In which Layla and Roz kayak on the world's largest lake, and Roz manages a dessert

By Layla

Yesterday was a lovely day. We started off with a stroll through the centre, down the pedestrianised street (where Roz tripped and sustained a rather bloody cut to her toe), to Lake Nicaragua, the largest fresh water lake in the world, and the only lake to contain sharks, we were informed later that day. It was designed very nicely, with a waterfront walk for several miles along by the waterside, next to a rather skinny beach where Nicaraguan families strung hammocks and hung out, with their children playing in the water as though at the seaside. Along the path, an array of vendors sold various wares; Roz and I sampled the local specialty of quesilla, essentially a corn tortilla with cheese, mayonnaise and onions in it. Quite pleasant.

We walked onwards til we got to Inuit Kayaks, where we decided to go on a kayak tour of Las Isletas, a collection of about 365 little islands in the lake, formed when a nearby volcano erupted many years ago. But first, the small matter of Roz’s bleeding toe – solved when the boss at Inuit Kayaks informed us he had some dressings given to him last week when he had his appendix removed. We were rather worried about using up his essential dressings but did take a little bit of bandage and micropore and dressed Roz’s wound nicely. A plastic bag round her foot, a beer, and we were ready to kayak!

Thus followed a really delightful two and a half hours with us in a double kayak, and our guide in a single one, paddling through beautiful water, islands, flowers, trees and birds, to an old fort on an island. We felt like adventurers as we kayaked through overgrown water lilies. Mind you, I have not yet recovered from being called an ‘English Rose’… The downside being our foolishly inadequate suntan lotion application, which subsequently left me with bright red legs and Roz with a bright red back, not to mention aching arms all round! Alas, but it was worth it as it was such a lovely trip.

We caught a taxi back to our hotel and changed into dry clothes, then headed out in search of a late lunch. We found ourselves back at the lovely EuroCafe where we indulged in some well-earned veggie burgers and ice cream. We returned to our hotel for a little swim, then lazed in the hotel garden’s hammocks, drinking mohitos, til we were ravenous, and headed out to Mediterrano, a highly recommended restaurant. The setting was lovely and it was quite busy, which was nice, but their vegetarian options were disappointing (a plate of rice, essentially) and price inflated. But a pleasant evening anyway. And a landmark one, since Roz managed a dessert (crepe suzette, which she was very enthusiastic about) for the first time. I looked on with longing but non-hungry eyes. And then it was off to bed, with rather painful sunburn…

Today we woke late, had breakfast, and spent the morning working on house chores – plasterer, painter, carpenter, kitchen… all most unpleasant (and made us dread returning to London). Then, feeling virtuous, we headed out for our Granada chores – to book the massage for Roz that we’d won at the silent auction, to investigate the Painted Ponies tour that we also won (we may be going on Wednesday – we await confirmation), and to investigate the Chocolate Museum (we’d thought of doing a chocolate making workshop but none were on that day) before sinking ravenously into seats at the Garden Café. Much lauded as better than EuroCafe, I can assure you that it was not. But we had tasty veggie sandwiches and smoothies, and felt temporarily sated.

We’d been planning to hire bikes and ride out to a scenic peninsula by the lake, so we went back to the hotel to put on sensible shoes, then went to leave just as the heavens opened. We felt cheated: wasn’t this supposed to be the dry season?! We sheltered in the hotel til it went off and, assured by the reception staff that it wouldn’t rain heavily, went on a quest to hire bikes. But by the time we sorted it out, it was getting rather late and the sky was looking ominous. We thought better of it – smugly, as ten minutes later it was pouring with rain! So instead we checked out tour options for tomorrow and booked one to a volcano and coffee farm for tomorrow, so that should be fun. And with the sky still ominous, and the humidity unbearable, we retired to the hotel pool!

We are now sitting with G&Ts looking forward to dinner. I am ravenous…