For the second time in a week, we were up and out without breakfast for a walk across town to the bus station. The chicken bus to Rivas was the first of many trips today. The bus was okay although there wasn't much in the way of padding on the seats. As we slowed to enter the market area of Rivas, a bunch of taxi drivers jumped on the bus and started harrasing the tourists about taking them to San Jorge, where we needed to get to next. They told everyone that there were no buses and they would help by taking us for 10 US dollars. We knew there were and it took about 10 minutes for him to finally give up and leave us. As we stood wondering where the bus might leave from, a colectivo with San Jorge emblazoned across the front drove up. We jumped on and paid 20 cordobas instead of 250C, the equivalent of the 10 USD.

At San Jorge we boarded a ferry for the one hour sail to Moyogalba, the main town of Ometepe Island. When we disembarked it felt like running the gauntlet with the hordes of waiting taxi drivers. We had pre-arranged a taxi with an agent in San Jorge to avoid a three hour wait to take a three hour ride in a chicken bus. It also allowed us to stop en-route for some lunch on the beach front at Santo Domingo. After some grilled chicken and fried plantain, it was back in the taxi for the final 40 minutes of our journey to Hacienda Merida. Merida is on the smaller of the two connected islands and as we crossed over the isthmus, the paved road gave way to an unsealed road. 'Unsealed' is being kind, this was one of the roughest roads ever and even in New Zealand, where driving unsealed roads is almost the norm, it would be classed as 4WD only. The taxi crawled along the road at no more than walking pace but we eventually made it.

Hacienda Merida is a really nice eco lodging on the edge of the lake. We got a private double at the end of block, mozzie nets and a fan - should do us fine for the next 4 or 5 nights. We were given the grand tour by manager before we could even have a coffee, he was exceptionally proud of his recycling initiative. They use plastic bottles rammed full of plastic waste as a 'filler' when building walls and tables etc. They have built a 2 room bilingual school for kindergarten and 1st grade children, they even employ a fully certified teacher for the 12 students. All very commendable and makes us feel that our money for staying here will filter down to this good cause.

We were treated to a fantastic sunset before we ordered some dinner. Maria somehow managed to take half the managers dinner, fish cooked over the hot coals whilst David had the staple fried chicken.