The final leg of our journey. It had been a long few days and we have traveled over half of the country. My parents were holding on pretty strong, but I, the one used to living here, was the one that got sick. So not fair, this happened when my mom came to visit in January as well. In a way it was a mixed blessing because it ensured that we took it easy, but it also made me cranky and just want to curl up into a small ball. Luckily we were headed for San Juan del Sur and there really isn’t too much to do there. San Juan is famous for being a small fishing town that has turned into a hidden surfing getaway. The beach in town isn’t amazing, but I guess the neighboring beaches are supposed to be beautiful. We got a hotel room right on the beach overlooking the whole bay and although I initially complained about the price, it was worth every cent. The funny part is that San Juan del Sur is also the staging area for the new Survivor. It is hard to image a show based on the rough extremes being filmed in this part of the country but I guess that is why tv can work magic.
We spent the next two days recovering by the beach and just trying to relax. It was a nice change of pace after our marathon race around the country. I got to recuperate and my mom was happy just to read her book. I did go for a nice walk along the beach with pops and we even hit the grocery store to make our own version of nachos. Luckily we got to meet up with Chris and Rachael again for a final dinner before they headed off to Granada. Rachael was busy talking up this seafood restaurant and how you could order a plate with a plethora of different fishes and shellfish. Lets just say that I have a bad record with suggestions by my Peace Corps friends and Rachael’s suggestion didn’t really break the mold. The food wasn’t bad, but in tune with all the places in Nicaragua it just wasn’t amazing. The best part of the meal was just getting to hang out with my friends in the company of my parents and realize that there was no where else I would rather be. Like my birthday we spent some time on the beach and again there was a bonfire involved. I don’t care where I live in the future but I am determined I will have a place that lets me have a bonfire. The three of us spent our last night on the beach having a beer, sitting by the bonfire, and just taking in the moment.
Like all good things our time in San Juan del Sur came to an end and that meant it was time to head back to Managua. The picture above my not look to interesting and indeed it isn’t. The interesting part about the picture is that the car was our trusty steed for the week and endeared barely passable roads, my driving, and it’s last hurdle of getting out of the parking lot. The story of this parking lot is I don’t know how designed it, but it must have been built only for large SUVs. The slope is so steep and sudden that as we pulled in you could hear as each sheet of metal scrapped over the apex. All week my dad was dreading having to take the car out and I just feared we would get back to Managua and be hit with a nice repair bill.
In Managua we stayed by the Peace Corps office and it was nice again to show my parents a part of my life. Now when I talk to them about going into Managua and the office they can picture where I am and I even got to introduce them to some of my directors. The Peace Corps office is not what I expected it would be when I first arrived. I imagined a US compound complete with marines for some reason. I guess that would contradict the mission of the Peace Corps, but what can I say I am a day dreamer. It is just a low key building with a gate and a couple tiles that spell out the name. I was able to steal a picture of me by the entrance with my trusty Stew Leonard’s bag. Next time you make your way into Danbury, check out the wall at Stews, I might just be up there representing the Peace Corps.
To finish up our vacation I brought my parents to my guilty pleasure… Las Galerias. It is a large American style mall with a fancy food court that is a collection of restaurants. We splurged and got chicken wings, liters of drinks, and even made it to the movies to see Shrek 4 or whatever it is called. We didn’t stop there, after the movie we went out for sushi. Maybe it was the atmosphere or the mental leap of thinking that I was in the States but for the first time during the trip the food met my expectations. It was a weird experience. I was with my parents and in an American setting. I was not ready to leave or have my parents leave for that matter. I wanted to stow away in their luggage and return to the comfort of my life. I wanted to run away from it all, but I knew that I had responsibilities in my town and the same luxuries that I thought I missed were also the same things I was originally so willing to give up.
The next morning were our final hours together. It was a grand vacation and we saw almost the entire country. I know my parents didn’t travel to sight see, but I felt better knowing that I gave them a whirlwind tour. We made it the whole seven days without wanting to kill one another and instead had a greater appreciation for our time together. I hope they both take back a fresh image of Nicaragua and share the wonderful parts of the country with the rest of the family and friends. My dad successfully survived his first trip to a third world country and that means we need to start gearing him up for Colombia. As much as I loved traveling around the country with my parents I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as I left the airport and hailed beat-up old US school bus to take me back to my site.
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