http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean , Nicaragua , San Juan Del Sur en-us Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:51:14 BST Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:51:14 BST The soothing sound of churning waves. The fresh smell of salty air carried by a cooling breeze. Powerful sunlight filtered through leaves and tree branches warms as it's absorbed into my skin. Soft grains of sand between my toes. The flat line of the horizon formed over the distant ocean as the earth curves out of sight. Soft billowing clouds float effortlessly in the blue sky constantly shi http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-300107.html I eventually made my way from Liberia to Nicaragua the border crossing was a nightmre 2 hours queuing just to get across but we made it eventually. Getting to the other side was not a nice experience though being bothered by locals for a taxi who just wouldnt take no for an answer. After hanging around on a street corner for half an hour we managed to get a bus to Rivas which is the next main t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-299304.html The day started with breakfast at Congo Coffee while we waited for the surfboard rental place to open. An hour later we had our boards and booked a ride with Indian Face which was basically a commuter truck with no suspension hard wood benches for seats and a distinct possibility that we'd crack our head open on the roof or break our tailbones before we actually arrived. We spent the day at http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-297971.html A Break to Remember by GeorgeWho knows what drove us to San Juan Del Sur. Was it the promise of surfing lessons and a potential career on the World Tour Was it Eds description of it as A cool place to chill out with amazing beaches and surfing Or could it have been part of my master plan to propose to Kate in an idyllic locationSurf lessons were a mixed bag. Day one was brilliant as Alf http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-297618.html So today was really fun I had a leisurely morning with breakfastlunch in the local mercado. It was my first full day completely on my own and I didnt quite know what to expect. I decided to follow Lonley Planet directions to a Stone petroglyph just a ways out of the city. After walking a while on the road out of town I came to the conclution that Lonely Planet needs to work on their directions. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-294422.html Hola friends and family So I know that I probably should have had this started before I left but that just wouldnt be my style. Better late than never right So here goes...This is my summer 2008 Central America travels. As many of you know I started my trip off with a student group from Seattle University and we spent two weeks traveling around Nicaragua. Today the group left to return to Mana http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-293616.html Up bright and early to catch the 5.45 bus to Liberia the first leg on our journey to San Juan Del Sur in Nicaragua. Joining us at the bus stop were Nigaraguan construction workers on their way home and Kate a lovely young girl from Vancouver who we first met in La Fortuna. We bumped into her again at the beach in Tamarindo she intended travelling to meet friends in Nica so we agreed to leave a http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-290412.html I'm now in San Juan del Sur and I've been here since Sunday afternoon. We me those three girls from California another girl from Arizona and one guy from California made our way to the converted school bus from Granada to Rivas. We all knew it was destined to be a great trip when it started off with the sight of two horses mating on the side of the road and then getting a flat tire. With s http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-289439.html Day 217 Muchos TravellingI wasn't sure how far I'd get today. In the absence of direct buses to Granada from Monteverde apart from the uberexpensive tourist shuttles that is my journey was invariably going to involve a lot of waiting around at stops and terminals and slow transport on the public buses that would certainly pick up anyone and everyone they encountered along the way. First journ http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-283443.html I arrived in San Juan Del Sur after a long bus journey from Monteverde via a hot a rather scummy town called Rivas. I had left at 6am and then spent 8am til 1130am sat on the side of the motorway waiting for my bus to the Nicaraguan border. I had various amusing conversations with locals while I was waiting which helped to pass the time Most of them looked at me funny as I was in the middle of n http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-282648.html it has been a trip here. the drive from the airport in managua to the town of san juan del sur is crazy. the roads are terrible. it took about two and a half hours. at some points the driver would have to almost come to a stop just to drive over some bumps and other times he would drive super fast driving really close to the cars driving in the other direction. the town is very nice. it is a surfi http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-282250.html Well...I know I haven't written in a short while in part because the last few days haven't been all that interesting at least to read about. I also am at a public internet source so I'm paying to write this so it really will be short. Anyway here is the quick recap...Since I last wrote you I made it to the small town of San Juan de Oriente to talk with some people on pottery. I brought al http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-281483.html Nicaragua was the country I looked forward to visiting the most while planning this trip and a few hassles aside it was a realy great place. We probably could have given it some more time but with only five days left to be back in Costa Rica we decided to hit the beach there for a bit. After writing the last entry we decided to tour around the city of Granada for a bit while the sun was loweri http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-280822.html After two nights in Isla de Ometepe we decided to check out the famous surfer town of San Juan Del Sur. We arrived there and walked around for a bit trying to decide on a place to stay. Finally we found our spot and then hit up a pizza joint in town that all the locals recommended although we were looking for typical Nicaraguan food. Afterwards we found a local Eskimo place and Michelle bein http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-280585.html Firstly i would like to publicly congratulate the might Manchester United FC for becoming this season champions. I doubt they have time to read our blog due celebrating