I arrived via the ferry that runs from San Jorge to Moyogalpa, the principal port town on the larger of the two islands. As I was heading over on the boat, I was looking at the map of the island trying to figure out where I would stay the night. The trip from Granada had taken quite a long while, and the ferry ride is an hour and half itself. By the time I actually was on the island, I had about an hour of daylight left.
I decided to make my way to the lagoon of Charco Verde which was supposed to be a fairly remote place. It wasn´t far from Moyogalpa, so I figured it would give me a chance to get into some real nature.
The bus dropped me off at Charco Verde, and I proceeded to head down the dusty road to where ever it lead. The sun was setting over the campos and the sound of unfamiliar birds could be heard in the trees. I walked a good half a kilometer before I ran into a man on a bike who had conveniently strapped a flashlight to his thick sweatband. He told me that the lagoon was flooded and that I’d need more than my boots to get through the water. I, in turn, asked him where the hospedaje was in which I intended on staying. He said that it was a good ways off and that I should go to Hotel Venecia which was very similar. He then showed me a short cut on a horse trail and said that I should use that to get me there before it was completely dark. The term “en recta” in Spanish means “stay straight.” Even though I knew this, I failed to stay straight which left me alone in the dark on an Island in a country where I had never been. I don’t think anything could have been more perfect at that moment.