Nicaragua Blog; Travel, Real Estate, Hotels, Restaurants, San Juan del Sur, Ometepe, Leon

Nicaragua Horse Festival (Hipico)

2011-01-19T13:28:00.003-06:00

The following video is of Century 21 Gold Coast Real Estate owner Barry Oliver riding in the Hipico Horse Festival with MLB star Vicente Padilla and Roberto Clemente Jr. Below are also some notes from Barry regarding the horses.

"Rode in the horse festival (Hipico) with Vicente Padilla and Roberto Clemente Jr. last Sunday. The Spanish Horse I was on was worth 8x what my car is worth....Vicente has 29 of them!!!! His horse cost about 12x what my car cost me."

Rio San Juan Video

2010-05-12T15:56:00.003-06:00

The following video was provided showing some of the river navigation from the previous post. It is pretty fun to be able to enjoy the scenery. The overall navigation was 200 kilometers each way via boat from San Carlos to Greytown.

Surfing Contest for the local kid surfers around San Juan del Sur

2010-05-12T14:40:00.007-06:00

Surf Comp! - Century 21 Manager Johnny Goldenberg and myself, with SanJuanSurf.com worked together with Baloy's Surf shop to put on a surf competition for the Under 14 yrs kids around Southern Nicaragua.

Nicaragua has a great up and coming late teenage surf generation which we have tried to help all along the way with boards and travel etc - some of the guys include Rex Calderon (Junior Central American Champion with Sponsors including Quiksilver and Monster), Pedro Flores, Larry Davila and a large handful of other guys.....But we have noticed as well as the "kids" as we call them (Although they're getting too old to be called kids now - 18yrs old!! - That there weren't enough of the younger teenagers coming throiugh and getting attention....

So they came to us and suggested putting on a contest for them - with the older kids as the judges! - We thought this was a great idea, and went straight to work, trying to get access to the untouched Playa Hermosa and Playa Tamarindo (Not the same ones as you might hve heard of in Costa Rica), just south of San Juan del Sur, and one of the many beaches which make you feel like you've walked straight onto the Jurassic Park Movie set!

We arranged the prizes for the winners from both SanJuanSurf.com and Baloys and set about getting transport to take 50 kids out to a secluded beach - not an easy task!

Myself and The Century 21 Manager down here, Johnny G, sat up half the night making cheese and ham sandwiches for all the kids and wrapping them in celephane - We were useless at the wrapping so it took way longer than it should have!

Anyways, the day was a success, and it suceeded in putting a few of the up and coming new groms into the limelight for a while! - You'll recognize them in the water if you ever come down to surf here, as the little kids who spend most of the time in the air above the lip on waves you wouldn't even be able to make!

Big Congratulations to Gerson Barboza (1st) Jose Jackson (2nd) and Felipe Avendano (3rd)

Hope you enjoy a few of the photos!

Sean Dennis and Johnny Goldenberg

Navigating the Rio San Juan

2010-05-12T14:25:00.009-06:00

Sometimes it is hard to break away from the coast and take that long road, well in this case a road/river trip. Myself and five other fathers from my daughter’s school arrived in Los Chiles, Costa Rica where we ‘crossed’ the border. We stamped our passports in Los Chiles to exit Costa Rica and then the six of us hopped on the sixty seat charter boat and went a half hour to San Carlos, Nicaragua where we stamped our passports again to enter Nicaragua.

From there we went about two hours down to El Castillo which has a large castle and a very tranquil town that we all enjoyed.

We spent the night there and then headed to Greytown the next morning. That was about a five hour trip that involved some boat pushing as the river was quite low...thankfully April has the least rain and that means less mosquitoes! We saw all kinds of exotic birds, crocodiles, monkeys, etc...

After El Castillo we saw no other tourists. Near Greytown (place with the most rain in this hemisphere!!!) we stayed at the Rio Indio Lodge, http://www.therioindiolodge.com,

which was extraordinary and we were treated like Kings.

Mike was out host and the chef and the rest of the staff were outstanding. Many of the staff are Rama Indians that speak 3 languages (English, Spanish and Rama) or more and were excellent hosts.

Some of the best fishing in the world is around the lodge and that is how it was discovered that I was the worst fisherman on the face of the planet. While others were pulling in four Guapote (Bass) after another, jacks, etc....I was left with nothing!!!!!

We fished in a river where Manatee swim!!! It was so lush I can only describe it as being in Avatar. It was an excellent trip that I would do again. Great for families as well.

Overall, the trip was about 200 kilometers each way on the boat from San Carlos to Greytown.

Posted on behalf of Barry Oliver

San Juan Howler Report: Barry Oliver Wins Intermediate, Santos Correa Wins Elite

2010-05-12T12:53:00.006-06:00

Barry Oliver (pictured below), broker/owner of Century 21 Gold Coast Realty, won the intermediate division at the 2nd Annual San Juan Howler, http://www.sanjuanhowler.com, for the 2nd straight year.

This was a very well organized mountain bike race put on by Larry Thraen and everyone had a great time. Barry took home the intermediate prize money and a free night at Villas de Palermo, www.villasdepalermo.com located in San Juan del Sur. Oliver commented after the 3 day race on Sunday, “It got really hot out there and on the second lap I started to cramp, but I hydrated well and was able to pull off the win again this year. Larry always puts together an incredible event. I look forward to keeping the title this year”.

The winner of the Elite Division was Santos Correa (Pictured Below) from Santa Cruz, Costa Rica.

He took home $500 and a free weekend at Pelican Eyes, www.piedrasyolas.com. A special thanks goes to Fred Goldfarb of El Encanto del Sur, http://elencantodelsur.com, and Juan Holmann of Lomas de Palermo, www.c21sanjuan.com/pages/developments.html, for letting us pass through their properties.

Everybody is now looking forward to the triathlon in San Juan del Sur in June.

2009-12-18T16:31:00.004-06:00

Century 21 Gold Coast Realty held their annual Christmas party on Tuesday December 15 and as always it was a great success. The party was held at Galeria San Juan (next to El Pozo restaurant) which is owned by Century 21 clients, Tom and Janet Quinn. Special Guests were the Mayor, Captain of the Navy, our legal team from Dr. Carcamo’s Office and Nicaraguan surf champ Rex Calderon.

Below are some photos from the party. Enjoy.

Rex Calderon (green shirt), Nicaraguan Surfing Champion...on his way to Australia to surf with Quiksilver

Nelgin and Erika

Nelgin, Barry and Erika

Our new agent Jamie Warner and her boyfriend

The Mayor of San Juan del Sur and the Captain of the Navy

Rex Calderon and his girlfriend

JG, Gaspar, Nelgin and Barry's wife, Sigrid

Marjorie from the Marina office

Erika and Sigrid

Happy Happy, Barry and Boris

Denise and her cousin Gabriela

A picture of the whole crew

Another shot of the whole crew

The night is good

San Juan del Sur Go's Even Greener!

2009-08-14T12:40:00.003-06:00

This morning, our friends who work for a charity in San Juan del Sur came over to see us....they've been working on a plastics recycling program out here to get the kids and all the visitors involved. Right now, our town is beautiful and unspoilt, and we all want to keep it that way!

Being a developing country, Nicaragua doesn't have the advanced recycling programs that we have back in North America or Europe (and even those have only been going for a short time!) so it has been up to the Charities and local residents to raise awareness among tourists and local alike and also provide a way in which they can actually take action!

The staff from the Charity, Century 21 and SanJuanSurf.com were out this morning for a photoshoot of the Nicaragua National Surf Team to show their support for recycling and to help raise awarenes to keep our town and our beaches clean.

Check out this photo of the shoot! - All of them turned up (after a quick surf)

Also check out this video they took round to all the schools in the area as well!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYBcyhIsQyI

The best thing we like about people we seem to have coming to Nicaragua, and in particular, to San Juan del Sur, is the amount of people who are wanting to give something back to the community. It means that everyone...local or visitor...gets on really well together and we can all help to build this great little town in a sustainable and conscious way....

Till next time....

Sean

The good life in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua...

2009-06-19T14:26:00.014-06:00

My girlfriend and I came here from England well over a year ago now, and have moved into a great new home with a beautiful view looking straight over the Bay of San Juan del Sur. We're also pretty close to the newly built statue of Jesus up on the bluff in Pacific Marlin. I've heard it's 3 foot shorter than the one in Rio which is pretty special, it's going to be a huge land mark! (This is the view from our balcony...)

For all you guys thinking about moving out here or buying somewhere here, now is a great time. Prices have been reduced hugely in line with the rest of the world property markets, but as a result, we are getting a lot of people coming down looking for deal...and finding one! People who may have otherwise gone to Costa Rica or Hawaii are now looking at Nicaragua which is great!

