Day 70; El Zopilote, Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua to Matilda's, Playa Madera, near San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

With our bellies full of a wonderful breakfast of homemade bread, cheese, eggs n'shit (ie a scramble with veggies) and hot coffee we set out from our relaxed accomodations back across the isla to Moyogalpa where the ferry docks. There are many boats running between the mainland and the isla each day although not all of them are car ferrys. The eleven o'clock boat was a large launcha (well it was at least much bigger than the launcha we took to cross the river from Mexico to Guatemala) with passengers sitting in the lower coverd deck and the cargo and our bikes on the open upper deck. With no properly secured ramp for loading up the bikes, the guys helping us load up had to get a bit creative with a wood plank and at least a dozen sets of hands. with the bikes secured we set out for the heavily rocking hour long boat ride back to San Jorge.

Unloading was even more exciting with frothing waves tossing the launcha up and down while we once again manuvered the bikes across a wood plank and onto the solid ground with the help of many hands.

Not wanting to stay right in the center of town in busy San Juan del Sur, we headed north when we reached the ocean (woohoo, the Pacific at last!) to Playa Madera where we heard there was a great hostel and beach in a more pleasing setting. Turns out, as with much oceanside property in central America, the hostel and surrounding land has recently been purchased by a private party who does not want to share so no dice there. Good thing there is still Matilda's: a little compound with a few cabanas, a half dozen private rooms, four "dog houses", ample space for camping, a communal kitchen and the gate opening right out onto Playa Madera. Perfect.