Sat 21st 0805 been awake for at least half an hour, having breakfast (pancakes). Fwiw someone, probably several people, were snorking like crazy (albeit just about bearable) n the night. Perhaps because of that and perhaps coincidence b got up for a piss about 0230 and the hostel was busy, all the toilets I tried at first were occupied. I thought treehouse went out til 3 at least but maybe a lot of people came back earlyish.
0809 I feel ok. Not I'll but a tiny bit heavy with the food somehow. I suspect more just a touch of hypocrisy and general nerves about today (it is not exteeme but there is water and swimming and UV and maybe kayak and I will either be phoneleaa or will be at risk of losing my phone and I won't have normal clothes with me and tomorrow is a travel day albeit probably a fairly easy one with the shuttle and a probably ly simple if annoyingly pricey boat and maybe taxi to the accom.
I did/do feel a bit rough, presumably from the beers last night, even though it wasn't insane. Nothing major. Will have two or three cips of coffee and I may have my remaining sandwiches in a hour or so. Need to pack/change for the apoyo tour but not leaving til 10
I got the grey trousers included in the wash I handed in yesterday, I had only put them on the day of the volcano boarding so they really didn't have much wear in them but I figured if it really is a dollar a pound (weight) and given how sweaty etc I have felt lately I would get them properly washed while I had the chance.
0829 overhearing a few fragments of conversation about treehouse. Some guy saying they were on the first shuttle. I think people enjoyed it but at least so far (maybe those guys are still in bed hungover) seems to be absolutely omfg raving about it. (Not sour grapes, just noting. Tbh I suspect I could go if I had really wanted, but I have been feeling pretty low lately so probably smart not to do it just on silly checks boz grounds. I think it is probably good and mildly iconic but not actually omfg best thing ever totally unique and aepxial experience.)
1755 waiting for free drinks. Today actually not bad. No chat but didn't expect any. I did swim for about half an hour early (11) and half an hour late and I also did 10-15 mins (prob nearer 10) solo kayak about 2pm before swimming again 245pm. First swim more back and forth breast and bit of front, second had some of that but did a few jumps and dives off the floating raft platform thing and also got an inflatable ribber ring thing and floated about on that a bit. Kayak was not as difficult as I expected but I wasn't sure about benign vs legal straight and was a bit edgy about tipping myself over, albeit despite modest waves oen the lake it didn't really feel very likely. Nain thing was the physical effort required, but to be fair part of this was legal hurting due to awkward positioning and I assume the legs aren't doing the work really, and my stomach was hurting but was this effort or just tension? Still for (f we ignore tiny slightly weird experience during San Blas trip) a very first ever kayak and first ever solo kayak not too bad and J had a go and it is a starting point etc.
Went out for food after shower when got back, couldn't find any comedor or anything, wandered a bit and ended up having a chicken breast at the Quick Pollo food cart outside Maxi Pali. living the dream baby.
No idea whether I will go out tonight or not or whether I will have a beer or two. Hostel has a pub crawl but I really am not interested especially when I have to travel tomorrow and I also suspect after last night maybe a lot of people won't be that up for it but who knows.
Dutch couple from volcano boarding are at next table. I should probably say hi.
1804 ok did have tiny chat with bloke at the bar getting free drink, he wasn't rude or stansoffiah but not very chatty. It is his birthday today and they are out tonight so may account for it but I die at least ask about last night. He chatted a bit with bar staff about it. Aapparently the music is quite mellow for techno, one of staff said because people who aren't really into texhno go because it is the treehouse party it is toned down a bit (paraphrasing). Some woman came up showing aignup for the pub crawl, it is 5 USD but I also felt a tiny bit like she wasn't actually talking to me, but that is probably over sensitive but more to the point I really don't want to do 5 shots tonight and I am sort of in this weird slightly (bit not massively) annoyed at not chatting to people but also not desperately keen to make a last ditch effort at this hostel mood. Really I am not absolutely averse but it could be awfully isolqting, I am not huge on shots, if I wasn't travelling tomorrow maybe I would feel different, also I am drinking albeit not to excess a lot and I am having the free rum and Fresca no\ and may even have some beers later and I may have a beer watching the sunset from the garden of hostel on onetepw etc tomorrow so while none of this is mega abatemioua and equally I'd I was really tempted by the pub crawl I would probably do it but all in all I thinkot.
Dutch bloke was saying the tree house was cool but he wasn't going omfg it was amazing.
Fwiw the street leading down from oen end of hostel street towards the bridge with the (dry season I guess) very dirty low flow lots of rubbish river is sort of vibrantly markety but also has a decided poverty stricken third world kind of vibe (that is probably overatating it but still). Maybe I am just a bit prejudiced but leon didn't feel quite like that and not did even the poorer bits of el Salvador that I have seen so far.
To be scrupulously fair except for the small risk of getting run over, at least at this time of day (5pmish, before sunset) it didn't feel actively threatening or dangerous.
I am slightly annoyed about the pub crawl. But this is more me making a somewhat sensible decision than self excluding on shyness or age or whatever grounds. If it was a few beers that would be different but shots and a possibly late-ish night, no, the timing is not right. I could spend that metaphorical alcohol budget elsewhere.
- [x] Ftr iirc (but pretty sure I have photos) the beach club resort place included in today's apoyo apoyo apoyo tour was coco bay. I was briefly tempted by the 290 buffet for lunch but it wasn't an all you can eat type buffet, just a comida a la vista thing very similar to what you might get in a comedor at about twice the price and I just wasn't that fussed. I had had four sandwiches to finish my supplies before heading out after breakfast. I also360 resisted the temptation to have e a beer partly because of swimming/kayaking so I didn't actually spend any money there.
1914 got laundry, seems ok.
At tierra MIA on calzada. Nominally 60 for a tona. I feel slightly pissed or vaguely woozy from the three free ones at hostel in an odd way. Probably shouldn't be drinking but will have a low key couple, people watch a bit and then an early night I think.
1925 I think I have modest sunburn on back. And the p7 screen is acting up badly, I hope it is bettermow, I simply a tony it of water or alcohol (likely just condensation dripping off glass) during free drinks at hostel and it may be that. To be fair it is working now.
Gut xhurning a bit but I think it is a sort of nerves and slightly poor diet and vague irratitation/stress kind of thing. Mariachi's performing at next table.
1933 second beer like the first it is so cold it has ice in it from presumably having been frozen, but atlctally doesn't feel all that cold
While warm it was more pleasant at the lake than in granada. And to be fair last tonight it was a bit cooler too.
The lake water btw would fluctuate wildly every few m between cool and warm. I wore ny bandanna all the time, but swam topless (presumably hence back burn, I had put some sunblock onmy shoulders before leaving hostel) but did have t-shirt (red short sleeve of course) on during the kayaking but my legs were sun lockless and potentially at risk of burning, albeit the short 10ish mins probably highly mitigates this.
Water rwas pretty deep pretty quickly btw but was pretty chill about it which is good.
Incidentally that brief exchange tonight does show that despite being uncertain I did in fact recogniae the Dutch guy correctly when he said hi to me yesterday, which is also good.
It is by no means dead but also not super lively and rammed. The two middle aged local couples at the next table who had the Mariarchis are kind of cute in their way though. they are dancing in the street (I am sitting outside as are they, o one rlis really inside)
It is sort of cool to e here and see the cathedral in the mid distance and there eis a coolish strongish breed. I am tbh not in love with granada but maybe my lack of fun or discomfort has been randomness plus perhaps an accidentally bad hostel choice but it isn't terrible. And I may be back here depending on what I decide to do after ometepe. Which may or may not be a shirt or long stay, if I like it is certainly have the time budget to put a week in there.
Fellow tourists walk past occasionally but it does feel like the small quantity of clientele here is local.
Fwiw while there is sure of hell no shortage of motorbikes in nicaragua, it does feel like the chances of being run down by a pedal bike are non zero and this feels different from el Salvador.
I did use my phone little bit (on WiFi though my own data is still working mostly) at the last, but during my high uv breaks I did mostly just ait and think and stare at the view etc.
Local vibe aside the giu at the table behind me looks like he might be an expat. But even that is kind of cool, and different from the 20 yo backpackers who seem to be dominating my mental perspective lately.
Wet not finding anywhere to eat earlier, I suspect all the comedor s shut super early as in el Salvador. I have no idea what low budget locals do who want to eat in the evening. I was thinking about comedor pa mi gente at the lake and struggled a bit but after an initial "oooh, I could go there tonight before drinks" I remembered it was in leon.
Sudden random and probably Weird thought that to should ask one of the itinerant vendors I am constantly (exaggeration) saying no gracias to to accept 50 cordobas and act as verbal prostitute and chat to
Me for Spanish practice for 5 minutes.
Fwiw while I fuss the non trivial and maybe vnt highly dominant vs tourists locals here are relatively well off, this street does not feel like it is for Reich foreigners only or like all the locals are in poverty. But yes that strip down towards maxi pali and some of the other streets do have that vague kind of vibe, albeit it isnt quite that bad and I am not describing it that well.
Incidentally on shuttle back from lake a you Gullah woman who seemed to be vaguely digital nomad and *might* be at my hostel was saying she had a private room but no aircon and the fan just didn't have enough airflow and it was so damn hot. Not judging or anything, seems a reasonable le comment and she wasn't being overly whiny and no more smufbthwn is inherently implixitbin all this, not posing, I just found it interesting.
Yeah, it is warm now Tonight but borderline nice and tropically interesting and exotic not absolutely stifling. As I think I already said it does seem to vary a little day to day, some days and some nights are stickier than others even based on small amount of time I have spent here so far.
I feel better than when I left hostel and perhaps oddly (unless the rum was creeping up on me - except for the first drink, the measures look fairly generous and casual at the hostel, but the drinks always taste weak) less drunk than when I came, albeit not sober. Will probably have a fourth and just maybe a fifth and then home for early bed. I do feel a bit tired for whatever reason, maybe lingering from recent days or today or who knows. Incidentally there is a lingering muscle fatigue which I notice in bed, possibly from volcano boarding and the tumbles (though they were not painful and given I survived them kind of fun actually) or maybe from other general axitivty or just randomness.
The music here is generally smoother and softer and classic pseido vaguely ballroom dancier and (very loosely] we have very slightly rocked it up with a prince Royce style song playing now, not like the classic latin rock last night at the other bar.
