Perhaps I overstayed my welcome in Las Peñitas, but my last day and evening there weren't so fine for my privileged and pampered norteamericano posterior.
I still don't know if the electric company was busy doing repairs, as someone informed me, or if the incident was part of a "routine" rolling blackout, but at around 3.00 p.m. Thursday the power went out in the entire village, just as I was returning to my airconditioned room for a nap and some much needed refuge from a very hot day.
By 6.00 p.m. I started to worry a bit because dusk was fast approaching with its attendant swarms of nasty mosquitos, but my informant assured me that the power would be on "by 7.00." How did she know this? "We called them and they said they were doing repairs" but that the power would soon return.
Before the black of night descended completely I took a walk around only to discover that everyone else was suffering from the mosquitos as much as I, but further down the road a couple places had gasoline operated generators. One of these places was the $50 hotel I mentioned several posts ago, the Suyapa Beach, which had mysteriously doubled its rates from Lonely Planet's last edition of 2-3 years ago.
I was torn about bailing from my $30 room at Barca de Oro and moving to a place that I felt barely justified the cost, so I walked back to my place to wait for 7.00. And then I waited til 8.00.
By then, the Barca de Oro had provided a few candles but not much else. Apparently there was only one flashlight in the house for use by the staff who were still doing okay business with their excellent restaurant. I felt kind of sorry for them because they seemed a little embarrassed, but under the circumstances I was feeling a bit more sorry for myself! I couldn't even take a shower by then because there was no way to see anything in the bathroom. (I was their only guest in the hotel side of the business.)
Finally I headed back to the Suyapa Beach to see if they had a room. It turns out they had one room left, with no TV, but at least it was airconditioned and I'd be able to get a shower. Why was the hotel full that night? Because it was hosting a private party, either a wedding or a birthday, complete with loud disco music for everyone's enjoyment! The music continued, to my relief, only til 12.30 a.m. And by then, though I'm not 100% certain, I believe the electricity finally returned to the rest of the village.
There was a time not too long ago when I would've ridden out such a "crisis" and "gone with the flow" and suffered whatever it took to get through the night. But there also was a time, not so long ago, when I stayed in dorms when traveling, or crashed on people's couches, or didn't own a car or a bank account or even a credit card.
These days are a little different from the past: let's just say that I won't stay in dorms anymore because I can afford more comfortable alternatives. And owning a credit card is definitely convenient whenever such an "emergency" disrupts the best laid plans. . .
Showing posts with label Las Penitas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Las Penitas. Show all posts
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Poneloya/Las Peñitas Links
Check on the upper right hand side of this page, or at the blog list below for links to Poneloya/Las Peñitas. This blog has good photos of the area which is the best I can do for my readers at this stage of my journey.
Enjoy. . .
Enjoy. . .
This Morning in Las Peñitas
The Barco de Oro is located inside a small, shallow lagoon in Las Peñitas and therefore is sheltered from the big surfer's waves that constantly crash ashore in these parts. Even at high tide you can walk out very far and the water still only comes up to your knees.
At low tide some fish get caught in the wet sand that spreads for a quarter of a mile from the terrace of the hotel's restaurant out to the sandbar in the distance. This morning, the villagers caught at least three or four stingrays in this manner.
Other fish trapped at low tide quickly become carrion for black garbage-picking birds as the many ravens that flew high above attest. Neighborhood dogs also attempt to get their share.
Every now & then a local fishing boat returns from sea, and the villagers--men, women, and children--walk out into the lagoon to get first dibs on the freshest of the morning's catch. Little toddlers "help" their mothers by carrying back a fish half their size, but back ashore their fish becomes a toy to play with in the dwindling pool of salt water.
It's very quiet and peaceful here; I'm not surprised this place sticks for me. Unlike San Juan del Sur, it still remains largely undeveloped in terms of infrastructure for rich foreigners and not-so-rich backpackers like me. As the scene this morning seems to indicate, the original character and ambiance of the village remains for the casual visitor to enjoy.
Major changes have already happened here, and surely there are more big changes to come. Hopefully it won't be as quick and as jarring as in other places such as Koh Samui, Thailand which was turned upside down and shaken to its foundation in less than five years.
At low tide some fish get caught in the wet sand that spreads for a quarter of a mile from the terrace of the hotel's restaurant out to the sandbar in the distance. This morning, the villagers caught at least three or four stingrays in this manner.
Other fish trapped at low tide quickly become carrion for black garbage-picking birds as the many ravens that flew high above attest. Neighborhood dogs also attempt to get their share.
Every now & then a local fishing boat returns from sea, and the villagers--men, women, and children--walk out into the lagoon to get first dibs on the freshest of the morning's catch. Little toddlers "help" their mothers by carrying back a fish half their size, but back ashore their fish becomes a toy to play with in the dwindling pool of salt water.
It's very quiet and peaceful here; I'm not surprised this place sticks for me. Unlike San Juan del Sur, it still remains largely undeveloped in terms of infrastructure for rich foreigners and not-so-rich backpackers like me. As the scene this morning seems to indicate, the original character and ambiance of the village remains for the casual visitor to enjoy.
Major changes have already happened here, and surely there are more big changes to come. Hopefully it won't be as quick and as jarring as in other places such as Koh Samui, Thailand which was turned upside down and shaken to its foundation in less than five years.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Return to Las Peñitas Beaches
Leave it to yours truly to pick the rainiest day of the week to flee Leon for the quiet fishing village of Las Peñitas and its beaches!
