Santa Cruz, Tuesday

Tue 0830 okay, so voice typing surreptitiously on the hostel terrace, didn't sleep that well, and pisses a bit yellow, I'm wondering if I'm slightly dehydrated. I'm trying to get breakfast here, I maybe should just have gone out to one of the places nearby but it's probably about the same price and about the same quality. A bit nervous about today but also sort of looking forward to it, there's a bit of a breeze and I've got ooh I'm going to be cold feelings but of course there's no real reason to worry about that.

Put a touch detector app on the phone, there's a strip about two-thirds of the way down the screen across it where it's sort of jittery Could just be the screen protector. Of course. I haven't taken it off yet I've tried sort of pressing it down and rubbing it with cloths and clothes and it hasn't really helped But who knows could be a hardware fault which would suck but such is life Might be repairable economically. I mean it might even be a economically repairable over here, but I don't know I mean, anyway, it could very well be the screen protector. So I just haven't taken it off yet. I'm just making a note

I've probably already said, but the kitesurfing just feel quite expensive, really, at 160 a day, basically, for three hours of classes, but it is what it is and it probably is worth doing. I mean, yeah, it's going to add up. You have to kind of assume, given that I'm planning to do the basic three days, which is what they recommended at a minimum, unless it's awful or horrible, so it's quite likely to be three days' worth at three times 160 and maybe a day or two more, depending how it goes, you know, if I'm slow or if it's going all right and I want to sort of cement it or get a bit more in, but it's fine. I can afford it. It's only a two-month trip not a three month which while I don't have a formal budget could be agued to free some budget up. It's an experience. I did want to do it, blah, blah, blah. I'm just saying it is quite a lot of money, yes.

It is a bit weird having primarily dollars and constantly thinking am I getting screwed on the exchange rate when I ask for change or when I spend them. I've got some local cash and I do get local cash when I spend the dollars, but given the potentially very large expenditure on the kitesurfing and that that's dollar denominated and their exchange rate, I asked, they were very honest, they said it was 36 and the market rate was like 36.7 or 36.8. In my head maybe I got it wrong, that's like a 2% premium, so it was worth paying the 1% premium at the cash machine to get dollars, well I had to pay that to get local currency anyway, and you know I'm probably not getting that stiffed on other stuff, but since the bulk of the spend is going to be the dollar spend on the kitesurfing, I had to default to that. It's fine, obviously, I'm just waffling and making a note, but it is still slightly odd to be spending dollars more than I normally would if it hadn't been for this withdrawal.

0924 back in my room doing the voice typing, not sure what to do with the screen protector, I might take it off later but I'm not taking it off before the lesson I've been in this slightly awkward time-killing zone, I've come back into my room it's like I need to get slightly changed but I'm mostly ready and I'm a bit nervous and I'm sort of a bit excited but you know I don't know what to do so I'm just making a note about that and then I'll probably try not to keep waffling forever about it

1202 le#on cancelled to due too strong winds. Just one of those things. I have extended here another night and there isnt much I can do. To be fair I walked along beach road and sat on beach and maybe it is the power of suggestion but it does seem windy. I noticed there is actually another kite school slightly nearer hostle which ibhasnt seen before but I am not xhopping and changing  also while diaappointong this seems quite professional of them, they could have given me a shit lesson and charged for it just to get the money etc.

Actually most annoyed at all the sunblock I wasted on my arms and legs that I now no longer need. I am not out but I don't have tons. I did look in at ocean mart and while they have some mega expensive stuff, they do have 90g of factor 50 at a whisker under 300 or about six quid which is still eye watering but basically ok. I have not bought any, I strongly suspect I have enough for at least one fullish body application and if I don't I would have time to buy some at ocean before the class to orrow and if the class goes well and I expect to be doing at least 2-3 more days the expense of buying this becomes less significant and more juatifiavle.

Not quite sure what to so with the day. I do have some slightly pain in ball of right foot near RBIG toe, not sure it is a blister, but not ideal. Gut feeling is I will
Maybe  walk down towards merida as I did towards balgue and take it easy. I may also go for dinner or lucnh or a drink at a reataraunt or bar in some other nearby hostel by way of checking it out in terms of maybe staying there. I had a look at booking from the beach and there are nearby hostels with dorm beds and some do have privates but the privates are not as cheap as here and the dorm beds are not insanely cheap. I am open to a dorm and or a change of hostel for social stuff (although I do have some low key potential here and I don't feel too left out which i s perhaps main thing) and maybe paying for an expensive private to smooth things over or maybe going dorm *but* I think right now I would like to avoid any possible mind fuck or just extra stress before I ag least start the lessons. And given baed on the sullabua you probably don't get into the water until day 2, quite frankly I could see an argument for avoiding a hostel move until at least after day 2 of lessons, and depending how things go and whether I am forced to move, it might be smart to stay here for the duration of the lessons however long that is and then if I want to make a separate experiment staying at a different hostel.

Noticed today flight is on 25th so about a calendar month left. But that is fine, I do still have a lot of time, I am (trying) to do stuff etc. At least the cancellation today is just annoying and I am not down to a few days and maybe won't have enough time etc.

It does feel a waste of a day but in moderation a bit of wandering a bit of maybe experimentation at a reataurant or bar or a bit of a walk might be low key fun and although it is enforced it also is something I sort of wanted. Trying to squeeze in something big or semi big like an after oon kayak tour (making that up, no idea if it exists) feels like a bad idea in terms of burning up willpower and maybe body/muscle strength etc - I don't want to be sore going into the lessons etc.

1438 getting second coffee at Mirador del Concepción. Hope it doesn't rain. Walked over here, very quiet. Tried to go to la sirenita on a whim but a dog decided last minute to get a bit stroppy but managed to get down here. Owner chap had a brief chat, they do kayak rentla for inept two people at ten dollars an hour (and despite every single person I see not wearing one) this includes a lifejacket, or the guy said he would do me a deal of a guised tour at 20 dollars for two hours plus two hours of kayak rental so o guess 40 all in, he said normally it would be 30 for the guide. Anyway, he has given me his number (name Gabriel) and while the tour may be a touch expensive it might be interesting to come and hire a kayak for an hour or two another day.

I really hope it doesn't fucking rain  but I suppose an hour walk back in the rain wouldn't kill me in these temps and it probably won't.

Ok gabfel aac5aly out me on wifi and just checked weather, rain seems unlikely, but I note it says strong winds tonorrow too and something about them aubaiding thudsday.  Just have to keep my fingers crossed I guessed. And while annoying I so have time and to a limited extent waiting around for ok weather is kind of part and parcel of this sort of stuff I guess

I am not sure it isn't going to rain tbh. But what can I do?

