Stepping off the bus, I felt like a celebrity. A group of 10-15 men with huge thick wads of cash, jostled for position outside the doors shouting "Cambio Cambio". Even louder when you made eye contact. Luckily for us our bus driver had picked up his mate 30 minutes prior and he had first dibs of the commuters. It looked like a tough trade between those picking up the remaining scraps.
We were back on the road again after a 4am rise and early good morning goodbyes to the Cawoods and Websters. Then caught a 5am bus from San Jose to Rivas, Nicaragua. Things were going so well but after dropping off a certain number of commuters that we must be near our destination, Rivas. At the next stop I asked how long to Rivas was and my heart sank when I was told we had past it half an hour back. Our best option now was now to stay aboard until the final destination and capital, Managua. Then take a chicken bus back to Rivas and taxi then on to San Juan del Sur. Caroline has the excuse of falling asleep whereas I was too engrossed in my ipad civilisation game to hear the call for Rivas. I'm pretty sure there wasn't one and those who knew, just got off when they knew to.
So when we eventually arrived in the sleepy town of San Juan del Sur, the sun was going down and made silhouettes of the many boats anchored in the bay. It was really picturesque. Our hostel was right across the road from the beach too so things where looking good.
Then another set back, good old hostel bookers hadn't sent any confirmation email and we were now holed up in our first dorm without Nikki and Rich. It was an awful nights "sleep" as one of our fellow roommates had a very loud yet consistent snore.
We were promised our original room the next day but even this was not as advertised. Sharing a bathroom instead of a private like we requested. The final straw came when I spotted a mouse creeping from under the bed. Without causing hysteria, I told Caz that we were leaving and when at a safe distance away, I told her why.
It wasn't long before we found our next home. It was a guesthouse and pretty basic but it was much better than the hostel so we made the move. It had been a toss between a more expensive hotel with breakfast or there with nothing but the room.
We were now able to explore San Juan which seemed sleepy at first but the more time we spent there, the more we really began to like it. A mimic Christ the Redeemer overlooked the town at one side of the bay so we ventured up the hill to get a good view of Nicaragua. It was nice to get a little exercise and see a wealthier side to the place. In comparison to Costa Rica, the standard of living had seemed to decrease. So had the prices. Beers were now firmly under a dollar per bottle and I was in heaven.
The beach on San Juan was pretty good but nothing amazing so the next day we took a trip over to another local beach. Coupled with the transport I soon added a days rental of a surfboard for $10.. Soon we were meandering through a wooded area with armed security at random points. There presence was to protect tourists as more and more frequently busses had been held up by opportunists. I wasn't sure if their presence was reassuring or not.
Along for the ride were some fellow brits who were very keen surfers. I was surprised to learn that people actually surfed in the UK never mind 4 of them. We exchanged travel stories in the back whilst Caz chatted to some Canadians in the car and before long we were at an incredibly wide and deserted beach. It was beautiful and it wasn't long before I was straight in to the water, keen to build on my lesson way back in Uruguay. Standing up still proved to be difficult and after most of the day being battered around by the waves, I was exhausted and it was time to go.
We partied that night with our new friends from the beach and ate some very nice but pricey (even for Nicaragua) sushi. To top it off I managed to indulge in my first taste of Japanese Mayo in months. Yum!
A little groggy the next day, we only ventured as far as San Juan's beach but it was still really nice to just kick back and drink pineapple juices whilst watching the sun disappear behind the boats as always..
I had the taste for the waves now and Caz was very engrossed in her new book, The Help. We ventured to a new beach and I again took the surf board along too. This time we were joined by two Aussies who shared the fare with us. The beach was smaller but much more interesting to look at. A series of small coves made up the coastline and high tide crept up on us fast.
I've never been in a washing machine but today I came out rinsed clean. The waves and my lacking technique meant that I was being flung from the board almost every time and when I was, it would be followed by another series of tumbleturns at which point I was certain that I would crack my head on the surf board. I didn't but my confidence was shaken somewhat.
Feeling less tired than the last surf but really hungry, we went right back to the sushi restaurant again. Ever since Rio we had been craving it and it didn't disappoint except for our budget.
It was time to move on now yet we could have stayed longer. Next stop was Granada which we had been told was larger than San Juan and a nice place to stop. We took a taxi there as it was only an hour away. Upon entering the city, there seemed to be not much to it. A lot of bare faced, windowless buildings. We got in to our next hostel which wasn't great. Very dark and dingy. After San Juan we were a little fed up. We went exploring and had a keen eye for any other hostel or accommodation that looked half decent. We noted a few, full for that day but available the next.
The town had actually come alive somewhat and we were soon enjoying a pizza and more beer down the pedestrianised main restaurant strip complete with a pantomime show of young kids and drums.
Next morning we were thoroughly disappointed but not surprised by the poor hostel breakfast, we hastened our departure and set of for breakfast to a cafe that had been suggested to us. Soon after we were combing the town for a hostel again.
We had inquired the day before about the price for one hotel that looked exquisite. We laughed it off as way out of our range but I was still fed up so I ended up getting us a room there as a treat. What a treat it was.
The building was amazing. Opening up to a perfectly manicured courtyard with rooms all coming off that, we were led to the outdoor pool area where Caz immediately jumped in to. The bedroom was a dream too. 30ft ceilings, a fabric drenched four poster bed, stone flooring. We'd really outdone ourselves this time.
Speaking to a Californian women also staying there we leant that the owner was a rich Dutch man who had sold his business and bought the property. Not only that but half the room fee for the night was put in to the local community for education and sports. This made the cost somewhat more palatable, knowing it was for a good cause as well as our own.
During the same conversation we were told about the hotels spa facilities and before we knew it we were again splurging on an hours massage which included hot stones, cupping and reflexology. Afterwards we realised just how much we needed it. That night was we felt completely relaxed and unwound. An expensive stop but completely worth it.
Tomorrow we left for San Salvador so we took it easy and strolled about the city before retiring to our amazing four poster bed zzzzzzzz
Thought the blog had died !! Great to read your travel news - obviously Nikki and Rich kept you in check on the buses !! Big treat to have that lovely room, comfy bed AND massage ! Not long now to perfect the surfing technique Mike !
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