano is now on our horizon and it is illuminated from beind by the sun. Beams come at us past its shadowy straight edge and filter through the plaintain fields, slapping down thick cuts of yellow light on our path. That traslucent golden film of dusk is laid over my eyes, everything glows. There is an absurd abundance of flowers red, orange, pink, pourple, all the shades between these--so big and busy I stare like I've never seen a flower before. Red tile roofs, wrinkled tin roofs, satellite dishes and christmas lights, chickens pecking at the roadside, a whole family sitting in the dusty distance between their house and the road, plastic chairs in a circle, speaking and doing nothing and watching the road. Up ahead a group of six men and a truck provide some music: two playing drums, two trombone, one trumpet and one observer to smile at passerby.
Overall the weekend was an amazing trip, and I'm so glad I got to relax with friends for a few days. Now I'm back in San Ramon, and it feels great! I'm in love with my host family, getting to work developing some projects at La Casa del Niño, and getting more familiar with the streets and trees and the correct way to greet people and the many ways of eating plantain. There's so much beauty in everything here, it's hard to soak it all in, but this blog definitely helps me set certain small beauties down in words. Sending everyone love from Nicaragua!
No comments:
Post a Comment