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A Roller Coaster Ride in Nicaragua

7/21/2014

15 Comments

 
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Street scene in El Rama, Nicaragua.
Normally I like to start at the beginning but when your 23 days in and there have been countless incidences of beauty and breakdown, with traveller’s belly and unrelenting heat thrown in, it is hard to simply start at the beginning.   Nothing is linear, as my mind whirls, trying to figure out what to include in this post.   

Our 3 weeks thus far in Nicaragua could aptly be described as “intense”, mentally and physically.   I  am continually attempting to determine if our mental struggles are causing our time to be physically difficult or if the physical harshness of Nicaragua is causing our mental unrest.

Of course in reality our experience is a result of a combination of countless, undeterminable elements but two main causes in particular keep coming to mind.   
 
1. Travel in Nicaragua is physically harder than travel we encountered in Ecuador.

2. Psychologically, “travel shock” may be in effect as the initial euphoric phase of travel wains and we emerge into the real day to day of long term family travel and what that really feels like.     
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The 6am boat trip, 1 of 2, to Pearl Lagoons.
I expected and prepared for an initial “adjustment” time to get acquainted and comfortable with our new nomadic lifestyle.  It has happened every time I have started traveling after a extended period of living a stationary life.  Somehow I held the number 30 in my head as the number of days it was going to take us to iron out all the kinks and become apt a the family travel thing.  A month, from my past experiences, seemed to be ample time to reawaken the dormant, seasoned traveler inside both my husband and myself, after which time we were able to relax a bit and know whatever lays ahead we could handle. The "adjustment period" is often riddled with silly rookie mistakes such as getting in a cab without asking the price or confirming the meter is "working”,  misplacing belongings in the hustle and bustle of moving about, or going to the bus station the day before a long bus trip to pre-purchase tickets while forgetting to bring your passports.  It is also a time to become comfortable with the longterm, budget-travel lifestyle, wearing the same clothes repeatedly, eating what is available when it’s available, adjusting to the pace of life that surrounds you, packing and unpacking, and the list goes on and on.  

And we have done all that. 

Having grown up on an island where the longest possible car ride would be 1.5 hrs, the kids are already surprisingly accustomed to very long haul buses.   We pack efficiently and after getting a man with a sewing machine on the street of Granada to shorten the length of Yoda’s waist belt on his backpack in order to better fit his slim frame, we can each comfortably carry all our belongings.  Yoda and Zuki seem at ease conversing with fellow travelers and openly share their travel experiences with pride. We enter and exit transportation with competence, even in one instance while the bus was still moving.  And countless other adaptations along the way.  We were feeling pretty confident leaving Ecuador.  

Somehow the rhythm has changed since we entered  Nicaragua.  Here we are on day #58 of our World Trip and we seem to be experiencing what could fittingly be called "family travel distress".   Nicaragua travel has been more physically extreme then expected and has pushed us to our limits and sometimes beyond.   