Tourism took a hit at the start of the recession, but has really bounced back because of the low cost of holidays out here so town is bustling and I am almost too busy at the office! Don't worry, I'm still finding the time to do a lot out of work, and take advantage of the main reasons we first moved to Nicaragua!
The waves have been really good recently so we've been trying to make it out to the beaches for a surf as often as possible, even if it's for a short time at one of the close beaches to town, Playa Madera, Remanso or Yankee. Here's a pic of local legend Rex Calderon (Junior Central American champion) now that he's back from the Junior World Championships in Ecuador, flying across a wave.

With town being so busy, the social side of life here has been growing as well, with more and more people starting to fill the old and new bars & restaurants around town.
All this growth in Tourism out here and there is still so little information available to people looking to find out where to stay, or where to go and what to do, so my girlfriend has started to build a tourism directory website called SanJuanSurf.com which will give all this information to visitors and locals. It's designed to help the businesses here and also the tourists so a win win situation for everyone. We're hoping to get it launched in the next week, but it's been a huge project, just building the site, now we have to get all the businesses on board! Check out the really good photography on the site and we'll have a constantly updated gallery of the latest surf pics on there. Have a look and see as it develops and help support us try to help San Juan del Sur. Hopefully you can use it when you planning your next trip out here! I'm also going to put a few of my favorite properties and any hugely discounted places on there as well for you to have a look at.

I've also just finished filming for House Hunters Int. doing a special program on a couple looking to buy a property in Nicaragua which was great fun. Really hard work standing in front of the camera trying to think on your feet all the time about what your going to say next, but I think it went really well, and its going to be more really good publicity for Nicaragua. I wont tell you what house they went for, you're going to have to watch it yourself...i think it will be on HGTV in 3 months or so. My parents also just came over to visit all the way from England, so we had a great time playing tour guide and showing them round Nicaragua, We visited the historic colonial City of Granada, and did a quick day trip over the see the volcanoes of Isla Ometepe! The rest of the time they just relaxed in San Juan and enjoyed a nice beach holiday! They liked it so much that they've actually just put an offer on a place just down the road from our new house, which is exciting...I hope they get it! Sean and Charlie.

The Volcanos of Northern Nicaragua - Cerro Negro, the majestic San Cristobal and Coseguina

2009-05-20T16:49:00.006-06:00

Hike the Volcanoes – Cerro Negro and the majestic San Cristobal and Coseguina all sit short day trips from the marina area. San Cristobal is Nicaragua’s largest volcano, located in the quaint town of El Viejo. Cerro Negro, often described as Nicaragua’s most unique volcano for its short, steep climb and lack of vegetation, offers outstanding 360-degree views from its 400 meter peak. Coseguina is the best ‘lush jungle’ hike of the three. It is also the easiest....just a 30 minute hike to the rim from where you can park.

These are pictures taken on our recent hike up and around the Coseguina volcano.

From the Marina office it is just over an hour drive on the newly paved road and then the dirt road (the newly paved road will get closer and and closer as they finish the highway to Potosi) Once we could no longer drive due to road conditions we got out and hike about a half an hour to the rim of the volcano under lush jungle canopy which kept it cool. The crater is quite a stunning sight with its green lagoon and steep lagoons all around. Looking back and then around you can see the Padre Ramos Estuary and nature reserve, Honduras, El Salvador and volcanoes in all three countries. From the rim we headed about an hour to the east and then north to the point where we could see the ‘finger’ pushing into Bahia Fonseca. Between 4 of us we went through 6 bottles of Gatorade and 6 liters of water and we wish we had more so bring plenty of water and food. Two of us road our bikes from the Marina to the volcano and one of us road part way back. We all surfed in the morning so, needless to say, we were all worn out and slept quite well that night!!!

Below are some pictures of some Century 21 clients at Cerro Negro. This volcano is famous for setting the world mountain biking speed record and for "volcano boarding"

Gaspar Guadamuz and his cousins won the local basketball championship

2009-03-23T12:18:00.007-06:00

Gaspar Guadamuz and his cousins won the local basketball championship in for San Juan del Sur in December of 2008. The team of cousins played against the "Los Gringos Team", The championship series which was a best of 5 series was won in three straight games by Gaspar and his cousins. Gaspar commented on the championship finale, "What a game, we beat them and they are still hurt since then."

The new season begins at the end of March 2009, According to Gaspar, "we will get this new trophy also!!"

The photo below is the championship team (all cousins)

Photos from the San Juan Howler

2009-03-13T16:31:00.007-06:00

Here are a few photos from the San Juan Howler. It looks like a pretty nice view from the course. You can click on the individual photos to enlarge them...

San Juan Howler Update

2009-03-01T12:46:00.002-06:00

The Century 21 Gold Coast Realty team put on a strong performance in the this weekend's San Juan Howler. We just received the following update for Century 21 Gold Coast owner and broker Barry Oliver:

- Billy Molina took 1st Place in the Expert Division! Congratulation Billy!!!

- CriCri took 3rd Place in the Expert Division. This is amazing as he recently was hit by a bus and punctured his lung, bruised his heart and almost had his arm amputated. The doctors said he may not walk again. With the help of Century 21 he was able to be treated and fulling recovered and yesterday he took 3rd in the expert division!!!!

Barry Oliver won the Intermediate Division. Congratulations Barry!!!

For updated Nicaragua Mountain Biking News visit here: http://www.c21sanjuan.com/pages/mountain-bike-news.html

San Juan Howler - Nicaragua Mountain Bike Race

2009-03-01T00:34:00.002-06:00

Below are a few pictures from the San Juan Howler that went on today. A number of riders from the Century 21 Gold Coast mountain bike team participated. I am still awaiting the results and will post those when I receive them.

Century 21 Sponsored "Hermanos Unidos" win Baseball Championship

2009-02-23T19:57:00.003-06:00

The 2008-2009 Baseball season ended with the team of “Hermanos Unidos” from the community of Manzanillo, Chinandega representing Century 21 Gold Coast Realty, winning 4 of the 7 game series to win the championship.

The players, and the local baseball community are grateful to Century 21 Gold Coast Realty for supporting the team and the sport. Hip hip hooray, hip hip hooray!!!!!

Termino el Campeonato de baseball de la temporada 2008-2009 donde el Equipo de los “Hermanos Unidos” de la comunidad de Manzanillo patrocinada por Century 21 obtuvo el Campeonato Ganando 4 de 7 juegos, correspondiente a la Serie final.

Los jugadores de este TEAM, la Comunidad deportista del Baseball en esta zona agradecen a Century 21 por impulsar este deporte. Hip hip Urra, hip hip Urra!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

More from House Hunters International

2009-01-22T19:48:00.002-06:00

Below are some comments and photos from Ross Talner

from the recent House Hunters International episode shot in Popoyo.

We spent 4 incredible days with the film crew on 2 separate trips to Nicaragua to film the show. One day was spent filming at each Rancho Santana (http://www.ranchosantana.com), Hacienda Iguana (http://www.haciendaiguana.com) and two days at Popoyo at the office (http://www.c21popoyo.com), El Toro (http://www.torosurfnicaragua.com) as well as one of the homes.

We ate huge shrimp (4 count, see pic) at a the Century 21 office in Popoyo cooked by Doña Delma who was the personal chef for Somoza for 11 years in the US. Diego, from El Toro and I got fun waves together at the beach break several times with no crowds and always offshore winds. We had cocktails at Rancho Santana right on the break next to their pool as we watched the beautiful sunset over the ocean. We had a great time showing the film crew around and the life we live in Popoyo. We ate, laughed a lot and did many retakes together.

The film crew finally went with Gaspar,

our star Nicaraguan agent to Granada (the oldest colonial city in the Americas) and spent a day relaxing after the shoot. We had a great time and I hope you enjoy the show.

House Hunters International Popoyo Episode Airing Sunday Jan 18th @ 9:30PM

2009-01-16T13:29:00.003-06:00

Dear Friends,

Happy New Year from Century 21 Gold Coast Realty, Nicaragua!!!

We are kicking it off with the network premier of House Hunters International in Popoyo with our very own Ross Talner this Sunday night on HGTV!!! This episode is detailed in the blog immediately below this one.

Ross is the GM of the Popoyo office and will be showing homes to our friends Diego and Paloma. The show will air on Home & Garden TV (HGTV) and House Hunters International is one of their top rated shows!!!

It is airing Sunday Jan 18th @ 9:30PM EST/PST. However, make sure to
check your local listings to find the exact time the show (episode #804)
will air in your specific time zone.

**Please note that this day/time is subject to change and the best way to
avoid any confusion that may come from network changes is to check
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/program_guide often where you can search by episode
number.

Feel free to send this out to anyone that may be interested in watching.

We hope to see you in Nicaragua soon. We are keeping extremely busy as the we have found that the world economy is inversely related to Nicaragua RE. This is due to the reasonable prices and a down market means many people have cash that they want to invest in a reasonable place!!!

Be Well.