2032 wow just asked way to bog and there is a huge inner courtyard and quite a few people in here, albeit not in an ultra classy way (sort of nicely run down unpretentious), but I think it is nicer and cooler sitting in the streets
2035 just ordered a fourth. Not pissed but unless I am enjoying myself massively (and I might be) this will probably be the last this is only like 3ish pints I guess.
Fwiw I went in via the tierra mia entrance and emerged apparently from the same internal structure via q doorway labelled galerias la calzada, but I assume it is all the same place not some weird bar complex.
Quite: a lot of friendlyish street dogs around.
Harvey just walked past. No recognition, he was with a couple of mates but oddly cool to see him.
2046 we have broken out into English rock. "Monkey business on the floor" and now something vaguely rnb/rap remix of staying alive.
I should probably have called out to Harvey but i also feeling a bit of a mild downer and an leaving tonorrow, but you know, it sort of feels like the title what a confident person would have done, renewing the casual acquaintance and maybe inviting something to happen.
Bit torn. One beer at the margin makes nobsifferenxe. But it does add up, and (I have about half this one left) while this isn't a terrible night, it also (woman from next table just asked for napkins from my table) isn't amazing (remix of ring my bell playing) and I hope to have more fun and friendly and memorable nights and despite not hating it as per earlier, it will frankly be nice to be the hell out of this hostel and Granada and have a freahiah start modulo any lingering mental stains and stirred up shit.
OTOH I like here and 5 350ml bottles is not going to make tomorrows modest shuttle a living hell and while I am an observer there is still something kind of cool about being here.
Ot3h some vague bitterness coming through. It feels like I am settling a bit. Ot4h finnof whatever kind nomattwr how mild is where you find it, and while I don't expect or even want it (travel tonorrow), random unexpected shit has happened to me before from just being out etc. L
I am piase of I burned my back and maybe I should have just swim in my red tshirt bit I sort of didn't want to temporarily ruin it. And it is nicer to swim without. And fingers crossed the damage is modest and the pain low.
Menu says this is akaraoke bar. Not really in mood and I fucked up quite badly even by my lowbstandards other night in leon and I suspect not tonight anyway but fwiw.
Still deeply torn about fucking off vs not. But I! Some level we are just over four weeks in, while far from perfect I haven't done too badly so far and it would be good to just move on from the mood swamp of granada and this hostel and actually have some genuine untainted-ish fun somewhere else. It isnt like Granada is the last fun place in the country or world. Jee, I'd be fucked if it was, given how little fun I have had here in a sense.
And while this isn't the pub crawl, the fact is that I am travelling tomorrow and I am not mega feeling it even if there is something (and something localish) to the vibe here, it isnt like this is the sort of light where (while i would welcome it) i would absolutely welcome a random social contact with fully open arms. I am a bit ground down and I want a fresh start andmaybe (trite but trueish) a bit of a nature reaet and some quiet contemplation (with beer, yes) of a volcano sunset at a hostel where I don't feel like an utter invisible outsider etc etc.
2108 third left. And yes I hate osk. O think I lean towards leaving. It is late enough and I am tired enough I could sleep, just maybe buy some tortilla chips to gorge on at home, get a half decent aleepz moge on tomorrow and try to start fresh on all sort of ways.
2110 got bill, an honest and square 240 (60 each) and seems to be a very modest 20 tip, handed over 3p0, have beer and will see of I get change and if I do will leave a little.
Ok got 40 changes left a 10 under the menu, it is nothing bit a 30 tip overall feels nicer and what the hell, not acting lord bpuntifil pressing it onto his hand. Much nicer than last night.
Sun 1028 phine screen playing ip. Just paid moat of my remaining 500 notes to settle bill here. Went out to cash machine and it worked for two other people but rejects ny chad card almost immediately and two attempts on Barc rewards semi worked but then gave no cash at last minute. Also it was hanging for five mins saying take reciept after every successfuly wd and it was really busy. So I got no fucking cash and now I feel a bit vulnerable. There was sa shitty bank machine next to it and there probably are on ometepe but not the free ones and I am pissed off. I do have a lot of dollars and a fair amount of smaller Cordoba bills and I should be fine but I feel a bit vulnerable and pjssed off. This is maybe why it is smart to do big withdrawals anyway. I should really have gone yesterday with more cards and more time to wait (not that I expected it of course) for the fucking thing to reset and to keep rewueuing for more attempts and so on. For all I now maybe I picked one of the wrong meaningless options (Barclays vs Barclaycard visa?!) The machine offered me and with enough retries it would work but I didn't have time because I had to be back to pack and get the shuttle. Maybe try to learn the leason next time. As I say, I do have dollars and a fair amount of cordobas and it should be fine but I am likely to get stiffed for 6 to 10 dollars in fees and I feel more stresses out than idea.
The hostel bill was within about 200 of what I had eyeballed it at so it is probably right. But it does grate handing over this big wosge of cash last minute. They don't take credit cards here. I could have paid in dollars but fuck knows what exchange rate is and probably ly best to spend cordobas prefer tially. I don't anticipate huge problems spending dollars if I really need to.
Lessons:
- do not leave cash withdrawals until a day with a deadline (but to be fair yesterday I was saying just 5000 as a top up, not a necessity, but in hindsight - and partly because of the semi-forgotten big wosge to spend today plus dorm shit esp upper bunk making it even less attractive than usual to go xount my xash stash - I didn't absolutely need it but I wanted it more than I thought)
- it is smart to withdraw a big wosge when I can and keep it topped up and not let it get too low
- don't get blindsided by accumulating cash-only "tabs" (if I could have paid card I probably would, but not an option here even with a surcharge, and I wouldn't pay a surcharge unless more desperate than I am)
Just a minor glitxh really but not ideal and I feel probably irrationally this hostel and Granada are just bad medicine and the sooner I can get the fuck out maybe the better.
I am also a bit sick about the clasp on trousers not saying shut because they are too loose. How can I be too fucking thin after Christmas?
In a bit of a mood as you can probably tell. Not spiralling into despair or anything but fucking hell I want to get the fuck out of here and try to get my head together.
I didn't see an itemised hostel bill and do wonder if there is slim chance of a rip off eg not getting the 25% discoint (but I did ask when I extended) for the third night, but this is more bitterness and general diatrust talking and as I say the amount was about what ibexpecredm. As the kids say.
I love l{looking like an illiterate moron, on screen keyboards are the best.
No credit on local sim, had I not been so pushed wothbxash machine and dicking round in bed and at hostel I might have toped it up but I have the p7 international sim at a push, I don't strongly need it unless I need to do emergency WhatsApp with hostel for which there is the p 7 and I am absolutely sure that I will be able to top it IP on ometepe and if I couldn't it wouldn't be the end of the world, I doubt I am going to need Uber much on the island.
To e fair I was and am slightly amused by some of the hostel stools which have "you are here" arrows on them. Can't find it now to photo though, just maybe it is in some other casual anap.
Although I really haven't got on with this hostel, I do feel a general lesson here is that I have been just slightly rushing round and although yes there was only the walking tour my first full day I could have done with more of an "I am just taking it easy and not rushing round especially with this fucking heat and humidity" vibe. Not quite sure where this has come from. I don't feel super short on trip time left. Maybe it is just part of the bizarre internal emotional train crash sparked by this hostel and perhaps set in motion by all the emotional atatix about the fucking volcano boarding beforehand.
1059 ok I fucked up the chase pin which doubtless didn't help. But the Barclaycard should have worked, this was a small atm in a shop, fuck knows. I didn't have a reminder of the chase pin on phone and I guess I was feeling stressed despite making some effort to memorise all pins before trip.
Actually I am not sure the machine even asked me for the pin on the chase xars but it probably did.
I have an almost comically large wosge of low value bills mixed in with some 100s and 200s in my pocket. I guess I shouldnt worry cos my wallets fat.
If I wasn't already clear I would have likely got a lower bunk here if I hadn't been so massively dithery and trying to keep my options open about booking here after volcano boarding. Absolutely my fault. And to be fair the upper bink isn't ideal but hasn't been too bad and isn't really responsible for the general shitiness here.
1326 jeez. On ferry. Absolute dithering doddering hordes of tourists making everything seem slow. Like I bought ny ferry ticket in about 5 seconds, but somehow other people were engaging in epic discussions.
People not moving down the benches, they want backpacks at the back in a big pile but I have mine between my knees.
Still, we did seem to make the 130 ferry. No idea what will happens about trbasport to santa Cruz but this is a larger scale tpurist and local operation than I thought, I had visions of it being me and a handful of other tourists and me desperately asking if anyone wants to share a taxi. I suspect it will be chaos and expensive ripoff chaos at that but I guess it will be ok and should be plenty of options.
Not feeling terrible but not exactly hipper, this feels unadventurous yet also incredibly tedious and disorganized.
45 yo Canadian chap from volcano boarding is here and I said hi to him.
I wouldn't 1p0% swear I don't recognize a few other people but I am sufficiently jaded after the isolation of the last hostel I dont really trust myself.
They sell beer? Not sure some people seem unable to survive this epic crossing without snacks too.
1450 oh my god what a fucking shithole. I just spoke to a actually nice security guard and it is unfair so there eis no bus to santa Cruz or there is but it will turn up at some indefinite time. A super fucking unhelpful guy on some minibus I asked just said no. The ferry was interminable, the whole area round the dock is a tourist shithole. I wish I hadn't fucking come. Extra class coming on sunday.
Anyway let me try to keep my eurbopen for a bus. Oh there was a us schoolbus edging away when I got off the ferry but although it was going about walking pace I never got round the front to see where it was going and the driver had zero interest in stopping. Anywhere else I am sure there would be minibises all calling "santa Cruz" but not on fucking ometepe.
1517 ijust wa andered uto to a random kiosk renting quad bikes and bikes cos it it that kind of place and he says about 30 fucking dollars for a taxi to santa Cruz.
Last boat back at 530. I might end up just writing off the first night and staying in a hostel here in Motogoya or whatever the fuck the place eis called.
1653 fucking hell I hate this place I guess I just have a bad attitude. Managed to squeeze into a shared taxi and got dropped outside hostel, checked in, place is deserted, I am not sure there is a guest fridge, I have rushed out for food before it gets dark, the place feels rip off a shell, I have ordered a 230 bistec encebollado lus eztra for a drink at a small extremely down at heel restaruant, it doesn't call itself a comedor but here comedor seems t mean just expensive local shit or "we don't actually have any food at all visible and no one will event ry to talk to you when you look into" but I may be hangry and in any case cannot risk not eating. There are at least mini supermarkets so I may subsist on Diana jalapeno tortilla chips after today.
