playa gigante

Morgan's arrival to Nicaragua was a revival of camaraderie and peace. After being in Nicaragua for almost two months, it is most delightful to reunite with an old friend- someone who knows me. In the past couple months, frustration often developed as a result of my poorly accentuated Spanish communication with the people here. Being misunderstood outright sucks; not being able to thoroughly participate in conversations by adding my own opinion makes me feel stupid, ignorant, and apathetic. Yet now I am revived by good conversations and perfect silences.
Morgan and I have gallivanted through the southeastern past of Nicaragua for almost a week and a half- climbed volcanoes, rode ferries, hitchhiked with strangers, and met unforgettable characters.
This morning I awoke to the sound of crashing salt water on the fine sand. Two days ago, Morgan and I met Dale. Dale is an American, yet his spirit is inherently Nicaraguan. He has lived here for almost 20 years, sailed the Pacific Ocean from Chile to California, and established his entire life here on the seashore. Hitchhiking along the road from San Juan del Sur to Playa Maderas, we got in with him and realized as we made ourselves comfortable in his truck that he is a gringo. Dale has taught me to have faith that even at age 60, it is possible to look at the world with amazement- realizing it's sublime beauty and becoming addicted to the complexity of nature. He runs a surfing business, and has lent us one of his houses for these days. I didn't realize how much I missed hot showers, ceiling fans, washing machines, stereo sound systems, ice, and in-house internet! This town doesn't have a name- it is simply compiled of a few houses along the shore. The men fish, the women tend to the house, and the children run along the ocean collecting turtle eggs.
Essentially, deserted beaches line the coast. What a beautiful land.
Dale just walked in. He is going to drive us up to the main road to hitch a ride back to the capital. Hopefully we're lucky and don't have to walk too far...