Press play on this classic album – Buena Vista Social Club – and picture me – just turned 35 – listening and writing whilst this bumping along in a tiny white bus with the air con stuck in cold speeding through Honduras watching the sun rise over the mountains. Shacks, buildings, shrines and graffiti blur past me all tempting me to look closer but we’ve already gone by too fast – OW – that was a big bump!
(Surfy bit at end – scroll through to avoid what I hope are interesting mini stories)
I’m sorry Honduras but not this time. I’ve placed you, together with the beautiful unexplored North Nicaragua, on the sacrificial pyre of decisions, I’ll have to return for you both.
Craving culture was not normally something I’d associate with travelling but I found myself missing a bit of the city so I took myself off to visit historical Leon, surrounded by volcanoes and steeped in revolutionary history.
The poetic home of Rubén Dario it is also Nicaragua’s unpolished diamond. The buzz of the city (pop 200,000) is immediately apparent electrified by stifling heat and everyone enjoying the shade of the Cathedral Square.
The Cathedral and its roof scape are magnificent affording views across the charming city with its Art Gallery displaying an astounding collection of art, open air in courtyard style galleries/wings.
The theatre, I have become quite attached to these due to my last project, was also a delight and surprisingly had a connection to the Beatles! It was here that after a brief discussion and impromptu tour of the whole theatre that I promised to return in the evening for a performance of international dance, perfect as my Spanish is still, well let’s just say not even pidgin.
Little did I know what was in store (I should have guessed at the price of $2) but I’d luckily managed to convince an amazing couple from Germany; Mark and basketball cheerleader Katerina to join me and besides what better way to see out your last day being closer to 30 than 40!
It began at 1830, actually was meant to begin at 1830, but at 1900 everyone was upstanding for the national anthem and then began the speeches and introduction complete with PowerPoint slides complete with slide changing graphics that would make a certain colleague proud, on a screen that you couldn’t see clearly as the house lights were still on. Still what little I did understand of the speaker, flanked by the national flag and wearing a golden tie in a dark grey shiny suit, was that he asked if we needed more air? Yes! Everyone replied loudly to which nothing was done. Continuing on blissfully unaware, in an almost communist stance, he apologised in advance for the speech he has about to give but that he would give it anyway and please bear with him!!! 25mins later with all the dancers still waiting on the sides of the stage and all of the audience now positively dripping in sweat occasionally interrupting his speech calling out for ‘AIRE’ he proceeds onward for another 20mins until he is able to present the directors of the show we have yet to see with a Diploma. Congratulations.
Alleluia! Let it be known to anyone making a speech, don’t do it BEFORE the show. Everyone, regardless that we were now drenched in sweat and clearly breathing air made more humid by the fact, was ready to walk out without seeing any of the performance!
The show begins with stilt walkers waggling around the stage, before they stalked off and were replaced by children straight out of MJ’s Earth video – I won’t describe all the performances but the show got progressively better, however, the highlights for me were said children returning dressed as Hawaiians and a mermaid and the Tango being done by teenagers at a quarter of the pace making it look like a rather drawn out first embrace and exploration/discovery of the opposite sex as oppose to Rene Russo and Pierce Brosan in the Thomas Crown Affair!
But I focus on the most amusing parts, there were some truly amazing traditional and modern dances that despite the heat performed superbly and left us in high spirits until grey suit and yellow tie walked on stage at the curtain call – leg it – I said to the others and that we did, straight across the road to the nearest bar.
After dinner we celebrated in one of the only clubs in town and saw in my birthday with copious Flora de Cana and Frescas followed by observing Latin American dancefloor culture which seemed to resemble a game of hungry hippo (men being the hippos any girl not dancing with a man the balls in the middle) than dancing.
A nice stroll home bumping into more Germans (you know who’s economy is doing well by the people you meet travelling!) I’d met along the way and home for the mother of all dehydrated hangovers!
