Hi all,
Took a boat trip up from Bluefields to Pearl Laguna yesterday, through the backwaters.
There's only 2 or 3 actual streets in town, the rest is cement paths.
There's not much going on here, but people are incredibly friendly, as they have been throughout Nicaragua.
I'm surprised there's wifi here in this cafe/pub we are sitting in. The only other place in town with wifi is the central parque, but wifi is not working there today!
Sun is finally out this afternoon,, for the last few hours. Would be nice if it stayed like this.
We had planned to head back to Bluefields tomorrow, then start heading west, but it's a holiday tomorrow, so no boats! So we have another day to chill out here, which isn't so bad.. Maybe we can finally get to snorkel if the weather stays good.
Hi, Hasi here,
Just had a look at the cricket, and WOW, a result - never thought that would happen. Exciting stuff. Happy New Year to all, we still have eight hours to go till midnite, see if we're still awake - way past our bedtime...
Apparently the Inuit (formerly known as Eskimos) have twenty three words for 'snow'. I would like to know how many words for 'rain' the local languages have. Probably even more... Details about the different rain experiences will be given at a later time, over a beer back in Oz.
Travelling is about experiencing different things, eg weather conditions... Yep. Done that.
Our newest theory is that we are in some kind of hidden camera show, where the producers put on some rain whereever we go, or whenever we leave the house... Woteffa.
All the best again, see youse soon. Hasi
And love from me
Zak
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Welsh Greetings
Hi All and Happy New Year. Wishing you all you wish for yourselves in 2017. Thinking of you all and sending lots of love and hugs.
Had a quiet Christmas. Took a drive around Gower and had a walk along the Mumbles front. Ran into a few people we know. Stopped into a couple of pubs for a swift half. On our return home we called in to see Cynthia - no change.
My friend Louise had plated up dinners for us so we just had to warm them up, heat the gravy and enjoy - and we did. Yummy!
Didn't get any work during the silly payment season but have done a night this week.
Prediction for snow on The Brecon Beacons tomorrow so we may see some white stuff when we "do the triangle".
Going to brave some shopping later. Jules is still looking for a Christmas gift for Marty. May get it for his birthday if he's lucky!
Not much news from here so will sign off. Enjoying the holiday updates from Kate & Hasi. Thanks both.
Anyone want to let me know what people got for Christmas?
Thinking of you all. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda. xxxx
Had a quiet Christmas. Took a drive around Gower and had a walk along the Mumbles front. Ran into a few people we know. Stopped into a couple of pubs for a swift half. On our return home we called in to see Cynthia - no change.
My friend Louise had plated up dinners for us so we just had to warm them up, heat the gravy and enjoy - and we did. Yummy!
Didn't get any work during the silly payment season but have done a night this week.
Prediction for snow on The Brecon Beacons tomorrow so we may see some white stuff when we "do the triangle".
Going to brave some shopping later. Jules is still looking for a Christmas gift for Marty. May get it for his birthday if he's lucky!
Not much news from here so will sign off. Enjoying the holiday updates from Kate & Hasi. Thanks both.
Anyone want to let me know what people got for Christmas?
Thinking of you all. Blwyddyn Newydd Dda. xxxx
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Greetings from Bluefields
Hi, Hasi here with the latest updates on the weather and woteffa else happened.
Very multicultural here in 'Blewfield', with six main ethnic groups, the Garifuna, Creole, Mestizos, Rama, and I forgot the other two. Mostly descendants from West Indian slaves and British colonisers, and they speak some kind of "English". I know people say that I got an accent, but try to understand THEM! Wow. Bluefields itself is SOME WEIRD PLACE! Hard to describe, but somehow a mix between weird, crazy, normal (?), sleazy, scary, exciting, interesting, and certainly not a place anyone's mother would want their child to hang out in... But I think a few more days here and it'll grow on us.
But that's not gonna happen as we leave tomorrow for Laguna des Perlas (gotta show off my amazing Spanish ability)or Pearl Lagoon, as the locals call it, where, in an ideal world, the water would be cristal clear and turquoise and still, and the sun would shine, and we would be snorkelling and lazing on the beach... AS IF!!! The water will be choppy and brown, the beach full of seaweed and rubbish and it will be overcast and RAINING RAINING RAINING, just as it has every day since the beginning of time! (or at least since our arrival...)
