Time is running out!

One month down and two to go I already feel like I am running out of time – so many people have told me of amazing places to go to, hang out, walk, or surf and I don’t think I have time to visit them all – life is TOUGH!

I’ve immersed myself in Spanish, well i’m at least trying to learn doggy paddle, as there is no real option when you are moving around on your own.  I have to rely on myself and, in my case, appalling haggling skills.  A few people have asked me what it is like travelling ‘solo’ (en espanol) and as with everything it has its peaks and troughs, from sharing a room with a lovely ex jewish orthodox mum of two, nurse who turned out to be a nutter claiming all mental ill people are psychopaths at birth and abnormal – I had to stop the conversation there as I was now certain she was going to vote for Trump – to meeting people only very briefly over a quick beer and them imparting their considerable knowledge of El Salvador and Guatemala.

But in all cases it amounts to you needing to get along with yourself first – get to grips with bad situations/good and primarily having to work things out for yourself! Thanks to Facebook etc you are also able to share your experience and photos with those who you meet almost instantly like Damien, from Cork, who did a strenuous ten hour hike with me up Volcan Conception, Isla Ometepe.  I believe we shared a lot during those ten hours possibly never to meet again!

As for the working things out part, well it turns out sending a parcel home is a difficult business.  

Day 1; find and go to post office try in very broken Spanish to explain what you wanted to do (send my mum a birthday present + my spare jumper and trousers [idiot]).  Decipher that you need to find a box from a shop and put your stuff in it.  I understand that she closes at 1630 and resign myself to the fact this will have to be a two day deal.  I go round all the shops thinking you are asking for a box but when they present you with a pair of Marigolds decide you definitely don’t have the right translation! Find said box, leave it in the offy when you buy a beer to congratulate yourself on finding the box and watch the sunset.  

Day 2; find another box, pack it, address it sellotape it to the max, take to post office. No this isn’t acceptable, the show box needs to be wrapped in special brown paper, OK, can i have some? No.  The old lady then tells me i have to go to the other side of town, translated by pen and paper to a bibliotec and buy some paper, ‘oh an day the way i close in 10 mins at 1600 today?! So i run, in 30 e.g. heat, to this shop – an amazing shop of stationery i wish i could have dwelled in – where the kind lady beautiful wraps my box for me and I run back just in time whereupon this post office lady starts ripping the wrapping paper off shaking her head! I’m gesticulating wildly now dripping in sweat about to chop her head off.  Then she cuts all the sellotape opens the box and starts taking a manifest of its contents even insisting to un wrap my mums present – they really need to work on their trust issues.  I also had to give the return address of: Spanish Ya School, on the road behind the Uno Gas station, San Juan Del Sur! Anyhow see her photo below and the quaint room they call their Post Office. 

The rest of my time, when i wasn’t studying, in San Juan Del Sur was spent meeting Swedish and Swiss folk, drinking, eating and surfing so not much to report there!

In Playa Gigante hunting the barrel at the moment then off up the coast to Popoyo for the same reason – then to Leon for culture and then to El transito or something before heading for another border.

On a more sombre note: today we were alerted from our hammocks to screams and whistles from the cliff top next to us and discovered a boy of about 10-12 years old had been swept off the rocks below us and couldn’t swim.  The owner, Olly grabbed a bodyboard and his mate Thomas his surfboard as we ran down to try and help, i ran up the to top of the rock and tried to keep an eye on him as he went under and direct them to the position where he was now floating face down, it took an age but we got to him and dragged him to shore for CPR for 5 mins but they were unable to revive him.  Unfortunately and very grave lesson to us all, please keep safe in and out of the water.

Hasta Luego

LSC Surfy Bit

San Juan Del Sur

This is the surf hub of Southern Nicaragua, from here you can get daily shuttles $10 return to Playa Yanquill and $5 return to Playa Hermosa, Playa Remanso and Playa Maderas.  A lot of people in the SJDS run shuttles and you can look around to find which times suit you best.

I find these really rather annoying and a far better option is staying at a hostel on the beach at either Maderas (intermediates+) or Hermosa (beginners).

I only surfed Maderas and Yanquill.  Maderas is a fast and sometimes hollow punching beach/reef breach that worked for lefts and rights into this little bay, beware the locals rip! but everyone is generally good natured.  It works at pretty much all states of tide thought the wave changes considerable with Low tide offering both left and right barrels and high offering massive drops and fast steep walls from the centre of the beach.  There is also potential to walk to the right as you face the main break and go exploring. (I believe they held a national surf comp here not too long ago)

Yanquill is definitely worth the trip and extra money for the shuttle – its a beautiful untouched beach that appears to have a chicken as its local hero. This really only works on mid to high and produces great little wedges that sometimes barrel going left and right.  We spent 4 hours straight in here and it was blissfully quiet and glassy.  

I’ve also bee reliably informed that near the border El Ostinel and the break Los Senos (breasts) is also worth a trip if you have a 4WD.

Playa Gigante

This is the home of Panga Drops, Colorado and Amarilla.  The bummer about this place is that you have to walk for about 40mins to get to a decent break, unless you have car.

I surfed Panga yesterday, peak furthest away from you in the photo and about an hour walk.  The locals liken it to Sunset – jeez – the take off zone is like the size of a football pitch and hell every once in a while a massive set comes through taking you out completely – that said it was awesome.  The current forecast is 4-6 ft @ 15 sec building tomorrow to 17 whoop whoop!  There was A LOT of water moving around  and the waves were at least a foot overhead but fat and rolling on through so you could sit on the side watch them and paddle across into and onto them…well you could also paddle right up the point and catch them at the critical point but sod that!  IF you go left you might as well catch it all the way to shore get out and walk around and if you join up the rights with the shore break  – well lets just say it really wasn’t worth it!

Went again today and was the biggest surf I’ve ever been out in – at least 10ft (and suddenly thought when i was out that my board and leash might be too small when the guy next to me said he was going in for his step up!) GULP.  Sat on the shoulder for ages then after seeking to this guy, Freddie, he called me into one and WOW what a drop to fast fast fast down the line wall – then i got properly worked on the inside, two of the biggest waves of my life two of the worst beatings in my life = good session.  NB at this size it was hitting the bowl and throwing massive barrels for the brave.

Colorado is just the other side of the headland in the picture and BARRELS breaking boards and bones this is the Supertubos of Nicaragua without the smell of sardines.  Unfortunately with the swell so large it was being ripped to shreds and wasn’t working.

Amarilla is just below the cliffs of the hostel where I am staying, Monkey Surf Hostel (basic but cheap and full of surfers who go to bed early and get up at 5?!) and closest to us in the picture.  This seems to be a punchy beach break with the possibility of a left point of the cliffs below. Im told this provides beautiful sandbar point breaks the likes of Capbreton in France but it wasn’t working while i was there.