Fwiw the other clients here are a very aged local looking family group. Wind and sand sears my face at the open air table. To be fair it is at least not fucking stickily hot.
I would have benefitted from local sim at the dock but the international sim plus hotspt to the A06 for me out of a hole. There was one shop advertising top ups but no one was there and I was worried about missing the bus, which my accom has assured me doesn't run Sundays via the wa message I sent then. I called out for people o share a taxi when the next ferry got in and despite no one knowing where santa Cruz was I managed to look up eg raindance via hotspot and nearly got in one group then it filled up and I was left out and can't blame then but felt a bit shit and then I flagged my way into another with the driver and don't know if I was welcome or not, though turns out the group of 5 or 6 was actually two or three smaller groups and to be fair no one was rude, but I kept myself to myself and didn't speak unless spoken to given they all seemed relatively cha[y and ha perhaps at least met a few minutes before I turned up so knew each other somewhat. Though to be fair while keeping it together I was in no sparkling form anyway.
And they were also mostly speaking Dutch but for some reason without it being for my benefit they would intermittently switch to English, I half wonder I'd there were some Germans mixed in. All young women except one tall dude who sat right up front. The group who semi kicked me out of their forming taxi crowd (admittedly this taxi was probably better as it went past my door) might actually have been at least in part the Israelis from the post volcano boarding.
I think I will be able to get a bus back when I leave as long as it isnt Sunday. Trying very badly to keep an open mind. Let's just eat and ask the hostel about a towel and a fridge and if I can buy a beer and if I can't buy a beer there I will pop out and get one at the minimalist (minimarket) right opposite which should be dog safe.
I will try uto fond a cash machine tonorrow.
The ferry over was a nix of the young backpackers I have come to irrationally despise, some older than me chunky looking Americans who have appeared out of nowhere (expat community?), some locals and one technically nice enough but very loudly talkative 35ish year old us dude who was telling his entire fucking life story to a Slovenian woman he had obviously just met and giving the rest of us the benefit of it at the same time.
I feel like I have fetched up at a rather desolate spot, which is also simultaneously full of young backpackers having more fun than me and being able to rent scooters without any fear, and oveprriced to boot. There is an element of worst of all worlds. But I suspect my outlook is just negative as hell.
I did at least pull ymfinger out to the extent of getting a shared taxi for 190 and I clearly did not do the research before coming here, people told me it was good, it was clearly on the tourist trail here, I had no idea the freaking idea of running a bus on Sunday was beyond the wit of local man or that the shared taxi minivn types would be sufficiently retiicent I wouldn't have them waved in my face and I didn't really know how the transport was supposed to work. To be fair, I am not sure how I would have found this sort of stuff out these days.
And if I can get over the mood and the alight "family hanging round and it feels weirdly inposing" quality the hostel is sort of sesolately majestic (despite being right off the main road) with chickens running round (as there are here, I am kind of glad j ordered beef) and may well have great views for sunset etc, I am just feeling rather short-changed by life again. But maybe it is just the moderate streas of the day and needing food and being at the mercy of the fucking young backpackers crowd in order to just get here after thinking I had shaken that off in Granada.
I hope my food is coming. To be fair it is sufficiently busy in a low grade rural tourist exploiting way @nd a short walk I don't deeply fear dogs or muggers walking back an hour after dark should it come to that.
Oh, this place is restaurant relax. Tk be fair to them, the owner-ish chap seemed low key friendly once I finally got my presence acknowledged, one of the kids took my order in a sort of "on the job training" way and was quite smiley, their food prices are probably not worse than anywhere else and as per above I am not in my sunniest mood.
My back is burned and sore but not agonisingly so, a bit of modest discomdort in bed last night and today with brief walks with backpack on but not terrible and I suspect to mostly got away with it and it will rapidly improve/peel but maybe I do need to be stricter about wearing t shirt when swimming unless it is closer to dawn/dusk than it was at the lake yesterday.
Also tona is listed at 60 here so while I might prefer a beer at the hostel coming here is an option.
One of the locals is unpacking shit from beach bag with London underground logos. an unofficial bootleg I hope.
1723 the other group of about 7 locals doesn't have any food yet. I think it is a polystyrene container kind of place. But this doesn't bode well for me getting anything soon. My hands feel sticky as fuck - I could have eashed them at hostel but didn't think as was in a rush to get tout and eat - and I am reluctant to ask to wash them here.
1734 although I could eat something and am alert to prospect of low blood sugar type mood issues, I am not actually actively feeling hungry otherwise.
1737 washed hands. No soap or towel. I don't mind rustic and primitive but when I am paying high prices it grates. But I am being a bit unfair of course.
I assume they are cooking ny dinner and that I have ordered and it is just slow. I am fairly sure. But there is some tiny lingering doubt ad I don't want to ask because it would probably look rude.
1740 just taken off the wristband I have been wearing since checking in at the fucking hostel in granada. Maybe this metaphorically symbolise a new phase of the journey.
Ooh, real plates of food are being delivered to the other table. Moderately promising.
1835 food not bad though salad was dtrssed. 230+30 for coke.
Walked back got two beers at mini market and a towel at reception. I think every single person who has shown me a price since I arrived has done so by showing me a calculwtor screen. I think one or two have read it out as well, but the general idea seems to be that fuck, it's a tourist, just show em the figures and don't waste your breath.
Watched sunset over one of the volcano's from west facing tetrace of room and still sitting out now (warm but windy, but it is not hot and sticky so great). View is nice and some of the sunset colours pretty cool. But I do still feel a bit fucking shit.
I will have the other beer and probably have an early night and try not to put too much pressure on myself tonorrow in terms of hiking or anything or going to the beach (which I saw from the road by reagaurant, it is tiny and very local).
1931 phone screen still intermittently playing up. Intermittently tempted to anap it in half. If this keeps up I might risk taking the wcreen protector off
A likely french guy came sat out on terrace, I said hi and he said something incomprehensible back and at there eating but I don't think it was really rude and I didn't move or try to force w conversation, a couple of dogs also came round and I stroked one a bit, they are presumably used to guests and seemed quite friendly. Might still worry about coming back at midnight but frankly that is not something I expect to happen here
Plan is still to take tonorrow very easily, wander round casually, try to get some cash try to get my head together. I can stay on here or somewhere else if I want, I do not have to rush to decide if I want to go up either volcano. (The woman with the hot room I mentioned on bus back from apoyo, iirc, was talking about q volcano hike and you get q choice of two and she *must* surely have been talking about ometepe? But she said one people often don't make it to the top as they can't go because of wind (I am sure he is not talking about Santa ana) and she said she started at 530 with her guide (just the two of then) and it was so humid, and I just cannot believe it is like that here, albeit I haven't been here in the morning.
Fwiw neither volcano here is mega high (1500mish?) And maybe you start from? Low down but I wouldn't naively expect either to be tremendously hard. Maybe she was talking about somewhere else. And I don't think she has a warped idea of humid, given she was in fucking granada when she was telling this story, maybe someone might come here first and think it is humid and then get to granada and recalibrate, but it didn't sound like that. Maybe she did mean somewhere else.
That aside, which I could research, do I want to do a volcano here even if my head is together? I have been up volcano's. I do rather intend to so the one in La Union and maybe even try to camp at the top (retninf a tent). Yes I want to push myself and do memorable things but if the volcano here is not a major challenge and not exceptionally beautiful (maybe it is) should I burn willpower on it? Just as with random wanky hostel activities, you cannot just blindly climb every climbable volcano that comes in your path. And if it is challenging, that is tempting but also maybe I do or don't want or need that kind of challenge now. Genuine questions not related to any lingering bitterness or headfuckery.
2059 in hammock. French guy came back and played a little ukulele, not bad in a practice casual kind of way. There is a painy mark which I tired to photo on the underside of the roof which looks very much like a sort of santa claus/bearded elf, and did even before two beers.
2228 moving to bed. Shower first. Rules of hotel in English only on back of room door are ultra weird and kind of mangled. They're not even arsey. There is stuff in there about danger of contagion and notifying the competent authorities. Not even obvious mistranslations (albeit "host" is maybe used consistently to mean "guest"). Just a sort of weird almost dissociated press type version of a hotel rules sheet.
2236 just had shower. I had glases off, turned water on and a big spider (not a tarantula, but big UK size maybe, chunkyish) started to run out of the shower. I did shriek, but yes, the surprise never goes away. I finishes the shower after I put my glasses on and had a look. I am not exactly happy it's there but not the end of the world. This is vaguely a repeat of the Mexico waterfall lodge thing. I will just have to leave it there in the bathroom tonight and hope it keeps away from me, which to be fair it probably will. Let me dry my glasses off (I accidentally wore them into the shower during the putting then on and observe phase) and have a bit of a squint at it properly.
Yeah, it's on the bathroom door frame where (I am not going to) it would get partly squashed or maimed if I shut the door. I don't like it much but yeah it's OK really.
Mon 0820 been awake a while. Still in room. Didn't sleep great, not terrible. Spider has (ho ho) legged it. Probably for the best, the chances are I will never see it again, if I do I will deal with it and I really didn't like the idea of sitting on the bog with the risk of brushing against it on the doorframe (ditto shaving, cleaning teeth) and setting it on the move again.
P7 screen continues to be intermittently weirdly shit. May be a hardware fault. Maybe be some weird dampness lurking under screen protector in a moleular way that will fix itself. I could and will if necessary take the screen protector off but of course I cannot replace it while on holiday so there is downside. I have has a fairly amount of use out of the p7 but it still barring this kind of shit has life left and is expensive so I don't want to trash it. (Yes in theory it is a mainstream enough model to buy a screen protector from a random kiosk. But since it has a fucking curved screen I know from prior experience a random cheap screen protector, especially tempered glass, is likely to render it unusuable through phantom or missed touches anyway, and while I could probably get something I am reluctant to go down this path if I can avoid it.