I'm very surprised the place isn't overrun by Welsh expats! I'm sure they would LOVE the place! A dry season that lasts for five weeks (and even in that time it can rain!), (just like the Welsh summer, apparently), good beer, a nice coastline and the people love to sing and spend their time in pubs getting pissed.
Orrright, that's it from me, have a great new year, hasta la vista, baby,
Hasi.
He has basically said it all, so I will leave it to him for today.
Love to all
Zak
Very multicultural here in 'Blewfield', with six main ethnic groups, the Garifuna, Creole, Mestizos, Rama, and I forgot the other two. Mostly descendants from West Indian slaves and British colonisers, and they speak some kind of "English". I know people say that I got an accent, but try to understand THEM! Wow. Bluefields itself is SOME WEIRD PLACE! Hard to describe, but somehow a mix between weird, crazy, normal (?), sleazy, scary, exciting, interesting, and certainly not a place anyone's mother would want their child to hang out in... But I think a few more days here and it'll grow on us.
But that's not gonna happen as we leave tomorrow for Laguna des Perlas (gotta show off my amazing Spanish ability)or Pearl Lagoon, as the locals call it, where, in an ideal world, the water would be cristal clear and turquoise and still, and the sun would shine, and we would be snorkelling and lazing on the beach... AS IF!!! The water will be choppy and brown, the beach full of seaweed and rubbish and it will be overcast and RAINING RAINING RAINING, just as it has every day since the beginning of time! (or at least since our arrival...)
I'm very surprised the place isn't overrun by Welsh expats! I'm sure they would LOVE the place! A dry season that lasts for five weeks (and even in that time it can rain!), (just like the Welsh summer, apparently), good beer, a nice coastline and the people love to sing and spend their time in pubs getting pissed.
Orrright, that's it from me, have a great new year, hasta la vista, baby,
Hasi.
He has basically said it all, so I will leave it to him for today.
Love to all
Zak
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Greetings from Bluefields
Hi All
Best thing today was we got our laundry done, so all our stinky salty clothes are clean and dry!
You know when the salt gets in to things, they are always damp, that's how all our stuff was after a week on the island.
We pay $10, give them our smelly stuff and it comes back clean and folded. Bloody amazing.
We flew from Big Corn Island to Bluefields this afternoon on our 20 minute plane ride!
Bluefields is a city of about 40,000 people. Named after a Dutch pirate, Blewfeldt.
Hurricane Joan destroyed the town in 1988, but it's been rebuilt, although some of the derelict buildings seem like they have been there well before this.
We roamed around for a few hours down town, then found somewhere to eat.
It was 6pm when we left the eating place, and the streets that were completely hectic with people an hour before, were almost empty, with all the shops locked up.
It was so weird, almost a bit creepy. Everyone had disappeared.
We sat out on the front verandah of the hotel to 'watch the world go by' on the street below, but there was just one crazy guy yelling, and that was about it.
And believe it or not, it's still raining. I think yesterday was the only full day of sun we have had on the Carribean coast. Apparently it gets about 6000mm of rain a year, which does not surprise us at all.
Hasi says when we retire we will come back March to May time, as this (3months!) is the dry season.
They say it even rains in the dry season, so you can't even be sure then.
They (the locals) also say that it usually doesn't rain like this in December!
That's all for now
Greetings from Hasi, and love from me
Zak
Best thing today was we got our laundry done, so all our stinky salty clothes are clean and dry!
You know when the salt gets in to things, they are always damp, that's how all our stuff was after a week on the island.
We pay $10, give them our smelly stuff and it comes back clean and folded. Bloody amazing.
We flew from Big Corn Island to Bluefields this afternoon on our 20 minute plane ride!
Bluefields is a city of about 40,000 people. Named after a Dutch pirate, Blewfeldt.
Hurricane Joan destroyed the town in 1988, but it's been rebuilt, although some of the derelict buildings seem like they have been there well before this.
We roamed around for a few hours down town, then found somewhere to eat.
