Day 39 - Managua & Playa El Tunco, El Salvador

We woke up relatively early on the 26th, brimming with excitement to get out of our room, but more importantly to get on our flight to El Salvador! Around mid-morning, we walked back across the street and checked in to our flight. The attendant tagged our bags and we went through security with out a hitch aside from the check of my massive bag of liquids in my carry on. Once we had the chance to sit and go through our boarding materials, Sarita noticed that we were in business class. I was in disbelief, but in reading through the sleeve, we were entitled to a VIP lounge visit and all of the other amenities! I guess that is why the one-way flight was more costly than we´d expected...added bonus!

We boarded the plane and received complimentary drinks and roasted nuts (Sarita´s highlight) from a very hospitable staff. Before we could even turn on our iPods, we were descending to San Salvador. Hilarious, we had been in business class for a 30 minute flight. We were definitely in hysterics.

Having reached El Salvador, we hopped in a cab straight to the coast. We arrived to Playa El Tunco and were extremely excited. The town was a strip of shops and restaurants surrounded by surfer inns. Our place was great as there was a pool and outdoor living room and one block from the ocean. We immediately changed and hit the beach! The surf was a bit strong, but the temperature of the water beautiful. We settled down for a late lunch and watched the sun set from the restaurant. Once the sun had set, a beach bar opened lined with tiki torches where they were screening surf videos. We took a seat there and enjoyed being outside and viewing the gorgeous starry sky. It was really nice to be able to have some cousin bonding time together.

Later on that evening, we met some guys from San Salvador who gave us tips on where to surf and the four different types of breaks so we´d be prepared for the next days activities.

Days 33-38 - Managua & San Juan del Sur

Left San Juan del Sur mid day on December 20th as I´d planned to meet up with Laura´s cousin Penn and her husband in Managua for dinner before greeting Josh at the airport. My ride from San Juan got a bit screwed up due to another couple I was counting on, so I ended up catching the bus. It took me a while to make the journey as I had to change buses at Rivas and then change terminals to get the express to Managua. I waited for about an hour for the express when a local pulled up, so I decided to get on. Due to my late arrival in Managua, Penn and her husband Doug picked me up from Mercado Huembes and we went straight to the airport. We had a great visit and discussed my experiences thusfar in Nicaragua. It was great to finally meet them as we´d been in touch over the phone for a bit of time. It was also nice to meet someone else from Laura´s family who was not at the wedding this summer. Following dinner, I went across the street and checked in to the hotel. Once I was settled, I received a call from Josh that his flight had been canceled and that he would not arrive until Tuesday! Yikes!

About an hour later, he had worked his way to the front of the line and managed to secure a seat on a flight to Managua the next day...and in first class! Although I was excited that he´d arrive sooner rather than later, we decided to cancel our Corn Islands portion of the trip for the moment as we´d pretty much get there and have to turn back to meet Sarita at the airport. I sent emails to cancel our arrangements which found out later were non-refundable, and we decided to head straight back to San Juan del Sur having arranged to be put up in the Secret Cove Inn again. I´ll try to make it back to the Corn Islands before returning home as I´ve heard that they are the highlight of many people´s Nicaraguan experiences.

Josh arrived around 4pm the following day and we got in a cab for San Juan. We missed the sunset by a few minutes, but were extremely happy to be at the beach...and in a town where I was very comfortable. I connected with a few friends who were in San Juan and we had a great night there. Over the next few days, we went to a few different beaches and Josh took up surfing. I was not surprised, but he was able to stand up on his second wave and continued to do well the remainder of the first afternoon. We also were able to take advantage of the pool at the Pelican Eyes resort up the hill from town which was a great place for him to unwind from the craziness of NYC. We met another friend, Justin, at the Secret Cove who´d sailed his boat from LA with some friends in order to settle in San Juan. He is Josh´s age and we were both very intrigued by his situation. Justin will be in San Juan when I return with Nic and Kels in early January, so maybe we´ll be able to get on the boat.

