San Juan del Sur and the Pitaya Festival

There were some beautiful sunsets around San Juan

  After our travels in Granada and Omotepe we were looking forward toward being back on the coast.  A chance meeting in Granada with a musician named Matty Powell helped to fuel this anticipation. It turned out he was one of the organizers and performers for the Earthship Pitaya Festival in San Juan which was slated to begin on the 19th of February.

Matty, Gavin and Mitch Jammin' after the surf contest

San Juan del Sur is one of the biggest tourist locations in Nicaragua because of it's enviable location.  Though the beach at San Juan itself is nice, it's the beaches North and South of town that are the real attractions.  Beautiful and secluded beaches make for great day trips and there are some incredible surf spots around as well.

Lene playing in the sunset

 There are no high rises along the horseshoe shaped beach of San Juan and many of the waterfront bars keep a cool, relaxed feel.  We checked into the wonderful Rebecca's Inn which let us come and go as we pleased and gave us access to a kitchen.  Even though Lene and I aren't great cooks it is nice to have a few things around to at least make snacks.  In touristy places like San Juan the food prices are a little higher as well so we can save money by making our own.

Catching a wave during the contest.

The Pitaya festival had quite a few events leading up to it including a surf festival at the beautiful Playa Hermosa.  Many of the beaches around San Juan are renowned for their waves and people are just starting to take advantage of them.  The owners of Playa Hermosa have put in a restaurant and are building some dorms just off the beach.  Otherwise the beach is completely unspoiled and there are no other buildings in sight.  We got there early in the morning and stayed all day watching the competition in between swimming and lounging on the sand.  The festival closed with a jam session on the beach between a few of the musicians playing in the festival.  It was a great way to end the day; watching a beautiful sunset while listening (and dancing) to good music.

Dancing

We took it easy that night in preparation for the festival the next day.  The festival was being held in a field outside a sustainable home called the Earth Ship.  Built from things like old tires and glass bottles and equipped with solar panels on the roof the building works towards being as low impact on the world as possible.  They brought bands from all over Central America (and Canada) to play and the music varied from Reggae to Indie rock.  There were vendors all over the place selling cheap food and drinks and all told some 3000 people came out.  This is only the third year they've done the festival and there were a couple hiccups as a result but overall it was an incredible experience.  I'm sure the festival will continue to grow over the years and I hope that I can come back and check it out one day.

Fire spinners infront of the stage at the Pitaya Festival

After our time in San Juan, Lene and I headed for Managua where she was flying out from.  I'm now in Leon after a brief stop in Esteli and I'll be taking two weeks of Spanish classes before heading back to the states myself.  Hopefully I'll be able to kick my Spanish up another notch before I go and keep practicing it once I'm gone.

The beautiful and secluded Playa Coco

I'll see about getting some pictures up but for now you'll have to be satisfied with what's on Facebook since I don't have a cable to connect my camera to a computer.

Edit: Photos up

Big dogs

If you ever feel like traveling on a budget there are a few things to be aware of; some of these are fairly obvious (such as only eat at a cheap restaurant if other locals are there) while others can be a little more surprising.  One of these surprises is the numerous animals you'll find living in the hostels you stay in.  It is not uncommon for there to be at least two dogs in a given hostel and often a cat as well.  If you are allergic or scared of dogs this can obviously be a problem; especially when some of the dogs are absolutely enormous.

Hector and his ever present drool.

 At our hostel in San Juan del Sur we met a wonderful dog named Hector who, at just a year old, still has some growing to do to catch up with his giant head.  Heacts like an enormous baby and we had a great time playing in the back courtyard with him (even though Lene could never get him to fetch).   However, Hector was dwarfed by the next dog we met, Lugs.

I wanted to compare my head with Lugs'.

After San Juan del Sur we went to an incredibly beautiful beach called Playa del Coco.  Lugs, brought from Canada by his owners, is one of the largest dogs I've ever come across.  He used to top out at just over 150lbs but I guess the Nicaraguan diet has given him some trouble so he's fallen to a slimmer 130lbs.  Also a big sweetheart, Lugs wasn't quite as interested in playing as Hector was but he did like to cuddle up on the couch even though his skull is the size of most lap dogs. 