Been slightly melancholy but nice here anyway and the second coffee has raced down and I do feel a bit down and maybe the weather worry etc isn't helping, albeit not crjppling. I think I will not neck it but it has nearly gone and not nurse it either.

2029 so I'm back in my room voice dictating this I walked back no problem it didn't rain I came back to the hostel did a bit of poking around on the web I think at that point they'd sent me a message saying midday for the lesson tomorrow maybe that turned up later anyway I replied and I made a little joke about fingers crossed for good weather and they did come back saying oh we're expecting to be there tomorrow so yeah fingers crossed when I got back yes I was messing around room a bit I thought I would go out and get something to eat and maybe have a look at some of the other hostels nearby with firstly because I needed to eat anyway also with a view to checking them out for if and when I decide to move somewhere else.

Whenn I hewded out Noam speaking to this Antipodean girl and I said hi and he shook my hand and I had been going to leave them to it but that sort of invited me in and I chatted for a few minutes before saying I was going to get dinner and maybe see them later.

So I went to huellitas and that looks quite interesting it almost looks well quite rural but there's a lot of places here are quite rural anyway I did went in and I was having sort of a look as I went and I spoke to a guy there and he said no no no we don't have a restaurant so I left but that does actually look kind of interesting I just want to read reviews. I then sort of tried to go into El Zopilote which was just super confusing they seem to have two locations both of them were kind of dead this was about quarter to five I think I was speaking Spanish I really didn't think I was speaking that badly but the basic idea that there's a restaurant at either location despite signs in the street saying restaurant vegan vegetarian food it was like I just asked them I don't know something crazy I mean they weren't saying oh it's too early sorry or oh sorry guests only I don't think it is guests only it was just like it's not sir this is a chemist this was the kind of gist anyway it's fine I mean they weren't rude just to be completely clear I was stone cold sober at this point so no question of anything like that being an issue but yeah a bit weird maybe it's a collective farm based on what I've read but it's still supposed to be hostile and they say you'd think the staff would say oh sorry the restaurant's not open yet or I'll come back later and it's like no no no it's like they definitely didn't say that there was no massive Spanish issue at that level anyway.

But that left me feeling really quite confused, not really a social issue, except for the apparent absolute lack of any other guests loitering around, but maybe they were all round the back or something. Anyway, I headed back towards Santa Cruz proper, and I came across Maria's hostel and Comedor or restaurant, or whatever it's called, and it looked a bit unpromising at first. And I went in and it did feel a bit weird, but I asked, and I got a meal, and although she did not recognise me saying the word aderezo, I did clarify - I was speaking Spanish, I don't know if they speak English in there, they probably do - I managed to get n undressed salad. I asked about the bistec Encebollado, they didn't have that, but I... she offered Pollo, and so I got Pollo Frito, and it was actually, to be fair, very good, and it was 200 and another 30 for the Coke, and she was quite cheery when I paid. Yeah, it was nothing like special, fancy, you don't like fancy anyway, but yeah, it was really well done, the portion was decent, it was like a flat chicken breast coated in breadcrumbs or something, and fried, deep fried, I don't know, but really nice actually, and I did get the salad undressed, and that was really surprisingly good actually, I might very well go back there, it's not cheaper than anywhere else, but it did feel better value.

So I came back and I can't remember exactly how I basically know him and the girl were sitting outside on the balcony, terrace, and I sat near them and I chipped into the conversation a little bit and I think it was okay and that was quite nice and I recommended Maria's to her when she asked her somewhere to go and eat so I hope she had a nice time. She went and so I finished my beer, oh I went into the mini market just opposite the hospital to get the beer first and then I thought oh well you know I'll go and get another beer at Ocean and drink it on the beach so I did that, the streets were dark at this point, it was probably about half six. No problem, I did put my torch on my phone as I was walking over because a couple of bits were very dark but it is quite a main road and there were no real problems with any dogs. It was windy as hell at the beach amazingly so I wondered if I was a complete nutter although there were a couple of locals I think maybe at a restaurant or at the Comedor just up above that slightly so maybe not. It was kind of cool but also a bit weird, I don't know if it was just the wind blowing something around but there was a thing on the beach that seemed to be like a jumping insect or spider. I tried to have a look at it but I lost it in the not quite full dark but you know very twilight-y dark. I was sitting on some rocks didn't actually worry me too much but I had the beer and it was okay and then I came back home because there was no point staying out later.

So I came back and the terrace was empty, and I sat in the hammock, and looked at stuff on my phone for a little bit, and then I came in here and that's about where we are. I think I was going to say something general about the other day. Oh, when I actually headed out to go to the beach, a spider, very much like the one that was in the room the other night, was scuttling across the terrace, and I did take a photo of it when it settled down, I'm not saying it was the same one, but it was very similar. I don't think I took a photo of the one that was in the room, so that's very similar.

The girl did also mention that her friends had suggested that they go over to the karaoke at Raindance afterwards. They'd been out on some tour today, which is why they weren't with her, just mentioned that in passing with regard to Raindance. I don't know if she did go or not, but I'm starting to think maybe I will give it a try later on as somewhere to stay. Although I don't know, huellitas look kind of interesting, but that's all by the by, not an issue right now. I'm going to stick with this place at least for tomorrow and maybe for the day after, unless they're actually full. As I say, I don't think I'll get into the water on the first day of the kite surfing, even if it does go ahead. So it would probably be good to avoid any kind of disturbance or mental static or whatever by changing accommodation at least until I've done day two of the kite surfing.

I'm seriously thinking about taking the screen protector off the P7. It isn't getting any better, it does kind of feel like it might help. I had a chat with an LLM this morning, I don't know if it's full of shit but it did kind of agree with me, but it's not like I'm being convinced by that. I'm sort of saying this to make a note for myself, because I'd been talking about it on this blog over the last few days. I'm just kind of reluctant to be left with the phone screen naked, even if it does fix it, but I could maybe get a screen protector I may take the screen protector off later so I'm saying this now just to document that, yeah, I have been talking about it for a while, it's still not getting better, and I think there's a chance it'll fix it, and the downside is probably limited anyway.

It has been kind of warmish today because I mean the breeze does get blocked obviously or just doesn't exist quite so much away from the beach Although it's very windy near the beach, but it's not it's not horrible It's warm, but there's generally a bit of a breeze and it was kind of overcast at points And it's not I can generally sitting around sweating. It's it's sort of warmly tropical with variations But it's generally quite nice and not for example like being in Granada where it mostly during the day felt awful Of course, maybe that's my psychology or me getting used to it, but for what it's worth

2100 washed 2 sets uw and done some exercises. Vaguely tempted to snack on some crisp things I have left over from yesterday but will try to be strong.