It was 6pm when we left the eating place, and the streets that were completely hectic with people an hour before, were almost empty, with all the shops locked up.
It was so weird, almost a bit creepy. Everyone had disappeared.
We sat out on the front verandah of the hotel to 'watch the world go by' on the street below, but there was just one crazy guy yelling, and that was about it.
And believe it or not, it's still raining. I think yesterday was the only full day of sun we have had on the Carribean coast. Apparently it gets about 6000mm of rain a year, which does not surprise us at all.
Hasi says when we retire we will come back March to May time, as this (3months!) is the dry season.
They say it even rains in the dry season, so you can't even be sure then.
They (the locals) also say that it usually doesn't rain like this in December!
That's all for now
Greetings from Hasi, and love from me
Zak
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
Greetings from Big Corn Island
Hi all,
This morning we were up at 5am to catch the early boat from Little Corn Island to Big Corn Island.
I was quite apprehensive about the return trip, as going over had been pretty scary with waves metres high breaking all around us and the last half of the trip being done after night fall. As the weather had been so bad over the last week, I was expecting the worst.
Luckily it was a pretty good crossing, thank goodness, and we landed safely.
So today we spent the day wandering along the west coast of Big Corn Island. The weather was beautiful, sunny with a great coastal breeze, that made it very comfortable for walking.
We have a great room for tonight, for $15, which is big, clean and has a balcony outside with a cool evening breeze where we are sitting at the moment.
Tomorrow we will have most of the day here, before flying back to the mainland.
We are only flying to Bluefields, On the carribean coast and it's only an 18 minute flight!
Hasi checked the cricket today, and disappointed that the play had to stop due to rain.
It's only 3 weeks today till we leave Mexico City on our flight home. Looks like we will send most of that time in Nicaragua.
Dad, I don't know whether you have been on Facebook, but Jane C, is on her way across the Nullabor. Check it out if you can still get on.
That's it for now. I definitely need to have a early night.
Hope alls well
Love to all
Zak
This morning we were up at 5am to catch the early boat from Little Corn Island to Big Corn Island.
I was quite apprehensive about the return trip, as going over had been pretty scary with waves metres high breaking all around us and the last half of the trip being done after night fall. As the weather had been so bad over the last week, I was expecting the worst.
Luckily it was a pretty good crossing, thank goodness, and we landed safely.
So today we spent the day wandering along the west coast of Big Corn Island. The weather was beautiful, sunny with a great coastal breeze, that made it very comfortable for walking.
We have a great room for tonight, for $15, which is big, clean and has a balcony outside with a cool evening breeze where we are sitting at the moment.
Tomorrow we will have most of the day here, before flying back to the mainland.
We are only flying to Bluefields, On the carribean coast and it's only an 18 minute flight!
Hasi checked the cricket today, and disappointed that the play had to stop due to rain.
It's only 3 weeks today till we leave Mexico City on our flight home. Looks like we will send most of that time in Nicaragua.
Dad, I don't know whether you have been on Facebook, but Jane C, is on her way across the Nullabor. Check it out if you can still get on.
That's it for now. I definitely need to have a early night.
Hope alls well
Love to all
Zak
Monday, December 26, 2016
Happy Boxing Day from Little Corn
Hi all,
Thanks for the fab photos Annie, and email from Jack and Fran.
Montreal White and below freezing. Must be beuatiful but Tom can have it, I'm no good below 5degrees.
While here in Little Corn it has finally stopped raining. Our Christmas Day was wet, wet and wetter, followed then by a blackout at 6pm, so we almost had to go without dinner.
Luckily the electric came back on after about half an hour, so we could eat.
I had lobster for my Christmas dinner meal, which was tasty, but I really don't know what all the fuss is about.
So because of the hardly ever no rain on this island, we haven't even had our snorkel and googles out.
Today it looks like we may get some sun, yes I can see Hasi has a shadow!
Looks like we may head off the little island tomorrow, over to the big one.
Not sure how long we will stay there, suppose it also depends on the weather.
Hasi is swimming in the carribean, as I sit rocking under the palm trees writing this. The cafe with the wifi is closed, but spent enough money there to use their wifi anyway.
