Making our way from Ometepe we headed for Rivas bus station to get a bus to San Juan del Sur. Getting a bus from a bus station is a pretty normal thing to do. But when you have a crowd of taxi drivers telling you a variety of things like the bus doesn't leave for hours, or it takes many hours to get there, you almost start to think you're doing something abnormal! And my disinterested looks and short firm answers they took for haggling. Their price must have halved and halved again, but what they didn't seem to understand was that its not a long journey and we really weren't in a rush.
Not trusting what a taxi driver says to you seems to be a universally sound approach to me. Its a shame, because occasionally they may have something useful and truthful to say. I wonder where they would rank in a top ten of most hated professions? They must be up there with estate agents!
So, half an hour later we were on our bus and heading for San Juan, and about an hour later we were there. All at half the cost of the lowest taxi driver offer. Satisfying!
Yet again our 'Updated Annually' guide book sold us a dummy. The very appealingly described budget hostel turned out to be $38 a night. Resisting the temptation to throw the book in the bin, we went on our usual search and found a place called Nina's Guesthouse. Run by Nina herself (unlike Bob who runs Jerry's Pizza next door!) it was a delight of a place to stay, made all the more delightful by Nina who never once stopped smiling - even when we gave her our mud-caked volcano clothes!
San Juan del Sur is a real gem of a place. Many travellers go in search of a great new place off the beaten track, find it and then bemoan the fact that it has become too commercial or touristy. It all sounds like a shame, but for who? The backpacker who doesn't like change? Boo hoo. Perhaps done in the right way, a place can change for the better while giving local people an opportunity to better themselves in a third world country. Well, that's how I want to look at San Juan del Sur, anyway. Apparently not so long ago it used to be a quiet fishing village, but now it is starting to realise its potential as a popular seaside tourist spot.
Perhaps we caught it at the right time. There is a high rise development under construction (they've tried to hide it next to the big hill) but apart from that it still has a small town feel. There is a good selection of restaurants and bars, but not too many, and they all have a wooden beach hut look - no neon signs in sight!
The best part about the place is the beach, with its light fine sand and shallow waters set in a semi-circular cove. The waves are big enough to be fun, and the sunsets are just about perfect.
Oh, and while you're catching the sunset, grab a beer for a dollar. Now that's perfection!
0 comments:
Post a Comment