I did wonder about not having any beers today but what with one thing or another I thought I would I mean two is hardly insane is it they weren't as enjoyable as I might have hoped but it was only one day off and both of them were in slightly strange and awkward circumstances you know with the group on the terrace and then on the beach so it's fine yeah

I am slightly tempted to watch from YouTube as well, but to be honest I also feel a tiny bit tired. There's obviously nothing doing socially tonight, not that I'm tremendously up for it anyway, except on general grounds, but not specifically. So I do feel a bit tired, and although I don't have to be up particularly early, I think I might have a shower and do my teeth and go to bed. It's like it's not that early, it might not hurt, it might help things generally. I feel broadly speaking, okay, today hasn't been too bad in many ways, I've not done too bad with these interactions at the hostel, and I didn't flip out about the lesson, and I've maintained a mostly positive attitude, and likewise at the cafe by the lake and keeping open to the kayaking possibility, which I've got my eye on. Anyway, so there you go.

2108 just taken screen protector off. The touch sensitive showing app which shows a dot under fingers doesn't seem improved, but this actually seem a to be working *way* better. The touch showing app is every old and there may be a weird old android incompatibility glitch which causes that bizarre strip of jumpiness.

But yeah thinks like swiping up from the bottom of the acreen to get back to the launcher are now working reliably. So fingers crossed the screen protector was basically the cause of the glotch8ness, time will tell, but that is sometime. I don't think I could get a screen protector here on ometepe but I amf randomly quite IP for experimenting with running the phone e naked, it my be one thing I get tout of this trip longer term is realising just how subtly crappy having a screen protector in is (at least ton this phone) even before it went najorly tits up over the last few days.

I will have to be extra cateful about trying to keep eg sand off the p7 but it does already have its own dedicated pocket with no keys (and back in UK too) so with a tiny bit off extra caution this may well be a worthwhile gamble. As I say it may still turn out to befaulty but initial signs from typing this are promising. Of course eit isn't perfect because it is on screen keyboard with predictive text but the utter chaotic randomness that tkocks in at times and has to be temporarily averted by turning screen off and on seems to have gone, touch wood. And the screen doesn't even feel notably sticky despite just peeling the protector off without any tools or (more to the point) using any ipa type screen cleaner after.

So phew  probably.

2119 okay, I've had a shower and done my teeth. Just for the record, the shower here is just cold. I think that's just par for the course, probably for the island, probably for most of Nicaragua. I can't specifically remember what Leon and Granada were like, but unless I wrote otherwise, I would guess they are cold only showers. Not really a big deal in this climate. I mean, the wind's howling outside like Arctic, but it's still slightly warm in the room. I haven't got the fan on at the moment, but I will put it on. It's not painfully warm, but it's definitely warm, you know. Was there anything else I was going to say?

Not to say I won't feel nervous tomorrow but in some strange way I think having the kitesurfing put off has kind of diminished some of the fear. I don't know, it sort of feels strangely and irrationally a bit more routine because it's been put back like that. I don't know, maybe I'm just making shit up as I talk but anyway, thought it's worth. I think I'll probably send this and go to bed because I did yawn a bit while I was cleaning my teeth. There's nothing specifically to stay up for and we'll see how it goes. Hopefully I get a bit better sleep tonight. I'm not sleeping terribly, it's just not quite right somehow. I don't really know why.

I just remembered I was thinking about cutting my fingernails tonight, but they're not particularly bad, and I think they can easily wait. And of course, in general, I have no convenient way to soak them before I cut them, even if I have a shower. Unless it's a hot shower, I'm just not going to be in there for the 10-20 minutes that would probably take. I don't have any cups to really dunk them in, I suppose in theory I could bodge something up in the sink. But anyway, not a big deal.

I am also just slightly overdue for a haircut only on my general let's try and keep it short principles I don't really think I've seen a hairdresser around here and it's certainly not terrible if I spot one I might do it but otherwise I guess when I get back to the mainland just a note

2124 I was sure there was something else but it can't be that important. Let's send this now and go to bed.

Granada, Saturday; Granada-Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz, Monday

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.

Granada, Friday

Fri 0838 just had surprisingly decent if small free breakfast burritk thing (tortilla wrapped round gallo pinto and scrambled egg?) With a bit of pico de gallo and some watermelon srgmenta. Also free coffee with milk. There didn't seem much space round by where they were serving so I brought mond round to kitchen. I may go hang round there a bit after with some coffee.

Wearing red as shirt after basic dressing and have done teeth but not put sun block on yet.

Dorm must have air con to some degree, it was mildly cold in the night and the heat also hit me when coming out.

I didn't sleep great but not terrible. I woke up about 11-midnight and maybe a bit in the night and have been mostly awake reading in bed since maybe 6ish, which sucks but it was just too early to get up and I felt a bit hungry but not much and didn't really need a piss.

I do feel vaguely "wtf am I going to do with myself?" And not super like I am going to have great social success and the heat feels mildly theoretically oopresaive (but there is a fan here and while it makes handling napkins a nightmare it is actually quite pleasant). Overall I do feel relatively OK though. Tempted to finish yesterdays sandwich stiff but probably better to do that later.

There was a bit of snoring in the night but nothing major, nothing like yesterday afternoon.  I also when I went to bed rigged my blanket up (which I didn't expect to need, and probably wouldn't have used even if I hadn't used it for this, despite the mild chill) as a sort of catch-net at the top of the bed, which while not ibfallible would help if the phone dis get knocked over the top of the mattress during the night.

There are lots of mostly paid activity posters around and tbh most don't really appeal even if we set aside age and social type shit. I need to remember that this stiff is suggestions not demands and that ior anyone else can have a very full, interesting, exciting etc trip without doing any of this. Just cherry pick, or nothing if that feels best. There is some stiff about aurf lessons and tbh it is vaguely tempting to do a beginner lesson just for the hell of it, but tbh I think to whatever extent I am going to mess around with his it makes sense to dedicate eg a week or more to doing this every day etc and doing a quick taster type aession where I am inevitably not going to be able to balance myself for more than about 0.4 seconds is at best going to what my appetite and then likely leave me wanting more but not really placed to do it, or is going to dishearten me from giving it a serious try in the future  today is the 4 week point I think and I obviously could afford to spend a week leaning to turn right now If I wanted, but I am not massively eneegised, I am sure my swimming is basically good enough for this beginner type stuff (although sea?) But also unless you surf on the lake here, it would involves buses to the beach etc and frankly it just seems a slightly silly spot to suddenly decide to do it. If I really did want to, it would make more sense to go over to an actual beach place and do it there.