One last thing I had to do in Leon was try to understand the myths and legends that surround this deeply rooted Indian culture. The main museum is housed in the old prison that has had all the festival papier-mâché figures installed with it together with some fairly graphic art work displaying various torture techniques.
The stories are varied but the ones that captured my attention where the ones that openly mocked the Spanish and their invasion and brought about demons and ghosts to haunt the streets of Leon and indeed Nicaragua.
The headless priest; this clergyman supported and helped the Indians but once discovered was beheaded in the main square of the Old Leon which then cursed the city and caused many earthquakes until the city was moved to its current location.
The golden crab; the symbol of treasure. The Indian chief refused to give up its location and was burnt but within his flames they saw a golden crab. His daughter the now sole protector was seduced by a deceiving Spaniard and gave up its location before she too was burnt and also disappeared in flames of a golden crab.
The oxcart of death: the Spanish brought the oxcart to Central America and as such when they were patrolling the streets looking for new slaves the Indians would here the hoofs and wheels of the oxcart therefore associating it with death.
On leaving the museum you pass a tank donated by the Commander of 1990 (!) Revolution and now their president for 13 years. It was almost fitting then that as I walked back, for my appointed massage by a blind man, that there was a march going through the centre of town by the youth (no one seemed over 20) of the day campaigning for Presidente Daniel’s re election in November. It is sad that everyone I have spoken to doesn’t want him to continue and they believe the votes are continually rigged with protesters against him disappearing and completed ballot papers found burnt in the street…it is sad that, as highlighted in the impeachment (removal) of Brazil’s this week, that the wheel keeps turning with little change.
The physical scars of Leon’s fight against corruption are everywhere and long may they continue to provide the heart that is Nicaragua.
Hasta luego Nicaragua I’m gonna leave you and run to meet a massive swell set to hit El Salvador next week – don’t think me fickle I just miss the ocean.
LSC Surf Report
Author: me
Driver: Marbin and Carlos
Where: Popoyo, El Transito,
I left giant Gigante for giant Popoyo! At first it was difficult to get the hang of the reef once again the rights were ruined by the RIP but the lefts just went forever.
This break is superb and I surfed it twice a day everyday for a week. Things to note, it’s crowded but there are always waves – we were getting in the water at first light 0515 and generally there were only 3-4 people till about 0630 the that number increased to 30 ish for the rest of the day until sunset when I’d come back.
The rights at low with a pushing tide have little almond barrels and devastating wipeouts but the reef is generally seaweed coved rock and although hard and gives you and your feet and board nicks (particularly at low as it very very shallow, below the knee) it is forgiving. Also bear in mind that the place that looks like a hostel overlooking the break is actually a bar with a shower, I didn’t make enough use of this!
Further along the beach and you have a beginners break: Magnific Rock (though this is also capable of breaking boards in big swells) which has a break both sides of the rock with a nice hotel ($80/night I was staring at Popoyo beach hostel for 10) worth a visit particularly for steak night….
Another 30 mins along and you find a barrelling Santana. I didn’t surf either of these breaks as Popoyo was just too good.
I left this place for what promised to be an amazingly new untapped area no one knew called El transito.
Hmm – bad choice but amazing little town, definite surf destination of the future but if I was you I’d head to Miramar instead where they are more used to the idea of surfers wanting to visit breaks.
El transito itself had a couple of beachies but it really reminded me of home and was nothing special, however, 20mins drive (maybe quicker in a 4WD not a Nissan) away to playa hermosa and you have an empty myriad of choices, this is best at mid – high.
Get a boat, v difficult from el transito ($30/hr) and visit Puerto Sandino and Freight Trains, an aptly named peeling dramatic left. This is better accessed from Miramar though.
Here ends my time in Nicaragua, I was invited to visit the undeveloped north (though I met a couple who are looking to set up shop there) and wave called the Boom which I definitely have to go back for as its reputation is astounding.
Any advice required on Nica please get in touch – good luck with the surf back home I hear it’s been awesome…
Kinder