Following a great time in San Juan, on Christmas day we packed our bags, said our goodbyes and headed back to Managua to meet Sarita at the airport. Having checked her flights, we were delighted that she would make it in on time. Upon our arrival to the hotel, we saw that she had a slight delay in Atlanta, but would still make it to us that evening. We greeted her later on and the three of us had some time to catch up and get excited for the next leg of the trip! The only horrific detail is that our room was infested with bed bugs and we were all disgusted!

Days 26-32 San Juan del Sur

This past week has been VERY relaxing. Each day getting up, having breakfast and either heading to the beach or the pool at Pelican Eyes (a fine resort just up the hill from town). The weather has been fantastic and it´s been great just taking a week to chill out before the extensive traveling begins. It has been nice also because I´ve had some friends here to hang out with that I´ve met at the Spanish school and through other friends. This town is great because it is small enough where you feel that there are enough options, but also that you are safe to wander around alone day or night. I am staying at an inn called the Secret Cove where the owners are originally from California. They are very nice and accommodating. They live at the inn, so you know that your belongings are always safe and sound. Tomorrow, I am headed back to Managua to have dinner with Laura´s cousin, Penn, and to meet up with Josh when he arrives at the airport. We´ve booked the airport hotel so that we won´t have to run around early in the morning for our flight to the Corn Islands.

Days 21-25 - Managua

This past week was a very interesting experience being in the capital city of Managua. The city itself is very spread out and comprised of over 200 barrios (neighborhoods). My Spanish lessons were 4 hours each day comprised of 2 hours grammar and 2 hours conversation. My grammar professor was not very good, but my conversation professor was fantastic. There were 8 other students there this week which was nice to have some camaraderie. One couple had retired to Costa Rica from California and several others were from Belgium, Switzerland and Holland. In the afternoons, I went home to the family for lunch and met back up around 1 for our activity. In the evenings, I played volleyball in the street with the younger girls and their neighbors. Their neighborhood was pretty nice and very safe; however, I was told that many of the boundaries between barrios are blurred and even crossing the wrong street could be dangerous. Aside from the volleyball, I pretty much took it easy this week and spent time in the house at night.

Monday, we went to Mercado Roberto Huembes which is also one of the main bus terminals in Managua. Pretty crazy there...they have everything from artistic goods, barber shops, shoemakers and clothing stores to the traditional fruits, vegetables and meat sections. We also rode on one of the city buses which was a pretty crazy experience. Each of the bus drivers takes so much pride in their bus and decorates it to show their personality. Some of them have tinted windows and blast regueton while others are a shrine to Jesus...pretty outrageous.

Tuesday, we visited the Malecon (boardwalk on the lake) and went to El Mirador (lookout point) where they house the Sandino Museum. It was interesting to see how Managua is attempting to draw in more tourism and also to learn more about the history of the country. At El Mirador, our guide from the school showed us a canopy tour where at night apparently the mob takes their victims to be tortured (Laguna de Tiscapa). It was cool to see and also to get a better understanding of how the city is organized.

Wednesday, we attempted to visit an Archaeological museum on the edge of town, but even though the school called in the morning, it was closed when we arrived. Upon waiting for the bus to take us back toward the heart of the city, a few teenage boys came around as well. When the bus came, one of them grabbed my purse and tried to take it and run off. I was extremely quick and slammed my arm down to my side and was able to hold on to all of my things. Apparently, Managua is notorious for muggings and December is the high time, so no one was really surprised that one of us had an experience of that nature. Luckily, the bus driver noticed what was going on and did not allow him on the bus. I am happy that this happened because although a bit nerveracking, better to have a humbling experience while with a Nicaraguan. A bit of time later in the afternoon, we visited El Palacio Nacional which is the former residence of the President and currently the National Museum. We had a great guide who explained all of the flora and fauna in Nicaragua as well as the cultural diversity in the country due to its position in the middle of Central America. On the second floor, we were able to stop in at a performance where teenage girls and guys were doing traditional Nicaraguan dances. Imagine Caribbean rhythms mixed with Latin music...it was great.