Eyes feel a bit bleary. Genuine unsure what to do today or tomorrow. I probably need to avoid rushing into a decision. Go for a walk, eat an overpriced breakfast, try to get cash. I have frankly mixed feelings after Granada but in the absence of any strong inclinations otherwise I probably ought to find the right kind of hostel (and ideally one with few people I already met) and go there while I spend more time on island, not so much as I an desperate for nice social contact but as I am desperate to avoid feeling shit by avoiding stuff etc, but also because maybe it will be a differently congenial spot to hang around mostly solo than here (I do feel better now the spider has gone - I toyed with asking for a glass to get rid of it but even doing that feels weak, it would suck if someone came and got rid of it for me, plus it was in a super inconvenient place and I have no card - and the mixed blessing ruralness of the accom here and the relative peace is not the concern it night otherwise have been) or it might do bike rental or suggest tours or I might pick up (even if only via earwgligging) some ideas on what to do. Because I sort of came here on vague nature tourism grounds and to get the hell out of granada, but although I could read up on it etc without being at a hostel which may push tours, as I think I said last night I am still deeply unclear if I really want to or should push myself to walk up one of the volcanos. It isn't quite the same but I am also frankly not over keen to go swim at the beach here, I mean I might and it would probably be safe and it would be exercise (albeit swimming for exercise feels incomparible with being on holiday and being in slightly intimidating natural encironmwntw where depth is a concern but also waves fuck me up and there is worry about losing stuff) and a minor "hey I did that" but I also kind of feel honour is mostly satisfied there for the moment after cap Morgan and apoyo.
I could maybe see if I can hire a pedal bike. But even if that might be low key fun, I really don't fancy it today. And yet time feels like it is going to hang extremely heavy today somehow. Maybe the fact the imminent decision on where to go tonorrow is looming makes it harder to just relax and walk a bit and sit in my room and maybe finally repack my bag cleanly or watch a bit of yt or just sit on the balcony and listen to music. I do feel the trip remaining is short and after the last few days I have I think genuinely irrational feelings the trip is now a bust and a failure but on the other hand I don't feel any immense time pressure either. Part of this may simply be that I am feeling lazy (whether for good-ish relax/chill/recharge/not forced to do anything and something will oxcur to me or bad lets-withdraw-from-the-world kind) and disinclined to push myself.
To be clear it does feel like the shittiness of eg granada was mostly a sort of meta shittiness in my head. Nothing really bad happened, I felt a bit out of place but not really for any solid reason or because anything happened or even because I took a mild social risk and it failed or anything. I kind of mainly feel shit about feeling so shit on so little real provocation, a bit like I smashed myself up falling off my bike *on a flat dry road in the middle of summer*. To some extent time and/or action will probably efface this and maybe I can/have learned some incidental stuff from it. Yawning. Maybe this has little to do with me feeling kind of aimless and a bit lost right now and not entirely happy with it.
I think fuck it, I can come back here and do quiet private room and nice view kisten to music whatever shit later, for now it would be productive to get up properly and clean teeth and see if I can find a cash machine and have some kind of breakfast or at least coffee, I am not actively hungry but it might be good for my mood and or for somehow stimulating my brain into reflecting on stuff or doing stuff.
The spider having gone does remind me of Jim(?) Story in an episode of that new York taxi show from the 70s? Where he says he woke up one night to find a tarantula on his chest and someone asks what he did and he says he went back to sleep and it was gone when he woke up and thats that. I mean it is sort of silly and funny but obviously I can't maintain an inventory on every spider migrating around my environment and it came from somewhere it wasn't inponging on my consciousness in the slightest way and statistically it has like returned to another such place.
Getting ready to go out does feel a chore. Sunblock, cleaning teeth, etc. I don't think this is a depression type thing and it certainly isn't new. Having a private room eases this somewhat but it is still a minor tediousness even at home.
1149 just signed up for three hours of kite surfing lessons tomorrow! Serendipity at play, I think. I went for a walk along the beach after failing to get cash at the nearby machine partly for something to do and partly as there is another cash machine at north end of beach. And I saw people kite surfing and I thought that looks cool and felt a bit pissed off I couldn't do it. Then I sort of noticed it looked like people were having lessons and then I came across the actual school and felt a bit weird but went in and spoke to someone about it, who assured me there is no upper age limit and answered various questions and I went off for a walk and didn't get wny cash but had a coffee at hotel at north end of beach and mulled and walked back having pretty much decided I would do it, and I just confirmed via whatsapp. I will extens here for another night if I can.
I also saw a small but quite attractive browny snake on the beach in the walk north. 99% sure it was alive but I luckily didn't tread on it and since I am not an absolute moron I didn't poke it with a stick or try to touch it to see if it was alive.
1857 power cut. I also have a feeling my snake picture didn't get taken, but who knows.
Got 500 dollars out at local atm, had to pay 6 fee bit couldn't be helped, starling chase and Barclaycard all had the same in that machine. Picked dollars as kite surfing is a better price in dollars and it is the basic charging unit. While I am only committing to one day right now, if it goes basically ok and I don't hate it, I do intend to try three days despite the expense.
I came back and extended at hostel for a night for 19 dollars, before doing that I popped round to outside dorm to check price on booking.com ans the giu from last night was there and I chatted with him a while, turns out he is not a French guy with a ukelele, he is an Israeli guy (Noam??) with a chart to, a Bolivian/Peruvian ten stringed (five pairs) instrument.
Went and extended, called parents, went out for lunch at comedor pa malinche (asked for undressed salad, toughish but decent bistec de res with salad and rice and patacones and a sugar coke and then a black coffee) at wl280 all in then decided I would wander over to value and back which I did, lots of tourist businesses on the road, no stress with dogs. At the far end by Sol y Marea resta<rant inner onto the little beach, stepped down and out my hand out to catch myself on a tree and it turned out to be one of those apiky [rres I think I has pointed out to me on a tour a few years ago and I got some modest puncture wounds in left hand, touch woos nothing serious.
Came back and had a pricey but wtf kombucha (130) at pan de mama then to ocean mart again for excessive amounts of snacks, I won't eat them all but wanted some for tonorrow etc. And I have managed to resist the modest temptaion to drink alcohol today so watched sunset from hammock with Noam strumming his non-ukulele (we didn't chat but felt companionable enough) with a warmish bottle of diet coke and ha e come into room and was going to have a few snacks while watching yt and then prep for tonorrow and cut toenails and that is still the plan but the power cut has put this on hold as I pace the room typing this with the p7 torch on. I did also have a shave before going out to watch sunset.
I think that is the basic gist of everything so far. I am going to re-dress and go with outside given the power cut.
I did top up my claro sim this after oon, no fuss, so I so have modest internet access even with the power cut if I really need it but don't want to waate it on yt.
1911 back in hammock. Lights do seem to work out here. But maybe they are solar and wifi isn't working so I suspec tit isn't just my room which has lost power.
P7 screen continues shitty for touch but it may be getting slowly better and while frustrating as fuck (particularly scrolling is bad) I haven't ripped the screen protector off yet
I sat at the beach tables at la malinche. Very strong onshore constant wind as had noticed earlier andlresunabky why this is a good spot for kite surfing. It was not too cold and sort of nice albeit a bit odd just how constant and strong it was. I do wnder if tonorrow being at for three hours with this wond, no matter how warm the water, will be an issue but presumably if other people manage so will I and cna only wait and see. I have deliberately not done any significant reading up on kite surfing beyond a token search for reviews of this school, which are minimal but generally good if perhaps not truly independent etc.
It is what it is and the whole thing is about the serendipity f being at this hostel and seeing it and dirk gently ish almost#t being unaware of the thing and passing through wanting and then having super rapidly and kind of calling my own bliff on the "why can't I do that?" Thoughts when it turned out that technically I could.
I don't know if the kite surfing will work but I hope to maintain a good attitude and just trying it will be something. It also aaprt from the nice serendipity angle feels like something which is taking advantage of being here on ometepe and is something I wqnt to try and which appeals more than eg a volcano hike or some random kayak thing, which I may do if I feel like it but which now feel less "necessary" since the kite surfing attempt whether it sicceeds or fails ticks the box for having done something "notable" here, and you can't do everything etc
I may go for a late lunch or a recent at some of the other rhostels eg down the balgue road tomorrow and then I will maybe have some idea if j fancy staying at one eg after kite surfing or if I can't or don't want to stay here. Within moderation it does feel like eg if I am doing kite surfing for three days it is quite nice to be staying here and not forcing myself into a hostle env, this place eis well located for the kite surfing and it gives me a nice feeling of sort of camping here as a base while I do the lessons.
Lesson is at 11 by the way, they had confirmed tonorrow much earlier but only told me the time when I was back here at hostel just before sunset. I just may have breakfast at the hostel (150ish)
Cicadas or whatever they are going on. Occasionally a bout of heavier similar noise starts up.
It is hot here during the day when not exposed to the breeze from the lake but overall it is a touch hot but not stifling and sticky like granada was
2025 power blipped on a few mins ago but then went again. Tbh I may go back into room anyway and snack by torchlight if it doesn't come on soon anyway.
2115 power came back about 2050. Been gorging on snacks and watching dled yt, couldn't find actual torch so (and also thinking about battery, albeit yes it is approaching expriu) got the led head attachment and put it on the power bank to get some light in room while watching until power came back.
Feel a bit stuffed and oddly nervy about tomorrow as a result, as if mils overeating of junk tonight has a serious bearing on anything.
I can see the snake photos on A06 so they should have copied over to the p7 via the ish and maybe they have but eg shitty scrolling with screen trouble stops me seeing them or something. Had anotherlook and I think I can now find them on p7 too so that is good.
2133 do feel oddly and quietly nervy. Prob won't have shower tonight but do it tomorrow. Let me cut toenails anyway.
2143 fingernail clippers are not the right tool for the job but I have done my best. Probably irrelevant but also probably due anyway and either tomorrow during lesson or in general may reduce chances of a nail catching or smashing on something. Not done fingernails, they are maybe borderline due but not really I think.
Fwiw I do have my aa powered torch, and I did roughly know where eit was, I just gave up looking for it when I decided the power bank and torch head was likely a better call here anyway.
If I forgot to say earlier I picked up almost a complete set of broken bits for a mobile phone on the beach on the walk back south. Currently sitting on table here in room and do have some photos.
2200 ok so I have kind of packed for tomorrow. Ftr while I plan to wear prescription goggles I have switched to my single vision lenses tomorrow just in case I somehow need them and if nothing else they are less valuable than the varifocals. I am definitely getting some general use from the single vision pair on risky or adventurous activity cases.
well I will say that I didn't sign up for kitsurfing in a wave of bravado. While it may be ndefinably scary oor horrible okr dangerus in some way I don't forsee, I was not massively concered at the rik of getting seiosly hurt. Screen o s fucking @iind bigibis eg jumpiinfanomdly bad a nab e née rally acing lke i am swipig when i am no an in shit fucking te time as i. Yay uay] at yay..
