A taste for something new.

Rescuing the "left-overs".
see all photos »

50 cents a beer. And rum. Fantastic rum. $5 a bottle. There’s an incentive to go to a country if I ever heard one. Not that we needed it, Nicaragua has been a place we’ve both wanted to visit since we were younger. I distinctly remember the hot, breezy, New Zealand classroom in which I learnt that there were some lakes, somewhere in the world, that contained freshwater sharks! This thrilled me no end and I poured over books and maps finding out where this puddle of sharks could be. Now that I’m here and learning more about the ferocious, will-eat-anything-that-moves, almost extinct bull shark that cruises the waters, I feel an unusual combination of tearful sadness and extreme trepidation. Either way, I doubt that I will be doing much swimming. I like to not tempt fate. Just sometimes. A note for anyone visiting this same region: the water is perfectly safe, the sharks are few and far between and I am just a freak.

see all photos »

Almost as soon as we crossed the, astoundingly clean and almost organized, border into Nicaragua, spirits lifted just a touch. There is a special gate at this border that you should know about though, if you ever find yourself crossing it. When you’re all stamped, paid up and ready to enter Nicaragua, you will face a 300 meter solid wall with a small iron gate in the middle. There is nothing at either end of the wall. It’s just a freestanding wall. You must pay a dollar to pass through the gate. A marvelous business concept. We eyed the edges of the wall suspiciously and I jutted out a bottom lip indignantly at our “helper”. Luckily we found the whole concept to be hilarious rather than annoying and were soon jamming our packs into the taxi.

You must pay a dollar to pass through the gate.

If only they weren't too expensive for us....
see all photos »

The drive to San Juan Del Sur quickly reminded me of a few facts. Volcanoes are marvelously impressive. Especially two that are topped with deliciously frothy white clouds, and create their own hourglass island in the middle of the most gigantic lake. It also reminded me that potholed roads are among my least favorite things.

San Juan Del Sur is a haven, a hangout of Daniel Ortega and his band of merry men, and with its sunny, light sand beach, stretches of bars, and a laid back atmosphere, it is quick to see why. This is how I imagine Costa Rica would have been 10 years ago, ok, maybe 7 years ago. It’s certainly meeting head on with development, but it’s at the pleasant, fresh faced phase where the locals are still eager to please the tourists and the new business are respectful of their surroundings. Customer service throughout Nicaragua is at an adorable stage. Nica’s, new to the tourist trade, muddle through in hotels, bars and restaurants, making all sorts of “mistakes” that would be horrid faux pas in Europe and America. I love these unpretentious attitudes, and even if sometimes Matt’s dinner will get served and finished before mine makes it out of the kitchen, I am happy to not be fussed over and waited on.

Beer on the beach.
see all photos »

-Kate Coats