Never Alone

At 7 AM the electric went out, we knew this because the fan above the bed slowly came to a stop, and it grew very quiet. Probably something to do with that amazing storm overnight. Yet right on cue, at 7:20, there was the familiar tap on the door, and the diminutive Buenos Dias... alerting me to the tray of coffee outside our Bungalow. By 7:30 we had coffee in hand, walking towards the dock, as has now become custom. It looked like someone had left a brown shirt bundled up at the very end of its length. But as we drew nearer, the brown lump stirred, rose, and sensed it's trapped position as I approached. I left the scraggly stray dog pass me, back to the safety of the jungle, regretful that we had disturbed it's early morning slumber. 

To start the dayThe sounds of this encircling crater jungle were quite alive with the guttural howl of the monkey, the odd bird sound, and then the collection of buzzes and rustles that are so new as to be indescribable. About 30 yards off shore to my left was a man sitting in the water on a log, we could only see the top half of him. He wore a baseball cap on his head and was moving fishing line back and forth through his hands. Now who ever said you needed equipment to fish? He was rather routinely catching single serving fish with only a log and a bit of fishing line. If my Dad had only realized that long ago he could have saved a boat-load (pun intended) of money and maintenance.

Laguna fishing

Today we plan to spend the entire day in this lovely setting. We are overdue for a swim and maybe a bit of kayaking. The past two days were a surprise; we had anticipated solo travel, but five others from our original group were lodged in Granada, a beautiful colonial town on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, only thirty minutes drive from here. Having a car made it easy to join them for two days of adventure including the lake, fish dinners on an island, browsing a massive outdoor market, and trekking around the top of a volcano. They were a Godsend to me for many reasons. Not only did we have a fantastic time, but they provided the comfort of companionship as I learned of my Grandmother's passing yesterday.

She waited until I was settled on this trip to make her transition, her final act of Love for me. At the age of 95, she had actually waited long enough. Grammy was always so happy to hear me tell her I was going on "vacation", and this time was no different. Now I believe that in a very real way she can be with me on them. There are no words in our language to describe the relationship that we have shared since the day of my birth. This is not a time for sorrow, but a celebration for a life that will never be forgotten. I can already feel her strength, added to mine... although, I must write that she was never fond of water or swimming. I'm looking forward to jumping in the lake today, in honor of her. With me, she has nothing to fear.

So before we begin sharing the past few days within this second part of our journey, lets enjoy a few of the movies that I have uploaded from our time well spent in San Juan del Sur.