We didn’t take our own boat; nonetheless we had some interesting boating experiences in Nicaragua!  As a country with many lakes and rivers, coasts on two oceans, and remote areas only accessible by boat, travel by water is part of the way of life and a memorable part of the experience: So I begin this multi-part series on our boating adventures in Nicaragua.

We saw Lake Nicaragua first from Granada, but our first real experience with it was when we boarded a ferry in San Jorge to cross to the gorgeous island of Ometepe.  The internet said we needed 3 days’ notice to get a ferry spot for our car; it turns out 20 minutes is sufficient if there’s space — and they don’t always know if there’s space until they’re actually loading the ferry.  As for people, there’s always sufficient space — maybe not sufficient seats but always sufficient space.  It’s a beautiful developing-nation efficiency that sometimes works in your favor and sometimes comes back to bite you.

James can attest to the adventure that was getting on and off such a ferry with a car.  The ferry system is the primary commercial transport not just of vehicles and people but also of cargo to and from the island; it is a little frightening at times, but again it displays a wonderful ingenuity that gets the job done with the resources at hand.