“I spent my last birthday on Isla de Ometepe, an island rising from two volcanoes in Lake Nicaragua, Concepción and Maderas. The dead volcanoes form the island, population 35,000, in the shape of an hourglass. The island’s economy is based on livestock, agriculture and tourism.

This photo is taken in Playa Santo Domingo, in the southeast half of the island, in front of Volcán Maderas. I stopped here a couple of days out of a two-week trip to Nicaragua. The island is beautifully forested, with farms, coffee and tobacco plantations and rainforest. Hikers can scale Maderas (3,833 feet above sea level)—the trek is muddy–and return in about 8 hours. “ – Monica

Backpack brand: Kelty
Backpack model and capacity: Santa Fe 4000W (4000 cubic inches)
The location where you took the picture: Playa Santo Domingo, on Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua
Trip Length: 3 days on Ometepe; entire time in Nicaragua was 2 weeks
More pictures at: www.blackbroadabroad.blogspot.com

Thanks to Monica Williams

Planning your next trip? Here are some travel tips