Thursday, there was a hike organized at Chocoyero Reservacion. We had a local guide who showed us all of the different species of wildlife around including monarch butterflies, white faced monkeys and a variety of tropical birds. It was really beautiful there and also nice to get out of the heat of Managua.

Friday straight after classes, I'd arranged to have a taxi take me to the bus station as I planned to head back to San Juan del Sur to see some friends. I had lunch with the family and bid them goodbye before getting on the bus at 1:30. I arrived to San Juan del Sur around 5 and had arranged to stay back at the Spanish school where I'd been the week before as one of my friends was still there. I had never been so happy to see the beach. Being in Managua was a great experience, but not a place I would love to spend a lot of time.

Days 18-20 - San Juan del Sur and Managua

The weekend was here and I had finished up my week of classes at Spanish Ya! All in all a great experience. Friday afternoon, Gretchen and I had arranged for a lesson with the husband of the woman who runs the school. He took us to Playa Maderas with a few of his friends and gave us the rundown on the beach before getting in the water. It was more difficult for me because I had never done any snowboarding or sports of this nature, but still a great time. I was able to stand up once which I was proud about. After the lesson and we were ready for a break, we wandered away from the squatter-like cafe on Maderas and toward the ¨Hideout Surf Camp¨where he knew the owner. This place was legitimately straight out of Peter Pan and the lost boys. These guys were situated at the top of a massive rock fomation in a tree house, practicing skateboarding on a make-shift ramp. Definitely a sight to see. We continued wandering for a bit before turning back for Maderas. Following a beautiful sunset, we headed back into town for a quick bite before heading out. My friend Mascha from Granada was in San Juan too, so we met up with her for the night. There is definitely great nightlife in San Juan!

Saturday morning, we had arranged for a boatride with some of the guys we had met as well and left port at 10am. We cruised around for a while looking at the different beaches in the area and dropped anchor for a while to do a bit of swimming. Alan, the husband of the school owner is also a fisherman, so he dove in with his harpoon and came back up with a game fish! Pretty cool. We were also on board with a Canadian couple who liked to fish, so on the way back, they were able to reel in a rooster fish which I had never seen before. We returned to San Juan a few hours later ready to nap. Saturday night we were able to meet up again with some friends.

Sunday around 930, my ride came to take me back to Granada. When I arrived back at the school, the head of the school in Managua was already there waiting for me to arrive. I was able to reconnect with some friends in that school for a brief moment before heading to Managua. When I arrived at the homestay in Managua, the family was great and quick to embrace my presence. The mother, grandmother and five daughters live there which is great. We ate lunch together before I completely passed out and took a 4 hour nap. Totally unlike me, but clearly necessary. Around 630, they asked if I wanted to join them for the ¨Purissima¨. I figured, why not so they collected random instruments from around the house and huge shopping bags before leaving the house. I was still not sure what I was in for. We walked to their parish around the corner where there was a lineup of people waiting to sing to a statue of the Virgin Mary. Following singing, a woman handed out prizes, fruit...pretty much everything under the sun. I was definitely with the most lively of groups which was great. Picture kids on Halloween without the costumes and parents in tow singing to random statues of Virgin Mary all around the neighborhood! It was quite the experience. Even some of the households had karaoke type set ups where there was a band waiting to play for you upon entry. When we got back to the house, the girls feverishly sorted their prizes which included arroz con leche, flipflops, tanktops, soda, candy and home made candied cherries. Definitely an array of items. I am definitely happy I was able to take in this experience as I have never seen anything like it!