2216 going to bed. Feel okish. Will send this now as well overdue.
0809 I feel ok. Not I'll but a tiny bit heavy with the food somehow. I suspect more just a touch of hypocrisy and general nerves about today (it is not exteeme but there is water and swimming and UV and maybe kayak and I will either be phoneleaa or will be at risk of losing my phone and I won't have normal clothes with me and tomorrow is a travel day albeit probably a fairly easy one with the shuttle and a probably ly simple if annoyingly pricey boat and maybe taxi to the accom.
I did/do feel a bit rough, presumably from the beers last night, even though it wasn't insane. Nothing major. Will have two or three cips of coffee and I may have my remaining sandwiches in a hour or so. Need to pack/change for the apoyo tour but not leaving til 10
I got the grey trousers included in the wash I handed in yesterday, I had only put them on the day of the volcano boarding so they really didn't have much wear in them but I figured if it really is a dollar a pound (weight) and given how sweaty etc I have felt lately I would get them properly washed while I had the chance.
0829 overhearing a few fragments of conversation about treehouse. Some guy saying they were on the first shuttle. I think people enjoyed it but at least so far (maybe those guys are still in bed hungover) seems to be absolutely omfg raving about it. (Not sour grapes, just noting. Tbh I suspect I could go if I had really wanted, but I have been feeling pretty low lately so probably smart not to do it just on silly checks boz grounds. I think it is probably good and mildly iconic but not actually omfg best thing ever totally unique and aepxial experience.)
1755 waiting for free drinks. Today actually not bad. No chat but didn't expect any. I did swim for about half an hour early (11) and half an hour late and I also did 10-15 mins (prob nearer 10) solo kayak about 2pm before swimming again 245pm. First swim more back and forth breast and bit of front, second had some of that but did a few jumps and dives off the floating raft platform thing and also got an inflatable ribber ring thing and floated about on that a bit. Kayak was not as difficult as I expected but I wasn't sure about benign vs legal straight and was a bit edgy about tipping myself over, albeit despite modest waves oen the lake it didn't really feel very likely. Nain thing was the physical effort required, but to be fair part of this was legal hurting due to awkward positioning and I assume the legs aren't doing the work really, and my stomach was hurting but was this effort or just tension? Still for (f we ignore tiny slightly weird experience during San Blas trip) a very first ever kayak and first ever solo kayak not too bad and J had a go and it is a starting point etc.
Went out for food after shower when got back, couldn't find any comedor or anything, wandered a bit and ended up having a chicken breast at the Quick Pollo food cart outside Maxi Pali. living the dream baby.
No idea whether I will go out tonight or not or whether I will have a beer or two. Hostel has a pub crawl but I really am not interested especially when I have to travel tomorrow and I also suspect after last night maybe a lot of people won't be that up for it but who knows.
Dutch couple from volcano boarding are at next table. I should probably say hi.
1804 ok did have tiny chat with bloke at the bar getting free drink, he wasn't rude or stansoffiah but not very chatty. It is his birthday today and they are out tonight so may account for it but I die at least ask about last night. He chatted a bit with bar staff about it. Aapparently the music is quite mellow for techno, one of staff said because people who aren't really into texhno go because it is the treehouse party it is toned down a bit (paraphrasing). Some woman came up showing aignup for the pub crawl, it is 5 USD but I also felt a tiny bit like she wasn't actually talking to me, but that is probably over sensitive but more to the point I really don't want to do 5 shots tonight and I am sort of in this weird slightly (bit not massively) annoyed at not chatting to people but also not desperately keen to make a last ditch effort at this hostel mood. Really I am not absolutely averse but it could be awfully isolqting, I am not huge on shots, if I wasn't travelling tomorrow maybe I would feel different, also I am drinking albeit not to excess a lot and I am having the free rum and Fresca no\ and may even have some beers later and I may have a beer watching the sunset from the garden of hostel on onetepw etc tomorrow so while none of this is mega abatemioua and equally I'd I was really tempted by the pub crawl I would probably do it but all in all I thinkot.
Dutch bloke was saying the tree house was cool but he wasn't going omfg it was amazing.
Fwiw the street leading down from oen end of hostel street towards the bridge with the (dry season I guess) very dirty low flow lots of rubbish river is sort of vibrantly markety but also has a decided poverty stricken third world kind of vibe (that is probably overatating it but still). Maybe I am just a bit prejudiced but leon didn't feel quite like that and not did even the poorer bits of el Salvador that I have seen so far.
To be scrupulously fair except for the small risk of getting run over, at least at this time of day (5pmish, before sunset) it didn't feel actively threatening or dangerous.
I am slightly annoyed about the pub crawl. But this is more me making a somewhat sensible decision than self excluding on shyness or age or whatever grounds. If it was a few beers that would be different but shots and a possibly late-ish night, no, the timing is not right. I could spend that metaphorical alcohol budget elsewhere.
- [x] Ftr iirc (but pretty sure I have photos) the beach club resort place included in today's apoyo apoyo apoyo tour was coco bay. I was briefly tempted by the 290 buffet for lunch but it wasn't an all you can eat type buffet, just a comida a la vista thing very similar to what you might get in a comedor at about twice the price and I just wasn't that fussed. I had had four sandwiches to finish my supplies before heading out after breakfast. I also360 resisted the temptation to have e a beer partly because of swimming/kayaking so I didn't actually spend any money there.
1914 got laundry, seems ok.
At tierra MIA on calzada. Nominally 60 for a tona. I feel slightly pissed or vaguely woozy from the three free ones at hostel in an odd way. Probably shouldn't be drinking but will have a low key couple, people watch a bit and then an early night I think.
1925 I think I have modest sunburn on back. And the p7 screen is acting up badly, I hope it is bettermow, I simply a tony it of water or alcohol (likely just condensation dripping off glass) during free drinks at hostel and it may be that. To be fair it is working now.
Gut xhurning a bit but I think it is a sort of nerves and slightly poor diet and vague irratitation/stress kind of thing. Mariachi's performing at next table.
1933 second beer like the first it is so cold it has ice in it from presumably having been frozen, but atlctally doesn't feel all that cold
While warm it was more pleasant at the lake than in granada. And to be fair last tonight it was a bit cooler too.
The lake water btw would fluctuate wildly every few m between cool and warm. I wore ny bandanna all the time, but swam topless (presumably hence back burn, I had put some sunblock onmy shoulders before leaving hostel) but did have t-shirt (red short sleeve of course) on during the kayaking but my legs were sun lockless and potentially at risk of burning, albeit the short 10ish mins probably highly mitigates this.
Water rwas pretty deep pretty quickly btw but was pretty chill about it which is good.
Incidentally that brief exchange tonight does show that despite being uncertain I did in fact recogniae the Dutch guy correctly when he said hi to me yesterday, which is also good.
It is by no means dead but also not super lively and rammed. The two middle aged local couples at the next table who had the Mariarchis are kind of cute in their way though. they are dancing in the street (I am sitting outside as are they, o one rlis really inside)
It is sort of cool to e here and see the cathedral in the mid distance and there eis a coolish strongish breed. I am tbh not in love with granada but maybe my lack of fun or discomfort has been randomness plus perhaps an accidentally bad hostel choice but it isn't terrible. And I may be back here depending on what I decide to do after ometepe. Which may or may not be a shirt or long stay, if I like it is certainly have the time budget to put a week in there.
Fellow tourists walk past occasionally but it does feel like the small quantity of clientele here is local.
Fwiw while there is sure of hell no shortage of motorbikes in nicaragua, it does feel like the chances of being run down by a pedal bike are non zero and this feels different from el Salvador.
I did use my phone little bit (on WiFi though my own data is still working mostly) at the last, but during my high uv breaks I did mostly just ait and think and stare at the view etc.
Local vibe aside the giu at the table behind me looks like he might be an expat. But even that is kind of cool, and different from the 20 yo backpackers who seem to be dominating my mental perspective lately.
Wet not finding anywhere to eat earlier, I suspect all the comedor s shut super early as in el Salvador. I have no idea what low budget locals do who want to eat in the evening. I was thinking about comedor pa mi gente at the lake and struggled a bit but after an initial "oooh, I could go there tonight before drinks" I remembered it was in leon.
Sudden random and probably Weird thought that to should ask one of the itinerant vendors I am constantly (exaggeration) saying no gracias to to accept 50 cordobas and act as verbal prostitute and chat to
Me for Spanish practice for 5 minutes.
Fwiw while I fuss the non trivial and maybe vnt highly dominant vs tourists locals here are relatively well off, this street does not feel like it is for Reich foreigners only or like all the locals are in poverty. But yes that strip down towards maxi pali and some of the other streets do have that vague kind of vibe, albeit it isnt quite that bad and I am not describing it that well.
Incidentally on shuttle back from lake a you Gullah woman who seemed to be vaguely digital nomad and *might* be at my hostel was saying she had a private room but no aircon and the fan just didn't have enough airflow and it was so damn hot. Not judging or anything, seems a reasonable le comment and she wasn't being overly whiny and no more smufbthwn is inherently implixitbin all this, not posing, I just found it interesting.
Yeah, it is warm now Tonight but borderline nice and tropically interesting and exotic not absolutely stifling. As I think I already said it does seem to vary a little day to day, some days and some nights are stickier than others even based on small amount of time I have spent here so far.
I feel better than when I left hostel and perhaps oddly (unless the rum was creeping up on me - except for the first drink, the measures look fairly generous and casual at the hostel, but the drinks always taste weak) less drunk than when I came, albeit not sober. Will probably have a fourth and just maybe a fifth and then home for early bed. I do feel a bit tired for whatever reason, maybe lingering from recent days or today or who knows. Incidentally there is a lingering muscle fatigue which I notice in bed, possibly from volcano boarding and the tumbles (though they were not painful and given I survived them kind of fun actually) or maybe from other general axitivty or just randomness.
The music here is generally smoother and softer and classic pseido vaguely ballroom dancier and (very loosely] we have very slightly rocked it up with a prince Royce style song playing now, not like the classic latin rock last night at the other bar.
2032 wow just asked way to bog and there is a huge inner courtyard and quite a few people in here, albeit not in an ultra classy way (sort of nicely run down unpretentious), but I think it is nicer and cooler sitting in the streets
2035 just ordered a fourth. Not pissed but unless I am enjoying myself massively (and I might be) this will probably be the last this is only like 3ish pints I guess.