 

Lugs cuddling on the couch with Lene

I love staying in hostels with dogs and cats as it usually gives them a more comfortable, homey feeling.  If you are traveling by hostel though, be prepared to run into gentle giants like these, as they aren't the first I've seen while traveling, just the first I've taken pictures of.

Yoga, Cocibolca and still more volcanoes

"Alright, now we're moving into the Bow pose, lie on your stomachs and grasp your ankles; now push your ankles into your hands and raise your thighs and chest off the ground."

I'd been hearing many such instructions during my time in Granda.  Lene and I had signed up for a weekly pass at the pure yoga studio.  Yoga is something I'd wanted to try for a long time but had somehow never gotten around to it.  Fifteen dollars gave us full access to as many classes as we wished for the week; a deal that was hard to turn down.  The instructors were great and overall the class was beginner friendly.  Despite not being able to perform most of the poses correctly there was nothing so difficult that I could not attempt it at least.

One of many old churches in Granada

It was a nice change to settle down and have a routine for a while.  In the mornings we would explore the city, walking along streets lined by beautiful colonial homes.   I spent the afternoons in Spanish lessons in an attempt improve my speaking abilities and in the evenings we would spend an hour and a half at our Yoga class.

The courtyard where I had my Spanish lessons

Though very touristy, Granada is filled with charm and many of the buildings open to beautiful courtyards brimming with lush greenery.  However, by the end of our weeklong stay we decided to move on towards the mythic island of Omotepe.

View of Granada from a bell tower

Omotepe, sitting in the middle of the vast Lake Nicaragua (Cocibolca to the locals) is an arresting sight.  Two stunning volcanoes connected by a thin isthmus form the island which is home to some 30,000 people.  It is difficult to get a feeling for the sheer size of the lake until you are on it.  A strong wind made for a choppy ferry crossing from the town of Revas and if I hadn't known better I would have sworn we were on the open ocean.  Opposing shores are invisible to each other on the lake and it is possible to watch the sun rise or set over the water depending upon which side you find yourself.  At one point the lake was considered a candidate for an Atlantic-Pacific connection, an honor which fell to Panama instead.  Lake Nicaragua connects to the Caribbean via river and so a canal needed only extend from the Western edge of the lake to the Pacific Ocean.

The volcano nearest Granada

Upon the landing of our ferry, we quickly took a bus to Playa Santa Domingo where the nicest beaches and best accomodations were supposed to be.  Unfortunately, the same wind that made for such a choppy voyage also left us with less than desirable weather on the island.  Worse, the lake level is quite high during winter and spring and most of the beaches were covered in water.  I had planned on climbing one of the volcanoes on the island but cloudbanks rolled in which covered the peaks.  I decided against a sweaty all day hike that would leave me with nothing to see but the inside of a cloud.  We did go to the Ojo de Agua (Eye of Water) a natural spring fed pool that is frequented by tourists and locals alike.  It has been built up to serve more as a swimming pool but the sandy bottom and tiny fishes darting about reveal the water's source.

The Ojo de Agua on Omotepe

After an afternoon at the pool we were hit by unexpected rain (especially since it's the dry season) on our walk back to the hostel which soaked both us and the backpack we were carrying straight through.    Since the weather didn't seem to have any intention of improving we decided to head for the coast and to the main beach resort in Nicaragua, San Juan del Sur.  Since we left on a Sunday there was only one bus going to the ferry and I guess a lot of people had the same idea we did since it was packed.  I've never seen a bus this full yet nevertheless when it pulled up they said they could fit five more.  People were already hanging out of the doors but we managed to squeeze in anyway for the hour long ride to the port.  It was like being squeezed into a sardine can and thrown in an oven.  One girl actually fainted on the bus due to the heat.  She had also made a poor fashion choice by wearing leggings under her dress which I'm sure did nothing to cool her down.  After sitting down for a while and drinking some water she seemed ok and we arrived at the ferry shortly after.

The volcano Concepcion on Omotepe

I still have plenty of time down here to take another shot at climbing one of the two volcanoes on Omotepe but right now we are having a great time at the beach.  We are also going to be here for a huge music festival this weekend called the Pitaya Festival.  We met one of the organizers in Granada and they have been showing us around San Juan del Sur this week.  I'll save the music festival and San Juan del Sur for another post though as this one is already getting a big long.  I'll also get some pictures up when I can find somewhere with a faster connection.