Monterrico

---

With another hangover hanging over us, we decided it was time to hit the beach; Monterrico. We decided not to take the chicken buses (due to the hangover..) and let the kind Doña Mercdes of Hotel Cafetin organize a shuttle for us.
In Monterrico life is simple; tranquilo. The main "street" is a muddy/sandy PATH with all kinds of animals; pígs (of all sizes and colours), chicken, dog-pig mixes, snakes, cats, normal dogs. Apart from the animals the place seemed deserted. We did however, find a very nice place to stay, right at the beach! It is a small place (only one dorm for 5 and two doubles) with a bar run by a very nice young guatemalan couple. It is next to Johnny's, the backpacker-nest. It is called El Caracol and we recommend it highly.
There was not much to do; have breakfast, sunbathe, swim a little, have lunch, have a liquado, lie some more on the beach, have a nap and dinner. Maybe a drink. That's it.
In Monterrico there is this turtle hatchery and every Saturday they liberate one-day-old baby turtles to the sea. They organize a race and you can "adopt" one (or more) turtles for a certain amount. The owner of the fastest winner-turtle gets a free meal or something. We didn't participate, but there was this Greenpeace-actvist-lady who had like five turtles...She didn't win.
Maybe it was one of her turtles that was a bit reluctant of going in the sea; it turned half-way and started going back. This happening seemed to gather all of Monterricos population and backpackers. That was the only time we saw that many people.

---