Surfing in Nicaragua
Posted on June 13, 2009
Filed Under Guest Columnist, TRAVEL | 1 Comment
By Erin Parker
I recently returned from a surfing trip in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua. I’m always looking for a new adventure to explore, and I stumbled upon ChicaBrava in the local Houston paper one fateful Sunday. An all girls surf camp? In an idyllic fishing village in Nicaragua? A chance to romp around Central America again, my old playground? Sign me up! I didn’t think twice, really. I have a never-ending love affair with Latin America and jump at the chance to return whenever I can. Plus, the added benefit of doing something sporty and good for you was a big plus. Who doesn’t want to be a rockin’ surfer chick?
So I fly into Managua, in a mayhem of jitters, still coasting on the adrenaline residuals of almost missing my flight. Not fun. I am swept away into a whirlwind of language and colors, and embrace Nicaragua for the next 2 weeks. I feel like I’ve returned home. We are greeted by one of the camp instructors and carried along into a minivan (with AC!) that will take us to our final destination. Finca Las Nubes. Oh the farm! Everything is designed to be open and coexisiting with nature. I woke up in the mornings, gazing out my doors to the beautifully tiled porch, to the infinity pool, which spilled over into cascading views of San Juan Del Sur and the ocean. Was this really to be my life for the next week? I am a queen on top of a mountain.
Everything on the farm is sustainably organic. That means we had 3 fabulous meals prepared every day for us by the lovely Juan (a gourmet chef in the making) and that all of the ingredients came from the farm. Brilliant! We feasted until our bellies hurt, but we refused stop until our plates were clean. The surf. How scary and thrilling at the same time for a beginner! There were four of us: two Americans and two Canadians who blended our lives together into one for the next 6 intensive days. We supported and encouraged each other, and laughed the evenings away as we sipped our Toñas and watched the sunset.
Day one we were taken out to Remanso, a beach known only for surfing. We practiced our pop ups, analyzed the waves, got some encouragement, and headed out with our instructors – armed only with determination and uncertainty. Before the trip, I told myself that if I was standing up by the third day, I had accomplished a major feat, and to take credit where credit is due. This ended up not being necessary, as I stood up the first day and rode the waves in to shore….consistently. As did the other girls. We were ecstatic at our progress, which only fueled our passion for the sport even more. We couldn’t get enough, reluctantly going in when our arms refused to paddle one stroke more. With shaky legs we climbed out of the sea, weary but pleased. The camp was as technical as it was fun. Our amazing instructors, Maite and Melissa, surpassed all of our expectations. Beyond phenomenal. They knew exactly what to say to make us comfortable in the water, and how to get us confident in our abilities to do something for the first time. Infinite patience swirled around them like the waves we sought. They were born to be surf instructors! It is only due to them that we were able to accomplish what we did and for that, ladies, I salute you!
But back to the technicalities: we were taught how to read the waves, which ones would break too fast, and which ones broke right or left. This showed us how to know which ones we should paddle for. We were shown how to search for swells online, and how the waves are charted. We were even given the opportunity to watch Maite ride in the first ever San Juan Del Sur surf competition. We came, they asked her to surf, she won. Simple.
Our days were pretty relaxed, thanks to the timing of high tide that week. The sun rises at 5am, so you don’t sleep in much later than that. But delicious Nica coffee was always waiting for us when everyone started to rouse around 6. Enter Juan to cook breakfast, then our only decisions to make for the rest of the morning were pool, yoga, or massage. The afternoons were spent surfing and watching the sunset. We would come back to the house afterwards, grab a beer poolside then shower, and eat dinner. When the sun sets at 6pm, it really makes it hard to stay up any later than 9. Before heading off to bed, I would lounge in the hammocks and watch the millions of fireflies dance in the sky like flickering diamonds against the inky night. Nature puts on a powerful performance if you actually stop to watch, and Nicaragua was more than willing to display her talents.
It was with much sadness that Saturday came and we had to say goodbye. I remember thinking my first day, “God, how am I going to get through this?†But before I knew it, the week was over, and I was a surfer. I bid my adieu and made my way back to the airport with Robyn, one of the Canadian girls. We discussed everything on our way back, from our time at ChicaBrava to how awful and emotionally trying the past 2 months have been on me. I’ll never forget these parting words she left me with as we said goodbye, summing up all of my recent hardships that I was fighting so fiercely against: Erin, life is made for people like you.
Comments
One Response to “Surfing in Nicaragua”
Leave a Reply
Loved the article, and miss my surfing buddies. If any one is looking for an adventure in the surf this is the place to be. My hat go off to the gilrs at ChicaBrava.