One day, me and my compadres took a trip up the Río Istiam – a tranquil waterway that meanders inland at the isthmus between Ometepe’s two volcanoes, Concepción and Maderas. The river is home to abundant bird life, caimans, turtles and herds of indolent livestock. Many thanks to Jennifer Kennedy and the three Matts – Barwick, Hicks and Ashford, who appear in this video clip.
The mystical island of Ometepe, rising from Lake Nicaragua with twin volcanoes, exudes an intense, otherworldly quality. Scores of ancient statues and clay urns litter the isle, where a highly organized society once lived, thrived, died and practiced wide-spread human sacrifice. I began to wonder if any remnants of the old religion had survived the centuries, and my search for ancient traditions led straight to the unsettling world of sorcery.
The island of Ometepe – reminiscent of some dark, prehistoric otherworld – rises from lake Nicaragua with misty twin volcanoes. Arid volcán Concepción is active and periodically spews ash. Smaller Volcán Maderas is dormant and swathed in cloud forest. The island’s unearthly feel is reinforced by scores of middle-of-nowhere indigenous villages and prolific pre-Columbian relics that depict everything from shamans to blood-thirsty snake gods. These photos were snapped in February 2010, during the dusty dry season.
Friday, June 18, 2010
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