I splurged on a $10 taxi to get here and splurged more on an aircon room--a treat to myself after putting up with five very muggy nights in Leon without.
The Barca de Oro, a small family-run hotel/restaurant, is staffed by friendly people, and they serve good, real coffee, not Nescafe or something worse. Everyone in the village is glued to their televisions now for the World Cup broadcasts. Prime time in South Africa is just past noon here.
The sound of the big waves is constant and similar to the sound of a jumbo jet aircraft in the distance, but much more pleasant and soothing. The rain has stopped, but you can see the cloud cover stretching across the entire Pacific horizen, so perhaps there's more to come. It doesn't matter to me very much because I'm exactly where I want to be today.
My sense is, barring a sudden crisis of boredom brought upon by lack of the usual city distractions here, a couple or three days in Las Peñitas will be good for the soul.
I splurged on a $10 taxi to get here and splurged more on an aircon room--a treat to myself after putting up with five very muggy nights in Leon without.
The Barca de Oro, a small family-run hotel/restaurant, is staffed by friendly people, and they serve good, real coffee, not Nescafe or something worse. Everyone in the village is glued to their televisions now for the World Cup broadcasts. Prime time in South Africa is just past noon here.
The sound of the big waves is constant and similar to the sound of a jumbo jet aircraft in the distance, but much more pleasant and soothing. The rain has stopped, but you can see the cloud cover stretching across the entire Pacific horizen, so perhaps there's more to come. It doesn't matter to me very much because I'm exactly where I want to be today.
My sense is, barring a sudden crisis of boredom brought upon by lack of the usual city distractions here, a couple or three days in Las Peñitas will be good for the soul.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Daytripping to Poneloya & Las Peñitas Beaches
The Pacific Ocean is a mere 12 miles from Leon so this morning I hopped on a bus full of Nicaraguan daytrippers (and more than a couple westerners) to visit the beachside communities of Poneloya & La Peñitas.
The main problem with beaches in this part of the world is that private property development blocks off almost all access to the beach. This is very nice for the people who own houses there but not so nice for the casual visitor like me. I spent 90 minutes walking a couple miles this morning trying to find my way in.
For sale/for rent signs abound. Beautiful, huge mansions sit on lots next to totally ruined shacks while there are occasional parcels of vacant land. The Lonely Planet blames foreigners for driving up local housing & land costs.
I had a taste of this affect when I was informed, to my shock, that the rate for my chosen hotel room (with AC) has doubled to $50 per night. At 11.00 a.m. it was 93 degrees Farenheit in the shade, so AC seems necessary, but these rooms didn't really seem worth the cost. However the beachside restaurant looked clean & professional and featured $10 fish dinners on the menu.
I'm not really a beach bum type, though I identify with the surfer crowd which hangs out here. Like mountaineers, ski bums & yacht crew, they're the type who work seasonal jobs at home to pay for trips to cool places abroad.
Although Poneloya & Las Peñitas are fairly sizeable, there's not much commerce happening apart from the hotel/restaurant biz. I found only one cyber cafe and only a couple basic ma & pa corner stores. And there was no sign of any good coffee even at the $50 per night joint, so maybe an overnight there isn't worth it for me. Just give me the cooler, higher ground with all my creature comforts & a few really old churches.
But I'm very impressed with the relaxed security situation. Unlike in El Salvador or Honduras, these private dwellings and scattered businesses on the Pacific didn't sport much of the usual tall, intimidating walls & gates topped with razor wire or electric fencing. And I didn't see even one armed guard anywhere!
Check back tomorrow to see if I decide to return to Las Peñitas for a day or two anyway. . .
The main problem with beaches in this part of the world is that private property development blocks off almost all access to the beach. This is very nice for the people who own houses there but not so nice for the casual visitor like me. I spent 90 minutes walking a couple miles this morning trying to find my way in.
For sale/for rent signs abound. Beautiful, huge mansions sit on lots next to totally ruined shacks while there are occasional parcels of vacant land. The Lonely Planet blames foreigners for driving up local housing & land costs.
I had a taste of this affect when I was informed, to my shock, that the rate for my chosen hotel room (with AC) has doubled to $50 per night. At 11.00 a.m. it was 93 degrees Farenheit in the shade, so AC seems necessary, but these rooms didn't really seem worth the cost. However the beachside restaurant looked clean & professional and featured $10 fish dinners on the menu.
I'm not really a beach bum type, though I identify with the surfer crowd which hangs out here. Like mountaineers, ski bums & yacht crew, they're the type who work seasonal jobs at home to pay for trips to cool places abroad.
Although Poneloya & Las Peñitas are fairly sizeable, there's not much commerce happening apart from the hotel/restaurant biz. I found only one cyber cafe and only a couple basic ma & pa corner stores. And there was no sign of any good coffee even at the $50 per night joint, so maybe an overnight there isn't worth it for me. Just give me the cooler, higher ground with all my creature comforts & a few really old churches.
But I'm very impressed with the relaxed security situation. Unlike in El Salvador or Honduras, these private dwellings and scattered businesses on the Pacific didn't sport much of the usual tall, intimidating walls & gates topped with razor wire or electric fencing. And I didn't see even one armed guard anywhere!
Check back tomorrow to see if I decide to return to Las Peñitas for a day or two anyway. . .
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