Sleeping with Mark Twain - San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

The best thing about travel is coming upon the unexpected.  San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua is known for surf.  Big, heart pounding waves are the custom.  Most travelers here were the nomadic surf types.  With boards in tow, they moved up and down the coast of Central America in search of the perfect wave.   Other than these well tanned watermen few if any knew of the region’s beauty and remoteness.

That all changed in 2010 when Hollywood found its way to southern Nicaragua and filmed its Survivor Nicaragua season.  Quickly the town became more than just a dot on the map.  Restaurants and hotels sprang up to accommodate the flood of tourists.  Even an upscale resort has been built that overlooks the city’s bay.  Rooms at the Pelican Eyes Resort and Spa are pricy and not what most have become accustom to paying when in this developing country.

All of the above I knew.  In fact I was drawn by the siren of the world class waves with third world prices.  I did find that.  While prices in San Juan del Sur are not what they used to be, they are still affordable.  A decent meal with waterfront dining can be had for under $15 dollars per person.  Beer and rum are equally cheap and seemingly run without end to the majority of the youthful visitors.

One hotel stands apart.  Built in 1902 the Victoriano Hotel is one of the oldest buildings in town.  The structure is of Victorian Architecture and was built using cedar.  The smell is both romantic and intoxicating.   The entry doors are like a portal into a different era.  Ceiling fans whirl overhead and the wooden floors creak out your arrival.  Old black and white photos adorn the hallway walls.  Most depicting either pictures of the once sleepy fishing village or of the hotels most famous guest, one Samuel L. Clemons.

What we learn is that before the Panama Canal was built, in an attempt to bypass the arduous trip around the bottom of South America travelers cut across Nicaragua.  Debarking at San Juan del Sur, they traveled by horse drawn wagons to Lake Nicaragua.  Here they boarded boats that ferried them to the opposite side of the large body of water and down the San Juan River until they hit the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea.

Like most travelers, Twain spent his first night ashore at the Victoriano Hotel.  The lodge has memorialized the room and for an additional $10 dollars over the normal rate you can sleep there.  With hopes that some how, some way the great authors ability or spirit would in some shape or form rub off on me I was happy to pay the extra.  As you can tell, it was money misspent.  Regardless, it was an added extra surprise to our travels in this wonderful country and a brush with history that will long add to my wealth of memories.

San Ramon Waterfall, Ometepe Nicaragua

Feeling the spray of a volcanic waterfall.

High on the volcano Maderas on the island of Ometepe cascades the water of San Ramon.  The waterfall is not reached easily but is well worth the effort.  What creates the most difficulty in not the 4 hour hike, but actually reaching the starting point. The road to the Nicaraguan wonder is not paved, and most likely will not be.  If you do not have a four wheel drive vehicle then you will be forced to by hike, bike, motorcycle or take a bus. 

Nicaragua is a country of contrasts.  There is unbelievable beauty and unimaginable poverty.  High surf dominates its Pacific border while tranquil seas lap at its’ Caribbean beaches.  No where is that more apparent than on the island of Ometepe.  The small land mass was created by two volcanoes.  One dormant and covered in rain forest, the other active, its cone left barren.

The volcano Maderas is a thick chocking mass of forest and undergrowth.  It can be climbed, but most visitors prefer to stop at the waterfall.  A trail beginning at the Biological Field Station leads to a fork about 3 kilometers up the mountain.  Here you can choose to continue on for an all day outing and strenuous climb to the summit, or veer right and head to the waterfall.  A road also exists that leads to a power plant and will save you at least two hours of hiking.  However, be aware if you do not have a motorcycle or a four wheel drive vehicle the drive is impossible. 

There is a small fee to enter the park, but the cost is the same regardless of which activity you choose.  The hike to the falls is steep and steamy.  Humidity is high as is the heat index.  Bring plenty of water with you and be prepared for frequent stops.  Once upon your quest you will be enveloped by a thick jungle canopy.  Bird calls are frequent and on going, however it is difficult to spot them in the dense foliage.  The trail is most often wet and slippery as the sun strains to break through. There is also a stream bed that you must cross along the way. 

Depending on where you start form your destination will come into view in about 1-2 hours.  You will hear the falls prior to seeing it.  As you do break out of the forest you will see the water coming from high above.  Crashing and spraying down from hundreds of feet.  A pool has formed in catching the endless supply of water coming off the volcano.  It is not deep enough to swim in, but you can easily enough wade in it until you find yourself underneath the down rush of water.  Be warned that the water is cold, and the pool is filled with sharp volcanic rocks.  However, after a hard hot hike, the temperature of the falls is refreshing and welcoming.