Our time at Los Cardones has ended and we are currently in Las Peñitas outside of Leon. It is a weekend beach town for those that live in Leon and an underdeveloped surf town at best. The surf has been bush league so far and I am waiting for the swell to drop a bit to see if the waves clean up a bit. We are north enough in Nicaragua that the continuous offshores are no longer. But since my last session this place does not hold up to "my standards" and we are off in the AM.
.JPG)
Our last days at Los Cardones were fun. I went on a boat trip to Puerto Sandino which was about two hours away from our place. It has set a standard to my boat trips. I scored the beach break which to date is the best beach break I have ever surfed. I also must return to St.Didacus as it was not sessioned properly due to the large westerly swell that hit.
The boat trip was crazy. The two boat men on our panga were nuts to say the least. I inflated my dry sac and attached it to my backpack just in case the boat flipped. The driver would drop us off on the wave. Not next to it but on it. Sometimes the wave would be cresting and he would maneuver around. Too much fun. At one point my leash came undone and I thought I was going to have a challenge ahead of me but these guys chased after my board, jumped some waves and came back successfully. There was a passenger on the boat the whole time loving life and described some of the drops like the ones you get on a roller coaster.
Boating aside, this was probably the best wave I have seen. It is a river mouth break over a small amount of reef then it just peels left and barrels. Good waves were had but I was tired due to the Flor de Caña (the best Rum 'possibly' in the world) and 4AM wake-up. I wanted to spend some time there with Laura but the town is a s*#t hole of a port town and looks more like a guys-only kinda place. Trevor, the guy I went with, sessioned it again but this time there were a bunch of US navy guys who just captured 1 Ton of coke.
.JPG)
So our time ran up at Los Cardones. It is a very cool place, food is unbelievable, surf epic but it was pricey and the lack of a fan made me sweat all night long. I would go back but with a four wheeler, small generator and satellite internet.
We left on Saturday and took the Chicken Bus for the first time. Those who have been to Nicaragua and bused before know what I am talking about. They are school buses all pimped out (ex) with Jesus stickers, neon paint, Looney Tunes characters, etc...and will stop for any one on the side of the road. My board bag was grabbed by a guy out back who then climbed onto the roof and we took off. Five minutes later on the bumpy road I heard the guy knocking from the outside to get in. I am amazed my boards made it.
In Leon where we got off was hot and people were trying to pickpocket me made it annoying. Supposedly a nice town so we will see. We piled into a cab with a German couple we met on the bus. It was a task but we managed to jam three boards into a cab that's smaller than an echo...we are off to Las Peñitas.
Laura's Comments - Get Ready
At the front of the Lonely Planet ‘Top Pick’ hotel we weren’t necessarily getting the warmest and coziest feeling. It just seemed a bit run down and not really our vibe. But...at this point, we were not too keen on searching around town for another option so we decide to give it a go. The skinny but long stretch of property has about 5 private cabinas, a hostel-like building, a swimming pool that’s worse for wear and a fairly nice restaurant on a deck overlooking the ocean.
We meet the owner, an odd hippy lady with a rat tail braid ending with a seashell from Quebec. We decide two nights is usually a safe bet at first and check-in.
My initial impression of our cabin was great. We finally had a flush toilet and a fan. This was big stuff. However, I couldn’t help but notice a smell that resembled the smell of a hamster cage. It had just poured rain after arriving so Dan’s observation to me was that the smell came from the wet bamboo-type roof. Okay, to me that sounded like a legitimate response. I bought it...slightly.
The waves weren’t really enticing Dan or I so we went for a walk along the beach before coming back to the hotel for dinner. I’m pretty good with my Spanish menus but this one seemed to be a bit more difficult than others. Dan read through the options and thought the veggie or seafood pasta would be great but knowing me, asked the waiter if it was in cream sauce, which is not a ‘Laura-fav’. Waiter double-checks with the kitchen and yup, indeed it has cream. Okay, searching for another option Dan finds a healthy looking appetizer plate that that has beans, chicken, cheese, salad. Perfect! I’ll take it. With our stomachs grumbling, the food finally reaches our table. Silence. I look at Dan, he looks at me...we burst into laughter! He ordered me a platter of (get ready) fried chicken wings, fried pork rind, fried sausage, fried plantain, fried meatballs, fried banana, accompanied with re-FRIED beans and a salad that’s main purpose was to add a splash of colour to the plate!!! He was in heaven, not I. I think partway through his laughter at what we had ordered me he was also secretly salivating!
Dinner’s over. We are pooped and decide to hit the hay early after one or two episodes of ‘Californication’. I’m still a bit frustrated and slightly nauseous from the hamster smell but Dan tells me to suck it up. Lying in bed we can hear gecko squeals or possibly bats on the roof but we don’t care, we finally have a fan!