Fwiw I went in via the tierra mia entrance and emerged apparently from the same internal structure via q doorway labelled galerias la calzada, but I assume it is all the same place not some weird bar complex.
Quite: a lot of friendlyish street dogs around.
Harvey just walked past. No recognition, he was with a couple of mates but oddly cool to see him.
2046 we have broken out into English rock. "Monkey business on the floor" and now something vaguely rnb/rap remix of staying alive.
I should probably have called out to Harvey but i also feeling a bit of a mild downer and an leaving tonorrow, but you know, it sort of feels like the title what a confident person would have done, renewing the casual acquaintance and maybe inviting something to happen.
Bit torn. One beer at the margin makes nobsifferenxe. But it does add up, and (I have about half this one left) while this isn't a terrible night, it also (woman from next table just asked for napkins from my table) isn't amazing (remix of ring my bell playing) and I hope to have more fun and friendly and memorable nights and despite not hating it as per earlier, it will frankly be nice to be the hell out of this hostel and Granada and have a freahiah start modulo any lingering mental stains and stirred up shit.
OTOH I like here and 5 350ml bottles is not going to make tomorrows modest shuttle a living hell and while I am an observer there is still something kind of cool about being here.
Ot3h some vague bitterness coming through. It feels like I am settling a bit. Ot4h finnof whatever kind nomattwr how mild is where you find it, and while I don't expect or even want it (travel tonorrow), random unexpected shit has happened to me before from just being out etc. L
I am piase of I burned my back and maybe I should have just swim in my red tshirt bit I sort of didn't want to temporarily ruin it. And it is nicer to swim without. And fingers crossed the damage is modest and the pain low.
Menu says this is akaraoke bar. Not really in mood and I fucked up quite badly even by my lowbstandards other night in leon and I suspect not tonight anyway but fwiw.
Still deeply torn about fucking off vs not. But I! Some level we are just over four weeks in, while far from perfect I haven't done too badly so far and it would be good to just move on from the mood swamp of granada and this hostel and actually have some genuine untainted-ish fun somewhere else. It isnt like Granada is the last fun place in the country or world. Jee, I'd be fucked if it was, given how little fun I have had here in a sense.
And while this isn't the pub crawl, the fact is that I am travelling tomorrow and I am not mega feeling it even if there is something (and something localish) to the vibe here, it isnt like this is the sort of light where (while i would welcome it) i would absolutely welcome a random social contact with fully open arms. I am a bit ground down and I want a fresh start andmaybe (trite but trueish) a bit of a nature reaet and some quiet contemplation (with beer, yes) of a volcano sunset at a hostel where I don't feel like an utter invisible outsider etc etc.
2108 third left. And yes I hate osk. O think I lean towards leaving. It is late enough and I am tired enough I could sleep, just maybe buy some tortilla chips to gorge on at home, get a half decent aleepz moge on tomorrow and try to start fresh on all sort of ways.
2110 got bill, an honest and square 240 (60 each) and seems to be a very modest 20 tip, handed over 3p0, have beer and will see of I get change and if I do will leave a little.
Ok got 40 changes left a 10 under the menu, it is nothing bit a 30 tip overall feels nicer and what the hell, not acting lord bpuntifil pressing it onto his hand. Much nicer than last night.
Sun 1028 phine screen playing ip. Just paid moat of my remaining 500 notes to settle bill here. Went out to cash machine and it worked for two other people but rejects ny chad card almost immediately and two attempts on Barc rewards semi worked but then gave no cash at last minute. Also it was hanging for five mins saying take reciept after every successfuly wd and it was really busy. So I got no fucking cash and now I feel a bit vulnerable. There was sa shitty bank machine next to it and there probably are on ometepe but not the free ones and I am pissed off. I do have a lot of dollars and a fair amount of smaller Cordoba bills and I should be fine but I feel a bit vulnerable and pjssed off. This is maybe why it is smart to do big withdrawals anyway. I should really have gone yesterday with more cards and more time to wait (not that I expected it of course) for the fucking thing to reset and to keep rewueuing for more attempts and so on. For all I now maybe I picked one of the wrong meaningless options (Barclays vs Barclaycard visa?!) The machine offered me and with enough retries it would work but I didn't have time because I had to be back to pack and get the shuttle. Maybe try to learn the leason next time. As I say, I do have dollars and a fair amount of cordobas and it should be fine but I am likely to get stiffed for 6 to 10 dollars in fees and I feel more stresses out than idea.
The hostel bill was within about 200 of what I had eyeballed it at so it is probably right. But it does grate handing over this big wosge of cash last minute. They don't take credit cards here. I could have paid in dollars but fuck knows what exchange rate is and probably ly best to spend cordobas prefer tially. I don't anticipate huge problems spending dollars if I really need to.
Lessons:
- do not leave cash withdrawals until a day with a deadline (but to be fair yesterday I was saying just 5000 as a top up, not a necessity, but in hindsight - and partly because of the semi-forgotten big wosge to spend today plus dorm shit esp upper bunk making it even less attractive than usual to go xount my xash stash - I didn't absolutely need it but I wanted it more than I thought)
- it is smart to withdraw a big wosge when I can and keep it topped up and not let it get too low
- don't get blindsided by accumulating cash-only "tabs" (if I could have paid card I probably would, but not an option here even with a surcharge, and I wouldn't pay a surcharge unless more desperate than I am)
Just a minor glitxh really but not ideal and I feel probably irrationally this hostel and Granada are just bad medicine and the sooner I can get the fuck out maybe the better.
I am also a bit sick about the clasp on trousers not saying shut because they are too loose. How can I be too fucking thin after Christmas?
In a bit of a mood as you can probably tell. Not spiralling into despair or anything but fucking hell I want to get the fuck out of here and try to get my head together.
I didn't see an itemised hostel bill and do wonder if there is slim chance of a rip off eg not getting the 25% discoint (but I did ask when I extended) for the third night, but this is more bitterness and general diatrust talking and as I say the amount was about what ibexpecredm. As the kids say.
I love l{looking like an illiterate moron, on screen keyboards are the best.
No credit on local sim, had I not been so pushed wothbxash machine and dicking round in bed and at hostel I might have toped it up but I have the p7 international sim at a push, I don't strongly need it unless I need to do emergency WhatsApp with hostel for which there is the p 7 and I am absolutely sure that I will be able to top it IP on ometepe and if I couldn't it wouldn't be the end of the world, I doubt I am going to need Uber much on the island.
To e fair I was and am slightly amused by some of the hostel stools which have "you are here" arrows on them. Can't find it now to photo though, just maybe it is in some other casual anap.
Although I really haven't got on with this hostel, I do feel a general lesson here is that I have been just slightly rushing round and although yes there was only the walking tour my first full day I could have done with more of an "I am just taking it easy and not rushing round especially with this fucking heat and humidity" vibe. Not quite sure where this has come from. I don't feel super short on trip time left. Maybe it is just part of the bizarre internal emotional train crash sparked by this hostel and perhaps set in motion by all the emotional atatix about the fucking volcano boarding beforehand.
1059 ok I fucked up the chase pin which doubtless didn't help. But the Barclaycard should have worked, this was a small atm in a shop, fuck knows. I didn't have a reminder of the chase pin on phone and I guess I was feeling stressed despite making some effort to memorise all pins before trip.
Actually I am not sure the machine even asked me for the pin on the chase xars but it probably did.
I have an almost comically large wosge of low value bills mixed in with some 100s and 200s in my pocket. I guess I shouldnt worry cos my wallets fat.
If I wasn't already clear I would have likely got a lower bunk here if I hadn't been so massively dithery and trying to keep my options open about booking here after volcano boarding. Absolutely my fault. And to be fair the upper bink isn't ideal but hasn't been too bad and isn't really responsible for the general shitiness here.
1326 jeez. On ferry. Absolute dithering doddering hordes of tourists making everything seem slow. Like I bought ny ferry ticket in about 5 seconds, but somehow other people were engaging in epic discussions.
People not moving down the benches, they want backpacks at the back in a big pile but I have mine between my knees.
Still, we did seem to make the 130 ferry. No idea what will happens about trbasport to santa Cruz but this is a larger scale tpurist and local operation than I thought, I had visions of it being me and a handful of other tourists and me desperately asking if anyone wants to share a taxi. I suspect it will be chaos and expensive ripoff chaos at that but I guess it will be ok and should be plenty of options.
Not feeling terrible but not exactly hipper, this feels unadventurous yet also incredibly tedious and disorganized.
45 yo Canadian chap from volcano boarding is here and I said hi to him.
I wouldn't 1p0% swear I don't recognize a few other people but I am sufficiently jaded after the isolation of the last hostel I dont really trust myself.
They sell beer? Not sure some people seem unable to survive this epic crossing without snacks too.
1450 oh my god what a fucking shithole. I just spoke to a actually nice security guard and it is unfair so there eis no bus to santa Cruz or there is but it will turn up at some indefinite time. A super fucking unhelpful guy on some minibus I asked just said no. The ferry was interminable, the whole area round the dock is a tourist shithole. I wish I hadn't fucking come. Extra class coming on sunday.
Anyway let me try to keep my eurbopen for a bus. Oh there was a us schoolbus edging away when I got off the ferry but although it was going about walking pace I never got round the front to see where it was going and the driver had zero interest in stopping. Anywhere else I am sure there would be minibises all calling "santa Cruz" but not on fucking ometepe.
1517 ijust wa andered uto to a random kiosk renting quad bikes and bikes cos it it that kind of place and he says about 30 fucking dollars for a taxi to santa Cruz.
Last boat back at 530. I might end up just writing off the first night and staying in a hostel here in Motogoya or whatever the fuck the place eis called.
1653 fucking hell I hate this place I guess I just have a bad attitude. Managed to squeeze into a shared taxi and got dropped outside hostel, checked in, place is deserted, I am not sure there is a guest fridge, I have rushed out for food before it gets dark, the place feels rip off a shell, I have ordered a 230 bistec encebollado lus eztra for a drink at a small extremely down at heel restaruant, it doesn't call itself a comedor but here comedor seems t mean just expensive local shit or "we don't actually have any food at all visible and no one will event ry to talk to you when you look into" but I may be hangry and in any case cannot risk not eating. There are at least mini supermarkets so I may subsist on Diana jalapeno tortilla chips after today.
