With our big hiking adventure done, we started making our way back to Managua.  For no good reason, we were getting up earlier again because the hotel owner had made the mistake of mentioning to Nicholas that a nicer ferry left at 7:30am every morning.  So we tried to take this 7:30am ferry.

The cab Nicholas had negotiated was waiting for us when we grudging got up.  At the ferry terminal, I turned around and got another look at
Volcán Concepción, which was again, still covered in clouds.

Then it was time to board the ferry.

Since this is the only ferry for basically everything that needs to be transported between Ometepe and the mainland, you found just about everything on the boat.  Tourists, backpackers, Canadians, even trucks full of bananas.

This ferry WAS nicer than the other one.  They even served breakfast.  My bud didn’t want any and so I didn’t get any either.  Jerk.  I got out to the deck for another view of the volcano.

Bye Concepción!  I’m glad I’m not wet and squished atop you!

Although the ferry was newer, newer didn’t make it go faster and the return trip was the same over an hour back to shore.  There, Nicholas again negotiated with a cab driver to take us back to Managua, but stopping to check out Granada on the way.  The nice taxi driver chatted with us the whole way to Managua.

“How’s the spanish feeling?” Nicholas asks Pokin when we got to Granada.

“Pretty good!  I feel like I can actually understand everything”

“Good!  I told the taxi driver you were learning spanish and to please speak slowly and with easy words”

Pokin looked crestfallen.  I’m just glad my bud can translate and I know my important words like cacao and caliente.

Granada is also along the shores of Lake Nicaragua, about 40 minutes away from Managua.  It is interesting because it’s still got its colourful colonial architecture.  It’s also where a lot of the expats have chosen to settle.  We asked our driver to let us stop for a lunch, where we got to walk around.

I tried to go here for lunch but my bud opted for something more casual.

And then it was for the final stretch back to Managua.

For our last night in Nicaragua, Nicholas found one of the nicer hotels in the city.  His idea was that we were celebrating now.  Yes!  Celebrating going back home!

Hotel Contempo was, well, a contemporary hotel situated in what looked like a residential neighbourhood.  That’s the thing that’s so funny about Managua.  It doesn’t look like there are very clear districts or zones.  We seemed to be surrounded by giant private estates, all of which were fenced and guarded.  And the hotel was not located on a main street but rather a few blocks and turns off the main road smack inside this neighbourhood.  “Ok we’re eating in the hotel restaurant again,” decided Nicholas, and then we retired back to the room where everybody else made mention of the presence of hot water.

Next morning, another traditional breakfast for Pokin, french toast for Nicholas.

And time for the airport.

I’m glad to be homeward bound.  This country was cool, but my bud didn’t whip out his laptop to play games even once!

We have to talk a little more about work / game balance once we get home.