Rise and shine. It’s 8am and I’m ready to start the day. I jump out of bed, more in excitement to open the windows to dilute the nasty smell but before I even can, I see a beautifully scattered arrangement of pebbles on the ground. These aren’t the kind of pebbles you find in a waterfall feature in your neighbours garden, no, they are bat shit pebbles. “Dan...what the hell...we have bat shit all over the floor. I’m out of here!” Of course he finds it hilarious but agrees that we need out. He forces me to man-up this time and tell the Quebec lady we’re leaving and would like our money back for the second night. I do it with more-or-less ease but she didn’t seem to think the poo was a good reason to leave.
Backpacks on, surfboards in hand, 35 degree blistering heat, we are on a mission for a new bat-free place to stay. After walking about 1-2km, sweating out of pores we didn’t even know we had, we find Hotel Suyapa Beach. It’s the largest hotel on the beach (20+ rooms) and more of a friendly vibe. Sold! We check in for the token two nights.
Up on the third floor we realize we’re in even more of a luxurious accommodation than we thought. Two turbo fans, a washroom with a real door (more soundproof than the last) and a wall mounted TV. Not even one channel worked but oh well, feels nice to see a TV in any case. We fill the rest of the day with walks, food and surf, ending the night in bed with the final episode of Californication. I must admit, there was some squeaking sounds, most likely bats that made me uneasy but Dan assured me that this roof structure would be bat-shit proof. I investigated and agreed. Sleeping tightly and in comfort (remember the turbo fans), I get the worse and most frightening wake-up. I scream. And loud. Jump onto Dan’s back shaking. A f-ing bat, yes bat, flew and landed on my back. Sounds like an impossibility but for me, anything’s possible. On Dan’s back I politely tell him that a bat landed on me and that I wasn’t cool with it. He gets the headlamp to check it out. Sure enough it’s on the floor beside the bed. I’m shaking like I have the worst case of hypothermia. “ Wait!” I say. I wanted to get under the covers before he attempted to get this uninvited guest out of our room. I wasn’t up for round two. I hear commotion, the door, some girls yelling outside (I probably woke them with my scream) and then finally Dan saying, “it’s gone”. The shaking continued, the disbelief of what just happened stuck on my face and Dan laughed but with sincerity. If that’s possible? Mosquito net up, bathroom light on and one hell of a memory that we won’t forget.
At the front of the Lonely Planet ‘Top Pick’ hotel we weren’t necessarily getting the warmest and coziest feeling. It just seemed a bit run down and not really our vibe. But...at this point, we were not too keen on searching around town for another option so we decide to give it a go. The skinny but long stretch of property has about 5 private cabinas, a hostel-like building, a swimming pool that’s worse for wear and a fairly nice restaurant on a deck overlooking the ocean.
We meet the owner, an odd hippy lady with a rat tail braid ending with a seashell from Quebec. We decide two nights is usually a safe bet at first and check-in.
My initial impression of our cabin was great. We finally had a flush toilet and a fan. This was big stuff. However, I couldn’t help but notice a smell that resembled the smell of a hamster cage. It had just poured rain after arriving so Dan’s observation to me was that the smell came from the wet bamboo-type roof. Okay, to me that sounded like a legitimate response. I bought it...slightly.
The waves weren’t really enticing Dan or I so we went for a walk along the beach before coming back to the hotel for dinner. I’m pretty good with my Spanish menus but this one seemed to be a bit more difficult than others. Dan read through the options and thought the veggie or seafood pasta would be great but knowing me, asked the waiter if it was in cream sauce, which is not a ‘Laura-fav’. Waiter double-checks with the kitchen and yup, indeed it has cream. Okay, searching for another option Dan finds a healthy looking appetizer plate that that has beans, chicken, cheese, salad. Perfect! I’ll take it. With our stomachs grumbling, the food finally reaches our table. Silence. I look at Dan, he looks at me...we burst into laughter! He ordered me a platter of (get ready) fried chicken wings, fried pork rind, fried sausage, fried plantain, fried meatballs, fried banana, accompanied with re-FRIED beans and a salad that’s main purpose was to add a splash of colour to the plate!!! He was in heaven, not I. I think partway through his laughter at what we had ordered me he was also secretly salivating!
Dinner’s over. We are pooped and decide to hit the hay early after one or two episodes of ‘Californication’. I’m still a bit frustrated and slightly nauseous from the hamster smell but Dan tells me to suck it up. Lying in bed we can hear gecko squeals or possibly bats on the roof but we don’t care, we finally have a fan!
Rise and shine. It’s 8am and I’m ready to start the day. I jump out of bed, more in excitement to open the windows to dilute the nasty smell but before I even can, I see a beautifully scattered arrangement of pebbles on the ground. These aren’t the kind of pebbles you find in a waterfall feature in your neighbours garden, no, they are bat shit pebbles. “Dan...what the hell...we have bat shit all over the floor. I’m out of here!” Of course he finds it hilarious but agrees that we need out. He forces me to man-up this time and tell the Quebec lady we’re leaving and would like our money back for the second night. I do it with more-or-less ease but she didn’t seem to think the poo was a good reason to leave.
