San Juan del Sur – Day 1 to 3: Staycation at The Space
SAN JUAN DEL SUR
Day 1 to 3: Staycation at The Space
January 12 to 14, 2023
Tragically worn out, we had the impossible task of getting our stuff packed and starting on our way to the next city: San Juan del Sur. Finally, Amelia gave in to my need for anything but public transport and we splurged a bit to get a shuttle to and from the ferry directly to the city.
The way to San Juan del Sur was quite uneventful and tranquil. We were brought directly to the door of our hostel. This is the way to travel – chicken buses be damned! Our safe haven for the next few days would be The Space ā a slice of paradise found on the outskirts of the city, some three kilometres away from where all the fun was to be had. And lemme tell ya, it was such a good decision to stay here. This place is so White Gurl it might as well have been part of the set of You.
A semi-circular narrow pool with turquoise water lines the restau-bar and lounge area, exquisitely decorated with all these fancy and artsy wooden furniture, neon signs and plants, with a thatched roof from which cane lampshades hang. Oh, and they offer free yoga sessions and have different daily activities. So, so White Gurl!
Food Poisoning and Blissful Writing
The first thing we did the second we got there was collapse into bed and nap. Waking up, I still found myself pretty exhausted, while Amelia ran straight to the toilet to vomit her guts out, followed only by an explosive backside show. I tried my best to use my medical degree, but she couldnāt hold anything down. She cycled between her north and south evacuations and then, when her body had had enough, finally fell asleep.
I, on the other hand, used the opportunity to hang out and just be. For the first time in weeks, I had time to take out my laptop, catch up on some writing, and binge on coffee and beer. By the following day, as she was still recovering from probable food poisoning, I kept at it. I swear I had never written as much as I did over there. It was pure, absolute bliss. And by the third day, I was fully caught up with my writing for the first time ever in my entire life.Ā
When I was done with that, I spent the rest of my time reading and chilling at the lounge – trying not to think about what was next. You see, San Juan del Sur would be where Amelia and I would part ways. I was meant to stay here only a couple of days, but with her getting sick, I decided to stay a couple of days longer until she’d get better. I couldn’t fathom the thought of leaving her behind like this – plus, I’d get to stay here a little bit longer.
And, luckily, this new plan worked wonders. On our second day, we were reunited withĀ Aviv, an Israeli guy, and Iris, a French girl we’d met at Underwater Vision. They became our roommates for the time being, and, as fate would have it, they were planning to leave Nicaragua on the exact same day I was ā heading to the same place. Pure kismet!
Staycation at San Juan
Our adventures in San Juan felt a bit short-lived ā mostly cause we spent most of our time at the hostel and went out to explore just once.Ā
We wandered around the cityās colourful streets a bit and walked along one of the many beaches that line the coast. I was meant to spend a few days surfing here, but – for the first time during the trip – I opted to just laze out. I figured I’d have plenty of other stops where I could surf. And if that wouldn’t pan out either, I knew I’d get to that some other time in the future. After the few classes I had in El Tunco, El Salvador, I knew I’d want to do a surfing camp someday.Ā
One of our stops was the Cristo de la Misericordia ā a huge statue of Jesus that pales in comparison to the one in Brazil. The way there is a steep, unforgiving hill ā especially so for me as I was still sore from ConcepciĆ³n. Whilst the statue itself is unimpressive, the view from the top of the hill offers a spectacular vista of Playa San Juan del Sur beneath it, with its orange sand and pristine blue water.Ā
After catching our breaths, we made our way back and spent some time chilling by the beach, accompanied by Michael – the German guy we had met back at the Treehouse jungle rave – who also happened to be there. I could smell a love story between him and Amelia brewing (despite her alleged hesitation).Ā
