Jiquilillo (playa) - Nicaragua

Leaving León again... with my big backpack, walking through el mercado, behind the San Juan church, in the heat... I grab some weird lunch on the way - tortilla with blood and rice sausage "la moronga" and cabage... I am scared of nothing! Je je je - and get to the bus station that I start to know pretty well by now.

Next bus to Chinandega - The hottest city of Nicaragua. I confirm - is leaving soon I'm lucky! 1 hour to get there. I eat half of my weird lunch. Not so good really ....

There, I take a cyclotaxi to go to el mercadito from where my other bus should leave.

This time I'm less lucky. The bus is full. I have to wait for the next one, an hour and 1/2 later.

I wait at a juice place drinking a fantastic orange juice served in a huge carafe! I'm pretty full now!

I jump into my second bus and wait that it gets full to leave. No room for the legs (and I am short), no air to beathe, loud screaming vendors of food and all kind of shit are giving me a headache... finally the bus leaves. I exchange few word, bracelets and ginger bread with my adorable 9 year old neighbor.

5 pm,  I arrive at el Rancho tranquilo, a place held by a very sweet American lady, Tina, who's turning 50 in a few days. Rapidly, the place is packed with heavy drinking American people! (No kidding! 10 Americans drinking beer and rhum all day long... starting at 9 am!  Que triste 😦! Tina is in fact never sobre...)

There are wood cabans for sleeping, a lounge area with a bar, hamacs and big wooden tables... the sand is black and soft. We are sitting on a large empty beach on the Pacific Ocean. The place is ideal for relaxing, surfing and ... relaxing! 

I did try surfing for 5 min!  And I gave up!! 😅 Too old, too impatient and surely too scared for this crazy sport!

I worked on my Spanish grammar, read a lot, walked a bit each day, tried to stay alive and decent while bathing in the ocean (strong strong waves!), sun-bathed, plaid cards with Hindrick, Julia and Freddie (l learnt Rami!) ...Great time in Jiquilillo!  

In the village

Lunch in the village: pescado frito con tostones

The Halloween crabs that come out at night

Free cattle on the beach

I also had the chance to see two baby turtles being released to the ocean by the local organisation that saves turtles!

Funny anecdote: the day I arrived I was on the beach talking with Francesco, a very nice Italian guy, when I saw, on this empty beach, walking nearby... Raphaëlle and Rémi!  My neighbors from Paris 20 who I hiked with a week ago in León! We kinda followed the same route but at a differ pace. Was great to see them again... despite the communication issues we ve had trying to contact each other, we still managed to meet up on this lost beach!