Well, we've taken an amusing couple of days side track from travel scene to pose real estate speculators. Nicargua has an attractive scent in the air, as a budding travel destination and a potential very solid long term investment. Granada is heralded as the next international hotspot, and property in Granada and San Juan del Sur has been climbing steadliy at plus 20% rates for the last 4 years. So sensing this, and smitten by the the natural beauty, we casually inquired in San Juan about land prices. Nothing jumped out in particular. Prices were cheap but owning land in a foriegn and very poor country poses several logistical obstacles and moral considerations.
Granada, a town with broad colonial streets, a international feeling, gentle character, and homes with 20 foot cielings is a click past bohemian. The courtyards are incredible here - almost all have gardens in them, and every night familys open up the 10 foot woden doors and gather on the sidewalk, letting the lake breeze in. Walking into a ReMax office, we were quickly wisked about town, where we wanted to see the inside of some of these colonial homes. Unlike most of our budget traveling brethren Karen and I are oddly in a position to own one of these homes, though we hadn?t considered it in that light, and the deals require all cash. While being shown a beautiful home, the astounding realization sunk in that we could be of the propertied set...A shock of a similar magnitude but on the opposite end of the spectrum that one gets while looking at a tiny San Francisco condo for $550,000. Liesurely life in Nicaragua, or vacation home, wait a couple of years and sell it, perhaps for 50 to 100% more??
All trends are short lived... if indeed we were serious about investing here, a month rather than 2 days would be a more appropriate research timeframe. Combine that with the fact that we have all these glorious appointments in other parts of the world, and that we dont even own a house in the US, it suddenly seems like long shot.
But for a brief few hours in fantasy land we were buying into the market at the perfect time, working in the US and traveling back to Nicaragua several months of the year or more, where one only needs a 10th of the income, where a series of development deals in house restitution, local non profits, and beachside paridise homes brings new found flexibility to us and our host of imaginary Nicaraguan friends, who only need a little capital to propel themselves into the host of the HAVES. Alas, it is more likely to be a pipe dream, looked back on 5 years hence in the "should have" category. But for those of you looking for some hot property, you have been warned.
There are two things that we decided we will never get sick of. Watching a beautiful and perfect sunset - which was part of the daily activity at Majagual. We have about 10 pictures that look like those from vacation brochures, and the typical Central American dish, the Gallo Pinto (means Painted Rooster, don`t ask me why they call it that). The plate consists of rice and beans (of course!), plantains, sometimes a little bit of a salad, and some kind of grilled meat or fried whole fish. Sometimes they cook it different ways, with sauce or vegetables, etc. It`s always delicious and usually cost less than $2. My favourite beverage will have to be a Refresco (they call them Licuados in Guatemala) which is just fruit, usually Banana, Pineapple, Papaya, Melon,etc., blended with either water or milk. Yum! We have one or two of those a day.
We haven`t seen a sunset since we departed San Juan for L诮 but at least we have the Gallo Pinto. It`s mighty hot up here so we added ice-cream to our daily diet as well.
The war in the late 1800`s and the 70`s was fought quite heavily up here. Sandinista grafitti can still be seen about town as are some ruins covered in bullet holes. But the town is quite tranquil nowadays. We mostly strolled around the old colonial town checking out the big churches, colonial architecture, adobe houses and different food stands. Off to somewhere else in Nicaragua tomorrow. Will let you know where when we get there.
It was a breakthrough 5 days for me... maybe Karen too I think. At Bahaia Majaugual there are mostly surfers, camped out in tents in dorms. A fire every night on the beach, hammoks, a bar, and not much else. 15 minute walk to the break. Every day for the last 5 have been about the same - Get up around 6:30, walk to the beach with surfboard and shorts only. Surf for an hour or two, come back for some breakfast. Read, lie in the hammok, lunch. Go surfing, another couple of hours, chill out, dinner. Sleep. Every day. Extremely relaxing. San Juan now seems like a bustling metropilis.
The breakthrough involves the action of surfing - I caught many waves. Progressively improved a little. Surfing is by far the hardest sport I've done, and now Im hoplessly addicted. Every day I w ould improve a little... yesterday I caught about 6 or 7 waves... there is nothing in the world like that experience, mountains of water moving you, gliding exhiliration. Anyway, were off to some tourist sights around Nicaragua, but have another week planned at a beach in Costa Rica for surfing, looking forward to that a lot.
We arrived in San Juan del Sur yesterday. To get into Nicaragua via bus, you have to get off at the boarder, buy Costa Rica exit stamps, passport check, walk you luggage to Nicaragua passport check, walk to the next passport check, walk to Nicragua customs, for the next passport check, pay $7 us (they don't take Nicraguan money, Cordobas, from US citizens, which we exchanged our Costa Rican money for)and finally you are in Nicaragua. After expressing some interest in a Taxi instead of two more buses, we were mobbed by Taxi drivers, and finally gave in and rode into San Juan in style. 82 Toyata Corolla style that is.
San Juan is one of Nicaragua's most developed tourist destiniations, but it is much more modest than Costa Rica. Very laid back and we like it so far. We're about to rent surf boards and get a surfing lesson in the next beach up, about 12km away. We're paying about $10 a night for lodging here, so its a nice break from CR. (Sorry for bragging Nick!)
So, this could be the start of Karen and I's professional surf career...or we could get fed up and leave in a few days.
We arrived in San Juan del Sur yesterday. To get into Nicaragua via bus, you have to get off at the boarder, buy Costa Rica exit stamps, passport check, walk you luggage to Nicaragua passport check, walk to the next passport check, walk to Nicragua customs, for the next passport check, pay $7 us (they don't take Nicraguan money, Cordobas, from US citizens, which we exchanged our Costa Rican money for)and finally you are in Nicaragua. After expressing some interest in a Taxi instead of two more buses, we were mobbed by Taxi drivers, and finally gave in and rode into San Juan in style. 82 Toyata Corolla style that is.
It is one of Nicaragua's most developed tourist destiniations, but it is much more modest than Costa Rica. Very laid back and we like it so far. We're about to rent surf boards and get a surfing lesson in the next beach up, about 12km away. We're paying about $10 a night for lodging here, so its a nice break from CR. (Sorry for bragging Nick!)
So, this could be the start of Karen and I's professional surf career...or we could get fed up and leave in a few days.