Sun, Surf and Miles of Sand
San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, January 24,
2003
 The
surf rolls, curls and foams; coursing up the sand with
each swell. Pelicans float lazily in the rolling tide,
rising briefly to dive into an approaching school of
fish. A lone fisherman casts a glistening line off the
southern reefs. The sea is full of fish and sparkling
diamonds. The shoreline circles the bay meeting jagged
cliffs and the remnants of volcanic dragon skin shoals
inhabited by crabs, urchins and coral. Across the bay
lies the silhouetted mountain range of Costa Rica.
Not far from the beachside town of San Juan del Sur, Matilde has a small, hospedaje next to the beach. She rents tents and hammocks as well as 3 or 4 small rooms. Matilde treats her guests well. She provides the basics, breakfast, pop, coffee and beer. Cold showers at the back and the nicest outhouse I have been in since Clearwater, Saskatchewan.
The rest you have to provide. Cooking on an open fire, gallopinto and fish, surfing and body boarding, fishing, beach hikes, swimming and tanning. Jam sessions are a bonus as is the occasional backgammon game. It seems that you can keep quite busy doing nothing. Surf crashing is loads of fun. When a big wave comes rolling in, the object is to come up from the bottom and break out of the crest which never happens but then that is not the point. If that is not enough you can always go into San Juan for the nightlife although getting there is a bit of a challenge.
 When
I first got here a heavy tranquility descended on me.
It took 3 days to regain my equilibrium and then I was
not sure if I even wanted to regain it. The constant
rolling and crashing surf, the perfect daytime sun and
nighttime temperatures. The water is warm and the waves
can be truly huge.
Many surfers come here to practice or just to get away from the huge crowds in Costa Rica which is only a couple of hours away by road. In one secluded bay the waves can get 6, 7 and 8 feet (2.5m) high. Recently the Argentinean surf team came here after a competition in Costa Rica.
And of course backpackers find their way here too. I met up with many people I had met in Granada. It was like a reunion of sorts. We had several communal meals and gatherings on the beach. Til and Nico are headed for Leon now.
Sebastion and Brigetta are going to Managua, Ometempe and then returning here. Norbert is staying here to build a house with his friend Andreas.
My new friends, Wayne and C.J. (kiwis), Evilyn (Ireland) and Avikal (England) and Cataline (Belgium) are headed for a fast boat to a beach in Columbia.
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