Surf trip to Nicaragua (central america)

NICE WAVES IN NICARAGUA

After spending 3 months in california kayaking this year i was forced to leave the country because the visa i was on only lasted 90 days and the deadline was fast approaching. With the idea of going surfing and relaxing for a while i started looking at the pacific coast of central america as to where i would go.

A VIEW FROM MY WINDOW ON OMETEPE

Costa rica came up a few times but it wasnt until i head Ben Jackson was doing the same thing that i heard about a little country called Nicaragua. Word was out that there was a small surf beach in the south not far from a town called 'San juan del sur'. So with as much beta on the place as possible we booked our flights. Unfortunatly i could only get a flight the day after ben so we would travel alone.

SAN JUAN DEL SUR BEACH

SAN JUAN DEL SUR

I found a cheap shuttle to the beach 2 hours away while ben opted for the chicken bus service. Although he left 24hours before me we both ended up at our final destination within 2 hours of each other.
So we had a small room in a 2 storied shack on the beach and it was not long before i was out of my sweaty travel clothes and into the bath warm pacific ocean.

MY ROOM WITH A VIEW

With a weeks notice that i was off to central america i had very minimal infact no spanish skills so for the first time in many years i was reading a book! yes thats right I was attached to my phrase book and only put it down if i was going for a surf or sleeping! Within a day i was out the back in the big waves and with a few key pointers from ben i was surfing well and now had the surfing bug!

JAMIE GETTING AMONGST IT

After 4 days Bens stay was over and he was back to USA for more work. I met a bunch of cool people at the beach and so me and Heather went on a trip out to 'Isla da Ometepe', an island in the middle of southern nicaragua surrounded in a fresh water lake with fresh water sharks!
Nicaragua is littered with huge active volcanoes and Ometepe was made up of 2 of them. 1 large volcano and one smaller.

OUR FERRY TO ISLA DA OMETEPE

We had decided to catch a bus round to the smaller one and climb up it the next day. Our hostel was inside a coffee plantation which overlooked the rest of the island. All night it rained and poured! Climbing the volcanoe the next day was slippery but super fun! the humidity was about 400% and you sweated more than you could drink!
At the top we swam in the crater before returning to the camp.

VOLCAN CONCEPCION

OUR VOLCANO GUIDE

From Ometepe heather went on to Granada and i headed back to Playa madera (madera beach) where i would surf a few more waves before my trip ended. On my last day i was attacked by the Agua Mali (jellie fish) but my last 2 surfs were the best of the trip!

MY LEG AFTER AGUA MALI (JELLY FISH)

On thursday I caught the chicken busses to Granada where i met up with friends i met on ometepe as they were having a leaving party for Katie. With my spanish still very very limited I found it interesting to communicate but one guy was happy to put up with my broken spanish and teach me some more!

GRANADA

Also very impressed with the quality of dancers down there!
Early on friday I was back to Managua airport and on my way to the US of A!
Once at atalnta there was thousands of people doing the same thing and I almost missed my flight to California.

LONG BOARDER ON PLAYA MADERAS

Ive been back for a week now and working every day and earning money for the next mission! Ill be back in NZ in a week and then might be off to Thailand for a month and a half but will see what happens
catch ya soon
josh

KIDS FISHING ON OMETEPE

SUNSET ON OMETEPE

FISH HUTS

COLOURFUL FRESH WATER FISH

FRIENDS FISHING