Nicaragua - San Juan Del Sur - The fun continues

I'm currently sipping coffee at an Internet cafe in downtown Granada, one of the oldest cities in Central America with lots of colonial architecture and cool churches.

The rest of my time in San Juan Del Sur was great. The surf tournament was fun though kind of slow moving and uninteresting. It was more just beach time, getting some sun with the announcer on the loud speaker in the background. We didn't get to the beach until around 2 and left a few hours later for a nearby hotel up on the hilltop that overlooked the ocean. We ordered some piña coladas and headed for the pool where we hung out and soaked and laid in hammocks until the sun went down. It was incredible.

Main beach walking distance from our hostel. Not great for surfing, but beautiful.

Our group of friends from Alaska we met the first night had a car which made all this possible. On the way, the conversation came up that they were selling the Trooper they were driving and after much discussion and debating, Codi decided she wanted to buy it. They had bought it for only $800 and she offered the same. She was planning to rent a car when her friends came to visit which would have cost close to that amount, plus she'd have it to use and drive for 2 months. The rest of the evening revolved around making plans and discussing logistics. We got dinner and later went back to the chill reggae bar and just hung out laid-back style. I encountered Edwardo, a local guy I had met the first night and chatted with him. I wasn't drinking much of anything although he felt he really wanted to buy me drinks. I stood my ground and enjoyed myself, feeling no desire to drink.

Monday afternoon Codi left on a bus back to Puntarenas to retrieve her driver's license and would be back the next day. Katy and I went for a run on the beach and had a lazy rest of the morning then went surfing with our friends that afternoon at the same beach as the day before. The waves were powerful and put me through the washing machine a few times, but for the most part I just surfed the white water from the waves after they had already crashed. I am still not able to drop into the taller waves as they are about to break. If you were to compare the level of surfing you may have seen in surf videos to my talents it would be like comparing gourmet cooking to a child's easy bake oven creation. Despite my novice level, I am able to stand up and ride a small wave, which for me is still a thrill.

For dinner we all went to an Italian restaurant and had some absolutely fabulous pizza which we washed down with tasty red wine. The group was feeling tired though I had energy - a reverse from the previous two days. I ran into Edwardo again and had a great night full of very engaging conversation, all in Spanish. San Juan Del Sur is a small town. Downtown makes up about 9 square blocks, so you basically see the same people around all the time. The homey little surf town has a lot of character and a great night life, no matter what day of the week it is.


The next day I slept in until 10 and around 11:30 Katy and I went on a hike to a giant cross on the top of a cliff overlooking the town and bay. The hike went the entire length of the beach then up a steep, long set of many stone steps. A few wrong turns and a good amount of sweating later, we arrived at the summit. The view was fantastic and gorgeous.

At around 2 we met up with Codi who was back in town and Katy and I got lunch while the rest went to a lawyer to take care of the car title. I set off on my own to do a little shopping and wandering. After enjoying a blended melon drink at the beach watching the sunset, I returned to the hostel to chill. Later that evening I came upon the students on the planned school trip I decided not to go on. They were in the mood to party which made for a very fun night. We turned what is usually a somewhat lively bar restaurant (across the street from the reggae bar) into crazy dance party, full of entertainment. A highlight of the night was my spontaneous decision to invite a by-standing police officer to dance. To the shock of the group he was more than happy to accept. He loved it and turned out to be a good dancer and all the students hollered and cheered. Gotta love that.


This brings us to leaving San Juan Del Sur and taking an hour and a half bus ride to Granada, landing me here around 1 pm today. I napped on the bus and in the hotel for a while upon arriving then set out to explore. The city is charming. The USAC students are also here tonight so finding out what they're up to is next on the to do list. Currently there is no water in Granada, which is a somewhat common experience. The water supply is just cut off. Not a single sink, toilet or shower in the city is running. They say it usually comes back on at night so I really hope it comes back soon.

Central plaza in Granada - clear evidence of Spanish colonization

 Well that brings ya'll up to date on my travels, hope you enjoyed reading!

Hasta luego,

Kari