9/22/2010 - Granada, Nicaragua: Paddle On

Dude, so I just left Nicaragua and arrived in Costa Rica. It's been a fun adventure in Nicaragua, and I'd have to say it was a beautiful and enchanting place. Even the first few minutes past the border were spectacular. I was riding into a storm, but as the sun went down it set the sky ablaze with fiery reds and yellows. Seeing the sun drenched valleys and catching glimpses of the ocean was a truly magical sight; after the wretched Honduras, I was definitely glad to be there.

The first night was spent in Leon. It was pretty much uneventful, besides getting rained on, and spending an absurd five dollars on a street cart chicken special. Apparently we got the rip off "gringo special price". Whatever, I probably made those ladies night. Mental note: always ask prices before hand. The next night I stayed at a proper hostel where I met some good people. Had a few beers and watched some live music. It's all pretty nice when a beer at a bar is one dollar. In the morning I exchanged Facebook pages and email with my new friends, then headed for the touristy colonial town of Granada. Sometimes it's too easy to move on.

Granada is a cutesy little colonial city on the lake. It's very comparable to Antigua, Guatemala. After doing a walking tour I was ready for something different. So on the second day, BJ wanted to hit up this dormant volcano crater lake that's supposed to have the bluest water in Nicaragua. So we invited our friend Alex, and rode to Laguna de Apoyo. This is probably one the few times Lonely Planet wasn't exaggerating. This place is fantastic. Green mountains surrounding a sparkling blue lake. After some time was spent eating pizza and jumping off the dock we were ready to go kayaking. Famous last words.

Anyhow, I bitch and moan because I don't want to share a kayak. A few years back, a great friend Josh and I spent an hour trying to get a rhythm just to paddle straight. But to no avail, and we're both strong athletic guys. So, Alex and BJ buddy up, and I'm happy to be alone in my own boat. We spend some time  and paddle to the middle of the lake. We're all having a ball, taking pictures, swimming, and enjoying the view. Quite a few breaks later, we all decide the best idea is to make it all the way across the lake, since we're already "so close." We agree upon a destination: two trees on top of the tallest mountain ahead. Now BJ and Alex are going to disagree with me on this, but they're retarded so whatever. Apparently, they decided to head for a different set of trees, and since they can paddle much faster, we got separated pretty fast. Oh well, I'm heading to the original aforementioned destination. Of course I get in a groove and totally space out. At some point I realize BJ and Alex are pretty far away. Oh well they're two strong guys they'll be fine. I guess not so much. I hear them yell for help, so after a fifteen minute paddle, I find that they're boat has pretty much sunk. Bummer since it's about a three mile paddle back to the other side of the lake. There's no motor boats on the lake, and nothing but jungle surrounding it. In a sense we're kind of screwed. They look like they need a break, so they head for the opposite shore so we can figure out a rescue plan. We decide that I'll run back to the hostel where we got the boats, and get some kind of help. I haul ass over to the other side, and by haul ass I mean paddle the kayak at a horribly slow pace. You really don't realize how stupid and inefficient a kayak is until you're in the middle of a big fucking lake with nothing else to get you to shore. Anyhow about a half hour of paddling later, I realize they must have fixed the boat somehow, because off in the distance it looks like a yellow kayak with two white dudes. After I get back to shore, I let the management know their boat is a piece of shit, and that it sank on my friends. Luckily a big rescue party wasn't needed. And while I'm enjoying a big water and playing a much missed guitar, my friends finally reach land, thirsty and tired. Apparently they found some naked forest people to fashion a plug. And after the water was drained, they were able to paddle back. Thank goodness. What a crazy bunch of kids having way too much fun. What a day!

I've stayed in many hostels in my life and travelled the world, but I have to say I have never met a better group of people than the ones I met at the Bearded Monkey Hostel. It was amazing, the group was eclectic, containing mostly Americans and Germans. And since WWII is behind us, we all got along famously. At one point there were fifteen of us of pregaming at the hostel bar, then everyone wanted to go out and have a proper evening. What a fantastic night. We all decide this all-you-can-drink club for seven dollars is the best choice. So being the math whiz I am, I convince everyone that since it's late, we've got to get our moneys worth and at least drink seven beers. Not much of an accomplishment since our group was all in a similar mindset. After some time playing drinking games we furiously hit the dance floor, and we definitely danced until the booze ran out. What a kick ass Saturday, kayaking some seven miles on a gorgeous lake I've never seen, then singing and dancing until the early hours of the morning.

This traveling gig is turning out to be a damn good choice. I mean, fuck, what a life experience. Meeting great people, seeing the world, taking in some fantastic nature, and doing whatever I want. I really couldn't ask for more. It's been almost two months since I've given up all my worldly possessions to chase my dreams, and I couldn't be happier. What a great thing to know: it's my life, and I call the shots.