I slept in and made my way by 11 with Abby, one of the girls I went hiking with the day before, to a nearby swimming hole called Ojo de Agua (Eye of Water). It's a fresh, spring water pool with rocks and water plants and everything natural, but it is an artificially constructed pool. The water was very refreshing and the day was warm. I relaxed and swam and tanned.
Later Abby's friend and a couple locals we had met, Mel and Achilles, showed up and we enjoyed some food at the attached restaurants and later threw ourselves from a rope swing. It was a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. That night we traveled across the island to a disco to go dancing. Unfortunately we arrived late and only could enjoy an hour's worth of music.
I was enjoying myself for the most part until Mel got to drinking and his personality completely changed. He decided he could sweet talk me into spending the night with him. At first it was just silly but he became pretty insistent and quite creative in how wonderful he made a potential night with him sound. After polite "no" became apparently ineffective, I changed strategies and in some very firm Spanish made it very clear that his efforts were fruitless. At that he backed off and our group went to play pool. The rest of the night was awkward because he apparently seemed upset, as if I had hurt him, which only made me angry. I was grateful when we decided to leave. We made it back to the hostel and Mel insisted on walking us in which was followed by an abrupt attempt at a kiss. I responded with a firm shove and slammed the door behind me, shocked at how alcohol can change a person's temperament and quietly proud of myself for being able to tell him off in Spanish.
I had wanted to set out early from the island the next morning to get home, but couldn't leave the island until 12:30 due to Sunday bus schedules. I was very worried about being able to make it all the way home in one day but thanks be to God I got very lucky. The ferry was leaving just as I arrived for the mainland and though there were no buses headed for the border, I found a nice taxi driver to get me there for a good price. The lines at the border were short and I caught a bus just about to leave for the town where I'd get my connection bus to Puntarenas. Once there I only waited 45 minutes for a bus headed to the capital that I could get off of halfway a little outside of town. I managed to get quite possibly the most comfortable spot on the bus with some young Costa Ricans nearby to chat with. I arrived just outside of Puntarenas in the dark but luckily a bus for the center of town passed within 20 minutes. Partway into town, one of my best tico friends got on the bus, headed for work. He volunteered to share a taxi that would drop him at work and continue to my house. I arrived at about 9 pm. From the island all the way home in only 8.5 hours - what a blessing and oh how wonderful to see familiar faces and a familiar bed again!!
All in all, Nicaragua was a good experience and very fun, and I'm grateful for the chance to make the trip.
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