March 20-23 2008 (FIRST 29 PHOTOS): This was 10th trip to Nicaragua and second time to Ometepe Island in Lake Nicaragua. Cristian joined me on this excursion over Semana Santa. We stayed in nice accomadations in a beautiful setting at Albergue Ecologico El Porvenir. Cristian and I walked Santo Domingo Beach and swam in the refreshing Ojo de Agua or "Eye of the Water" the first day. I've learned to superimpose images. Look at the two examples at Ojo de Agua. The next morning I hiked up to a mirador or look out and had an incredible panoramic view of the island.

October 30th-November 3rd, 2003: This was my fourth trip into Nicaragua and Deborah's first time. I think of these trips as mandatory vacations because I have to leave Costa Rica every three months for seventy two hours to renew the tourist visa. Deborah and I drove from Ciudad Quesada to the border town of Penas Blancas. We ended up having to leave my Isuzu at the border because I lacked the original "Poder" that proved the vehicle was mine! Uggh!!! From Penas Blancas we took a taxi to San Jorge, a port town on the western rim of Lake Nicaragua and smoothly made it onto the last ferry of the day to Ometepe Island. We spent the weekend at the most luxurious but relatively cheap ($15/night for the two of us) hotel-resort on Ometepe Island, El Paraiso, right on Santo Domingo Beach. Santo Domingo Beach lies on the isthmus of Ometepe Island between the two volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas. The first day we were beach bums, enjoying the beauty of El Paraiso, parrots and Magpie Jays. At one point I went all over the resort with my digital camera and brand new tripod taking macro shots of spiders. The following day we got on a private tour that took us to a fresh water springs, Punta Jesus Maria (a sand spit), Charco Verde Lagoon (broken down bridge) and Altagracia, the most populated town of Ometepe. Ometepe is a way cool island!