The journey begins...

Hola chicos! I am currently in a hostel in San Telmo, an amazing barrio in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After some serious rest and relaxation in Jiquilillo, Nicaragua we took an overnight plane here and have been here for a few days now. Nicaragua was a truly eye opening experience. Going into it, I was unaware that it is the second poorest country in the Western hemisphere after Haiti. I was quickly made aware of this fact as we drove through the dimly lit city streets of Managua on the evening we arrived. The journey to the beach felt surreal as we boarded various buses into Chinandega and then out to the beach. Jiquilillo is a fishing village that was destroved by a hurricane in 1998. The infrastructure in Nicaragua is nearly nonexistent and the remnants of a village now destroyed were evident by the large pieces of brick and concrete dotting the otherwise idyllic shores.

The people live humbly in grass huts with palm thatched roofs very close to the water. Small fishing boats set out at night returning in the early hours of the morning filled to the brim with red snapper, mackeral and the occassional tuna. A vegetable truck came by sporadically with a selection of melons and other produce and a woman with a basket and a little bell sold fresh, warm tortillas in the mornings. We cooked fresh fish everyday and delicious buttery yellow potatoes. Some days food was more scarce and we ventured out for meals. Rancho Tranquilo is run by an amazing woman named Tina who served up thick, pulpy juices like pear, pineapple and apple at her laid back bar and hammock area. We also enjoyed some vegetarian fare for about $3 a meal. The local pulperia in town served fried fish with rice and fried plaintains while overlooking the water in an incredibly modest tented area run by a few gorgeous Nicaraguan women in aprons. The experience was truly unique, and the gringos were scarce which made it a very different type of beach vacation. Buenos Aires is a story for another time, I am off to get some steak at a parilla and drink some malbec, maybe I´ll catch a tango show, who knows!