Off the beaten track, part 1.

I recently returned from a week long trip to Nicaragua. Being in the tiny fishing village of Jiquilillo I wasn’t able to get to a computer for the entire week (a blessing in disguise).

Instead, I grabbed a pen and some paper and occassionally took some time away from surfing and swinging in a hammock to jot down a few thoughts about the trip. Enjoy.

April 18, 2009

Today I woke up in a little brick room with a thatched roof on a beach in Nicaragua.  It was 6am when I got up. I haven’t been up at 6am on my birthday since I was 5.

I landed in Managua approximately 49 1/2 hours ago and there he was waiting for me, Javier, our driver. Beside him was my really good, best buddy.

From my window seat in row 9 on Continental flight 1760, Nicaragua appeared to be a land of contrasts.

Rising columns of smoke pin-pointed the location of several volcanoes. Later, we passed over the very large Lake Nicaragua.

Inland, the fields are brown, parched, and the air is oppressively hot and stuffy. The coast is a lush green and a constant ocean breeze provides a refreshing relief from the heat.

Javier drove us the 2 hours from the capital of Managua to the smaller city of Chinendega. There, we grabbed a snack from a street vendor consisting of fried chicken, fried plantain chips, and a cabbage salad (this one act broke 2 rules for preventing traveller’s diarrhea). This wonderfully delicious snack set us each back 75 cents.

While we waited the 20 minutes for Gerry to pick us up, we bought a bottle of Flor de Cana rum and mixed it with some Fresca and cream soda Fanta. To steal a phrase from Conor, it was Fanta-stic.

Gerry arrived and off we went from Chinendega the 50 km to Jiquilillo (for those non-Spanish speakers, it’s pronounced hee-kwee-lee-yo)

Jiquilillo is a tiny fishing village on the northern Pacific coast of Nicaragua. I soon discovered that there are no phone calls (no service), no email (no internet), and no TV (no connection).

Even music is questionable as the electricity has a habit of cutting out randomly for extended periods of time.

We arrived at Monty’s Surf Camp around 6pm, dropped off our bags, and walked out in to the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean for a swim. Three minutes later we realized we were missing something, surfboards.

Not the biggest waves, but good enough for me.

After a home-cooked meal and more than a few cocktails it was time for bed. It was 10:30pm. Party animals, I know.

Yesterday I woke up at 7am and was the last one up. We headed straight out to surf and followed that up with a delicious breakfast. Chatted with some of the other guests for a bit. Right now there are 6 other people staying here.

There are 2 girls from New York who we’ll call Lauren and Vivian. There was also a family of four from Canada; parents Alan and Joanne, teenage son Connor, and whirling-dervish 6 year old Nevin.

After chatting, for a while, we read, took a dip in the ocean, and chatted some more till lunch time. Then I found a hammock in the shade, ciesta time.

Around 5:30 and it was time to hit the surf till sunset an hour later. Another amazing meal followed by an evening of cocktails and poker. Found my bed around 11:15 pm.

Best bar in Nicaragua

Today’s my birthday. 28. Veintiocho. After waking I did some yoga and then went surfing. Had breakfast then went back out on the waves. After some mandatory photos we had a swimming party with Nevin and his family because swimming parties are the best kind of parties to have on your birthday (remember that Nevin is 6).

It’s just after lunch and I’m swaying in a hammock in the shade. I’m being called to the bar. It’s my birthday.

My only complaint is that the Missus and Charlie aren’t here to share this paradise with me.

Hasta manana

~Kbshea