There are various slightly ovelrty getting pissed and youngish and beachwear type booze cruises and stu% advertised which don't massively appeal. There is some sort of full day beach thing for about 14 dollars which I noticed includes free use of kayak and that is vaguely tempting, it would be good if I could get some low stress mucking about in a kayak or canoe or something in now I have the swimming mildly dialled in, but I am not so sure about this specific thing, and I am not sure I really want to be bussed over somewhere for the day and it to be too full on sun etc. OTOH with caution this could give me an opportunity to get some swimming in too and if it is in the lake (but maybe it isnt the lake right by the city but another one?) It may not be too far and going by bus from hostel would remove most of the worst case loss/theft aspects. I only really saw this when getting breakfast (just maybe last night) so I will chew on it. It may be better to try some canoeish stuff at Isla ometepeque though.

I am likely to extend for another night here one way or another. I - and this may just be fortune telling - feel the hostel is a bit big and a bit young and groupy for me to really get much chat on but in the worst case, except for the not that bad upper bunk, it is fairly comfortable, the dorm does in practice have air con, the laundry is cheap and it is a perfectly fine base to see granada and decide what to do next and where to go etc. I don't need to rush, as long as I am not literally sitting around all day every day I am fine to spend a few days here.

I don't want to not do stuff just because of this  but I am likely to come back via granada after Isla onetepeque so I could eg so this kayaking thing then, but I don't really think this is a super helpful way to think.

That said, it may be that eg doing this day lake kayak buffet thing tonorrow would be a bad move, since it is Saturday and while from a tourist pov that makes little difference, it may be busier with locals, depending exactly what kind of place it is.

0906 got another coffee. The lake thing with the kayaks is lago de apoyo, a crater lake 20 mins away, it is something like 10am to 430pm. About 14 dollars. It doesn't feel perfect but does feel like it might work, but it does feel like even ignoring any other qualms I might have, the uv aspect isn't great.

I do feel a bit BNM here but not massively worried about it.

1013 ok put sunblock on and wearing blue rs top. Feel a bit sticky. Signed up for free walking tour which leaves from reception at 1030. Sitting at a table by some guys who also seem to be doing it.

I feel broadly fine, has a big dump and I feel sort of hollow (!) Which gives me bizarre "am I healthy?" Concerns but in reality I so feel basically fine, I think a little psychologically on edge and socially uneasy and the heat isn't great. Just keep it chill, do the tour, then I can spend the afternoon doing a little light sightseeing, eztend for a night and toy with future plans (tonorrow, next few days). There is some slightly melancholy coffee shop type piano music playing which is perhaps also having some subtly arty film depressing effect on my psyche. :-)

1337 walking tout on if not great, guide seemed nice enough but he rambled and his English was just a touch hard to understand.

I had the idea during the walk to cook myself hot dogs for dinner and I just had some, tbh not very satisfactory but I did it. Once I gave washed my plate up I will have a coke zero I bought.

I feel a bit full and a bit hot and not quite honesick but sort of fed up and out of place and not really panicky but half wondering what the fuck to do next. I have extended for tonorrow night btw  I could do some kind of tour or go to that nearby lake tomorrow and to be fair even if that is vaguely miserable at worst (lonely and or beachy or uv stressy) it in practice need not be a huge deal. Albeit I am really not sure I feel like forcing myself to swim. I dunno. Maybe I just feel a bit bad because I am slightly bloated. I still have my leftover sandwich materials but will have those later or tomorrow.

2218 on utterly deserted hostle terrace. I think everyone is at treehouse  not joking.

I dithered and did some research and went out for walk down to amelcon (heading out down mildly sketchy road, coming back down calzada with ita bars)  had a raspado (tamarind and guava with leche) at a small bike type stall from friendly ish chap which was actually a lot nicer and more satiafyonf than I expected when I bought it. Was milling over onward plans and has been feeling rather down and I finally after more dithering booked hostel tour to apoyo tomorrow and hostel shuttle to sa kn Juan (? For boat to ometepe) for sun and a cheap private room at an I suspect will be deserted but fuck it hostel on onwtwpe for two nights (can extend, if I spend a week on Thailand having fun a or relaxing that is fine).

I also took some laundry in, they said they could only tumble dry it low what and I dithered and said yes then they came back and said they were going to line dr for anyway.

A chap I tbh barely recognised but half did and who may have been the speed rexors guy at my volcano boarding said hi as I was handing in my laundry and we chatted very rbridltz he is doing the treehouse party

I had the three free drinks at social hour with hardly anyone around (greenhouse starts 4pm iirc and I think most people get shuttle over 6ish) and the went over to calzada where I had probably four beers at some random and where they were 60 each on the menu and yet the bill was nyareriouslt 330 plus optional tip and I should really have politely queried this but just maybe it was 5 beers and it isnt a huge amount but I probably wasr ripped off ans a polite query wouldn't have hurt and I was one of a handful of customers but I was just drunk enough not to want to push it. Not a bad id quietish night.

Mixed feeling about apoyo tomorrow but hey it will be something to do and it might be nice and maybe a chance to swim and or kayak.

I so and have felt a bit low and old andisolates but not ok bad right now.
I think that is basically where we stand, not a perfect write up but basically itm at malexon while atonf reasonable locals were talking and an old-ish woman seemed to be saying something about how it was a shame wwe were
Losing such a beautful view so maybe the area ja being redeceloped or closed but i resisted the very very implementation (minor temptation as I meant to write butb OSK)  to try to join the cknveration.

Spanish language rock at the bar tongith, maybe all the foreigners are at treehouse  the waiter is at least speaking to me in Spanish

One guy in dorm in bed below mine, cest la vie. Have done teeth. Will likely go to bed shortly. Pickup 10 for apoyo  need to faff with clothes and glases etc, but should be fine and wi) l have breakfast etc and expect to ;eup pretty early despite the four beers and the didn't feel that strong though did look like a generous pour free rum and frescas.

2247 feels a bit mosquito-y out here. Let's send this and go to bed.

Granada, Friday

Fri 0838 just had surprisingly decent if small free breakfast burritk thing (tortilla wrapped round gallo pinto and scrambled egg?) With a bit of pico de gallo and some watermelon srgmenta. Also free coffee with milk. There didn't seem much space round by where they were serving so I brought mond round to kitchen. I may go hang round there a bit after with some coffee.

Wearing red as shirt after basic dressing and have done teeth but not put sun block on yet.