Fwiw the other clients here are a very aged local looking family group. Wind and sand sears my face at the open air table. To be fair it is at least not fucking stickily hot.
I would have benefitted from local sim at the dock but the international sim plus hotspt to the A06 for me out of a hole. There was one shop advertising top ups but no one was there and I was worried about missing the bus, which my accom has assured me doesn't run Sundays via the wa message I sent then. I called out for people o share a taxi when the next ferry got in and despite no one knowing where santa Cruz was I managed to look up eg raindance via hotspot and nearly got in one group then it filled up and I was left out and can't blame then but felt a bit shit and then I flagged my way into another with the driver and don't know if I was welcome or not, though turns out the group of 5 or 6 was actually two or three smaller groups and to be fair no one was rude, but I kept myself to myself and didn't speak unless spoken to given they all seemed relatively cha[y and ha perhaps at least met a few minutes before I turned up so knew each other somewhat. Though to be fair while keeping it together I was in no sparkling form anyway.
And they were also mostly speaking Dutch but for some reason without it being for my benefit they would intermittently switch to English, I half wonder I'd there were some Germans mixed in. All young women except one tall dude who sat right up front. The group who semi kicked me out of their forming taxi crowd (admittedly this taxi was probably better as it went past my door) might actually have been at least in part the Israelis from the post volcano boarding.
I think I will be able to get a bus back when I leave as long as it isnt Sunday. Trying very badly to keep an open mind. Let's just eat and ask the hostel about a towel and a fridge and if I can buy a beer and if I can't buy a beer there I will pop out and get one at the minimalist (minimarket) right opposite which should be dog safe.
I will try uto fond a cash machine tonorrow.
The ferry over was a nix of the young backpackers I have come to irrationally despise, some older than me chunky looking Americans who have appeared out of nowhere (expat community?), some locals and one technically nice enough but very loudly talkative 35ish year old us dude who was telling his entire fucking life story to a Slovenian woman he had obviously just met and giving the rest of us the benefit of it at the same time.
I feel like I have fetched up at a rather desolate spot, which is also simultaneously full of young backpackers having more fun than me and being able to rent scooters without any fear, and oveprriced to boot. There is an element of worst of all worlds. But I suspect my outlook is just negative as hell.
I did at least pull ymfinger out to the extent of getting a shared taxi for 190 and I clearly did not do the research before coming here, people told me it was good, it was clearly on the tourist trail here, I had no idea the freaking idea of running a bus on Sunday was beyond the wit of local man or that the shared taxi minivn types would be sufficiently retiicent I wouldn't have them waved in my face and I didn't really know how the transport was supposed to work. To be fair, I am not sure how I would have found this sort of stuff out these days.
And if I can get over the mood and the alight "family hanging round and it feels weirdly inposing" quality the hostel is sort of sesolately majestic (despite being right off the main road) with chickens running round (as there are here, I am kind of glad j ordered beef) and may well have great views for sunset etc, I am just feeling rather short-changed by life again. But maybe it is just the moderate streas of the day and needing food and being at the mercy of the fucking young backpackers crowd in order to just get here after thinking I had shaken that off in Granada.
I hope my food is coming. To be fair it is sufficiently busy in a low grade rural tourist exploiting way @nd a short walk I don't deeply fear dogs or muggers walking back an hour after dark should it come to that.
Oh, this place is restaurant relax. Tk be fair to them, the owner-ish chap seemed low key friendly once I finally got my presence acknowledged, one of the kids took my order in a sort of "on the job training" way and was quite smiley, their food prices are probably not worse than anywhere else and as per above I am not in my sunniest mood.
My back is burned and sore but not agonisingly so, a bit of modest discomdort in bed last night and today with brief walks with backpack on but not terrible and I suspect to mostly got away with it and it will rapidly improve/peel but maybe I do need to be stricter about wearing t shirt when swimming unless it is closer to dawn/dusk than it was at the lake yesterday.
Also tona is listed at 60 here so while I might prefer a beer at the hostel coming here is an option.
One of the locals is unpacking shit from beach bag with London underground logos. an unofficial bootleg I hope.
1723 the other group of about 7 locals doesn't have any food yet. I think it is a polystyrene container kind of place. But this doesn't bode well for me getting anything soon. My hands feel sticky as fuck - I could have eashed them at hostel but didn't think as was in a rush to get tout and eat - and I am reluctant to ask to wash them here.
1734 although I could eat something and am alert to prospect of low blood sugar type mood issues, I am not actually actively feeling hungry otherwise.
1737 washed hands. No soap or towel. I don't mind rustic and primitive but when I am paying high prices it grates. But I am being a bit unfair of course.
I assume they are cooking ny dinner and that I have ordered and it is just slow. I am fairly sure. But there is some tiny lingering doubt ad I don't want to ask because it would probably look rude.
1740 just taken off the wristband I have been wearing since checking in at the fucking hostel in granada. Maybe this metaphorically symbolise a new phase of the journey.
Ooh, real plates of food are being delivered to the other table. Moderately promising.
1835 food not bad though salad was dtrssed. 230+30 for coke.
Walked back got two beers at mini market and a towel at reception. I think every single person who has shown me a price since I arrived has done so by showing me a calculwtor screen. I think one or two have read it out as well, but the general idea seems to be that fuck, it's a tourist, just show em the figures and don't waste your breath.
Watched sunset over one of the volcano's from west facing tetrace of room and still sitting out now (warm but windy, but it is not hot and sticky so great). View is nice and some of the sunset colours pretty cool. But I do still feel a bit fucking shit.
I will have the other beer and probably have an early night and try not to put too much pressure on myself tonorrow in terms of hiking or anything or going to the beach (which I saw from the road by reagaurant, it is tiny and very local).
1931 phone screen still intermittently playing up. Intermittently tempted to anap it in half. If this keeps up I might risk taking the wcreen protector off
A likely french guy came sat out on terrace, I said hi and he said something incomprehensible back and at there eating but I don't think it was really rude and I didn't move or try to force w conversation, a couple of dogs also came round and I stroked one a bit, they are presumably used to guests and seemed quite friendly. Might still worry about coming back at midnight but frankly that is not something I expect to happen here
Plan is still to take tonorrow very easily, wander round casually, try to get some cash try to get my head together. I can stay on here or somewhere else if I want, I do not have to rush to decide if I want to go up either volcano. (The woman with the hot room I mentioned on bus back from apoyo, iirc, was talking about q volcano hike and you get q choice of two and she *must* surely have been talking about ometepe? But she said one people often don't make it to the top as they can't go because of wind (I am sure he is not talking about Santa ana) and she said she started at 530 with her guide (just the two of then) and it was so humid, and I just cannot believe it is like that here, albeit I haven't been here in the morning.
Fwiw neither volcano here is mega high (1500mish?) And maybe you start from? Low down but I wouldn't naively expect either to be tremendously hard. Maybe she was talking about somewhere else. And I don't think she has a warped idea of humid, given she was in fucking granada when she was telling this story, maybe someone might come here first and think it is humid and then get to granada and recalibrate, but it didn't sound like that. Maybe she did mean somewhere else.
That aside, which I could research, do I want to do a volcano here even if my head is together? I have been up volcano's. I do rather intend to so the one in La Union and maybe even try to camp at the top (retninf a tent). Yes I want to push myself and do memorable things but if the volcano here is not a major challenge and not exceptionally beautiful (maybe it is) should I burn willpower on it? Just as with random wanky hostel activities, you cannot just blindly climb every climbable volcano that comes in your path. And if it is challenging, that is tempting but also maybe I do or don't want or need that kind of challenge now. Genuine questions not related to any lingering bitterness or headfuckery.
2059 in hammock. French guy came back and played a little ukulele, not bad in a practice casual kind of way. There is a painy mark which I tired to photo on the underside of the roof which looks very much like a sort of santa claus/bearded elf, and did even before two beers.
2228 moving to bed. Shower first. Rules of hotel in English only on back of room door are ultra weird and kind of mangled. They're not even arsey. There is stuff in there about danger of contagion and notifying the competent authorities. Not even obvious mistranslations (albeit "host" is maybe used consistently to mean "guest"). Just a sort of weird almost dissociated press type version of a hotel rules sheet.
2236 just had shower. I had glases off, turned water on and a big spider (not a tarantula, but big UK size maybe, chunkyish) started to run out of the shower. I did shriek, but yes, the surprise never goes away. I finishes the shower after I put my glasses on and had a look. I am not exactly happy it's there but not the end of the world. This is vaguely a repeat of the Mexico waterfall lodge thing. I will just have to leave it there in the bathroom tonight and hope it keeps away from me, which to be fair it probably will. Let me dry my glasses off (I accidentally wore them into the shower during the putting then on and observe phase) and have a bit of a squint at it properly.
Yeah, it's on the bathroom door frame where (I am not going to) it would get partly squashed or maimed if I shut the door. I don't like it much but yeah it's OK really.
Mon 0820 been awake a while. Still in room. Didn't sleep great, not terrible. Spider has (ho ho) legged it. Probably for the best, the chances are I will never see it again, if I do I will deal with it and I really didn't like the idea of sitting on the bog with the risk of brushing against it on the doorframe (ditto shaving, cleaning teeth) and setting it on the move again.
P7 screen continues to be intermittently weirdly shit. May be a hardware fault. Maybe be some weird dampness lurking under screen protector in a moleular way that will fix itself. I could and will if necessary take the screen protector off but of course I cannot replace it while on holiday so there is downside. I have has a fairly amount of use out of the p7 but it still barring this kind of shit has life left and is expensive so I don't want to trash it. (Yes in theory it is a mainstream enough model to buy a screen protector from a random kiosk. But since it has a fucking curved screen I know from prior experience a random cheap screen protector, especially tempered glass, is likely to render it unusuable through phantom or missed touches anyway, and while I could probably get something I am reluctant to go down this path if I can avoid it.