Days 16-18 - San Juan del Sur

This week is flying by and the town is growing on me by the day...good thing I am planning to come back here at least 2 more times before leaving Nicaragua! My lessons are continuing to be well, and my instructor Claudia is fantastic. Wednesday afternoon, we did not have a scheduled activity, so Gretchen and I walked around in the town and hung out on the main beach for a while. It is interesting that there are really not many American tourists here. Mainly, we've seen Europeans so far but have also heard that there are lots of Australians and Israelis around these parts. Around sunset, we went to have a drink at this bar right on the beach where they have hammock-type chairs in the sand. The sunset was gorgeous, and as we were taking some photos, this woman walked up and asked if we'd like for her to take one of us...in our introduction, we learned that she was visiting SJDS on a "visa run" as she currently runs a guesthouse in the "Beverly Hills" type area of San Jose, Costa Rica. She was originally from Southern California, but had been there for several years. It's interesting who you meet and for what reason. She seemed very nice and gave us her information to check out the site and in the case that we needed a relaxed, affordable place in a great neighborhood of San Jose. We'll see...it may work out for a quick stop over on my way to Panama with Nic, but is nice to have an option in an otherwise nebulous city to navigate.

Thursday turned out to be another great day as well. My discussion in Spanish has gotten a bit better and my confidence level greater. Of course, when I don't know the Spanish word, I've been throwing in French or Italian where possible or throwing an accent onto an English word to make it work, but still it is better than fumbling through and getting stuck. During class, we walked to the market to pick up our supplies for the cooking lesson in the afternoon. We made Indio Viejo, a traditional Nicaraguense dish which is a kind of stew comprised of shredded chicken, peppers, tomatoes, onions, mint, corn meal and milk...very tasty. I'd had it with my host family in Granada, but never prepared it myself.

Following the cooking lesson, we took a walk around town and found the area where I was planning to stay after Managua which looks like a smaller version of the Gas Lamp quarter of San Diego with the antique fixtures in the street, etc. We also ran in to my friend Mascha who is still in town until late next week.

Tomorrow is my last day of lessons here and I am excited for the weekend on a boat and the beach, but have had a great experience with this school. Also, looking forward to my first surf lesson tomorrow afternoon!

Days 14-16 - San Juan del Sur

Left Granada in the morning on Sunday and headed to the coast! It was raining which is atypical of this time of year, but the ride was shorter than I had anticipated and took only 1.5 hours. I arrived at the Spanish School (Spanish Ya!) where I would be living for the next week. It was a good situation because the classroom is right outside of my room which is next door to the family's house. Also, turned out that I would not be the only student this week. I was even more excited when I found out it was another girl from the US. She arrived about an hour after I did. Turns out Gretchen was originally from LA but has been living in Jaco (Costa Rica) for the past few years in a condo development corporation. She is a bit older than me, but we are on the same page about learning Spanish and traveling which is nice. She mentioned that she took a trip similar to what I am doing now when she was my age and that it was the best thing she ever did...to this moment, I echo her sentiments. We spent the rest of the day chatting, getting used to our new accommodations and checking out the main town. The town was a typical beach town with little shops, restaurants/bars and hostels/hotels...pretty small. You could definitely tell that they cater to backpackers here. We ran in to my Dutch friends on the street and caught up with them too before heading back to the house for dinner.

Lessons began on Monday and again, my professor was great. She got right into it and said that the best way to learn is through practice so that is what we were going to do. After lunch, I felt really sick (we think it was something we were served) and took a nap before our introduction to the area by our professors. I was able to walk around for a bit, but in the middle of the walk I began to feel very faint and came back to the house. The grandmother (who looks and acts like Grandma Ungar) was very sweet. She made me tea and gave me a hot water bottle for my stomach. I was able to sleep through the night, and feel better today.

Had lessons this morning and another two students arrived, but they are staying elsewhere. In the afternoon, we went to an isolated beach on the edge of town called Playa Remanso. It was beautiful and the sun was just strong enough that with a nice breeze the weather was perfect. We stayed for a few hours and decided that surf lessons will be on the agenda for later this week.