Archive for May, 2007

San Carlos, Nicaragua, 2004-05-07

Lago de Nicaragua is big enough or my boat was slow enough or both were each enough that my boat trip last night lasted 11 hours and that was only about half the length of the lake.

San Carlos here at the bottom of Lago de Nicaragua is practically on the Costa Rican border, something that I would like to cross. This, however, is proving an endeavor that is going to take a fair amount of patience. I got in at 6:00 am, and was told that immigration wouldn’t be open until 8:00 to stamp my passport. I guessed that wasn’t so bad and I set up camp on the “sidewalk” in front of the very weathered somewhat tilting building built on stilts in the mud. Sure enough the employees did start trickling in around about 8:00. Shortly thereafter I was allowed to proceed to the proper little window, but only got far enough for someone to glance fleetingly at the passport in my hand and tell me to come back at 9:00 “so we can eat some breakfast and get ready.” Well damn, think I. The friendly but hungry and unready agent did try to console me, “the boat doesn’t even leave until 10:30 anyway.”

So, here I sit at the septically fragranced bar next door looking over the river with resignation in my heart, pen in my hand, and some cold “California” brand jugo de piña in my belly.

Oh, and everyone should be happy to know that the funny bug bite is no longer rapidly rotting my flesh away!