Dorm must have air con to some degree, it was mildly cold in the night and the heat also hit me when coming out.

I didn't sleep great but not terrible. I woke up about 11-midnight and maybe a bit in the night and have been mostly awake reading in bed since maybe 6ish, which sucks but it was just too early to get up and I felt a bit hungry but not much and didn't really need a piss.

I do feel vaguely "wtf am I going to do with myself?" And not super like I am going to have great social success and the heat feels mildly theoretically oopresaive (but there is a fan here and while it makes handling napkins a nightmare it is actually quite pleasant). Overall I do feel relatively OK though. Tempted to finish yesterdays sandwich stiff but probably better to do that later.

There was a bit of snoring in the night but nothing major, nothing like yesterday afternoon.  I also when I went to bed rigged my blanket up (which I didn't expect to need, and probably wouldn't have used even if I hadn't used it for this, despite the mild chill) as a sort of catch-net at the top of the bed, which while not ibfallible would help if the phone dis get knocked over the top of the mattress during the night.

There are lots of mostly paid activity posters around and tbh most don't really appeal even if we set aside age and social type shit. I need to remember that this stiff is suggestions not demands and that ior anyone else can have a very full, interesting, exciting etc trip without doing any of this. Just cherry pick, or nothing if that feels best. There is some stiff about aurf lessons and tbh it is vaguely tempting to do a beginner lesson just for the hell of it, but tbh I think to whatever extent I am going to mess around with his it makes sense to dedicate eg a week or more to doing this every day etc and doing a quick taster type aession where I am inevitably not going to be able to balance myself for more than about 0.4 seconds is at best going to what my appetite and then likely leave me wanting more but not really placed to do it, or is going to dishearten me from giving it a serious try in the future  today is the 4 week point I think and I obviously could afford to spend a week leaning to turn right now If I wanted, but I am not massively eneegised, I am sure my swimming is basically good enough for this beginner type stuff (although sea?) But also unless you surf on the lake here, it would involves buses to the beach etc and frankly it just seems a slightly silly spot to suddenly decide to do it. If I really did want to, it would make more sense to go over to an actual beach place and do it there.

There are various slightly ovelrty getting pissed and youngish and beachwear type booze cruises and stu% advertised which don't massively appeal. There is some sort of full day beach thing for about 14 dollars which I noticed includes free use of kayak and that is vaguely tempting, it would be good if I could get some low stress mucking about in a kayak or canoe or something in now I have the swimming mildly dialled in, but I am not so sure about this specific thing, and I am not sure I really want to be bussed over somewhere for the day and it to be too full on sun etc. OTOH with caution this could give me an opportunity to get some swimming in too and if it is in the lake (but maybe it isnt the lake right by the city but another one?) It may not be too far and going by bus from hostel would remove most of the worst case loss/theft aspects. I only really saw this when getting breakfast (just maybe last night) so I will chew on it. It may be better to try some canoeish stuff at Isla ometepeque though.

I am likely to extend for another night here one way or another. I - and this may just be fortune telling - feel the hostel is a bit big and a bit young and groupy for me to really get much chat on but in the worst case, except for the not that bad upper bunk, it is fairly comfortable, the dorm does in practice have air con, the laundry is cheap and it is a perfectly fine base to see granada and decide what to do next and where to go etc. I don't need to rush, as long as I am not literally sitting around all day every day I am fine to spend a few days here.

I don't want to not do stuff just because of this  but I am likely to come back via granada after Isla onetepeque so I could eg so this kayaking thing then, but I don't really think this is a super helpful way to think.

That said, it may be that eg doing this day lake kayak buffet thing tonorrow would be a bad move, since it is Saturday and while from a tourist pov that makes little difference, it may be busier with locals, depending exactly what kind of place it is.

0906 got another coffee. The lake thing with the kayaks is lago de apoyo, a crater lake 20 mins away, it is something like 10am to 430pm. About 14 dollars. It doesn't feel perfect but does feel like it might work, but it does feel like even ignoring any other qualms I might have, the uv aspect isn't great.

I do feel a bit BNM here but not massively worried about it.

1013 ok put sunblock on and wearing blue rs top. Feel a bit sticky. Signed up for free walking tour which leaves from reception at 1030. Sitting at a table by some guys who also seem to be doing it.

I feel broadly fine, has a big dump and I feel sort of hollow (!) Which gives me bizarre "am I healthy?" Concerns but in reality I so feel basically fine, I think a little psychologically on edge and socially uneasy and the heat isn't great. Just keep it chill, do the tour, then I can spend the afternoon doing a little light sightseeing, eztend for a night and toy with future plans (tonorrow, next few days). There is some slightly melancholy coffee shop type piano music playing which is perhaps also having some subtly arty film depressing effect on my psyche. :-)

1337 walking tout on if not great, guide seemed nice enough but he rambled and his English was just a touch hard to understand.

I had the idea during the walk to cook myself hot dogs for dinner and I just had some, tbh not very satisfactory but I did it. Once I gave washed my plate up I will have a coke zero I bought.

I feel a bit full and a bit hot and not quite honesick but sort of fed up and out of place and not really panicky but half wondering what the fuck to do next. I have extended for tonorrow night btw  I could do some kind of tour or go to that nearby lake tomorrow and to be fair even if that is vaguely miserable at worst (lonely and or beachy or uv stressy) it in practice need not be a huge deal. Albeit I am really not sure I feel like forcing myself to swim. I dunno. Maybe I just feel a bit bad because I am slightly bloated. I still have my leftover sandwich materials but will have those later or tomorrow.

2218 on utterly deserted hostle terrace. I think everyone is at treehouse  not joking.

I dithered and did some research and went out for walk down to amelcon (heading out down mildly sketchy road, coming back down calzada with ita bars)  had a raspado (tamarind and guava with leche) at a small bike type stall from friendly ish chap which was actually a lot nicer and more satiafyonf than I expected when I bought it. Was milling over onward plans and has been feeling rather down and I finally after more dithering booked hostel tour to apoyo tomorrow and hostel shuttle to sa kn Juan (? For boat to ometepe) for sun and a cheap private room at an I suspect will be deserted but fuck it hostel on onwtwpe for two nights (can extend, if I spend a week on Thailand having fun a or relaxing that is fine).

I also took some laundry in, they said they could only tumble dry it low what and I dithered and said yes then they came back and said they were going to line dr for anyway.