House Hunters International, Popoyo, Nicaragua

2008-09-04T13:12:00.005-06:00

The house hunter crew was back in Nicaragua on August 25th, Gaspar our listing manager picked them up at the airport and drive them the Hilton Hotel. The next day in the morning the whole crew got ready to head down south to Popoyo.

We arrived safely in Rancho Santana were we spent the whole week. On the 27th Ross Talner,

our Popoyo office General Manager and main participant on the Show arrived for the interview, then we all headed out of Rancho Santana to a client’s business, a small hotel named Toro.

Diego and Paloma always smiley received us, perfect timing for their interview and to film the singing part of the show where they signed the contract to close the deal. On the 28th we left Rancho Santana and headed to the purchase house, everything went smoothly, no black out, everyone was on time, we shot the house with Diego and Paloma living in the house,

and then we shot Diego and Ross surfing at Guasacate beach.

Around 6 pm we all celebrated the wrap with a cold beer; the same night all the crew had a great dinner with lobster and Margaritas.

August 29th the river was high and we were a bit worried to get back on time for their flights. Everything went perfectly as we arrived on time to the airport. The last word from them was that they had an incredible experience in Nicaragua, especially in Popoyo. We also had an unforgettable experience and are looking forward to seeing the House Hunters crew again.

Saludos,

The Dining Duo: Welcome to Nicaragua

2008-08-24T13:49:00.003-06:00

The following is a cool post from the "Dining Duo", Michael Hadley Epstein Scott E. Schwimer, about their recent experience in Nicaragua with a little help from Century 21's Barry Oliver and Johnny G.

http://thediningduo.blogspot.com/2008/08/welcome-to-nicaragua.html

Our First Trip to Aserradores in Northern Nicaragua

2008-08-07T10:51:00.003-06:00

Note

This was originally written for the blog I do about my baby daughter to help out of town family and friends keep up on the goings on, but Barry suggested I add it here as well since it is about our trip to Northern Nicaragua. I hope you enjoy.

Nicaragua Trip Blog

A Brief History

In 2006 Yolanda and I along with out friend Terri went to Central America for 3 months. Originally we were planning to spend the majority of the trip in Costa Rica, but “circumstances” moved us to Nicaragua which to our surprise at the time we thought was much nicer than Costa Rica. This week we did our first trip back down and Maya is getting to use her passport for the first time. Our friend Katie came along which is a big help to us with the little one and we also met our friend Levi for a few nights. He is living in San Juan del Sur.

When Yolanda and I were in Nicaragua previously we spent the majority of our time in San Juan del Sur

San Juan del Sur

which is a pretty touristy town on the Southern Pacific coast near the Costa Rica border. This trip we are going down to look at some property in the north Pacific coast near Chinandega which is much more remote.

San Cristobal Volcano

Chinandega

Since some of you reading this probably have some misconceptions on Nicaragua,

I will give a little background on it. The country has a bit of a bad perception as it was the location of the Contra-Sandinista war in the 70’s and 80’s which was basically an extension of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union. That is long over and the country has been a democracy since the late 80’s. With the exception of a few bad areas in Managua there is very little crime and statistics actually show Nicaragua to be the 2nd safest country in the hemisphere behind Canada (Yes, it is statistically safer than the US), but also the second poorest ahead of only Haiti.

The scenery in Nicaragua is beautiful as the country has long Pacific and Caribbean coastlines, numerous mountains and volcanoes, and one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world, not to mention incredible surf. It is really a beautiful place and only the perception has kept it as isolated as it is, which probably won’t last too much longer unfortunately.

Sunday July 27

Maya, Yolanda, Chris and Katie Leave for Nicaragua

Maya in the Airport

Today was a brutal travel day. We woke up at 1:30 in the morning to head to LAX for our 6 AM flight. We were actually a little late by the time we arrived but ended up making the flight with no real problems. After a long layover in Houston we arrived in Managua at just after 8 PM. This is where things got interesting.

We managed to get through customs and get our rental car before they closed, but got bad directions for the road to Leon. We ended up on the “Old Highway” to Leon instead of the “New Highway” to Leon. The new highway is a smooth beautiful road while the old highway is washed out in many points, much longer and full of potholes. We fell a few hours behind in our Journey and were too late to get into our rental house for the evening.

After struggling to find an open hotel that late a taxi driver eventually led us to a hotel in Chinandega that would open and he pounded on the gates for us until the attendant woke up. Needless to say, I was in the doghouse, but the hotel ended up being comfortable (and cheap) and we managed to get some sleep and get on the road again for our destination in the morning.

Monday July 28

We Finally Arrive at our Destination

After our struggles the night before, our friend Kristin had her driver Omar from Century 21 come meet us in Chinandega and drive us to meet her. This made life much easier as we still had no idea where we were going. The road through Chinandega ended up being very confusing.

Finally we met Kristin on the dirt road to Aserradores

and we made it to the house which was very nice.

After settling in for a little while and relaxing we decided to take a trip over to the Marina Puesta del Sol resort and have some lunch.

After a very tiring Sunday we decided to spoil ourselves a little bit with a nice lobster meal and some beverages. We hung out for a while in the restaurant on the estuary

The Girls who worked at the Marina and at Chancletas loved Maya

and then headed over to the pool for a bit where Maya did a little skinny dipping (The rest of us wore our swimsuits).

After an enjoyable afternoon at the resort we headed back to the house enjoyed a nice sunset and took it easy. Everyone fell asleep early (Katie and Maya were each in bed at 7:30) and we looked forward to exploring a little more on Tuesday.

Tuesday July 29

Our First Trip to Chancletas

Since we still had no food in the house, we woke up early and headed to a really cool little local hotel called “Chancletas” that our friend Irish Drew recommended for some breakfast.

Drew had just traveled all through Mexico and Central America and ended up staying at Chancletas for a month. On the way in we noticed here that there were Century 21 signs up on some lots very close to the beach and the hotel which we were hoping may work for the deal we were doing with Century 21.

We sat down at the little Palapa restaurant in Chancletas and had some breakfast and then headed back to the house for awhile.

I headed up to the Century 21 office for a little bit to try to get caught up on work, but I had so many emails that I felt overwhelmed. I could not stay long as the girls were all back at the house with no food and no car. Then a typical Nicaragua event happened and we lost power and Internet.

No longer able to work I headed back to the house

and we all went out for a dip in the ocean. The beach is really beautiful and the water in front of the house is really good for swimming and so nice and warm.

Later that evening we headed back to to Chancletas for some dinner then came home and had a nice relaxing evening playing Rummi 500 and once again got to bed early. The following are some Maya pictures for anyone that is feeling withdrawals.

Wednesday July 30

Back to Chinandega

Being that is was now Wednesday and we still had no food for the house we decided to make a trip to Chinandega (the closest big city to where we are staying) to get some groceries. Chinandega was quite intimidating to us on the way in as we got pretty lost on our first venture there.

This time went a bit smoother. We made it through town with little trouble (two wrong turns) and found the La Colonial (a large American style grocery store) immediately. We proceeded to do some shopping and came out to find that our tire was going flat. A local in the parking lot gave us directions to a llantera

Maya hangs out with Katie and Mama while our tire is repaired

and we successfully made it there and got the tire changed without it going totally flat on us for 30 cordoba ($1.60).

After this I went into the office for a bit and got caught up on work and the girls all chilled at the house and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the beach. We stayed in and made dinner at home as we had a big day coming up on Thursday.

Thursday July 31

Today was a busy day. I had scheduled to meet with Kristin from Century 21 to go look at some properties in the morning. After arriving in the office around 7:30 so I could do a little work before we headed out property gazing I ended up getting a call from Kristin saying she had an emergency and had to leave town the night before.

Instead Boris took me around which was cool as he is a local and very knowledgeable about the area. We looked at the properties by Chancletas which we really like and also saw a large really beautiful property a little further off the beach, but with amazing views, and a few more beachfront lots that are out of our price range up to the north.

I tried to get through this quickly as we were all going down to Leon to do a little sightseeing and pick up a friend, Levi, who was coming up from San Juan del Sur for a few nights. As usual in Nicaragua we fell behind and got into Leon right before he was about to give up on us.

After doing a little tour of the local Cathedral and Mercado we stopped by a little hostel that Yolanda and I used to stay at when we would come to Leon and hung out for a little bit. All non-pregnant members of the group had their famous Mojitos and Maya went for a swim in the pool.

On a funny side note, Katie and I were standing on the street waiting for Yolanda to come out from the Via Via hostel across the street when suddenly a panicked naked man was running down the street. We cannot really venture what exactly he was doing, but he did not look crazy and appeared to be trying to get somewhere to cover himself. We then headed out and caught a pretty brutal rainstorm on the drive back. We eventually got to the house and had another evening of cards, box wine, Cerveza Tona and Flor de Cana.

