I absolutely loved Isla Ometepe. It's
an incredibly peaceful, unique, fascinating place. I spent 4 nights
there. I did, however, have a couple of unfortunate incidences one
day when I rented a bike. Looking back, I was foolish to set off on
my own to cycle around the southern island but it's easy to say that
in hindsight. At the time, I woke to sunshine and a stunning view of
Lake Nicaragua and thought riding a bike would be a great way of
getting to see the daily going-ons of the island. Apart from not
coming across anywhere to buy some food and the roads being about as
well cut out for biking as I'd heard, I was having an enjoyable
morning. I'd met a local when I stopped to look at my map and he
ended up taking me to some neglected petroglyph and then inviting me
back to his house to meet his mother and show me a drawing he'd done.
Most people had called out “hola” as I cycled by and I felt
generally safe and content. After leaving my petroglyph man, however, the road started to lead to a much more isolated part of the
island. The number of people I saw decreased as did the dwellings.
Occasionally I could see large leaves rustling and figured people
were picking fruits from plants and trees which lined the island. I was still in my ahppy-go-lucky state of mind however ...until I spotted a young lad on a bike coming towards me and
immediately had a weary feeling about him. He stopped in front of me,
turning his bike perpendicular to mine so as to block my path. My
heart started to beat faster and I became quickly aware of how stupid
I was being so far from my hotel and alone. He signaled that he was
after money. I told him I'd left it in the hotel. He then asked for
my camera. My camera was in my rucksack but I told him I'd left it at
the hotel too. Twice he went to take something out of his back pocket
and twice he stopped. This added to my apprehension. What could he
have? A gun? No, it wouldn't fit. A knife. He could have a knife. He asked me
if I was alone and I told him my friends were up ahead. He would know
they weren't though as he had come from that direction. At that
moment when I thought he was going to produce a knife, he stopped,
smiled and told me not to worry. He wasn't going to do anything. The
arrival of a lady with a child on her bike explained his sudden
change of tune. I was so relieved to see her! Her appearance made him
flee, strangely asking me what my father's profession was before he
left. I was trembling and started to cry when the lady told me I
shouldn't be in those parts of the island alone. I wanted to ride
with her but she was only going a little further to her mother's
house. There was no point in turning around as the boy had gone in
the direction behind me and by now it was probably further going back
than continuing.
I peddled as hard as I could, now a lot more weary
of my surroundings and my adrenalin getting me up some pretty rocky
and steep hills. It hadn't been but twenty minutes when an old man
caught my eye. As I rode by, he flashed me and started calling things
out to me. I couldn't believe it. My sense of insecurity was again
heightened. I hadn't eaten all day but I peddled and peddled until
the road eventually seemed to come to a more inhibited area and when
I saw two Western women eating at a little house, I pulled straight
in. They informed me the road from there on was safe so I ordered
some food and drink and started to calm down at last. I had been a
little foolish and been reminded not to get complacent; Nicaragua is
sill a very poor and fragile country and I would be seen as very rich
tourist, despite my own budget concerns.
