Monday May 2nd

The next morning we got up at five and followed the guide we hired to the base of the Maderas Volcano which got a 4/5 for difficulty levels of climbing. I had serious doubts that I could do and was really worried about ruining the hike for everyone else by going too slow or needing to turn around halfway up, but when I suggested I wait for them at the hostel, Mike convinced me to do it. Once we got to the base and began hiking, my confidence rose because it was much more gradual than the trail we had taken to the waterfall the day before. For about an hour, we took frequent breaks at Destiny’s request but then realized it would be better to go at a slow pace continuously than to keep stopping. I led the way behind the guide to set the pace since I was the novice and that worked well. We saw all kinds of wildlife- Nicaraguan blue jays, giant electric blue cicadas, and some kind of lemurs. About halfway up the landscape changed with the altitude into wet tropical forest. We were traipsing through mud and mist and even though this was when most people started to find the hike arduous, I was in my element because I guess my inner redneck loves mud. We became concerned because we were really low on water and still had a ways to go, but we decided we’d be okay because there was a lake at the top of the crater (the volcano was dormant) that we could draw water from to purify with iodine. So at that point our motivation to get to the top was somewhat stronger. When we finally made it, two of the guys attempted to swim in the lake but it was almost complete mud with maybe ten inches of water on top. We filled our bottles and cleaned the water with iodine. It was still a murky brown but I really did not care.

We had to get going quickly because we needed to be back in the village by 3 to return the motorcycles so we wouldn’t have to pay even more money for them (we were already anticipating fees for minor damage to the bikes and didn’t want to deal with late fees). We split into two groups because Mike realized he had left his retainer on a rock when we had stopped for a snack on the way up. He and Jeff were experienced hikers and had no trouble getting back to the spot and finding it. They beat us back to the hostel by two hours while our well-meaning guide took us on a much longer route down the volcano that was supposed to be easier. Altogether, the hike took about eight hours. At the bottom we ate some mangos we found on the ground and nothing in my life has ever, or will ever, compare to the sensation of biting into that juicy fruit. We hadn’t eaten breakfast before the hike and had climbed the volcano on an empty stomach so finding those mangos was heaven.

We didn’t have time for a shower, just a quick rinse off before we rushed off to return the bikes. All of our money went to paying for those bikes but I thought it was worth it. We got more money from an ATM and we spent very little from that point on. After taking care of that, we caught a bus to the shore and ate a quick dinner before getting on a nine hour ferry across the lake to San Carlos so we could cross the border into Costa Rica. For “first class” we paid $6 and were on the top level of the ferry with benches with leather seats that, while not air conditioned, at least kept the bugs out. That was when we found out about Osama bin Laden and I was mad that I was missing America’s irrational reaction to his death. I slept surprisingly well for the full nine hours, though I was nauseated by my own stench at that point.