Friday August 1

Back to Chancletas

I can’t believe it is August already. Time flies and in 3 ½ months Maya will have a little sister. Today we woke up a little later (7:30) and went up to breakfast at Chancletas. We were planning a short trip as we had told the Caretaker of our house that we would drive him to Chinandega in the afternoon, but somehow our breakfast ended up being an all day event.

After chatting with Shay, the owner of Chancletas, I asked him if he would show me some of the lots and he, I and Maya went for a little ride in his truck. He seems like a very nice guy and seeing Maya really seemed to make him miss his wife and daughters who are back in the states for a couple weeks. They just had a new baby girl last month and they also have two other young daughters.

After looking at the property we went into the little local town (Aserradores) where he needed to go buy some fish for his restaurant. His overall property is quite large and he has a bunch of horses including a couple of brand new babies that roam the property. It seems like a really cool vibe around this area and I am hoping everything works out with us on one of these lots with Century 21.

Levi and the girls were hanging out on the beach and then we had a little lunch and just chilled out in the hammocks and had some beers and water and stuff.

A little later we headed back to the house and just chilled out, did a little swimming in the ocean and relaxed.

Yolanda and I also took a long walk on the beach

while Katie kept an eye on a napping Maya for us. The beach we were on is called Playa Santa Maria and it is does not have any hotels or hostels, but some of the houses are gorgeous. One house we saw way down the beach was a beautiful, massive Cape Cod style house.

Most people who have not been here consider Nicaragua a pretty remote destination, and this part of the country is much less developed than some of the areas down south near Costa Rica, but the land is really beautiful, the people are very friendly and the beaches are gorgeous.

Saturday August 2

Today is our last day up in this region before we head back down to Managua to prepare for our early flight Monday morning.

After spending the morning lounging around in front of the house and on the beach we decided to head over to the Marina resort since Levi has not been there yet. The food at the Marina is delicious, but you pay U.S. prices.

After a bit we headed back to Chancletas one last time.

Since they have wireless internet, we are able to keep up with work and relax at the same time which is nice combo. Shay, the Chancletas owner had asked me to help him out with something on his Internet system yesterday, but he was not around, so we headed back to the house.

Here is a little video of Chancletas that I copied from the century 21 website

Among the entertaining events this evening was an iguana fight on the roof of the little front beach house and a giant frog chilling out on the window.

Later in the evening a very heavy rain storm came in that was literally rain in sheets. The night consisted of some Flor de Cana 12 year reserve and Katie’s delicious box wine and eventually bedtime.

Sunday August 3

Today was mostly about preparing to head back to Managua. We had a little trouble on the way up as you may recall, so we decided to leave fairly early to make sure we were driving in the light. Around 12:30 we left the house and said our Good Byes to Senor Donald. He was very happy that we left behind part of a bottle of Flor de Cana 12 year rum.

We hit the road and drove past the Century 21 baseball team’s game on the way out. It turns out that Sunday is the best day to drive in Nicaragua. The roads were practically empty and it made for a smooth drive.

This time we had no problems driving through Chinandega and managed to get on the New High as opposed to the Old Highway. The total trip back to Managua only took us a little over three hours. We originally planned to stay in the Crown Plaza for the night, but since we did not know exactly where it was and happened to drive past a Holiday Inn Select we just decided to stay there. Levi went ahead and caught a bus back to San Juan del Sur and I drove the rental car back to the airport to turn it in since we would not be using it anymore and did not want to deal with it in the morning with a 6:50 AM flight.

The hotel turned out to be very nice. We all went out for a nice dinner in the hotel restaurant

which was very good and headed to bed since we had to be up to leave for the airport and 4 in the morning.

Monday August 4

This morning we rose early and caught the hotel shuttle to the airport. After initially worrying that we would never make it through the endless line it turned out our flight was delayed 2 hours. This was perfect since we had a 7 hour layover in Houston. As usual Maya was very good on both flights minus a quick tantrum on the second flight. We eventually made it back to the house in San Diego and it was very nice to be home. Vacation is always great, but so it home. You miss it when you are away for a bit. Maya really enjoys being back to all her toys and her crib and Yolanda and I also appreciate being in a place that is more “baby” proofed.

Holly Beck Blog

2008-07-11T11:06:00.002-06:00

Holly Beck, one of the top female surfers in the world recently posted a couple of blogs about Nicaragua that I thought might be of interest to our readers.

The first includes information and photos about her recent surf vacation to Nicaragua and can be found here:

http://surflifenicaragua.blogspot.com/2008/07/surf-surf-surf-ride-horses-and-look-at.html

The second discusses her recent purchase of property in Nicaragua from Century 21 Gold Coast Realty and can be found here.

http://surflifenicaragua.blogspot.com/2008/07/my-turn-to-buy.html>

Enjoy

5 Hour Surf Session and then some....

2008-06-24T12:44:00.004-06:00

I had an incredible surf session last Thursday at what used to be a "secret spot" which made me realize I need to surf that spot a bit more before it is not so secret any more. I surfed with Holly Beck, www.hollybecksurfs.blogspot.com, which a bonus not just for her beauty and smooth style in the barrel but also because of the great vibe and positive energy she has. I was also officially working as I was with my business partner John Goldenberg, www.c21popoyo.com, and New Marina office manager, Kristin Wilson, www.c21beachfront.com, and it stayed offshore until at least noon; when my arms stopped working. This was rare as we were in Northern Nicaragua where it does not always stay offshore all day long. After a big lunch at my friends 3,500 acre cattle ranch where we stayed we were on the road.....a few emails on the iPhone and some phone calls and I had my driver pull over and I hopped on my Mtn Bike for about 1.5 hours of 'heat training' to get in shape to race with the Century 21 Gold Coast Realty Mtn Bike Team, www.c21sanjuan.com/pages/in_the_community.html. After that it was dinner on the road and then crossing the border to Costa Rica to meet with some clients to bring back to Nicaragua....

Incredible rain

2008-06-01T19:35:00.003-06:00

It was muggy today in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua - it had rained like crazy about 5:15 in the morning, then it never really cleared up but wasn't all that dark. The afternoon brought a few patches of sun and because it was Sunday, the playas were full of people enjoying their day off.

Right across from the Century 21 office, where I am working on a consulting assignment, a group of young men were practicing soccer moves like kids in the US toss an American football. These guys were amazing - I stood on the porch for about 10 or 15 minutes and the ball only hit the ground a few times.

I imagine this is what Hawaii must have been like 30 or 40 years ago, when real estate was as cheap as dirt and opportunities were there for the taking.

The day ended with an incredible plate of Arroz con Camerones at El Timon and a mad dash back to La Posada Azul through the thunderous rain storm that broke just as I was finishing my Tona.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

2008-04-11T20:40:00.002-06:00

Kristin Wilson helps out at the second annual Love Light & Melody event to benefit those living off the huge Nicaraguan landfill, La Chureca

By: Kristin Wilson; All photos: Courtesy of Kristin Wilson

April 8, 2008

The morning of March 6th could've been part of any other day in my new life in the sleepy, fishing town of Aserradores, Northern Nicaragua.

But as the wheels of my trusty Xterra stirred up the dawn's first fresh coat of dust, I couldn't deny this day would be different. Instead of meeting clients for lunch or for a glassy surf session, I was off to meet more than 800 people who call Managua's city landfill, affectionately known as La Chureca, their home. As my tires skipped down the nine kilometers of rocky camino leading toward the highway, I contemplated vast differences I was about to witness between the fresh, airy villages on the coast and the confined slums of Managua.

Reaching the provincial town of Leon at daybreak, the serenity of the Pacific coast was a distant memory as the country began to awaken. My beloved driver, Oscar, navigated the honking taxi drivers, careening buses and rogue farm animals while I became enveloped in a world of cell phone calls and emails for two hours. Suddenly, a voice at the window reminded me why I had embarked on this day trip in the first place. We'd arrived at our first destination. "Do I need to bring anything?" Inquired Denise Estrada, my good friend and the Managua Account Manager for Century 21. "Just yourself; let's go!" I said, and we were thrust back into the web of dodging street vendors and oxen carts in search of Love, Light & Melody.

Love, Light & Melody is in its second year headed by its namesake organization. Approximately 250 volunteers from U.S. colleges in addition to 100 people largely involved in Christian surfing organizations or the surf industry filter into Nicaragua around this time with the goal of helping fight the poverty, social and economic problems existing in La Chureca, while playing games with the kids and capping off the day with an outdoor concert by the band, Bradiggan.

What I'd witnessed was too powerful to forget but the refreshing ocean breezes and rolling green hills of the coastal countryside made it hard to believe that a place like La Chureca could never exist in such a beautiful country.

-- Kristin Wilson

The day's events are the culmination of over a year of hard work and planning by LL&M organizers and also reflect the regular efforts similar organizations put forth on a daily basis to improve the quality of life people in La Chureca. Measuring the size of many football fields, the landfill provides a source of income and sustenance for the residents that spend their years scouring the tons of non-separated, non-treated trash each day, looking for trinkets or recycling what can be salvaged. The babies that are born in slanted huts made of scrap metal begin suffering before puberty from health problems that exposure to the filth, burning chemicals and seeping methane cause. Sexually transmitted diseases are also rampant due to the high rate of prostitution.