Eyes feel a bit bleary. Genuine unsure what to do today or tomorrow. I probably need to avoid rushing into a decision. Go for a walk, eat an overpriced breakfast, try to get cash. I have frankly mixed feelings after Granada but in the absence of any strong inclinations otherwise I probably ought to find the right kind of hostel (and ideally one with few people I already met) and go there while I spend more time on island, not so much as I an desperate for nice social contact but as I am desperate to avoid feeling shit by avoiding stuff etc, but also because maybe it will be a differently congenial spot to hang around mostly solo than here (I do feel better now the spider has gone - I toyed with asking for a glass to get rid of it but even doing that feels weak, it would suck if someone came and got rid of it for me, plus it was in a super inconvenient place and I have no card - and the mixed blessing ruralness of the accom here and the relative peace is not the concern it night otherwise have been) or it might do bike rental or suggest tours or I might pick up (even if only via earwgligging) some ideas on what to do. Because I sort of came here on vague nature tourism grounds and to get the hell out of granada, but although I could read up on it etc without being at a hostel which may push tours, as I think I said last night I am still deeply unclear if I really want to or should push myself to walk up one of the volcanos. It isn't quite the same but I am also frankly not over keen to go swim at the beach here, I mean I might and it would probably be safe and it would be exercise (albeit swimming for exercise feels incomparible with being on holiday and being in slightly intimidating natural encironmwntw where depth is a concern but also waves fuck me up and there is worry about losing stuff) and a minor "hey I did that" but I also kind of feel honour is mostly satisfied there for the moment after cap Morgan and apoyo.
I could maybe see if I can hire a pedal bike. But even if that might be low key fun, I really don't fancy it today. And yet time feels like it is going to hang extremely heavy today somehow. Maybe the fact the imminent decision on where to go tonorrow is looming makes it harder to just relax and walk a bit and sit in my room and maybe finally repack my bag cleanly or watch a bit of yt or just sit on the balcony and listen to music. I do feel the trip remaining is short and after the last few days I have I think genuinely irrational feelings the trip is now a bust and a failure but on the other hand I don't feel any immense time pressure either. Part of this may simply be that I am feeling lazy (whether for good-ish relax/chill/recharge/not forced to do anything and something will oxcur to me or bad lets-withdraw-from-the-world kind) and disinclined to push myself.
To be clear it does feel like the shittiness of eg granada was mostly a sort of meta shittiness in my head. Nothing really bad happened, I felt a bit out of place but not really for any solid reason or because anything happened or even because I took a mild social risk and it failed or anything. I kind of mainly feel shit about feeling so shit on so little real provocation, a bit like I smashed myself up falling off my bike *on a flat dry road in the middle of summer*. To some extent time and/or action will probably efface this and maybe I can/have learned some incidental stuff from it. Yawning. Maybe this has little to do with me feeling kind of aimless and a bit lost right now and not entirely happy with it.
I think fuck it, I can come back here and do quiet private room and nice view kisten to music whatever shit later, for now it would be productive to get up properly and clean teeth and see if I can find a cash machine and have some kind of breakfast or at least coffee, I am not actively hungry but it might be good for my mood and or for somehow stimulating my brain into reflecting on stuff or doing stuff.
The spider having gone does remind me of Jim(?) Story in an episode of that new York taxi show from the 70s? Where he says he woke up one night to find a tarantula on his chest and someone asks what he did and he says he went back to sleep and it was gone when he woke up and thats that. I mean it is sort of silly and funny but obviously I can't maintain an inventory on every spider migrating around my environment and it came from somewhere it wasn't inponging on my consciousness in the slightest way and statistically it has like returned to another such place.
Getting ready to go out does feel a chore. Sunblock, cleaning teeth, etc. I don't think this is a depression type thing and it certainly isn't new. Having a private room eases this somewhat but it is still a minor tediousness even at home.
1149 just signed up for three hours of kite surfing lessons tomorrow! Serendipity at play, I think. I went for a walk along the beach after failing to get cash at the nearby machine partly for something to do and partly as there is another cash machine at north end of beach. And I saw people kite surfing and I thought that looks cool and felt a bit pissed off I couldn't do it. Then I sort of noticed it looked like people were having lessons and then I came across the actual school and felt a bit weird but went in and spoke to someone about it, who assured me there is no upper age limit and answered various questions and I went off for a walk and didn't get wny cash but had a coffee at hotel at north end of beach and mulled and walked back having pretty much decided I would do it, and I just confirmed via whatsapp. I will extens here for another night if I can.
I also saw a small but quite attractive browny snake on the beach in the walk north. 99% sure it was alive but I luckily didn't tread on it and since I am not an absolute moron I didn't poke it with a stick or try to touch it to see if it was alive.
1857 power cut. I also have a feeling my snake picture didn't get taken, but who knows.
Got 500 dollars out at local atm, had to pay 6 fee bit couldn't be helped, starling chase and Barclaycard all had the same in that machine. Picked dollars as kite surfing is a better price in dollars and it is the basic charging unit. While I am only committing to one day right now, if it goes basically ok and I don't hate it, I do intend to try three days despite the expense.
I came back and extended at hostel for a night for 19 dollars, before doing that I popped round to outside dorm to check price on booking.com ans the giu from last night was there and I chatted with him a while, turns out he is not a French guy with a ukelele, he is an Israeli guy (Noam??) with a chart to, a Bolivian/Peruvian ten stringed (five pairs) instrument.
Went and extended, called parents, went out for lunch at comedor pa malinche (asked for undressed salad, toughish but decent bistec de res with salad and rice and patacones and a sugar coke and then a black coffee) at wl280 all in then decided I would wander over to value and back which I did, lots of tourist businesses on the road, no stress with dogs. At the far end by Sol y Marea resta<rant inner onto the little beach, stepped down and out my hand out to catch myself on a tree and it turned out to be one of those apiky [rres I think I has pointed out to me on a tour a few years ago and I got some modest puncture wounds in left hand, touch woos nothing serious.
Came back and had a pricey but wtf kombucha (130) at pan de mama then to ocean mart again for excessive amounts of snacks, I won't eat them all but wanted some for tonorrow etc. And I have managed to resist the modest temptaion to drink alcohol today so watched sunset from hammock with Noam strumming his non-ukulele (we didn't chat but felt companionable enough) with a warmish bottle of diet coke and ha e come into room and was going to have a few snacks while watching yt and then prep for tonorrow and cut toenails and that is still the plan but the power cut has put this on hold as I pace the room typing this with the p7 torch on. I did also have a shave before going out to watch sunset.
I think that is the basic gist of everything so far. I am going to re-dress and go with outside given the power cut.
I did top up my claro sim this after oon, no fuss, so I so have modest internet access even with the power cut if I really need it but don't want to waate it on yt.
1911 back in hammock. Lights do seem to work out here. But maybe they are solar and wifi isn't working so I suspec tit isn't just my room which has lost power.
P7 screen continues shitty for touch but it may be getting slowly better and while frustrating as fuck (particularly scrolling is bad) I haven't ripped the screen protector off yet
I sat at the beach tables at la malinche. Very strong onshore constant wind as had noticed earlier andlresunabky why this is a good spot for kite surfing. It was not too cold and sort of nice albeit a bit odd just how constant and strong it was. I do wnder if tonorrow being at for three hours with this wond, no matter how warm the water, will be an issue but presumably if other people manage so will I and cna only wait and see. I have deliberately not done any significant reading up on kite surfing beyond a token search for reviews of this school, which are minimal but generally good if perhaps not truly independent etc.
It is what it is and the whole thing is about the serendipity f being at this hostel and seeing it and dirk gently ish almost#t being unaware of the thing and passing through wanting and then having super rapidly and kind of calling my own bliff on the "why can't I do that?" Thoughts when it turned out that technically I could.
I don't know if the kite surfing will work but I hope to maintain a good attitude and just trying it will be something. It also aaprt from the nice serendipity angle feels like something which is taking advantage of being here on ometepe and is something I wqnt to try and which appeals more than eg a volcano hike or some random kayak thing, which I may do if I feel like it but which now feel less "necessary" since the kite surfing attempt whether it sicceeds or fails ticks the box for having done something "notable" here, and you can't do everything etc
I may go for a late lunch or a recent at some of the other rhostels eg down the balgue road tomorrow and then I will maybe have some idea if j fancy staying at one eg after kite surfing or if I can't or don't want to stay here. Within moderation it does feel like eg if I am doing kite surfing for three days it is quite nice to be staying here and not forcing myself into a hostle env, this place eis well located for the kite surfing and it gives me a nice feeling of sort of camping here as a base while I do the lessons.
Lesson is at 11 by the way, they had confirmed tonorrow much earlier but only told me the time when I was back here at hostel just before sunset. I just may have breakfast at the hostel (150ish)
Cicadas or whatever they are going on. Occasionally a bout of heavier similar noise starts up.
It is hot here during the day when not exposed to the breeze from the lake but overall it is a touch hot but not stifling and sticky like granada was
2025 power blipped on a few mins ago but then went again. Tbh I may go back into room anyway and snack by torchlight if it doesn't come on soon anyway.
2115 power came back about 2050. Been gorging on snacks and watching dled yt, couldn't find actual torch so (and also thinking about battery, albeit yes it is approaching expriu) got the led head attachment and put it on the power bank to get some light in room while watching until power came back.
Feel a bit stuffed and oddly nervy about tomorrow as a result, as if mils overeating of junk tonight has a serious bearing on anything.
I can see the snake photos on A06 so they should have copied over to the p7 via the ish and maybe they have but eg shitty scrolling with screen trouble stops me seeing them or something. Had anotherlook and I think I can now find them on p7 too so that is good.
2133 do feel oddly and quietly nervy. Prob won't have shower tonight but do it tomorrow. Let me cut toenails anyway.
2143 fingernail clippers are not the right tool for the job but I have done my best. Probably irrelevant but also probably due anyway and either tomorrow during lesson or in general may reduce chances of a nail catching or smashing on something. Not done fingernails, they are maybe borderline due but not really I think.
Fwiw I do have my aa powered torch, and I did roughly know where eit was, I just gave up looking for it when I decided the power bank and torch head was likely a better call here anyway.
If I forgot to say earlier I picked up almost a complete set of broken bits for a mobile phone on the beach on the walk back south. Currently sitting on table here in room and do have some photos.
2200 ok so I have kind of packed for tomorrow. Ftr while I plan to wear prescription goggles I have switched to my single vision lenses tomorrow just in case I somehow need them and if nothing else they are less valuable than the varifocals. I am definitely getting some general use from the single vision pair on risky or adventurous activity cases.
well I will say that I didn't sign up for kitsurfing in a wave of bravado. While it may be ndefinably scary oor horrible okr dangerus in some way I don't forsee, I was not massively concered at the rik of getting seiosly hurt. Screen o s fucking @iind bigibis eg jumpiinfanomdly bad a nab e née rally acing lke i am swipig when i am no an in shit fucking te time as i. Yay uay] at yay..
2216 going to bed. Feel okish. Will send this now as well overdue.
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