Tikal was amazing. We tried to catch sunset but it was too cloudy, but sunrise the next morning made up for it. I went back to Flores and ended up staying a bit longer than expected, so I had to skip Rio Dulce. Then, a solid 48 hours aboard buses on a semi-direct path to Granada. I spent one night in Granada then travelled to Isla Ometepe the next.

The island is beautiful...the largest lake island in the world. It has a very unique feel to it. It´s not busy anywhere you go and generally not easy to get there. There are fairly regular chicken buses, but the roads are some of the worst I´ve been on so it´s a slow and bumpy ride. I usually walk. Today, though, on my unfruitful 2 hour journey (one way) to get cash, a lady sat down next to me with a chicken in a plastic bag, which I naturally presumed dead (being in a plastic bag and all). While I would have preferred a seat mate without bagged poultry (exceptions: old man with a mustache and machete, 15 year old with a crying toddler, anybody on thier way to the hospital to have a wound dressed), she seemed like a nice enough lady and I actually forgot about it being there after a few miles. Then it got pissed. And I almost s*** my pants.

Other than my first night here, I´ve been staying at Finca El Zopilote, near Santa Cruz. It´s an ecological hostel and permaculture farm. It´s a pretty cool idea. Check out thier website if you get a chance www.ometepezopilote.com. It is a very relaxed place to be. I work in the morning... mostly preparing products for sale in thier store (tomato sauce, cacao beans for chocolate bon bons, grinding coffee, honey, etc). Then, in the afternoon I go to the beach, relax, and hang out. I got very sick on my birthday...sucky huh? So I was down for a full day and pretty slow for a couple more. I still wouldn´t say I´m 100% but much better.

I don´t know how long I´ll be here, but at least long enough to do a few activities such as climbing the volcano (there is a lake at the top) and possibly horseback riding. I think I will go to the Pacific coast after this...