These conditions have also catapulted the formation of organizations such as the Manna Project, who work with Love, Light & Melody. One of the founders is 25-year-old Angela Profeta, who happens to be my childhood friend fellow pro surfer, Will Tant's girlfriend. And if you're anything like me, you'd have been horrified to discover that a "La Chureca" exists in the metropolitan area of almost every developing country, worldwide. As an educated surfer who strives to be compassionate, socially and environmentally aware, I felt ignorant to not have known about this situation before. However, even with good intentions, volunteers like Denise had to leave the event early due to being sick from the effects of the intense smoke and pollution in the heat of the afternoon. I made it through the day and find it hard to express in words the joy I saw in the people and children's eyes as they interacted with everyone.

When we first arrived, I wasn't sure whether to smile or not when posing for photos amongst the devastation around me, but as little kids emerged from of the black alleyways, throwing their arms around my neck or grabbing my hand, I knew there were reasons to be happy. But still, exchanging embraces with Cheyne Cottrell, Will Tant and photographers in the shadow of mountains of burning trash was more than surreal. Days earlier, we'd spent a week trading off perfect barrels in clear blue water and crisp offshores in my front yard. Now, here we were, dripping with sweat and covered in polluted silt on the soccer field-turned concert venue but with smiles just as big plastered across our faces.

The drive back to Aserradores was largely silent. My mind was reeling -- how can I help? Go back to volunteer at the clinic or school during future trips to Managua? Encourage my clients to donate to the cause on every property they invest in in Nicaragua? What I'd witnessed was too powerful to forget but the refreshing ocean breezes and rolling green hills of the coastal countryside made it hard to believe that a place like La Chureca could never exist in such a beautiful country.

If you'd like to help, visit mannaproject.org or lovelightandmelody.org.

Is a softer side of Ortega emerging? by Carmen Gentile Washington Times

2008-03-13T10:40:00.001-06:00

The following is a copy of a Washington Times article on Daniel Ortega that we thought might be of interest to our readers.

MIAMI — It has been just over a year since Daniel Ortega — the one-time guerrilla leader considered by Washington to be a menace in Central America — resumed the presidency of an impoverished Nicaragua, a post he coveted for more than 15 years before being re-elected.

Though Mr. Ortega remains an outspoken critic of the United States, he appears to have tempered some of his hard-line leftist ways by honoring a recently brokered free-trade agreement between Central American nations and the United States.

He remains on good terms with the International Monetary Fund.

The Nicaraguan president has also been onboard in promoting poverty reduction, with the help of U.S. aid, surprising many by his apparent willingness to cooperate with Washington.

"Ortega's big goal is to alleviate poverty. Our goal is to alleviate poverty in Nicaragua as well," said a U.S. State Department official, calling the shared goals a welcome "coincidence."

The United States pledged $175 million to Nicaragua during the administration of Mr. Ortega's predecessor, Enrique Bolanos.

The money, set to be delivered over a five-year period, is designated for helping raise incomes for Nicaragua's small businesses and farmers, improving access to international markets for local goods and improving the country's infrastructure, among other projects.

So far during his first year in office, Mr. Ortega made no efforts to tamper with the funding provided by the U.S.-funded Millennium Challenge Corp.

"Ortega has been incredibly practical in this front," said the State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "This is his goose laying the golden egg, and he doesn't want to mess with it."

The Nicaraguan president has also been surprisingly agreeable to Washington's efforts to combat drug trafficking in his country, telling a visiting group of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and State Department officials last month of his willingness to cooperate.

"We are seriously committed to the fight on drug trafficking because the poorer the country, the more easily it can fall apart," said Mr. Ortega. "Our goal is to turn a new page on our relationship with the U.S. and its institutions and agencies to strengthen this fight."

While the second coming of Mr. Ortega as an amicable ally of the United States has impressed some, opponents and critics contend he hasn't completely abandoned his Sandinista roots.

Since assuming office in early 2007, Mr. Ortega has been busy trying to cultivate supreme authority in Nicaragua by way of small local political groups — established by the ruling Sandinista party — that have direct allegiance to Managua.

Known as Consejos de Poder Ciudadano, or Citizen Power Councils, the groups are made up mostly of Sandinista loyalists who lobby government officials.

"The Sandinistas are trying to undermine democracy" with the councils, said Jim Roberts, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington focusing on Latin American economies

Perhaps in the mind of Mr. Ortega, the councils are a necessary evil considering the small margin of victory he garnered in his last election.

Mr. Ortega served as president throughout much of the 1980s, when he fought a war with U.S.-backed Contra rebels, before agreeing to hold elections in 1990. He lost, and multiple attempts to regain power at the ballot box failed until his 2007 election.

Mr. Ortega won the presidency with just 38 percent of the popular vote.

The lack of a majority has made him susceptible to opposition criticism, though his handle on authority in Nicaragua remains strong, noted Michael Shifter, vice president for policy at the Inter-American Dialogue, another Washington think tank.

"I think it's his intention to try and tighten the grip of the executive," said Mr. Shifter.

Others contend that Mr. Ortega's objectives are more nefarious, and that the president may have designs on trying to amend the constitution so that he could pursue another run at the presidency when his current term expires in 2011.

Mr. Ortega's detractors also point worriedly to his recent diplomatic inroads with nations like Iran and his continuing close ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, an ardent critic of the Bush administration.

Mr. Chavez is said to have donated some $50 million to Mr. Ortega's presidential campaign, a charge that Nicaragua denies. Venezuela also provides Nicaragua with deeply discounted oil.

In turn, Mr. Ortega often echoes Mr. Chavez's anti-U.S. rhetoric, when it comes to Washington's policy in the region.

Recent visits to Nicaragua by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as well as pledges by Tehran to build a port there, have not gone unnoticed by the Bush administration.

The State Department official expressed Washington's particular concern with Nicaragua's decision to lift visa requirement for Iranians visiting the country.

Iran is also reportedly planning to build one of its largest embassies in Managua.

"So far it's a lot of talk, though," said Mr. Roberts, referring to Iran's supposed commitment to build a $350 million seaport and other projects discussed during the Ahmadinejad visit to Nicaragua.

"It's nothing to push the panic button for now, but it's worth watching."

Top 13 Things to do in the Northern Marina Puesta del Sol Area

2008-01-29T10:32:00.000-06:00

The following is taken from Kristin Wilson's writeup on www.c21nicabeachfront.com Kristin is the General Manager of the Century 21 office in Marina Puesta del Sol.

1. Surf – San Juan del Sur may be known for some of the best surfing in Nicaragua (and all of Central America, for that matter), but that’s only because the North is still on the brink of surfing discovery. From perfect beachbreak barrels to endless point breaks, the Northern Marina area offers something for everyone, all within a short distance. Hit one of the more popular spots or name a secret spot of your own.

2. Sail – They don’t call it the Marina Area for nothin’! Ideal conditions in both the rainy and dry seasons are created by bands of high and low pressure moving seasonally either north or south and meeting together at all times of year in the South Pacific. The rainy season sees traditionally clear blue skies in the morning, a few puffy clouds at midday, and evening showers. Even in the driest months, the marina basin is characterized by consistent, but not overwhelming, off-shore breezes, making for great sailing.

3. Fish – There’s also good reasons that the national rum company, Flor de Caña, holds its annual Fishing Tournament at the Marina Area! A few of them are: rooster fish, red snapper, blue and striped Marlin, sailfish, yellowfin, wahoo and dorado. Need we say more? Inshore or offshore, there are fish here. Make sure you have a local cook up your prize catch or prepare it “ceviche-style”.

4. Jet Ski/Kayak the Estuaries – Day or night by full moon, exploring the mangrove-lined maze of estuaries of the marina is truly a must-do experience.

5. Mountain & Road Bike – With endless kilometers of pristine beaches, ocean view outposts and open roads, Aserradores is a mountain biker’s playground. Choose your own combination of off-road or paved riding on a newly-asphalted highway with light traffic.

6. World Class Hunting (Deer, Dove, Duck, Bobwhite) – From the ground or your own private helicopter, the hunting in the north is more than abundant.

7. Hike the Volcanoes – Cerro Negro and the majestic San Cristobal both sit short day trips from the marina area. San Cristobal is Nicaragua’s largest volcano, located in the quaint town of El Viejo. Cerro Negro, often described as Nicaragua’s most unique volcano for its short, steep climb and lack of vegetation, offers outstanding 360-degree views from its 400 meter peak.

8. Bask in the Hot Springs – The most popular hot springs are located within the area of the Cosigüina Volcano, which heat local pools and also offer proximity to bird and animal watch in local wetlands. After a dip in the hot springs, don’t miss the pristine Mechapa beaches and their high seaside cliffs!