My turn for a dip
Love to all,
Zak
Thanks for the fab photos Annie, and email from Jack and Fran.
Montreal White and below freezing. Must be beuatiful but Tom can have it, I'm no good below 5degrees.
While here in Little Corn it has finally stopped raining. Our Christmas Day was wet, wet and wetter, followed then by a blackout at 6pm, so we almost had to go without dinner.
Luckily the electric came back on after about half an hour, so we could eat.
I had lobster for my Christmas dinner meal, which was tasty, but I really don't know what all the fuss is about.
So because of the hardly ever no rain on this island, we haven't even had our snorkel and googles out.
Today it looks like we may get some sun, yes I can see Hasi has a shadow!
Looks like we may head off the little island tomorrow, over to the big one.
Not sure how long we will stay there, suppose it also depends on the weather.
Hasi is swimming in the carribean, as I sit rocking under the palm trees writing this. The cafe with the wifi is closed, but spent enough money there to use their wifi anyway.
My turn for a dip
Love to all,
Zak
Saturday, December 24, 2016
Merry Christmas from Little Corn Island
Hi all,
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Moo 12 -15degrees. Pretty unbelievable for December!
So we have been on Little Corn Island for the last 4 days.
We are having crazy weather here. Massive storms that last for about 15 minutes about 6 times a day, the in between the Suns back out.
Last night there was wild wind and heavy rain for most of the night. Almost a bit scary at times, and hard to sleep with the corrugated roof.
This morning calm and overcast. Humid all the time. Shouldn't really still be the rainy season here, but if definitely is.
Ok I am drinking a local Beetroot and ginger juice while Hasi is back on the coconut lime, and no Christmas pudding here, so we are sharing a hot brownie with chocolate sauce and ice cream! Yum.
Otherwise lots of sea food here, as prior to tourist being the main industry on this little island it was fishing. Local fish is yellowtail snapper, as well as lobster and shrimps.
I have had a bit of seafood, but I was working towards being vegan till I got here, as I truely worry about all the seafood that is being taken out of the seas. Hasi says I should support the local economy, so have I have had a bit.
Hi, greetings from me too... Sitting in the local bar, looking at the sea, one hour to sunset, drinking juice, listening to cooool music, eating all healthy stuff, I think it could be worse... Sometimes the waves and the wind are too dangerous for the little boats to take you away from here, so if we're lucky, we get stuck here for a few days or a week... Could be worse. Enjoy the activities whereever you are, whatever you do, enjoy the cricket (I'll be following it somehow), see youse all next year, hopefully in as good spirits as we are here...
Hasi.
And love to all from me as well, Zak
Merry Christmas to everyone.
Moo 12 -15degrees. Pretty unbelievable for December!
So we have been on Little Corn Island for the last 4 days.
We are having crazy weather here. Massive storms that last for about 15 minutes about 6 times a day, the in between the Suns back out.
Last night there was wild wind and heavy rain for most of the night. Almost a bit scary at times, and hard to sleep with the corrugated roof.
This morning calm and overcast. Humid all the time. Shouldn't really still be the rainy season here, but if definitely is.
Ok I am drinking a local Beetroot and ginger juice while Hasi is back on the coconut lime, and no Christmas pudding here, so we are sharing a hot brownie with chocolate sauce and ice cream! Yum.
Otherwise lots of sea food here, as prior to tourist being the main industry on this little island it was fishing. Local fish is yellowtail snapper, as well as lobster and shrimps.
I have had a bit of seafood, but I was working towards being vegan till I got here, as I truely worry about all the seafood that is being taken out of the seas. Hasi says I should support the local economy, so have I have had a bit.
Hi, greetings from me too... Sitting in the local bar, looking at the sea, one hour to sunset, drinking juice, listening to cooool music, eating all healthy stuff, I think it could be worse... Sometimes the waves and the wind are too dangerous for the little boats to take you away from here, so if we're lucky, we get stuck here for a few days or a week... Could be worse. Enjoy the activities whereever you are, whatever you do, enjoy the cricket (I'll be following it somehow), see youse all next year, hopefully in as good spirits as we are here...
Hasi.
And love to all from me as well, Zak
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