The Spotted Pig

You've got to be kidding me! We've seen a lot, but this one takes the cake and eats it too. A full size black and white spotted pig strolling down the middle of the "road". These streets are more a barnyard than for cars. Horses meander and trim the verge, you must divert around herds of cattle, or the odd Bull on his own. Chickens, children pulling goats, and a whole lot of folks just walking, sharing space with skinny dogs that always seem to have a destination in their gait. Cars cannot manage these rock hewn roads, it takes a four-wheel drive and there are few of them. Every so often we pass a bicycle, or maybe we are surpassed by a motorcycle. The only road sign of any sort is the one that points toward the route of evacuation, in case of a volcanic eruption. Really.

Ometepe is real, there is no attempt to be anything other than what it is. If they need to cut down the constant overgrowth of Mother Nature they use a machete. Who needs a lawn mower when there is no lawn? The newish Eco-lodge that we call home for now is called Totoco. It is fully off the grid and generates its own electricity with solar panels. They recycle water, use compost toilets, and raise their own food. Amidst the wildness of the surrounding jungle it is an oasis of beauty and comfort. And the food is fantastic. Here is their video introduction:

Further up the slopes of Vulcan Maderas, where we are located, is the second of Western Nicaragua's two cloud forests. These types of forest, often at the top of a volcano, have a constant high humidity and trees never drop their leaves. There is growth on everything, and even the trunks and branches are covered by an explosion of green... ferns, orchids, and all those "house plants" that they sell at home in the garden centers. It all constantly drips with water. I won't be climbing the one in my current backyard, because it takes all day. But we did manage a transport to the top of Volcan Mombacho, the second in the region, near Granada. It's a good thing I only have pictures, because you were singing a lot that day, happy in your garden oasis! Here are some photos:

Cloud forest

Cloud forest