9. Horseback Riding – Probably one of the best ways to truly explore all that Aserradores and the surrounding areas have to offer is on horseback, the mode of transportation of choice of most locals! For the more adventurous and experienced, there are multiple trails and open beaches to ride, or guides to lead beginning riders of all ages.

10. Bird Watching – The great diversity in the northern Nicaraguan landscape provides a habitat for the same diversity of birds. From the Great Egrets and Blue Herons of the estuaries to the Woodpecker, Warblers, Hawks, Kingbirds and Swallos of the mountains and hillsides, experienced birdwatchers will not be disappointed with viewing their standard favorites and exotic local native species.

11. Visit Flor de Caña Factory & Historic Leon – Flor de Caña is best known as one of the best rums in all of Latin America, having been awarded more than 72 medals worldwide in the past 5 years. The plantation distillery, located near the historic, Spanish colonial city of Leon, founded in the 1500s (a bustling town and “must-see” attraction), was first construction in 1890 but completely modernized in 1996. Don’t miss taste testing their “perfect” 12-year Centenario and other variety of rums!

12. Splurge on Lobster – It’s not really a splurge when it’s so readily available, but you can’t leave our fishing village of Aserradores, known for its seafood without experiencing the locals doing what they do best.

13. Whale watching – Keep an eye out for new tour operators popping up to take advantage of the many opportunities to view dolphins and whales along the Pacific Coast of Nicaragua. Whale spouts can especially can be seen in the north, a common route for migrating Humpbacks headed toward the Golfo de Fonseca, bay which joins Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador. Biologists from international research teams are currently identifying the Marina Area as an important region for whale study.

Top 10 Things to do in San Juan del Sur

2008-01-25T11:02:00.000-06:00

10. Take a water taxi to Playa Maderas and Bahia Majagual. You can catch the water taxi along the beach front road outside of Bar y Restaurant Buen Gusto. The taxi typically drops you off at Bahia Majagual. From there, it is a short walk around the bluff to Playa Maderas which is one of the most popular surfing beaches in the area.

9. Take a canopy tour. Da Flying Frog canopy tour is the longest canopy tour in Nicaragua. In addition to the adventure of gliding down the canopies you can also enjoy some excellent views of San Juan del Sur Bay.

8. Take a hike to the cross. For the best views of the town, take the short hike up the to the cross on the north side of the bay. Beware, the trails are a little steep, but the view is well worth the effort. The exercise is not bad either.

7. Check out the Mercado in San Juan del Sur or Rivas. I admit, the San Juan del Sur Mercado is not the biggest or best one around, but it is still worth a look. The little food stands have some of the best food in town for practically nothing. I strongly recommend the Jalapeño chicken. The breakfasts are not bad either. For a bigger shopping selection visit the Mercado in nearby Rivas.

6. Enjoy a nice dinner at El Colibri or one of San Juan’s other nice restaurants. El Colibri is renown around town for its delicious food, pleasant atmosphere and excellent sangria.

5. Visit La Isla de Ometepe. From San Juan del Sur you can catch a taxi to San Jorge. From there it is a 1 hour ferry to Ometepe. The ferry will bring you into Moyogalpa. From there there are buses and taxis to shuttle you around. Popular activities on the island include hiking two of Nicaragua’s most scenic volcanoes, visiting waterfalls, horseback riding and mountain biking.

4. Enjoy a sunset in one of San Juan del Sur’s many beachfront restaurants. San Juan del Sur has some of the world’s best sunsets, and there is no more relaxing way to enjoy it than with an ice cold cocktail or a lobster dinner on the beach.

3. Go on a deep sea fishing adventure and try your luck with the Sailfish, Roosterfish, Dorado, Snapper…

2. For those English only speakers, there are plenty of Spanish schools riddled around town. What better way to learn a new language than in a beautiful little town like San Juan del Sur in a friendly, personal family environment.

1. Visit the La Flor Wildlife Reserve. This can be found south of San Juan del Sur, and is the single most important breeding site for Olive Ridley turtles in Nicaragua. One of the two Pacific turtle nesting beaches in Nicaragua, the reserve is managed by Fundacion Cocibolca, an NGO that is attempting to involve the local community in decision-making processes. There is a small fee to enter, plenty of beach on which to camp, park guards to protect the eggs, and adequate transportation from San Juan del Sur.

Simplified Wealth; by Barry Oliver

2008-01-12T12:53:00.000-06:00

Growing up in Southern California, some private education, Master's Degree, Deloitte & Touche, etc......whether I wanted to admit it or not I was a Yuppie and my Dad told me so....condo, beamer, trendy gym, vegas trips, 6 figure salary, happy hour on Thursday, always broke and in debt.....but what did we talk about at all of those 'gatherings'? Cars, money and career...nothing more...how shallow? how boring!!!!

When I told my father, who grew up on cotton farm and chicken ranch in Louisiana, I was moving to Central America he almost burst out laughing and figured I would not last more than 6 months. I truly wanted a different life style...simple and wealthy.

Within a month I had sold my condo and beamer and had 2 garage sales and was on a plane to Central America. Everything I owned fit in the Isuzu Trooper I bought. All my clothes, 2 surfboards, mountain bike, boom box, cd's and a toaster. I rented a small house near the beach. My bathroom shelf inventory...razor, deodorant, toothbrush, tooth paste. Shower inventory...soap. This served as my shampoo and conditioner as well.

My Costa Rican wife and I built our own house, mostly just the two of us....while she was pregnant right up until the day before our daughter was born and then again two days after she was born. I kept asking her why we were doing all this work when we can just pay someone else less than a dollar an hour...she kept saying, "It's good for the soul." Sure enough when we were done and I looked at the whole thing I just got that feeling, "Wow we did that." Again, it was simple. Just 700 square feet but it was all we needed. Then we added 2 rooms and 500 square feet and now have one room that is completely empty.

We have no cabinets in the kitchen as all the plates and glasses fit in drying rack. So it's easy....take out of the drying rack, eat, wash and put back in the drying rack. The toaster is a frying pan....

The simple part was easy to figure out....just get rid of everything. The wealthy part, well that has its own meaning to be determined by each user.

I quickly learned what I call the 90/10 rule. In southern California while parked at a stop light to turn left I noticed all the fancy cars turning in front of me and that only 10% of the drivers were smiling. In Nicaragua without all the great wealth that number jumps to 90%. My conversations with my new friends never entailed homes, cars or money but family, friends and interesting stories that made me laugh.

I quickly figured out what wealth meant to me.

Wealth is not determined by how much money I make in a year.

Wealth is determined by how much time in a year I spend with my child, wife and friends. How many puzzles I complete with my wife in a year, how many chess games we play, how much vacation time we have, how many walks on the beach not seeing another person, how many candle light dinners (sometimes mandatory with the power outages). How much time do I spend mountain biking through mist covered mountains through tunnels of trees littered with monkeys. How many family bike rides with Angela sitting right on the cross bars, how many family hikes looking for monkey's and butterflies. How many days spent playing on your own desolate beach, how many days surfing perfect waves with just your friends, how many waves boogie boarding with your daughter in warm water, how much time river shrimping with your whole family, how many days taking your daughter to work every afternoon and on important client meetings. How much time spent listening to music. Reading a book on average every week, playing tennis on your friends clay court, raising 75 head of cattle with your wife's family, raising your own chickens and pigs with your daughter, moonlight crabbing, early morning turtle patrol, building your own house, cutting your own wood for the bathroom countertop and posts,......

Traveling...in one year going to Dubai, Amsterdam, London, Calgary, Miami, Atlanta, Panama, San Diego, Houston, Costa Rica, Italy (twice)

Bottom line......How much time do you spend with a big fat smile on your face? If it is 90% or more then that is being wealthy!!!

My Favorite San Juan del Sur Hotels

2008-01-11T14:09:00.000-06:00

There is an abundance of hotels in San Juan del Sur from the upscale expensive to the cheap and downright dirty. My favorites have to be the following:

La Posada Azul - This is a beautiful colonial style building just off the beach in the center of town. The rooms are nice and very comfortable, the staff is friendly and courteous, and it is just the most convenient place in town in terms of location. You are a very short walk to the beach, a block from the mercado, and on the one of the main business streets in town with plenty of shops, restaurants, stores, etc...

Park Avenue Villas - I stayed here on a long term trip and although the location is not as convenient as La Posada Azul, the rooms are very nice. They are actually all 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom apartment style suites with all the comforts of home. The location is a few blocks north of the main thoroughfare through town about a block and a half off the beach and is perched on a hill with a patio that may boast some of the best views of what I think is the best sunset in the world.

Piedras y Olas/Pelican Eyes - This upscale establishment is located on the hill east of town and offers rooms, small houses and large villas. All include queen size beds (or larger), satellite television, wireless internet service, air conditioning, and an in-room hospitality center featuring microwave, refrigerator, and purified water. The restaurant and bar, La Cascadas, is nice as well, but it is a little bit of a journey to town and everything on the hill is a little more expensive than down below.

