Nicaragua Day 5

This may have been the best day of the trip overall. I awoke early in the morning to the sounds of rain beating down on the rooftop. Thankfully our roof was not leaking, because it was really coming down outside. There was some debate as to whether or not we would be able to hike Maderas, the second tallest volcano on Ometepe. We met up with our tour guides who provided a quick breakfast of fresh baked breads and passion fruit juice. They felt comfortable getting started up the trail and deciding along the way whether or not to continue up. It was a fascinating hike up as we saw a variety of plants, insects, and birds. I was really excited to see the epiphytes (bromeliads and orchids) along with the liverworts, mosses, and ferns. It continued to rain on us most of the way, but was letting up compared to the deluge that came earlier. We had to make several stops and send some people from our group back down with a tour guide or else we would never make it up and back from the top before dark. Fortunately, I was able to stay in the group going to the top along with our professors. I enjoyed hiking near the professors, so that I could hear them explain the biology and geology of what we were seeing. It was a challenging hike, but very rewarding to get to see inside the caldera on top. There was a lake, where two guys in our group decided to go swimming, while I was busy chasing amphibians around the shallow margins. I saw a species of leopard frog, but couldn't catch any of them. I soon forgot about the frogs as I came across what looked like a gigantic tadpole. I almost caught that one, but it squirmed out of my hands. I then noticed that there were dozens cruising around in the shallow waters ahead of me. After I caught one, I called Dr. Heyborne over to see what I had found. By this time, I was halfway around the lake. I thought it was some ancient species that had been isolated in the caldera for thousands of years and was either a giant cryptic frog species or some form of heterochrony, where a species can mature while retaining juvenile characteristics. Dr. Heyborne was impressed to see tadpoles that size, but said he knew of some species that could grow that big before meta-morphing into adults. By the time we took photos and met back up with the group, I had a few minutes to scarf down a bean and rice burrito that the tour guides had prepared for us. Getting started again was strenuous work and I feared that my legs were going to cramp as we hiked up and out of the caldera. The trip down was quick and we got to see more wildlife, including anole lizards, howler monkeys, and white-throated magpie-jays. After we had changed out of our muddy clothes and cleaned up, we went back to see our tour guides and have dinner. I thought it was crazy to have all three meals from the same people. However, the leader of the tour guides that took us up the volcano also runs a farm and restaurant on the island. His restaurant is mainly supplied by his own farm and they specialize in baked goods and pastas. Running tour groups up the volcano help provide funds for him to do what he does. It was really cool to hear his story and help support him as he tries to run a self-sustaining eco-friendly organization. Also, the food tasted amazing!

Inside the caldera of Maderas