A chap I tbh barely recognised but half did and who may have been the speed rexors guy at my volcano boarding said hi as I was handing in my laundry and we chatted very rbridltz he is doing the treehouse party

I had the three free drinks at social hour with hardly anyone around (greenhouse starts 4pm iirc and I think most people get shuttle over 6ish) and the went over to calzada where I had probably four beers at some random and where they were 60 each on the menu and yet the bill was nyareriouslt 330 plus optional tip and I should really have politely queried this but just maybe it was 5 beers and it isnt a huge amount but I probably wasr ripped off ans a polite query wouldn't have hurt and I was one of a handful of customers but I was just drunk enough not to want to push it. Not a bad id quietish night.

Mixed feeling about apoyo tomorrow but hey it will be something to do and it might be nice and maybe a chance to swim and or kayak.

I so and have felt a bit low and old andisolates but not ok bad right now.
I think that is basically where we stand, not a perfect write up but basically itm at malexon while atonf reasonable locals were talking and an old-ish woman seemed to be saying something about how it was a shame wwe were
Losing such a beautful view so maybe the area ja being redeceloped or closed but i resisted the very very implementation (minor temptation as I meant to write butb OSK)  to try to join the cknveration.

Spanish language rock at the bar tongith, maybe all the foreigners are at treehouse  the waiter is at least speaking to me in Spanish

One guy in dorm in bed below mine, cest la vie. Have done teeth. Will likely go to bed shortly. Pickup 10 for apoyo  need to faff with clothes and glases etc, but should be fine and wi) l have breakfast etc and expect to ;eup pretty early despite the four beers and the didn't feel that strong though did look like a generous pour free rum and frescas.

2247 feels a bit mosquito-y out here. Let's send this and go to bed.

Leon, Wednesday and Leon-Granada

Wed 0621 in bed, I'm not feeling terrible or anything, but I really haven't slept all that well. Last night I was lying in bed, half asleep, drowsing in and out, feeling all disoriented, and where the hell am I and what day is it, and I was feeling like I was quite badly drunk or something, but obviously I wasn't, I hadn't had any alcohol at all, and I looked at my watch or the clock on the phone, I should say, eventually, and it was a bit before midnight. I would have sworn it was like three or four in the morning, obviously I'd gone to bed early, but yeah, so I've been drifting in and out of sleep, and it's not like I'm sleeping badly, but ugh, anyway, I'm awake again now like I was this time yesterday.

I don't think I'm actively worried about anything including the volcano boarding or the whole social aspect that I've wrapped around it or anything. I don't think it's what's keeping me awake or stuff I'm asleep in. I do have this bizarre idea that it's one thing if it's just a social frost, that is what it is, it might suck, but I have this bizarre idea that I'm gonna want to or somehow inevitably get like ridiculously badly drunk like you know problems happen kind of stuff and there's just no reason whatsoever to think that's gonna be the case you know I mean fingers crossed I will manage to go out with people something but I don't think we're looking at dying of massive hangover or sickness the next morning or whatever when I've got to travel. The voice typing transcription the next bit was just utter trash. Maybe I was just waffling really badly, but I've deleted it Yeah, I mean there might be some excess and maybe that's good if there is, but there's no reason to believe absolute crazy mad Excess really nothing I've even read or friends have told me about Suggests that we are looking at that, you know those nights out in San Cristobal or earlier in this trip kind of stuff at worst. It's fine I don't have to be inhibited or hold back. It's not gonna be that big a deal and as I say nothing may happen at all I mean, I'm just I don't think that's keeping me awake or anything like that. I'm just waffling because I'm Writing this with the voice typing as I'm like in here in bed awake Anyway, so there we are where we are.

0948 power went off while I was still in bed, we've lost internet, not that it's a big deal and I've got my local sim anyway with plenty of data to spare. I'm back in my room, it's a bit annoying not having the fan on, I was toying with having a shower but I had one last night and since I can't sort of dry off in front of the fan I suspect I'm not gonna bother. I was gonna go out and try and do stuff this morning, well actually maybe that's a lie, I'm toying with going up the Cathedral Tower but I did that other tower yesterday and it's like I'm almost certainly coming back to Leon. That guy last night told me about the Revolutionary Museum, it's open, I'm not sure I've got the stomach for the politics but I'm not doing it today. As I say it's almost certain I will be back in Leon for a day at least later on on the way back to El Salvador so I can always do these things then. Who knows I may even end up staying tomorrow probably not but it's not impossible. I'm blowing hot and cold and whether I'm worried about the volcano boarding and the social aspect but trying to maintain a positive attitude.

I think to be honest the plan was more or less to go out and maybe have some to drink and perhaps buy an extra bottle of water for tonight or something oh by the way the water and reception it wasn't refrigerated and I rather suspect it's been filled from the tap because it tasted a bit funny so after I filled the bottle I put one of my tablets in it anyway I'll stick to using tablets or I'll buy a bottle of water as I say

So I think the plan is roughly to go out. I have a very low key walk I'll maybe go and get an iced coffee at that place. I had one yesterday It's a bit expensive and sugary what the hell it's energy And I might then go and see if I can have a sort of Elevens is early lunch type meal I don't want to be super bloated, but I suspect you know the more food I've got down me the better in terms of sustaining myself during this hike You know we're not being picked up till one assuming. It doesn't fall through so yeah I really I'm not I'm not not looking forward to and to be honest I'm modern optimistic And if it's a social bus, then it's a social bus that doesn't ruin all trip I've still done the activity and we deal with the social stuff another day I asked the woman at reception when I paid for my extra coffee about going to Granada and Basically she said the terminal is UCA, but you pronounce it ukka not not like the letters and you have to cross the street in in Manangwa, but it's basically the same place and I'm slightly unclear as to what were the special buses that go to UCA from here or whether I have to just ask when I get on the bus them to drop me there But it doesn't sound too big a deal