Landmark Inn - I stayed here for a while and personally liked it. I have talked to others who had complaints about the noise, so if you are looking for peace and quiet you should probably look elsewhere. The location can't be beat though. It is actually next door to the Century 21 office across the street from the beach just north of the main road into town.

There is an abundance of low cost hostels in town where you can stay for cheap, but won't get much more than a cement floor and an uncomfortable bed. If you are in search of a hostel you can get dropped off near the market and a quick walk around will allow you a variety of choices.

Please note, these are my personal opinions only and they have no relation to Century 21 Gold Coast Realty.

Enjoy your stay in beautiful San Juan del Sur

Chris

Restaurants in San Juan del Sur

2008-01-11T11:44:00.000-06:00

I did not find that the food overall in San Juan del Sur or Nicaragua in general was anything to write home about, but there were a few places in San Juan del Sur that really stuck out to me.

My absolute favorite place to eat in town was El Colibri. Everytime I ate there, which was at least once per week, it was a treat. Among my favorites on the menu were the hummus appetizer, the Filet Mignon and of course the Sangria. This was the only place in town where I could find a good steak within my budget.

Another top notch option, although more expensive, is La Cascada at Pelican Eyes. I personally did not do dinner there ever, but I can tell you that the breakfast was delicious. My favorites were the corned beef hash and the eggs benedict. Another bonus with Pelican Eyes is that they have wireless internet, so if you are from out of town and don't feel like hanging out in the internet cafe, you can pack your laptop and check your emails and catch up with what's going on in the rest of the world. They also have a generator, so when the power goes out in the rest of town, they are still operational.

Jerry's Pizza is a good option for those on a budget. You can get a good meal for the equivalent of a few dollars. The specialties include rotisserie chicken, pizza and lasagne. It is also a great spot to sit in town with a Tona and people watch.

A couple of popular places for pizza and Italian include Pizzeria O Sole Mio, and Pizzeria San Juan. Both are very good. The Sole Mio was closed during most of my time in San Juan del Sur and just opened right before I moved on, but I ate there once and it was excellent. The Pizzeria San Juan was very good and very popular.

I typically judge the group of beach front palapa style restaurants as a whole. I found that none was particularly good. They seem to bring in customers based on their location and you cannot go wrong with the sunsets. San Juan del Sur just may have the world's best sunsets, but the food was left something to be desired in my personal opinion. I would recommend the strawberry daquaris at the Bar y Restaurant Buen Gusto. It is on the beach front a few lots south of the main road into town.

Big Wave Dave's is a popular place for tourists. I particularly enjoyed that he had the NFL packages during football season and if I was able to get in early I could get him to play the Chargers game. Breakfast is good and he has a good selection of items on the menu including chili, soups, burgers, meatloaf and lots of other things you won't find in most of the other establishments in town.

If you are looking for some good food on a cheap budget I strongly recommend trying the little restaurants in the town mercado. For about one to two dollars you can get a variety of locally prepared chicken with gallo pinto. While there you can pick up anything from fruit and veggies to shoes to gifts for friends from home.

I hope you find this helpful. Feel free to add comments if you have any recommendations of your own.

Chris

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua

2007-12-07T14:04:00.000-06:00

Next on my list of must see destinations in Nicaragua is San Juan del Sur.

This town of approximately 20,000 residents in located along the southwest Pacific coast of Nicaragua just north of the Costa Rica border. The center piece of the former fishing village is its beautiful horseshoe bay filled with small yachts, sail boats, fishing boats and the occasional cruise ship. The white sand beach makes a half circle around the town and is great for leisurely walks, exercising or a quick dip in the water.

One of the major attractions of San Juan del Sur is the easy access it provides to many of Nicaragua’s finest beaches and surfing destinations. Nearby are such popular beaches as Playa Madera, Remanso, Popoyo, Gigante and many more. There is occasional surf in town near the river mouth on the north side of the bay, but it is rarely anything to write home about. The surf in the region of the country is helped by nearly year round off shore winds as a result of the weather patterns caused by Lake Nicaragua.

I found San Juan del Sur to be the perfect blend of relaxation and civilization. Prior to my time in San Juan del Sur I had spent a month in Playa Negra in Costa Rica, and while the surfing and the scenery in Playa Negra was amazing, I actually missed the idea of being able to walk to a variety of restaurants, bars, stores, etc. San Juan is not too big yet it is not too small. Some of my town favorites included delicious dinners at El Colibri, sitting at almost any of the beachfront palapa bars sipping strawberry daiquiris while watching the sunset or enjoying a football game at Big Wave Dave’s.

San Juan del Sur also has a great variety of places to stay. Your options range from such upscale accommodations as the Piedras y Olas Pelican Eyes, Morgan’s Rock and Park Avenue Villas to budget hostels such as the Costa Azul or Casa Oro. Another nice option is La Posada Azul near the beach in town.

For me, San Juan del Sur offered the perfect location to venture off and visit as much of Nicaragua and Costa Rica as possible. It is a mere half hour to 40 minutes from the Costa Rica border and Costa Rica’s northern peninsulas are visible from parts of town. When I return to Nicaragua I will once again make San Juan del Sur my home base.

Leon, Playa Peñitas and Volcano Boarding at Cerro Negro

2007-11-15T11:31:00.000-06:00

The city of Leon and the surrounding region is next on my list of Nicaragua must sees.

The original city of León, in Nicaragua (one of the oldest European cities in the new world) was established in 1524 by Francisco Hernandez de Cordoba about 20 miles east of the present site. After the 1610 eruption of the Momotombo volcano, located only a couple miles away, caused extensive damage, the inhabitants of this old León decided to move to the city’s present location.

As a colonial city, León has many fine examples of Spanish Colonial architecture, including the grand Cathedral of the Assumption, built from 1706 to 1740, with two towers added in 1746 and 1779. I personally have a slight preference towards Granada as a colonial city, but for each their own. What makes León such a great destination to me are some of the places and adventures that await you outside the city. In particular I love the relaxing atmosphere at the beaches of Playa Peñitas and Poneloya, and the Volcano boarding at Cerro Negro.

In León, we stayed at a little hostel call the Bigfoot which I really liked (They make a delicious Mojito). One of the activities that they offered was Volcano Boarding. Naturally, when something as unusual as volcano boarding is an option you sign up. The next day a group of eight of us jumped in the truck with the hostel owner, Darryn from Australia, and headed off to Cerro Negro. From there we proceeded on a short hour hike up to the top of this smaller volcano each carrying a wooden plank that they has built custom for descending this particular volcano (see photo below). While on the Volcano we went for a quick spin through the crater. This volcano is very active and you can feel the heat protruding from the ground that you are standing on.

I found this promo for the Bigfoot Hostel on YouTube. It gives a pretty good feel for the Volcano boarding.

This is the same place where the world mountain bike speed record was set (see video). This guy is completely insane.

At the opposite end of the spectrum you have Playa Peñitas. This is a quick bus ride or cheap taxi west of León.

We stayed at the the Oasis (above) which was recommended by our friends at the Bigfoot in León, but we also spent some time hanging out at the Playa Roca (below) and found the owner, Cookie, to be very nice. She even drove us back into León one evening when we missed the bus.

The beach at Peñitas can be a little dangerous for inexperienced swimmers, but you can also get some good surf if you catch the right tide.

Laguna de Apoyo, Nicaragua

2007-11-15T11:17:00.000-06:00

The next place on my list of “must see destinations” in Nicaragua is Laguna de Apoyo.

Laguna de Apoyo is located very centrally between Masaya and Granada (about a half hour from each) and is also a short trip from Managua (less than an hour). It is Nicaragua’s cleanest, bluest, deepest and most refreshing swimming hole. Laguna de Apoyo offers a 48-square-kilometer body of water trapped inside the crater of the Apoyo Volcano. The deepest measured point at 200 meters is the lowest point in all of Central America. Its shores are easily accessible, and a small number of tourist facilities and luxurious private homes have been constructed at the water’s edge. The volcano still has some underwater thermal vents and experiences the occasional seismic tremor, but for the most part, it’s considered dormant and its walls are thickly vegetated with green forest and a chaotic network of trails, most of which exists as a protected nature reserve.

I have always been more of an “ocean” person, but I found Laguna de Apoyo incredibly relaxing and the scenery absolutely breath-taking. Inside the crater it is something of an alpine setting. It feels more like you are somewhere in the Rocky Mountains or Sierra Nevada than in a crater in Nicaragua. The water in the lake was cool enough to be refreshing which is also an abnormality in these parts.

The little hotel we stayed in was called The Crater’s Edge and it was really nice little place. The owner and staff were very friendly and it was reasonably priced. We also had some friends who stayed at the Monkey Hut which is affiliated with the very popular Bearded Monkey hostel in Granada. They really enjoyed the Monkey Hut as well, so both come recommended.

