Scott's Travels

Nicaragua May 2009 - Part 4

2009-09-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

May 3, 2009 Las Penitas/El Viejo Nicaragua

Soundtrack: Red Lorry Yellow Lorry

Wake up at 9:30am and grab some breakfast. It's my last day at Playa Roca and I don't want to leave. I need another month here! But I have an appointment in El Viejo to view my property. So I have my good-byes with Max and Cookie and off to Northern Nicaragua with Dr. Val again. It's about 2.5 hours to get there and we head through Leon and Chinendega. Once again, great ride with Dr. Val. We make it to Hotel Chancletas at 2pm. This area of Northern Nicaragua is very remote and not for the faint at heart. I check in at the hotel and wait for my contact, Boris, to go see my property. I really want to hit the surf but I need to wait for Boris. Booms, the local break, is going off at 4.5ft. and it's an amazing site. Hotel Chancletas is a hotel geared towards surfers. It's a hostel style hotel with a bar/restaurant and a really cool vibe. Owner, Shay O'brien, really did a great job here.
So Boris shows up at 4pm and we take his motorcycle 4 miles into the jungle passing people in heir thatched roofed homes and mule powered carriages. It's like going back 100 years in time. We make it to my property and it looks great! .75 acre on the beach and I'm happy as hell! I take lots of pictures of the lot, the ocean, the sunset, and I'm super stoked.
I get back to the hotel and it's already dark so no surfing today. It sucks but that's life. I decide to go hang out in the rancho and grab some food. 4 fish tacos, 2 beers, and 3 rum/Cokes ...I feel pretty damned good and decide to call it a night since I have to head back to Managua tomorrow at 7am.

Nicaragua May 2009 - Part 3

2009-09-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

May 2, 2009 Las Penitas, Nicaragua

Soundtrack: The Cult - Love

Wake up at 8am to the waves of the Pacific. The surf is a solid 5ft. with glossy rideable rights and not a soul in the water. I decide to grab some breakfast, traditional Nica breakfast which includes pinto beans, rice, eggs, toast, and the best part....strong Nicaraguan coffee! I hang out for a bit....check my email and play with the hotel dog, a little Dachshund named "Rosie". I have a Dachshund named "Vegas" so I have a real soft spot for these dogs.
I then decide to go out and have a surf....epic conditions! I surf for 3 hours and catch some great waves! I really love this place. Nothing better than saying f**k off to the 9-5 stress and live life the way it was supposed to be lived.....no worries, low stress, good people, good drinks, good surf, and all in a tropical paradise!
So 2pm comes around and I have my appointment with the real estate agent. Mauricio comes and picks me up and she shows me lots of properties in Poneloya and a couple strike my eye so I'm going to think about buying one, we'll see. Mauricio takes me to his house ad I meet his family. Very nice people and he is a great guy too! A definite must have resource in Nicaragua. We head back to Playa Roca and discuss business, real estate, and future opportunities over a couple of rum and Cokes.
After I'm done with Mauricio, I then decide to take in some more waves. I catch some good surf for an hour or so before the sun starts to set. Time for dinner again. Max and I strike up a conversation about this adventures in Thailand, Burma, the Caribbean, Central and South America. This guy has some amazing stories.....crazy stuff I wish I could have experienced. He tells me he needs some new music for the bar and tells me his son and girlfriend are DJ's in Spain. Right up my alley, so I give Max some mp3's and we talk about how we can put some DJ/music stuff in Nicaragua. Once again, another great opportunity. Max tells me he is going to meet a friend and get some fresh lobster for dinner. After an hour, he comes back and tells me he has 4 lobster tails on the grill for me! I'm in heaven!! 4 lobsters, Tona beer, and great company! Myself, Max, and Cookie make a dinner date again!
After dinner, I decide to take it easy so I hit a hammock on the beach and crank up the Cult and crash out!

Nicaragua May 2009 - Part 2

2009-05-07T20:26:00.000-07:00

May 1, 2009 Managua, Las Penitas Nicaragua

Soundtrack: The Dandy Warhols

I arrive into MGA at 11:15am. It's hot, it's sticky, and humid. My ride, we'll call him Dr. Val, is the cousin of Mauricio Morales, my real estate agent in the Las Penitas/Poneloya area. Dr. Val picks me up with his wife in an old 80's Datsun and we make the 2.5 hour trip to Las Penitas. It's an ugly trip through Managua. Managua is a chaotic, shit hole of a city. It's a shame that this city is the capital as it's a true representation of Nicaragua. Dr. Val speaks great English so we have a great conversation about the revolution, Sandanistas, his job, his niece's wedding, and his life in general. He's a great guy and a good resource to have here in Nicaragua.
We finally make it to Las Penitas and I check into Playa Roca Hotel. The hotel is amazing. For $35 a night, you get a private room on the beach with en suite bathroom. The beach is at your door! The hotel also has a nice little beach bar/restaurant. It's just a great place to kick back and relax.
So I meet the owner, Cookie Cardin. She and her husband from CA bought the hotel about 4 years ago. Cookie is an amazingly nice hostess who goes out of her way to make your stay the best! We have a quick conversation before I head to my room to drop my bags off. After that I head over the bar and grab a Tona, a Nicaraguan beer, and 2 Cubre Libres. Flora de Cana, the Nicaraguan rum, is the best on the planet. So after a few drinks I decide to hit the surf. The surf is about 5 ft. and really good. I paddle out and the first ride I get drilled and pull a muscle in my back. I was in a lot of pain and dizzy in the 81 degree water. No more surfing for today. The fact that I had 3 hours of sleep the night before, the drinks, and not ready for the ocean really kicked my ass. Time for rest. So I take a nap for a bit and rest off the pain. Wake up to sound of the ocean and decide to grab some dinner. Cookie and Max, the hotel's handyman and all around great guy, are hanging out so the 3 of us decide to have some food. Have fresh red snapper in ranchera sauce and it's amazing.
Some beers and great conversation with Max and Cookie make for a great evening. I think I'll call it a night.

Part 3 later.....

Nicaragua May 2009 - Part 1

2009-05-07T20:08:00.000-07:00

April 30, 2009 10:50pm @ LAX

Soundtrack: Fields of the Nephilim

I'm sitting here at gate 62, terminal 6 waiting for my flight to Managua. I arrive into IAH at 5:30am where I then have to sit for a 3 hour layover in my least favorite city of Houston. Then finally jet off to Nicaragua and arrive into MGA at 11:15am. Grab a taxi to Playa Roca Hotel in Las Penitas, hopefully be there by 1pm. Check into the room at the beach hotel and then grab a drink at the bar which leads to hitting the surf.
Las Penitas is a small fishing village just outside of the colonial city of Leon. Beach houses dot the coastline along with 2-3 hotels and no taxis here. Only the bus! Las Penitas is true isolation and beauty. Miles of undiscovered white sand beaches and really great surfing! To hell with your computer and TV! Grab a hammock, a drink, and a book and forget your troubles.
I'm meeting a real estate agent on Saturday to look at property in Las Penitas and Poneloya. Sunday is off to Hotel Chancletas to surf and see my property in Los Clavos Beach. Chancletas is the ultimate surf hotel. Located in front of the beachbreak, Booms, this place caters to the true adventurer. I stayed there in July 2008 and had an amazing time. No TV....just drinks, food, surfing, and time to relax.
Part 2 next time......