Playa Majagual, Nicaragua
A much needed rest with a great friend.During our week in the rental house we did a really good job of completely forgetting about how we abandoned the bus (with only three wheels) and what that might mean later on. Mostly we lounged in the hammocks, hit the outdoor shower every 20 minutes to stay cool and fit as many catan games in as we could. Jen and Bailie found a nice shady spot on the beach for their sunrise yoga sessions and we ate like king and vegetarian queens. Pupusas were a daily treat and we managed a pretty good thai curry from a fresh coconut (along with our more traditional nicaraguan dishes). A few trips to the beach a day to jump in the ocean were a necessity, and we basically soaked each other up while talking about life and dreams and goals and passions
This beach is almost completely deserted. A few cabanas are scattered around but we see almost nobody else unless we make our way down around the point. We got lucky enough to have the produce truck come by with some much needed veggies and even some fresh mint for mojitos.
The only entertainment in between catan games was the wildlife. The howler monkeys didn’t come back for another visit, but kept letting us know they were there. Just off the patio the real action was the birds and the squirrelverine. Im not really a fan of squirrels in general (all stemming from a friend in college who got attacked by a rabid squirrel who dropped 20’ out of a tree before going crazy on her leg) but this particular species and his freaky stripe is seriously terrifying.
The caretaker next door would eerily swing by from time to time each day, probably looking for a bit of company. I tried to make friends but he responded by asking if he could have my shorts. He must have thought i had a closetful of clothes and probably didn’t realize that would mean me walking around naked for the next 2 days. Hmm.
We had no wifi, phone or other connection so a few days in we wandered a couple beaches down to playa maderas to get the beach bar to make some calls for us. Nothing quite like trying to translate your car trouble to a stranger so that he can then call and translate what your mechanic has to say about parts. Mostly the call ended with a “todo bien”, meaning everything is fine...and we walk away not really buying it but knowing there isn’t anything we can do for now. Back to the more important task at hand of showing Bailie the best possible time we can.
Our new friends from Jackson and Memphis hang out on this beach everyday so it’s also a nice chance to enjoy some drinks in the sand with them while watching the most amazing sunset ever and then trying to navigate our way back around the point in complete darkness. We made mental notes to bring headlamps next time, and maybe glasses for those without good night vision...
The next day we strolled a bit further afield, hiked up the hill to Maderas Village and stopped on the way back for some trail pizza just to make sure we had the fuel for the rest of the hike. Didn’t make it home much earlier this day but were far better prepared. Exhausted from our hectic schedules we joined karma for some hammock time and crashed early.
The week was exactly the break we needed...hopefully it recharged Bailie half as much as it did us. Now we just need to recover from all the relaxing...oh, and get the bus back in working condition.