I haven't booked the hostel for tomorrow, and I'm probably not going to do it until I get back tonight. While I do have one place picked out, it's not like I'm going to miss out on the perfect hostel. There's a lot of randomness. I'll be able to get in somewhere, even if I book it tomorrow morning. I'm probably only booking for two nights to start with. I could always try the other hostel later. It's not like it's obviously the best in the world anyway. I may do more than four days in Granada for having a great time, or I may do some time there after Islam or Tepe. We'll see what happens, right? But I'm not booking anything until tonight. With regards to tonight, even ignoring the will I even meet anyone sort of angle, I don't know where I got this bizarre alcohol fixation from. It's not like it's filthy Fridays in Boca del Toro or anything. I mean, even if things go socially, absolutely perfectly, the most likely outcome is I have a few rum and cokes on the bus, and I'm a bit pissed because I'm not used to that sort of thing, and it's been on the bus, and it's a party atmosphere. But I'm starting from sober, and it's about an hour. Even if I'm then with the friendliest, nicest people in the world, and we go out all night, it's going to be beer. I'm not going to be off my fucking face like some 18-year-old nutcase, just because I've been in a party bus atmosphere for 50 minutes in the presence of rum and coke. I've just got this weird, oh my God, I am going to get wrecked without intending to kind of vibe, and I really don't think it's like that. I mean, hell, even if I was booked on the Bigfoot tour, and their party bus was even wilder, and then you go back to their hospital and you get two free mojitos, I would then be switching to beer. I mean, I just don't think... I mean, like, yeah, yeah, yeah. In theory, there are certainly outcomes tonight where things have gone well, but I feel sick. But I really don't think anything major is on the cards. And just to be completely clear, yes, I could just choose not to drink, et cetera, et cetera, but I do like to have a drink, and I like to have some fun with it once in a while, and that's fine. But I'm not planning to go crazy, it's just that I've got this weird idea that something in the whole thing is going to make me go crazy, which doesn't really make any sense. Like I say, this isn't Filthy Friday's kind of vibe, not like did that, but, you know.

0958 OK, let's head out for a minor wander and some iced coffee and food and so on.

1018 at el desayunazo for second breakfast. (El campechele, with an ices coffee) Harry Potter film appears to be on tv.

Feeling a little more chipper, not that I was feeling too bad tbh. Adopting a slightly more fuck it attitude.

Wearing single vision glasses in semi prep for boarding and it is weird. I keep having to take them off to read stuff. Goes to show how (while not perfect) I have for uses to varifocals. (I do take the varifocals off or peer under them so sometimes, but I suspect this is for micro print like the value of us coins which most people, even young ones, would be looking at very close up anyway. My raw eyes work fine for these things but I need to stop the glasses prescription getting in the way.)

[Thu 0005 just#t got gom| bit posse shit no[ berrible

Thu 1053 I assume that 0005 message says I just got home and am a bit pissed but not terrible. It looks awful but on screen keyboards make me seem drunk even when I am not.

Not a bad day overall. Currently sitting on minibus waiting to leave Leon for Managua UCA. Feel slightly rough but not too bad. Will write yesterday up later. Booked a dorm bed for two nights in Granada this morning. The listing said air conditioning for dorm but the confirmation email says only their private rooms have air con so this is the usual booking. Com shit here a fan gets billed as aircon, but we will see what happens and this is not critical.

Hostel checkout was 1030 which was a bit tight as I had been dicking around but perhaps for best as it did force me to get out. I did have a lateish breakfast about 915. I woke up about 8-9 really and was semi awake in bed.

1352 minibus sort of thing to UCA fine but felt interminable and my bum was killing ne. Trivial to change to another (larger, rattlier) bus for granada and on it now, though it hasn't gone very far yet. Got a sugary coke from a stall along the open road strip which seems to constitute UCA.

1523 just got off the bus. Heaven!

1547 checked in. No bottom bunk but it is quite a nice upper bunk, albeit not fully "sealed" so the risk of phone falling in the night is there. Very large hostle and mildly intimidating but see how it goes. Going out for sandwich materials and milk, sod it, I just feel like it. Free drinks 6-7 so see how that goes. May well have an early night and do the free walking tour 1030 tomorrow and try to relax a little.

1759 free social drinks hour about to start. I think I am going to channel my inner TEA and have the soft drinks option. A single day off would be something. I feel OK but broadly tired and a bit rough. Not sure I will manage to chat to anyone but it is fine. Just had shower and (very bad, maybe I should change the razor) shave and put clean clothes on (laundry is apparently only 1 USD a pound here, so I will likely get some done) and feel slightly more human but still tired and a bit bloated after gorging on sandwiches and then on some coke zero and an early night is likely on the far. Someone is anoring very loudly in the dorm which is not a great sign either. There is an aircon unit on the wall and whole it also manages to be coolish in there and there is a fan on the bed, I have lingering hope the aircon may be turned on by staff at night.

Ten bed dorm and there is a big shelf by the hunk and a locker with electric putlet and if not for the phone falling risk it would be a pretty nice upper bunk.

Free breakfast so will try to be up fort hat and as I say maybe the free walking tour. Scarcely seen any of town yet, just brrief walk over and out for sandwich stiff. It is fine. Not rish. I must be in a bad or funny mood because earlier when out for sandwiches then again for coke it feels like everyone locals and tourists alike walks incredibly slowly and the streets are a nightmare to navigate with congestion and slow walkers.

Really is tempting to have free alcohol but I am not to a few shots of rum on a single day. I think total abstinence for a day is much better.

1828 ok I am on second Fresca no alcohol. Thought I saw Harvey from the hot spring but fat from sure it is him and he didn't seem to tecognise me. I have been sitting here a bit BNM but actually not tha bothered but having some that for half an hour going to get phone out.

Atmosphere is actually not too bad  I am sitting in uncovered part of courtyard and the sky is dark and there is  touch of acool breeze and a hint of pleasant tropical warmth rather than the most sweltering way I have felt during the day (but intermittently out of nowhere a cool breeze would intermittently pop up)

I may go for a brief walk after this, not sure. But baaic plan is to write up yesterday and go to bed 9ish.

There is an oldish bloke, probably older than me, in my dorm and who is sitting possibly on his own  however, he has lost all my sympathy by coming out here wearing either tight high cut underwear or tight high cut swimming shorts.

The highish stools at the tables are killing my arse. The bus seats were fairly well padded today but I guess all this sitting in slightly cramped conditions has been wreaking havoc on my muscles down there.

There might be a pub crawl here tomorrow night but I suspect I won't do it. There are shots in every bar and it feel a bit not my kind of intense. But we will see. I would in some way like to get chatting with people but I am also kind of not desperate and right now perhaps more than anything else I would like to go to bed. I may well manage to strike up a bit of chat with someone during the walking tour tomorrow.

A lot of people here seem to be in couples of small groups of friends. I am not trying that hard not am I necessarily that skilled but it really doesn't feel like it would be super easy for me to get chatting to someone.

While I was in kitchen earlier overheard someone saying Masaya was not worth it, we had been told during volcano boarding you could actually see lava but the guy today was saying you see a load of smoke and you have to go down after 5 minutes because the gases from the volcano are getting you high and that's that. I will do more research before deciding but this is a shame if true as I was going to go and the idea of actually seeing lava sounded cool.

It is quite busy, not unpleasantly so.  Maybe about 25 people in the slightly elongated but not over narrow courtyard bar type area.

Quite nice murals.

