Cowabunga Dude!!!
Trip Start
Sep 01, 2005
1
24
163
Trip End
Dec 04, 2006
Loading Map
Map Options
Show trip route
Hide lines
San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua
Monday, October 24, 2005
Another night was spent at La Flor beach where we had to travel an hour through very bad roads and forging 3 new rivers that have emerged since the heavy rains. When we got their there was an enormous police presence as they were expecting a big arrival which was due yesterday! The locals for years have come during this time to collect the turtle eggs and sell them to the restaraunts for a street value of $1USD per dozen! But you canīt shoot someone for doing this as they have done for centuries. We waited about 4 hours until we saw our first turtle and he was huge the size of a guitar (incidentally some are used to make guitars, very cruel). But when we encountered her she didnīt like the nest and returned back to the sea. We took shelter when it started raining and sang songs with a group of Spaniards who had brought a guitar (not the turtle kind), blankets and the party with them! The police got involved and everyone was going off. This alone was almost worth the trip up. Afterwards when the rain died down we came across a few more turtles in which one was in a trance laying her eggs. An average of 80-100 eggs are laid and was an awesome site. Such a beautiful and majestic creature. We came back with content, even if we didnīt see the expected arrival of.... 30,000 turtles who are all hanging out in the sea. Oh well next time!
The town is a really big surfing community, alot of tourists around carrying their surfboards and everything seems to go at a snails pace. But people are up early and back by 9. Even the locals are all surfies, I got a lesson from one of the guys at Arena Caliente, Kelvin was his name. He was good. Patient, enthusiastic and he actually taught me alot more then just the basics; he even stayed in the water with me for the whole hour! Although not a pro I can confidently say that I can stand up on the board atleast half of the time. Just need to practice, practice, practice. Its hard work though as I was absolutely exhausted afterwards and carrying the board back to the shop was a whole new ball game. With the wind going ballistic I was swung side to side whilst having this gigantic 7 foot board underneath my arm which I could barely get it over! Not cool. Chilling out by the beach I encountered Mr Ramon, a local who spent an hour showing me his collection of Nicaraguan notes in Centavos, one by one pointing at the numbers. He was also obsessed with photocoping his precious notes and I was obliged to go with him and photocopy some of his notes. Loco!
The next day I was sooooo tired that I couldnīt push myself off the bed let alone get a surfboard and do that continuously for hours. So instead just bummed around and did absolutely nothing which was good for a change. The weather wasnīt to flash as it was raining heavily on and off throughout the day. The hostel is very tranquil now with all the surfers heading north and south along the coast in search of better weather.
Adios Nicaīs, maņana yo voy Costa Rica! Bein Viaje!