Backpacks on, surfboards in hand, 35 degree blistering heat, we are on a mission for a new bat-free place to stay. After walking about 1-2km, sweating out of pores we didn’t even know we had, we find Hotel Suyapa Beach. It’s the largest hotel on the beach (20+ rooms) and more of a friendly vibe. Sold! We check in for the token two nights.
Up on the third floor we realize we’re in even more of a luxurious accommodation than we thought. Two turbo fans, a washroom with a real door (more soundproof than the last) and a wall mounted TV. Not even one channel worked but oh well, feels nice to see a TV in any case. We fill the rest of the day with walks, food and surf, ending the night in bed with the final episode of Californication. I must admit, there was some squeaking sounds, most likely bats that made me uneasy but Dan assured me that this roof structure would be bat-shit proof. I investigated and agreed. Sleeping tightly and in comfort (remember the turbo fans), I get the worse and most frightening wake-up. I scream. And loud. Jump onto Dan’s back and shake. A f-ing bat, yes bat, flew and landed on my back. Sounds like an impossibility but for me, anything’s possible. On Dan’s back I politely tell him that a bat landed on me and that I wasn’t cool with it. He gets the headlamp to check it out. Sure enough it’s on the floor beside the bed. I’m shaking like I have the worst case of hypothermia. “ Wait!” I say. I wanted to get under the covers before he attempted to get this uninvited guest out of our room. I wasn’t up for round two. I hear commotion, the door, some girls yelling outside (I probably woke them with my scream) and then finally Dan saying, “it’s gone”. The shaking continued, the disbelief of what just happened stuck on my face and Dan laughed but with sincerity. If that’s possible? Mosquito net up, bathroom light on and one hell of a memory that we won’t forget.
VIDEOS
I had a surf topic to discuss as Laura and I have finished our beach portion of this trip and have gone inland to see the sites and sites we have seen. We arrived in Leon a week ago just before the rain arrived. It kept us indoors for a couple of days but we were able to see the town and go out for nice dinners. Our overall impression has been great with the town. Food is delicious (particularly the pizza), people are nice and our hostel 'Lazy Bones' is quiet and comfortable with a pool that is refreshing and not the usual hot tub hot. We have toured some churches and museums. We learned about myths and legends and got a good feel for the town. 
We had planned a few hikes but the rain stopped us from doing that. We did however manage to go volcano boarding down an active volcano. All the company said was you drive to a volcano, hike up and then slide down. What they did not mention was you had to ride in the back of a truck, not a pick-up but a truck that I managed to get on last and did not have a seat. So...I stood up for an hour down a bumpy jungle road, dodging branches (some hit me) and every branch the truck hit unleashed a swarm of insects on the people. We arrived at the base of a black volcano, got our toboggans and hiked up the rocky volcano. It was raining and then the wind kicked in. View video below and you will see how windy it was. The hike was fun and then we suited up and slid down. I wish you could do more than one run but it was interesting and being Canadian Laura and I were naturals at the tobogganing. 
.JPG)
.JPG)
Today being Monday, we were trying to leave for Grenada but last night after a couple rounds and hanging out with the group that we went with to the cock fight we decided to take a cooking class. 9am to the market to pick out our ingredients. Laura got her meat and veggies to make her cornmeal stew and I got my veggies and garrobo to make my soup. We boarded a local transport and crammed in and held on for dear life as we headed back to the same place where the cock fight took place. We got a local experience for sure. We started with killing and cleaning our three garrobo also commonly known as iguana. The owner Don Pedro showed us how to clean one of them and then one of the other guys in our group and myself prepared the last two. That is as far as I will go with that but it is much like cleaning a fish. Email me if you are interested in more details. We then walked off to a tortilla factory and we each made some corn tortillas. Then back to the kitchen. Everybody helped out in the group and a 'pinch of this' and a 'punch of that' and presto! Iguana soup and cornmeal veggie meat thing complete. Both meals were great and I even got Laura to try some soup which has a texture of chicken but has its own taste. So, cultural experiences can be checked off the list in Leon. We are off to Granada in the AM which is the competing city to Leon and many say much more liked. 
From there we went to El Coco Loco. I think there is a Coco Loco every where in the world. This one was a new place run by two Canadians and an American. It was another Eco lodge with compostable toilets and solar power, etc. They run a taxable Canadian charity 'Waves of Hope' that helps in the development of the community and is very well thought out. We were in a very poor area of Nicaragua and it looks like they are definitely making a positive effect on the community. We also met many travelers who are along the same lines as Angelina / Mother Teresa like kind of people helping schools and infrastructure around the area. Good to see people trying to help. We went with some of the humanitarians up to Jiquilillo to see a new area and went for a canoe in the estuary which turned into a race. Poor other canoe had no idea what they were up against. Laura and I being the only Canadians were in the same canoe and later were complemented on our great technique as we left a trail of fire behind our strokes.
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG)