1846 third alcohol free free drink. Temptation successfully avoided. :-) do feel a bit BNM but not terribly so, I don't think this environment super works for me but I putmyself out here, haven't felt shit, someone I know may walk past and say hi etc, and I also expect to maybe feel a bit more lively and dynamic tomorrow.

So eyesterday I went for a frappe thing at jugoso after second breakfast and a little boy about 4 came and sort of stood/sat at the other side of my tables as his mum and sister were getting takeaway drinks. He didn't seem to really talk but I ended up playing a game with him mirroring his hand movements across the table, which was kind of cool and kudos to myself for taking some kind of initiative.

I was the first one picked up for the volcano boarding, the reception woman came and got me from my room about 1250.

Felt okish, a bit solo etc but not too bad or overly bothered. But of chat with a probably 45 yo Canadian guy in front of me on the bus and with him and the tour lead chap Totti (actually Honduran, a volunteer who is travelling  we also had an Australian woman volunteer and one other woman whose nationality I didn't know, so not that I care I am not really sure about this 100% nicaraguan jobs for locals etc schtick I think the company has) at the via via hostel where we went to pay the approx 370? Entry fee to tbepark. I picked out a free t shirt but (like most people) didn't actually wear it for the activity, I was wearing my blue long sleeve craft top and grey trousers btw.

The walk up carrying the board was a bit of a slog but not terrible. Wore sunglasses after asking and didn't take others up. I didn't need my fleece at all btw. Left most stuff including my phone in the bus. Some pretty cool views.

At the top we dropped the boards and went for a walk to see a fumarole (? Very hot hole in ground - I put my hands in and it was very hot, I think I gingerly touched the actual ground but not certain and I didn't want to burn myself - with smoke coming out) and nice view of the line of volcanoes which are part of the Pacific ring of fire or something like that.

We then put the jumpsuits on and our tour supplied backpacks on the front inside the jumpsuit and did the boarding down. I wore sunglasses with the protective goggles over the top and a beanie. I was about the third down in our group, there was another group there presumably from the other big hostel whose name escapes me right now. (The two us school buses parked up at the bottom afterwards by the way with the volcano's in the background - not the one we slid down - was actually imo a really nice compositon but I'd didn't have a camera, which was a shame. One bus was yellow the other was oragen, ours was parked head on and the other sideays and it just looked kind of cool somehow.)

I was surprisingly un-scared sitting at the top. I did go off the track and a bit and I did decide to go moderately fast - I have a note elsewhere which I made when we were told at the food stop on the way back, but if memory serves I was timed at 62km/hostel - and like allt be toher people in front of me I fell off at one point on the way down and the  again when I got to the very bottom. I suspect I lost the track a bit but to be fair there are all the volunteers around part way down and I was a bit worried about running someone down and it was all a bit confusing in the moment. But the tumbles while very tumbly (rolling over and over) were not that big a deal, the surface did seem more like black sand than anything really sharp or rocky, and although I had some small bloody scratches on each leg I basically escaped unscathed. And it was pretty good fun albeit over pretty quickly.

After that we aat on top of the the bus to watch sunset ( I did actually see the top sliver of the sun disappear, which felt like something I haven't often seen) and then we had the party bjs back home. This was probably more dangerous than the volcano boarding given we were actively encouraged to sit on the backs of the seats and stand up and move round and the road was pretty bumpy and while I am not complaining it and it was kind of fun and I did quite get into it and felt moderately like part of the group etc, it was both that extremely cool LatAm "no aeatbelta mandated" kind of un-many state stuff but also probably genuinely a bit stupid but fun because of it.

We went back to via via and I decided to pop back tomy hostel to stop my bag so I didn't lose it (fleece, new t shirt, etc) and got a bit lost. Maybe the fiveish rum and cokes on the bus didn't help but I wasn't off my face and actually it was kind of a nice excess without going nuts. Anyway, I went back and rejoined the smallish group and had a bit of a chat and then we went on to some (I do think it might be harvey actually, but it isn't as if I know him terribly well so won't force myself over etc)  bar where I got chagting with a nice Slovenian guy iirc (who just happened to be there) and there was a bit of chat with some of the people from the tour but it wasn't a huge group (I honestly don't think most people from the tour went on) and I did some very bad karaoke and I left about midnight as it was iirc feeling a bit dying (the slovenian had left a while before, hopefully not to get away from me :-))  and they had also open til midnight when I asked about the hostel locking up and as per the farbled message I obviously did get back into room just after midnight and I ate my tortilla chips and went to bed.

I just might do the volcano boarding again, perhaps with quetzaltrekkers as you get two goes, when I pass back through leon, we will see.

Ok, so I think that has at least got the basics bashed out for future memory.

I do feel a bit tired. I think I might go for a little walk and then perhaps move towards a very early bed.

Just yawned fwiw.

1929 been out for super brief orbit of main square. It is warm out  not awful. Quite attractive but a bit run down and although it is probably ly fine and doesn't really feel bad and may just be my tiredness talking there is a vaguely slight sketchy undertone. I was yawning. It is apparently salsa night here at 8pm but even if I wasn't tired I don't think that would be for me.

J am not really feeling bad or down but I do feel a bit passively BNM. But it is first night and I am tired and definitely not super chipper. And it's like travel is about a mix of things like socialising and new experiences and sightseeing and random fun random stuff and relaxing etc etc and frankly I am not  in the mood for any of those right now.

I do feel if I were 25 things would not be much different. I couldn't randomly start socialising with some group of four or five women in their twenties out of the blue even if I were there are, there's the whole group dynamic there.

I will see how I sleep etc tonight and if it is ok I will probably extend for a night, I don't want to rush off from granada and I am by no means writing the hostel off socially (a lot of it is luck and who is here when and just pjtting time in) and the laundry is cheap etc.

I should perhaps also look for things like a language exchange bit even if it is once a week and it is tonight and I miss it idont care, I am not going.

1934 ok, fuck it, I am going to clean my teeth and go to bed I don't feel bad, depressed or anything really beyond what is compatible with  being tired and what feels like a midly grinding stint on the buses today etc, but frankly there is little to gain by staying up, even if it is a bit early to be going to bed. Plan  remains breakfast, free morning coffee and walking tour tonorrow morning and take it from there. If I go to bed early I mag ge tup early and be able to take advantage of breakfast and coffee leisurely before the tour etc.

1948 tiny bit of ice-breaking chat at the water filter in the kitchen. Having slash before bed. Done teeth. Will send this in a minute.

1951 think they do have privates here but apart from general grounds like cost and not being over precious I don't think they had any available or even listed when I was booking. No idea what they might cost.

Ok. Bed.