Isla de Ometepe, Nicaragua

2007-11-09T14:41:00.001-06:00

My top 10 must see Nicaragua travel destinations:

On to #2. I have to choose Isla de Ometepe. This is a true wonder of Nature.

Isla de Ometepe

This volcanic island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua is truly one of the natural wonders of the world. From the mainland, the craters seem to soar directly out of the lake itself. From the moment you get off the ferry and arrive on the island it feels like a very different world from the rest of Nicaragua. There are plenty of things to keep you busy many of which include hiking. Among the activities and sites include waterfalls, fresh water beaches, horse back riding, mountain biking, swimming. etc.

While there, we spent a long day hiking Volcan Madera. Our guide book referred to it as a fairly easy hike and that it was "approved for overweight chain smokers". I do not believe the writers of the book ever did this hike. We chose to go with a guide from the Hotel Villa Paraíso and we were joined by an El Salvadorian couple in their 50's. About midway the guide told the El Salvadorians that they could not continue as there would not be enough time to get down before dark and we continued to the top. Unfortunately for them and our guide, they did not listen and ended up hiking through very wet, steep, slippery trail in pitch black. They eventually made it back to the hotel, but not until very late.

The next day we spent riding horses on Playa Santo Domingo and just relaxing. When I get back I really want to get up to the San Ramon waterfall. It looks very cool, but on this trip we were exhausted from the Volcano hike.

Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

2007-11-09T14:02:00.000-06:00

My top 10 must see Nicaragua travel destinations:

We will start with number one and I will add a new one every few days. I have to start with Little Corn Island off the east coast of Nicaragua in the Caribbean. This place is an absolute paradise

Little Corn Island

This small Caribbean island off the coast of Nicaragua is one of the coolest destinations I have ever been to. It is not easy to get to, but if a little adventure is in your blood you will agree that it is easily worth your efforts. We took the easy travel road which consisted of a morning flight from Managua to Big Corn Island and then a quick boat ride over to Little Corn (You can also take the long bus to Bluefields and then take another long boat ride from there).

First thing you see when you reach the island is that there are no roads and no cars. The main thoroughfare on the island is a short sidewalk on the beachfront on what they call the "front side" of the island. We had heard from some friends that we should stay on the "breezy side", which requires a walk through the jungle via an unmarked trail, so we figured we would give it a go. We ended up following a girl who worked at Elsa's Place, one of the "breezy side" hotels through a jungle trail in the dark and eventually ended up at a little place called Sunrise Paradise. A room for three of us was $10 per night. It was far from luxury, but also steps from the water. The nightlife was surprisingly alive at one of the other little hotels down the beach from us called the Cool Spot and the meals were delicious and inexpensive. I had some of the best lobster I have ever had for less than $10 and there was an ample supply of Toña and Flor de Caña.

Straight out from out hotel there was a ship wrecked on the reef. We rented some snorkel gear and took a swim out (It was farther than it looked). The water was amazing and the sealife abundant. We ultimately ended up catching a boat to the reefs on the north side of the island and swam with sharks, rays, turtles and more fish than you can imagine. We also enjoyed a nice social dinner one night at the Casa Iguana which was also a pretty cool and more upscale hotel than where we stayed. The couple that ran the Casa Iguana was very cool and friendly. Although we only snorkeled, there is also a nice little dive shop on the island that can take you out scuba diving if you desire.

Currency Calculator

2007-11-06T15:43:00.000-06:00

Currency Calculator

Life is always an adventure in Nicaragua and Costa Rica

2007-10-31T20:08:00.000-06:00

I used to call travel in Central America an adventure but now I think it is more of a mission. We spent 2 hours at the border Friday. Then I paired up with another 4x4 for about an hour to pull out the Nosara bus that was stuck on its way to Nicoya. I then hoped on my Mtn Bike about 30 km from our place. I guess I am not in as good shape as I used to be because it soon got dark....well pitch black. As I was going down a steep hill my wheel got stuck in a tire track and just like that I was skiing down the gravel with the left side of my body.....my iPod got stuck between my hip and the gravel, see attached pic. Even after last week's debacle where it was submerged in the river behind San Juan it took a lickin' and kept on tickin'......the left earphone got knocked off my head and the right earphone was still blasting Gone Away by The Offspring.....my left arm.....well it just doesn't like skin because for the 3rd time in less than 6 months it tried to get rid of some more. The handlebars were tweaked and the Tico walking up the hill next to me was saying something, probably something like 'Que Gringo mas loco,' but I had to get right back on the bike and shag off the pain.

10 minutes later we had to cross Rio Montaña and while we were waiting for my father-in-law to show up with the quad to take our bags across I was speaking to the neighbors and when it was too late I realized I was standing on a stinging ant hill and lost some of the skin on my right ankle....I began jumping up and down and threw off my shoes screaming.....I think the neighbors were saying something like 'Que Gringo mas loco'.....what should have been a 5 hour trip turned into 6:30am until 6:30PM.....

The next night my wife's cousin got his big hauling truck stuck in Rio Montaña and we had to pull him out with my father-in-laws big hauling truck but it wouldn't start so we had to jump start it with the Cat which I had to drive. I said I couldn't but my brother-in-law said I had to and I better learn fast....he gave me a 30 second lesson....see attached pic....and we jump started the truck and pulled out the other one stuck in the river.

In the mean time our phone line went dead due to a fallen tree and the internet service went out in the area as well.

A TRUE MISSION.
Be Well,
Barry

Cool Popoyo Surf House for Sale

2007-10-22T13:54:00.000-06:00

Homes HP-15 Popoyo

This large beautiful home in Popoyo, Nicaragua has excellent ocean, valley and mountain views. You can watch Popoyo and Outer Reef break from the balcony or anywhere on the property. It is split level and the downstairs has 1 bed and 1 bath while the upstairs has 2 beds and 2 baths large and large living room. All rooms have AC and the house has great rental potential sleeping 8 comfortably. You can live in one level while renting the other. A concrete driveway leads up to the home and the giant garage where there is a washer/dryer and water heater and room to store all of your toys. On the one acre Popoyo property there are steps that lead up to the observation deck with is one of the highest points in Popoyo and one of the best view locations.

Lot Size: 1 Acre

Home Size: 2,400 Square Feet

Price: $330,000

Back to listings index >>

Welcome

2007-10-18T16:32:00.000-06:00

Welcome everyone to the Blog. Thanks ChrisP for setting it all up.

Va Pues.

New Listings - San Juan del Sur Property

2007-10-18T12:03:00.000-06:00

Property L-343 - San Juan del Sur

Only one property available in the hottest commercial area in San Juan del Sur! Located on beach road in the heart of town. Gaze out at the cruise ships in the bay. Business possibilities abound. Great holding property. Motivated sellers! Financing available! Offered at $325,000. To learn more about this great investment and comparable sales in the area, don't hesitate to contact one of our real estate professionals.

Size: 253 square meters

Price: $325,000

Back to listings index

New Listings - San Juan del Sur Property

2007-10-18T11:57:00.000-06:00

Property L-380 - San Juan del Sur

One of the largest properties available in San Juan Del Sur; 3000 square meters of buildable terrain with beautiful trees . Ideal for
hotel/condos/commercial/rental properties. Just three blocks from the beach. This area is becoming the next hot spot in San Juan del Sur. Neighboring developments include Brisas del Pacifico, Nicovale and Las Palmas. Financing available!.

Size: 3,000 square meters

Price: $175,000

Financing Available

View all Listings

Search Engine Marketing Blog

2007-10-16T10:56:00.000-06:00

This link to my search engine marketing blog will help that get picked up too and that has links to century 21 sites as well.

House Hunters International

2007-10-13T16:51:00.000-06:00

Century 21 Videos

Century 21 Gold Coast Realty
Barry Oliver, General Manager of Century 21 Gold Coast Realty in Nicaragua shows a couple from Hawaii several properties in Nicaragua on House Hunters International.

Part 1: 9:59

Part 2: 9:59

Part 3: 1:18

About Nicaragua

2007-10-11T18:00:00.000-06:00

Nicaragua is famous for its great surfing beaches and amazing volcanoes. The peaks of Volcan Maderas and Concepcion seem to reach the sky and the weather patterns brought on by one of the world's largest fresh water lakes leads to nearly constant off shore winds for surfing in the southwest portion of the country. Granada is the first great European city in the New World and the Caribbean coast and islands bring on a beauty that is rarely seen outside of post cards.

If you are interested in Nicaragua real estate visit my friends at Century 21 Gold Coast Realty.

Nicaragua Real Estate Blog

2007-10-11T17:47:00.000-06:00

This is where we can post Nicaragua real estate blogs. It is very easy to do. I will get it set up so that you guys can log in and add content and I will also add some design elements.