Since the moment we deplaned at 9pm in Managua, Nicaragua’s capital city, we were stunned by the heat.  The constant hot weather is causing lethargy, effecting our moods, and heating our tempers.  Travel is also made more extreme by the fact that Nicaragua is generally louder, less clean, and seems to perceive personal space as smaller.   
Between dips in our posada’s pool, we managed to explore beautiful Granada over the first five days.  The colonial architecture is beautiful and the classic buggy ride was a relaxing way to tour.  
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The kids “needed” to cool off every few hours.
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A man and his cat.
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Market gossip- the same across the globe.
I know this will get a chuckle, but one of the highlights was Zuki finding a dung beetle, an animal we had heard about but never imagined we would see while we were simply walking down the street.  I will never forget her little voice “Hey, that’s a dung beetle.”  Yup, don’t need a scientific book to correctly identify that one.  There is a beetle rolling up dung.   Dung beetles are sometimes incorporated in the kids’ made-up jokes so just seeing them had us all laughing.  
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Dung Bettle, doing its thing with horse dung in the streets of Grenada.
In search of a slow pace of life, cool ocean breezes,  beautiful water, and relaxing beaches to sooth our souls, we decided to make our way to the Carribean coast    We traveled by multiply buses and boats spanning over 2 days to get to Pearl Lagoon, but it was the second “Chicken bus”, aptly nicknamed because it is not unusual to see passengers carrying chickens, that I found myself questioning if our traveling style was suitable for the kids.  Yoda had a case of traveler’s belly almost from day one in Nicaragua and he was expereincing stomach pain off and on.   
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Market in Granada. Yoda claims that the smell of raw meat in the heat of the day was the cause of his “travelers belly” which lasted for almost a week.
It did not help that I had misinformed the kids that the local bus from Managua to El Rama would be 5 hours.  Unknowingly we ended up on the ordinario rather then the espresso bus making the trip 7 hours!  I can’t explain to you how slow the last 2hrs went, with the never-ending heat and the aisles continually crowded with people loudly advertising their wares, everything from snacks, to shoes, to a pill to solve all your health issues.   Yoda would occasionally crunch up and whine of stomach cramps.  We all were all sweating.   I kept an eye out the window and kept thinking “OK, we could just get out right here if we had to."  
We survived the bus trip and then the night in the dodgy El Rama hotel.  Luckily the 6am boat to Bluefields, followed by the final boat to Pearl Lagoons, our Caribbean destination, actually turned out to be surprisingly fun, as the bouncing of the super fast boat made the kids burst into laughter and the little snapshots of the life of the locals kept me enthralled.  
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View from the boat to Bluefields.
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Covered with plastic to stay out of the rain on the boat from Bluefields to Pearl Lagoon.
But as the novelty of the  bouncing began to grow old and we came closer to our destination we all felt deflated.  Where were the dreamy white beaches and clear turquoise water?  
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Our first view of Pearl Lagoons.
I probably felt the worse as I am the one reading the Lonely Planet Nicaragua and planning our destinations.  Luckily we were so far out there we had no choice but to stay and rest a few days before moving on.   And this is part of what I love about travel; some places grow on you if you just stick it out and see what lies below the surface.  Pearl Lagoons lacked clear blue waters and picturesque beaches, but it was all Caribbean.  The people are Creole and Reggea pumps out from the colorful homes.  The pace of life is slow.  The lack of  tourism infrastructure, at least in the slow, rainy season, forced us to join the locals.  Once we realized the water was just brown from the rain and the town did in fact have a septic system, we allowed our kids to join the other kids playing in the lagoon.  Before we knew it the days flew by, filled with swimming, crabbing with the local boys in the dugout canoes,  and even crabbing off of our deck with a trap they borrowed.   We enjoyed the pace of life, and filled our stomachs with the freshest of catches; lobster, crabs, fish and shrimp.  (Well one of us ate chicken the whole time)
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Yoda showing off.
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Out learning the ways of the fishing boys.
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Boy heading out with his crab traps.
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Crabbing from the deck of our over-water bungalow at Queen Lobster.
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Kiko with the crab catch
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Fishermen sell their catch to Queen Lobster.
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With an early bedtime, we awoke to the sounds of fisherman passing under our windows around 5am.
We walked to a local Miskito community, Awas, where we enjoyed fresh coconuts and saw a glimpse of another way of life.  
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Awas village
On another day Zuki and Kiko had a lesson in preparing the local delicacy of “Rundown”, a one pot meal where crab, fish, shrimp and lobster cook with yucca and potatoes, in a thick coconut milk, letting the flavor “rundown”; delicious.  
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In an attempt to satisfy the desire for that "Caribbean dream" that we still held in our minds, we managed to find another couple of travelers with which to split the cost of the one day boat tour out to the famed Pearl Keys. Unexpectedly I found myself again questioning wether we are pushing it too far with kids in tow.   Actually it was young Yoda that asked, “Are you sure this is safe for kids?” when we were out at sea in force 5 winds in a 30’ small boat that repeatedly slammed down, wave after wave.   Of course I assured both kids it was perfectly safe but I wasn’t totally convinced myself.  We had left from the protected Pearl Lagoon unaware how rough the seas were.  Kiko and I are quite comfortable with boats but we both later said that if the boat captain had informed us of what conditions to expect we would have opted not to go.  
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A safe arrival on an island in the Pearl Keys. Our boat in the calm bay makes it hard to imagine the rough 1.5 hr ride over.
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A rough trip to paradise, but it was everything we had dreamed.
The Pearl Keys are the postcard-perfect islands but have no overnight accommodations. So with the white sand still on our feet and the salt still crusted on our skin we started trying to figure how to fit a side-trip to our dream destination, Nicaragua’s Corn Islands, into our tight Nicaraguan budget.  The flights alone would set us back $800 but with the experience of the Pearl Keys still fresh we couldn’t resist.  We booked one way tickets to Big Corn Island with the idea of spending a week or so on remote, Little Corn.  We felt like we needed some easy travel to regroup and The Corn Islands, while not as touristed as other Caribbean island, they are one of the main tourist destination in Nicaragua.  So when we found ourselves halfway between Big Corn and Little Corn on a small boat (which is the the only way to get to Little Corn) in extremely rough seas that managed to make the trip to Pearl Keys look tame, I was taken by surprise.  If this well touristed route seemed difficult maybe I had lost my travelers edge?  Maybe having kids made me too scared to travel in developing countries?  Then a man fell overboard.  It was shocking. Yoda looked petrified and Zuki cried because I had just convinced her we weren’t going to fall in.  Luckily one of the boat boys on the bow had turned around after a particularly large wave hit us and noticed one of the other boat boys, who had been sitting on the side of the stern, was missing!  The captain turned around the 30’ panga and was able to locate the scared, yet still smiling, teen.  

