The people are welcoming even if the tourism infrastructure is still comparatively basic

The people are welcoming even if the tourism infrastructure is still comparatively basic.The beautiful former capital of Granada, on the shores of Lake Nicaragua – the largest freshwater lake in Central America – is the stepping-off point for the Nicarao Lake Resort, or Hotel Isleta La Ceiba as it’s also called. This small, 10-roomed hotel is set amid swaying palms on one of many hundreds of islands on Lake Nicaragua. The Nicarao may not be grand in world terms, but the resort tends to attract Nicaraguan high society, such as it is, particularly at the weekend.Location, location, locationNicarao Lake Resort, Apartado Postal 2285 Managua (00 505 266 1237, www.nicaraolake or e-mail: nlr nicaraolake .ni).The resort is in a nest of islands inhabited by sculling fishermen, a 20-minute crossing from the mainland south of Granada. Besides its sheer size, Lake Nicaragua’s other claim to fame is the presence of the only freshwater sharks in the world, very shy and very rarely seen. The resort has its own kayaks, pedal-boats and speedboats, and organises excursions to other nearby islands. The lake here is glassy-smooth and tranquil, but out beyond the islands it can be treacherously rough.Time to international airport: Allow three hours, including the boat crossing, from the shambles of Managua’s airport.

There are no direct flights to the UK, but Iberia has flights via Spain, and Continental has a connection every day via Houston. Tours Nicaragua (00 505 2287063; www.toursnicaragua ) can make transfer arrangements.Are you lying comfortably?Bedrooms are sparsely furnished but have large windows (usually with lake views), hot water and air-conditioning (unnecessary except in the heat of the day in summer). There’s a freshwater pool between the palms, and the restaurant menu relies on passing fishermen. Bird-life in Nicaragua is superb, and the surrounding waters and islands are busy with cormorants and kingfishers.Keeping in touch: The resort has a mobile phone and an onshore office for messages, but the telephone service is not always reliable and you’d be better off with e-mail.The bottom lineA basic rate of $55 (£38) per person per night includes room and three meals and use of kayaks.

You can also get a four-night package at $200 (£138) per person.I’m not paying that: Plenty of cheap backpacker options exist on Lake Nicaragua, particularly further south on Omotepe.. She is called Edward, according to the florid hand that has decorated the name board; all vessels are feminine, even those with masculine names. She is nearly five feet wide, but her length – 26 feet – keeps her figure in slender proportion. When August casts a fleeting sunny spell on the River Thames, shades of gold and ochre shine through her Victorian varnish. She is called Edward, according to the florid hand that has decorated the name board; all vessels are feminine, even those with masculine names. She is nearly five feet wide, but her length – 26 feet – keeps her figure in slender proportion.

When August casts a fleeting sunny spell on the River Thames, shades of gold and ochre shine through her Victorian varnish.
Her graceful lines earn the kind of compliments you might expect when driving a vintage car. But Edward has been around longer than the internal combustion engine – she is now in her third century of Thames trade. Over the past 121 years, her Honduran mahogany hull has been home to thousands of holidaymakers. Her capital costs were repaid during Victoria’s reign, so you can hire her for a song Or a shanty.Edward’s fixtures and fittings are minimalist. There are two pairs of sculls, plus a couple of planks to support a couple of rowers – though in practice, one person’s power is quite sufficient for non-Olympians.

Towards the stern a comfortable, forward-facing bench invites idleness. Here the person fortunate enough to be “navigating” lounges around; keeping on course involves little more than an occasional non-committal tug on the ropes connected to a rudder. The most curious device is a four-foot paddle with a boathook attached. It turns out to be a marvellous tool for getting out of scrapes without scraping this floating antique. The tool is called a “hitcher”, according to a book that is almost as old as Edward.Three Men In A Boat, subtitled To say nothing of the Dog!, is one of the funniest travelogues ever written. Jerome K Jerome based it on a trip up the Thames in a camping skiff – perhaps this skiff, which was eight years old when his human and canine cargo set off in 1888.Skiffs once functioned as camper vans do today. Stretch a canvas roof over a series of hoops (like putting up a tent, albeit a wobbly one in precarious proximity to water) and Edward turns into a floating dormitory.