Booyah!?

Live from Nicaragua, and it took long enough right? Here it is amazing, and I will catch you all up on how we managed to get the coolest job, place and new group of friends here once you know what we had to go through.

Antigua is a place I, KatherineEFB, will never feel a desire to visit again unless I have my own boat and possibly then I still might skip it. There was what felt like an ever-growing clash between all the rich tourists and poorer locals. My job for the Italians was a bit unreal for the lack of time the owners would actually be there, but I got to learn some tastey dishes. So I gave my two weeks notice after receiving a few stamps in my passport of places I felt like I had never really been to (because I was scrubbin toilets on-board.) Matt left for Nicaragua 1 week before I would be done with my job and travel to Georgetown, Bahamas to visit my dad, Heather (god bless her) and 3 sassy brothers. Within that last week in Antigua, a captain was shot by a robber not more then 1/4mile from where I slept and ate and hung out in Antigua. It was one of the saddest stories and exemplified why I was truly ready to leave and possibly never come back. Look it up if you desire, most people in the sailing community know what I am referring to, so ask a friend.


Since leaving Antigua our lives have gotten better and better. I spent two weeks trying to understand two teenage brothers of mine, Max(15) and Kace(13), and had a blast with Adam who is only 8. Heather is one of the most amazing women alive and gave me an incredible and complicated recipe for chili with cocoa and coffee in it. I will post recipes, Italian and otherwise, later. Outside of my family, there was a huge cruising community in Georgetown who were retired mostly and traveling about. I could see why most of them stay there in the Bahamas because of how incredibly beautiful it is. Bright clear water that you can see down 40feet or so, amazing snorkeling, beach volleyball and flat desolate islands. There were some sharks. I never saw any of the huge ones that some spoke of, but some sand sharks, and dolphins and sea stars and manta rays small and large, barracuda and coral reefs that blew me away. Antigua had some nice beaches and snorkeling, but a lot of waste water pollution. If I could have my way, Matt and all our friends and family and I would just cruise around the Bahamas with that amazing wind.

Little did I know of the amazing wind to be blowin it up in Nicaragua. In fact the week before I arrived it was 80-100mi. per hour and some friends of ours on the sailing vessel Banyan got swept out to sea for a week, hove to and still blew all their electronics and made it to Costa Rica with a hand held GPS, only to experience “death rolls” at anchor where the winds are so strong you get your mast blown into the water. People didn’t go sailing much, but Matt hooked up with a new group of friends who were putting together the Pitaya Music Festival. Locals were celebrated with amazing local music and vendors and the money raised was given to the community to help sponsor something called an Earthship. This term refers to houses built largely of recycled material and are sustainable and energy efficient homes. The stage of the festival was just opposite a completed Earthship and it was SO cool. People were hangin out in it for the coolness from the days heat. Sunshine still pours in from the stained glass walls and ceilings made from glass and plastic soda bottles. Parts of the foundation made from dirt packed tires covered in cement were visible from the outside of the house, but was very complimentary to the shape or the structure. They are planning on making an eco hostel and organic garden; so all of those out there without any job or with any remote desire to help, are welcomed appreciated here. Nicaragua has been affectionately referred to as the new Wild Wild West, and all avenues for entrepreneurial desires are welcomed. This has led Matt and I to chartering a Newport 30 for local surfers and visitors who just wanna check out the coast line and swim a bit. We have seen spotted dolphins and sea turtles and more hermit crabs then I ever thought I could see fit onto one beach. Matt has seen whales and howling monkeys and crazy bugs. We’ve seen moths the size of a bat, and the bats here are the size of eagles. The landscape here was not what I expected, it has surpassed the dreams of what any paradise expectations I have ever had. The sailing is exciting and the breeze is pretty consistant. The sun shines and is bareable with a little bit of sunscreen and shade.

The first week that Matt was here one of the other charter sailboats in town broke its mast in half. Since then they have approached us and we have taken over their charter reservations until they get their boat fixed. The coolest part about it is they are a big resort and so they have a full staff that comes on the boat with us and cooks and serves the guests while we sail the boat. They even treat us like guests. On the way down to the beach we get to eat guacamole and chips. And then at the beach they feed us Mahi-mahi seviche, and the best chicken lunch ever, and then cookies and fruit on the way home. All we do is sail the boat, and we get paid for it. It’s quite possibly the best job ever.

We are finally getting settled into town. We have a little green Nica house in a little Nica neighborhood with our roommates Justin, who owns the boat is a sustainable civil engineer and is a super cool dude, and Ben who is a real estate agent and another very cool friend. We live right behind the harbor so it’s a short walk to work. And we have a big kitchen and some very friendly neighbors. We are slowly but surely learning to surf and speak Spanish. San Juan Del Sur is a very relaxed little town with a lot to offer and a lot of opportunity.

We have a lot more to tell and will keep writing and posting while we are here. Antigua was a huge bust and we didn’t have much to say about that place, and since we’ve been here it has been a rush of fun and activity. Including Katy getting her wisdom teeth out. So keep checking with us because more is coming. Until then we love and miss you all.

oh and check out a lot more pics @ http://flickr.com/photos/61797927@N00/?saved=1