It was just icing on the cake upon arival to hike the 20 minutes to our booked accommodations, Dobedo, at 6 pm to discover there was no place open for food.  So dinner consisted of a jar of  peanut butter we had and the manager cut us up a pineapple from the garden.  Three out of the 4 of us were eaten alive by mosquitos over night, even with the mosquito nets provided.  There was no wind and no fans. Yoda was so hot that I had to get a towel completely soaked and lay it over him to keep him cool.  It was almost laughable.  How were we having such a bad time of it even on the desirable Corn Island?  Needless to say, “Dobedo” is now our family code word for something horrible.  Luckily, the next day we found new accommodations on the other side of the island at beautiful, beachfront, wind blown Casa Iguana.  
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Grand Casita #1, perched over a beautiful beach with a constant cooling wind.
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Breakfast Corn Island style.
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View of Casa Iguana’s beach from the lodge.
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Zuki and Yoda found some local kids to play with.
So the physical side of travel got pretty darn easy.  BUT along with all the physical challenges and required acclimations when traveling there are the coordinating mental modifications as well.  Since we all process things differently and at various paces these changes are a lot less tangible then the physical changes.  This has been the difficult part.  Over the last few weeks there has been bouts of frustration and uncontrollable tears all around.  It eases and then rears again.  It did not abate when physical travel life got easy on idilic Little Corn.  I have been completely baffled by it.  But now as I sit writing this in my hammock as the family sleeps I have enough space to reflect and see that we have been talking and bonding and being brought closer together over these unbridled emotion outbursts.  And if I was told I could only have one wish for the outcome of this trip it would be that we get to know each other better as individuals, making us a closer and stronger family unit.  Now I see this is in fact what is happening; it just isn’t always as pretty as you think it should be.  

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Hoping the future brings some smoother seas our way.  
15 Comments
Kathy
7/21/2014 05:47:18 pm

These will be all your favorite stories at the end of your journey. I really appreciate your honesty, there will be hard times, big hugs to you all

Reply
kelly link
7/25/2014 02:02:42 am

Kathy,
I agree. Soon the kids will be telling these stories to other travelers, showing off! Thanks for the hugs!
Sending Aloha back to you from Nicaragua!
Kelly

Reply
Aimee
7/22/2014 02:41:11 am

I loved showing the boys your photos and telling them your stories. Thank you for posting. Can't wait to hear your next adventures

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kelly link
7/25/2014 02:05:35 am

Aimee,
Glad the boys are enjoying our stories. Missed you guys this summer. But next summer we can catch up....