but i feel its necessary to mention. Following Nicks last blog despite it only being a couple of days passing i thought i would give you all a few more details. The fact that there is air con in the internet cafe is NOT the rea http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-275225.html Well we made it to Nicaragua. Leftie central. About 9 buses 2 boats 2 countries bad bad BAD accomoations and now the beach. Result. Sort of....we came here instead of El Salvador via Copan Ruinas in Honduras with the intention of going back through El Salvador. I have to say 15 to get into Copan ruins and i was muchly underwhelmed considering the bigger and more atmospheric ones in Mex http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-274562.html san juan del sur surf village. sick as hell for two days http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-272333.html I decided to go to Nicaragua. The two french guys Cochisse and Max and the Spaniard Cesar were leaving Santa Teresa Wednesday morning for the ferry to Puntarenas and offered me a ride. I decided to go with them but went to Casa Zen before leaving to use the internet and lost track of time. When I realized it was getting late I started running back to the hostel and ran into the guys drivi http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-268117.html Up bright and early for a drive to the beach town of San Juan del Sur. On our way we stopped at an old family friend of Maria's parents that runs a finca of sugar cane and plantain. It was interesting to hear the process of making sugar from the sugar cane. Much of the sugar cane is hauled to the processing plants using oxen drawn wagons. The cane is cut to small pieces then pressed to get th http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-264586.html well i'm in nicaraguathe last time i posted i was wrapping up el salvador and all worked out well. for our last day we went to the Oscar Romero March celebrating the anniversary of his death which was amazing. It was so interesting because we met up with almost all the people who we had met during our stay from El Salvador. That includes people from the nonprofits we met and people from the ru http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-261780.html After two days in Granada full of relaxation cooking our own meals beautiful colonial buildings and bars with names like The Zebra Lounge we were OFF to the pinnacle stop in our trip...Isla de Ometepe for volcanoes farming nature and welcome isolation.We had planned all weekend to take the 300 ferry across the choppy expansive vastness of Lago de Nicaragua seriously look at a map i http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-260089.html After the most excruciating bus ride to date we made it through the border and into Nicaragua at our first stop San Juan del Sur. Fortunately for us there was also a Harley Davidson Convention on the same weekend and rooms were scarce. We stayed two nights biked to town ate some food and went on my late Valentines day present a baby turtle tour We were given a short intro to what we were ab http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-249737.html Off on another adventure long overdue...Ken Kim and I headed to Central America for three weeks starting in Nicaragua and finishing in Costa Rica as Canada is in the grips of cold and Winter this seemed to be the perfect destination Flew into Liberia CR and hopped a cab to Penas Blancas and the Nicaraguan border Liberia turned out to be a little closer than Managua to our first destinati http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-248068.html Hey everyone...sorry I suck at this blogging thing. All is good still in San Juan Del Sur. Really great place with lots of amazing people. Ive been staying on the neighbouring beach at a campsitehostel called Matildas. Absolutely stunning beach with barely anyone on it. At night I fall asleep to the sound of crashing waves and crazy howler monkeys. The surfing is great but I am getting the sn http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-239731.html Well I found lobster Lot's of it Cheap Didn't starve in San Juan del SurSan Juan del Sur is a nice little beach town. However it is a bit touristy relative to the other places I've been. I finally got to do a little bit of souviner shopping although I really wasn't in the shopping mood. Had a bit of a tough time figuring out the bus schedule. I wanted to leave for Managua on Sunday aft http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-239542.html Yesterday we ventured on the long march to the San Ramon waterfall on Ometepe. The day started out easy enough breakfast at the hotel and a leisurely morning of reading and enjoying nature. We had decided to go on the 3 km hike up to the San Ramon waterfall about 12 km from our hostel and then 3 km to take us about 13 of the way up Volcan Maderas. We had heard the hike was rough but that http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-237425.html So Im currently in the city of San Salvador in El Salvador on my way to Guatemala. I have a few days backlog to update on so Ill get to that now.So I mostly just hung around town on the 26th I signed up for a surf lesson for the 27th and was looking forward to it. Id finally get to try the sport that makes the beaches of Central America so famous. So I got up bright and early on the 27th re http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-231594.html So Christmas evening I went to a turtle reserve to see baby turtles hatching. It started with an hour lecture at the hostel Im staying at where everyone was informed about the beach wed be visiting the types of turtles wed see as well as a brief history and summary of turtles and the turtle hatching process. After the lecture I boarded the truck that would be carry everyone to the reserve. I http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-230825.html Yes yes we realize that with an internet connection our blogs should or could be more regular. However since the glorious day other bloggers have dubbed their day of connection dia del internet life has been whirring by at an alarming rate. Our journey to Nicaragua despite being mandated was superb. Nicaragua is beautiful and significantly less developed than Costa Rica. The Nicaraguans http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-226316.html ArrivalIt has been a few weeks since I arrived in Nicaragua. After a long flight delay in Miami on Halloween I made it to Managua late at night with only the little amount of Spanish I learned in high school and a little from watching the Spanish soap operas on the Telemundo channel in Seattle. I had no idea what to do because I didnrsquot have a ride. I had two huge bags and the word ldquogr http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-220998.html