Joanie very much wanted to return to the beach, so we spent 3 days in a very isolated location. The village was destroyed by a tsunami in 1995 and is very slowly rebuilding. There are a few places to stay, a few to eat at, and a very few gringos surfing or hanging out on the beach. We got rowed around the estuary that is part of Padre Ramos Park and climbed a hill to survey the surrounding countryside which included a number of muddy circles that form shrimp ponds. We could see the collapsed volcano to the north that was reduced from 8000 meters to a small fraction of that and formed a chain of islands off the coast.
(Joanie: I wanted to come here because I saw a sign in Granada that read: Vibracion Positiva, Jiquilillo Beach - Paulo 88987893 - come teach children creative arts! and also a couple we met in Granada had spent their one week vacation here. The day before we were leaving we met Paulo, a beautiful Brazilian fellow who was opening up a small guitar and surfing school on the beach. The community had given him a run-down palapa which he was renovating, with a stage for him to teach kids. He was having his opening shindig the next day - so I sent all the kids from the Rancho we were staying at to his party. Several of them play guitar and might be swept up into his idea. What a genuinely shining person! So....if you are in Nicaragua, go look him up! He is right by Vista del Pacifico right at the beginning of the beach.)
(Joanie: My favorite part of staying at J. was when I got up real early the final morning and ran into the ocean naked. What joy! Plus everyone singing together the evening before. And the fish dinner at Mommis.)
We met many marvelous folk at Rancho Tranquillo, a place run by a former San Francisco woman. We were not able to call ahead so we just grabbed a bus and showed up. We had a welcoming committee of half a dozen or so folks. There´s a constant transition of new folks, but right now there is a Frenchman and a German who are here for awhile. We made a deep connection with a couple from Austin who we hope will visit us in Portland some time. They saw us get off the bus and it blew them away. How can these old codgers travel by bus out to the middle of nowhere! was sorta the drift. They gave us a lift this morning, 1-7, to Leon where we caught a bus and eventually got to Esteli. Early tomorrow we will take a bus in Parque Miraflor for home stays in two different communities. Can´t wait to tell you more and get some photos uploaded. The latter has been impossible at these Cyber Cafes!
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