XO,
Kelly

Reply
Karen
7/22/2014 04:17:48 am

You're all amazing, Kelly! Thanks for your thoughtful insights and beautiful pictures. Hugs and prayers for safe travels!

Reply
Kelly link
7/25/2014 02:13:26 am

Karen,
I think back to our trip ’94-95 and the emotional roller coaster it was for the 27 of us in our 20’s and it helps me realize that the kids are going through a lot and actually doing better then a lot of adults would with all these changes. Thanks for the hugs and prayers!
Aloha,
Kelly

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Rob Conery
7/22/2014 06:01:56 am

WOW! Gripping stuff Kelly... love your writing :). Every trip has "those stories" and it sounds like yours came earlier this time :). Just love the last part about getting closer - it's work :).

Also - there's a Zuki missnamed above under the Awas village picture :)

Reply
Kelly link
7/25/2014 02:08:10 am

Rob,
Thanks for the correction; surprising that I don’t make that mistake more as I am writing the stories. Hope your travels are a blast.

-All the Best,
Kelly

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lyle
7/24/2014 07:22:53 am

aloha! we just got back from our much shorter trip 2 weeks ago & i have just started up following your blog - i am really enjoying it, thank you so much for sharing all of this. our travels inspired me to continue to work towards and push for our world trip and your blog is both great inspiration & information to build on. sending you all much aloha from kauai.

Reply
kelly link
7/25/2014 02:19:30 am

Lyle,

Awesome that you family went on a great summer adventure. I remember swapping ideas in front of TKD about a year ago! Sound like you guys had a great time. It makes me happy to think that families may gain some info from our travels as I was able to learn so much from other families blogs in the planning stage. Thanks for sending the ALOHA, miss it.

Aloha,
Kelly

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Katty, Lionel y Aylin
8/14/2014 03:44:05 pm

Hello Kelly and dear family, we can read about your beautiful and hardest experience of your amazing travel. It is like this, you live and discover the culture, difficulties and beauty of each country. Marvelous and respectable experience. We hope you continue to enjoy and take good advantage of each new experience.

Reply
Katty
8/14/2014 03:49:11 pm

Kelly I have taken some beautiful photos of you from here, tell me if I can use or not. Thank you a lot for your visit and nice to meeting you. All the best for Kiko, and your friendly children.

Reply
Kelly Perozo
8/19/2014 07:11:01 am

Katty, please feel free to use photos. I actually have been meaning to send you some photos I have of "wama wama" your lovely lama. We are in Venezuela now with super slow internet so it may have to wait until I am in the states for a few days on September. If you have a new lama we would love to see a picture. Hope you and your family are well. We have been busy exploring Nicaragua and now Venezuela but still talk of the good times we had at your place with your family. All the best, kelly

Reply
Brandy
2/4/2015 04:53:27 pm

I'm ready for another update! :) We stayed in your house in October and had such a great time visiting family (Conant ohana, if you know them) and just relaxing. I am so excited to read about your adventures! We have 2 1/2 year old twin boys so we're living vicariously right now. Maybe one day we'll venture away from Hawaii. I desperately want my boys to experience the wide world and all it has to offer. I'm in awe of you and your family. Keep the stories coming, the good and the bad. What an incredible experience! Way to go!

Reply
Kelly Perozo
2/7/2015 05:45:45 pm

Brandy,
so happy you stayed in our house on Kauai. We are so lucky to be able to rent out our home out as we travel. Thanks for following along on our adventure. We knew we wanted to travel with our family from early on too. Some families go for it even with super young ones but to me it seems harder. I would say 10 is a great age as my daughter seems to be gaining the most from all our experiences. But I sure little Yoda is gaining more than I even realize.

I hope to get a few more posts up to catch everyone up on our adventures but it is difficult to find the time. Off to Laos on Tuesday!

Aloha,
Kelly

Reply



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    Kelly Perozo, Mom of this traveling tribe, telling our story of  a 12 month, around-the-world journey; the good, the bad, and the crazy.  


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