Sandinistas, Sand, and Islas

We're on a boat, and it's going fast, and... lightning over Lake Nicaragua at nighttime illuminates the silhouettes of distant volcanic islands and, for fleeting instants, connecting the stars above us. A grand presentation of the Teran family isletas worthy (dare I say?) of backing vocals from T-Pain. The first stage is the plaza of the gorgeous port city of Granada, its beautiful yellow cathedral (which does not suffer a Sandinista monument like the cathedral of Leon), and a particularly strong Michelada on a soft-lit very old-colonial-looking street. Then comes the aforementioned boat trip, another delicious dinner on the island, and cue eight-hours of suspense in the dark waiting to see the paradise we stood upon.

And in the morning, of course, it was beautiful. Palms and mango trees everywhere. Hummingbirds among the hibiscus flowers. The less-fortunate tourists floating by in canopied boats. I finished Coetzee's unseasonal Master of Petersburg laying in a hammock. The only thing reminiscent of the book on St. Isabel Island are flies floating in my glass of milk; the gnats (the lone source of annoyance here) swarm over this overripe land.

These islands were vomited out of Mombacho (speaking of which, Rodrigo is feeling much better!) in 1570. It gives you the sense that you stand on the very newness of the New World. You can picture the pirates that plagued Granada from their volcano-island redoubts. Rodrigo prefers to picture us as the pirates, absconding with treasure from the university (to the tune of $72/day, we calculated), to terrorize Central America. We're not quite William Walker yet, but give us time (and those Marines who still haven't been deployed...).

We were not intercepted by real pirates while water-skiing through the maze of islets and along the shore of the volcano. There was, however, one close call where a couple of spider monkeys on one of the skerries swung out and attempted to board us, but thought better of the possibility of plunging headlong into the water. Rodrigo categorically rejected this logic, but did ultimately get up on the skis (his first time). A good sign that he's hale enough to pass the swine-flu inspectors at the border.

A final note from President Ortega and the Sandinista Front for National Liberation: "To serve your country is to serve God." No lie. Happy 30th Anniversary of the 1979 Revolution.