San Juan Del Sur - Week 10

17th - 21st Nov

From Volcan Masaya we took two buses via Managua (capital of Nicaragua) to Rivas and then a taxi to San Juan del Sur on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua (one taxi driver tried to charge us $15 for the trip and we actually got in a real taxi for $1 each... we did meet another couple that fell for the $15 though!).

Stayed in a lovely little hostel called Rebecca's Inn ($15 a night) which was just like being at home! The crazy Norwegians had saved us a room the day before which was great as there was no accommodation left anywhere else due to a surf competition the next day. Dani and John were also staying there and we met up with another English couple, Tina and Danny, and three other Ozzies.

Katie, Henriette and Elin - "The Crazy Bitchies" as they called themselves!!

San Juan is a little town set in a lovely bay with a nice beach. All the restaurants along the seafromt were doing great seafood very cheaply and James got a bit addicted to the seafood soup! You got prawns, lobster, octopus, squid, mussels and abig bit of fish for less than 3 quid - wicked!

The sunsets are spectacular on the Pacific coast, especially when some bird from baywatch walks in front of the camera...

On the Saturday we got the 1 1/2 hour (!) shuttle up the north coast to some other beaches for the suft competition. The surf comp was rubbish (not enough 'swell' apparently) but the beaches up north were absolutely beautiful - the best we've seen so far. They were perfect, isolated, deserted, palm fringed beaches with great waves to swim in and we had a great day.

Katie and Elin on Maderas beach

Quality waves...

After a couple of days on the beach (see resulting sunburnt arse for Katie below!) in San Juan and a couple of silly nights out at 'Big Wave Dave's' (10p for a double rum and coke...) and the local club we decided to stay for a couple of nights on the northern beaches to see the sunset.

Sorry if you´ve just eaten...

Camping Matilda's (the nice campsite) was full and the only other option up there was 'Crazy Dave's'. Now we thought that would just be a name but no, Dave was out of control, we think he had a bit of a bad time in "Nam" and perhaps still had a bit of shrapnel lodged in his head. An american in his 40s with a Nicaraguan wife (that he referred to as his slave but she couldn't speak English so didn't know thats what he called her), he was drunk from the time he woke till bedtime.

Crazy Dave´s - Quality accomdation

After a beautiful day on the beach and a gorgeous sunset, we had the most horrendous night's sleep yet. Dave slung us a very old, one-man tent with no ropes or poles and directed us to a spot of bush in the Jungle. So we cleared a bit of jungle and put up the tent using some old rope that we found and 6 inch nails. We then headed back to his 'restaurant' (see picture) for 'the best cooking in the country' which was pasta with a vegetable sauce because he'd lost the meat on his drive back from the shop??!! Not a lot else to do so after a few games of cards with the Ozzies we went to bed about 9. And from then until 3am we were to listen to the most terrible american rock as loud as Crazy Dave could play (and sing) it. Together with the smelly tent, ants and hard, rocky ground we reckon we got about 20 mins sleep between us!

Dave being restrained by some of his guests!!

Thought we might stay a few nights at the beach but couldn't bear the thought of another night at Crazy Dave's so left with two other Americans in a taxi to San Jorge in order to get the boat to Omnetepe Island.

Books we read: Miss Wyoming, Douglas Coupland - not bad