Peter Pan And The Fisherman: Escapism VS. Strategy
31 Jul 2018
Many years ago, even after having been called "Peter Pan" by my family, I read this story of "The Fisherman", not knowing it was by one of my favorite authors Paul Coelho. The story is a simple one and, like the punchline of a bad joke, the message is painfully obvious even before the story unfolds. It's poignant nonetheless and crimsons a lesson that escapes most in this world. It's a lesson I learned before reading the story, but it begs my own introspection- am I just suffering the Peter Pan syndrome and an acute case of Escapism, or... read more
Is Nicaragua Safe?- Straight Scoop From The Source
27 Jul 2018
I'd be lying if I said over the past few months I wasn't worried. I've got a family to think about, Eli whose 4 years old and thankfully oblivious, my wife Jomar whose Nicaraguan and worried on several fronts and then or little girl Brooke, who is due in September! Talk about stress! there were some scary moments and questions about the future and fate of Nicaragua it's bourgeoning economy and our humble little business, but worrying never helps and as it turns out, most of it was for nothing.
Our main concern, besides seeing an end to... read more
Paying Full Price For Leftovers
21 Jul 2018
Picture this: You're hungry, rabid Hyena steal a turkey leg from your own mother hungry, and after waiting for days to eat you finally arrive at a restaurant to order some food. You go for an appetizer and an entree, thinking dessert might be possible too, but you'll wait and see. You start with Crispy Calamari Rings with Warm House made Marinara- it arrives, except there's no calamari and there's not warm or cold marinara! It's just a greasy stained gingham paper liner and an empty ramekin where your marinara used to be. You ask the... read more
Crowd Handling: 7 Secrets Of A Central American Surf Guide
14 Jul 2018
Don't read this the wrong way, Nicaragua is not crowded, in fact it's still got some of the emptiest lineups in the world. I surfed two hours alone today and between six surf sessions in two days I've surfed with less than two hands worth of people (yes I have all 10 fingers), most of whom I was very happy to see. With that said, you could take a surf trip and travel a lot farther only to find your self smack dab in the middle of a global melting pot of gibberish spewing taxi drivers who took up surfing and used their lack of driving... read more
Counter Intelligence and Travel Advisories
08 Jul 2018
Let me be up front with you, this blog is "counter" to some intelligence and is only a "travel advisory" in that I'm going to "advise" you to "travel".
I'm a worrier like the next person and the latest political crisis in Nicaragua isn't exactly the best recipe for a peaceful nights sleep. The majority of Nicaraguan citizens have come out in force against the government in an effort to stimulate a change of administration and, in that process, things have gotten violent. The resulting violence and subsequent media frenzy has resulted in... read more
Rushing The Buffet Line
06 Jul 2018
Ever been to a buffet? Most of us have and of course most of us know that it's a two pronged fork- get to the front of the line or sit back and wait for the second spread to come out. If you're patient and a veteran of many a buffet, you let the fools rush in. They create a long line bumping elbows, racing for plates, scraping pans for the last of the ribs and the cold skinny crab legs. They gorge on overloaded plates where their gravy mingles with their jello and makes a mess hardly recognizable as any one recipe. It's a circus act, hardly... read more
Surf, Eat, Surf, Sleep, Repeat: Groundhog days in Nicaragua
02 Jul 2018
For many years I wrote the blog for my old employer at another surf camp here in Central Nicaragua and since moving on to open Sirena Surf Lodge I've actually gotten requests for another blog... no really! Doing a blog is a big responsibility, not like averting a nuclear holocaust or even a small scale civil war, but as in the challenge of keeping the content fresh day to day, especially when every day, as the title says, is more or less the same. Of course we have our adventures, but when an 8' reticulated python doesn't climb inside the... read more