Couchsurfing the World
For the first time I even was not going to use Couchsurfing . I lived in Costa Rica at that time , and planned a trip to Nicaragua for my Easter holidays . I was going on my own and my roommate , who also is my good friend , didn ’ t like this idea because cared about me as much as he was aware of how insecure travelling around Central America can be . He was the one who suggested to for someone who could accompany there . I wasn ’ t very enthusiastic about the idea , but didn ’ t rule it out completely , either . Meanwhile , my friend started looking through Couchsurfing profiles of Nicaraguans willing to host . And he found a perfect candidate ! Josh turned out to be an amazing guy . Super friendly and adorably shy , he was almost the same age as me , and absolutely obsessed with Russia . He even learned some Russian by himself ! I was genuinely impressed by the fact that never having had any Russian lessons , Josh was able to maintain a conversation in my native language . But that definitely wasn ’ t the only thing that impressed me . It turned out , my Easter vacation was all planned out for me ! As soon as I got off my bus ( the trip from San Jose to Managua took about 11 hours ), I was involved in a tour around Nicaragua . The first stop – Masaya Volcano National Park . As we were waiting for a bus to take us there , I was pretty surprised to see a couple of the city buses with the word RUSSIA across the side as they drove by . As Josh said they buy buses directly from my country , it may sound curiously . There were a lot of people in the bus and it was hot , but , jammed in the middle of the sweaty crowd , I was feeling adventurous and happy – that was the way to travel , that was the way to live ! Leaving my huge , bigger than myself , backpack at the foot of the volcano , we started to climb . And it was beautiful . The higher we got the more magnificent the view became . Peculiar plants , majestic birds , and staggering mountains took my breath away . But not completely – I realized that at the moment we got on the very top . Then the rest of my breath was gone while we were watching the enormous mysterious moon floating over our heads … From there our journey led us to another gorgeous place – the city of Granada . Having inherited its magnificent architecture from the colonial times , Granada was breathing with history on every step of the way ; it made me instantly to fall in love with it . I have seen a lot of different cities during my vagabond life , but I have always had and will undoubtedly always have a very special place in my heart for that particular one . The night there looked fabulous . Lit up with multitudes of lights , it was the scene of a noisy and colorful Easter parade . After we found a place to spend the night , took a shower and gave some rest to our feet , we went out to the busy central street that was stunningly charming . There was a great variety of restaurants to choose from , we picked one and made ourselves comfortable sitting at a table outside , under one of the many branchy trees . Great wine and food made an outstanding combination with the sounds of live music played by a talented street band . We finished the night with a walk around the Plaza de la Independencia , a nice conversation and another bottle of wine . The following day we got to explore Granada in a carriage driven by horses . After visiting a great number of colonial churches , we took a stroll down the bay , and it was time for us to go further – to the sea ! The beach we chose was one of less crowded , and we spent a lovely evening walking along the sea shore and watching a mesmerizing sunset . The thing was that we hadn ’ t booked a place to spend a night in . Spontaneous travelers as we were , we hoped to find something once we were there . Only , it was the Easter Holiday , and the place we chose ( San Juan del Sur ) - one of the most popular beach resorts in the country . We went from door to door , asking even the local cafeterias if they would let us stay over . Sleeping right on the beach seemed inevitable ,
NICARAGUA
but suddenly a miracle happened : one of the hotels we stopped by had an accommodation available for one night . We didn ’ t need any longer than that , so we accepted . When we looked at what we got , we had no words . I will try to find some now , to give you an idea of what it was like . Imagine a lonely trail , lost in a tropical forest , leading you up a hill that rises to the seashore . There is a hut on that hill , made of cane and palm leaves – or at least that ’ s what it seems like . At the entrance , you are greeted by an adorable dog . You are inside – you find yourself in a patio , full of hammocks and sofas . No walls or windows – only cane posts and palm leaves everywhere you look . You go upstairs - and there it ’ s even fresher , the sounds of the tropical night even more absorbing : you can hear monkeys jumps from tree to tree , birds fly from branch to branch , ocean singing at the foot of the hill ; you can feel the warm wind brushing your face and you just know the stars in the sky are brighter than you have ever seen … This was a paradise . Fascinating , blissful , absolute . We had to leave the following day . Before we did it , we actually saw a group of monkeys playing in the trees next to our hut . We saw another gorgeous sunset , sitting on the sand and sipping delicious mojitos , made with impressively swell Nicaraguan rum . Then we had to make a decision : if we wanted or not to spend the night sleeping on the beach . It was getting chilly and I decided to take the risk : to hitchhike back to Managua . Remember , we were in Nicaragua , and my idea to try hitchhike through half of the country at night would have broken my poor mother ’ s heart – but fortunately for her , she knew little about my intentions . I caught the vibe of adventures , and I needed to do it ! Having had a ride to the main road with some sweet family , we got out of the car and waited for the next one . We waited for quite a long time before a pickup truck pulled over . It was old and beat , with two young gloomy shirtless men sitting at the back . I doubted at first , but Josh was optimistic , and I was exhausted , so I hopped on . Almost as soon as my backpack reached the floor , my head reached the backpack and my eyes closed . When I opened them , I saw huge full moon and lots of stars – as bright as I had imagined they would be , jumping in the rhythm with our truck bouncing as it rolled down the road . I will always remember that moment . We reached Managua late at night . I finally got to meet Josh ’ s family – his Mom and grandparents , who all welcomed me into their home and made sure I was as comfortable as could be . It was time for Josh to go back to work , so I decided to spend a day with his outstanding mother . Lizeth was as open-hearted , as she was young at heart and happy to share her beautiful country with whoever was willing to follow her . She took me to Laguna de Apoyo , a lake of deep blue color surrounded by mountains . Some local musicians were playing their music , and it was heartbreakingly sweet . From there we went to a market in the Caterina city , full of handmade souvenirs and home décor items . After marveling at just how talented the local craftsmen are , we proceeded to Managua downtown , to visit a miniature exhibition of all the city buildings , both existing and destroyed by the earthquakes in the past . My last night in Nicaragua was very special . We walked up and down the pier , with pretty little restaurants , beautifully lit up , rich with most tempting smells . I was extremely grateful to Josh ’ s Mom for everything she had done for me , and invited her to dinner at a nice seafood place . We ordered some wine and a dish mysteriously called “ Lobster in Love ”. When it came , we both burst out laughing – there were three lobsters on the plate . That describes Latin point of view on love alright ! Before I left , Lizeth insisted on giving me a bunch of her own jewelry – to take it as presents to my mother and sister . It touched me very deeply . I do hope that one day I will have a chance to see these wonderful people again – who knows , maybe next time I will show them my country ? Svetlana Lazareva
2017 , Spring / missLINGVA 35