Tooth Extraction in Leon, Nicaragua

A bunch of things happened between Popoyo and Leon but I have been wanting to write this specific post for a long time, so I'm skipping ahead because the beauty sometimes with being an adult is I can do what I want. While I was home in the states I had a single wisdom tooth coming in that was recommended I get it taken out. The tooth would probably start pushing my teeth and at this point I have never had braces and would like that to stay true. I thought about getting my tooth taken out while I was in Panama or Costa Rica but it never seemed to work out and later I found out it would of been a lot more expensive there.

I read a few blogs about people getting their teeth cleaned and expats who go to fancier dentists in Leao or Managua but I was going for the cheap local vibe and that is exactly what we found. Next to a little store (I think it sold meat) there was a single room dentist. There are bunch of them in Leon with the same kind of look and sign. The nice thing about these types of dentists is they are first come first serve so you don't have to worry about appointment. I was able to talk to the dentist almost instantly. I showed him the paper my dentist gave me to give to the surgical dentist back at home. It was a picture of all the teeth in the mouth with a huge X over the tooth that needed to be taken out. I thought this would be obvious enough that I wouldn't have to worry too much about lost in translations. He told me he could do it and it would cost roughly $50 which was cheaper than my copay back at home.

He sat me down in a chair that had rips in it and while checking my tooth out I was a bit surprised to see his hands were shaky. Everything was a bit disorganized and the organizer in me was going crazy, I wanted to ask him if we could trade this extraction for me to clean his place up because it really needed some help. I had read about the machines they use which sanitizes their instruments and was please to see he pulled his tools out of one of these machines.

The needle was bigger than I remember them being. My dentist at home maybe a bit expensive but I feel like I'm paying for it. They numb you on the outside first with gel and while they stick you with the needle they lightly rub your shoulder which for me actually does wonders. Oh and you can't forget the TV glasses so I can pretend to be in a different world while they do this. This guy though just jammed his hands in my mouth while trying to look inside my dark crevice of a mouth with the dim light.

The one room dentist offce

Surprisingly when he stuck me with the needle to numb me up it didn't hurt that bad. When he started shaking and tugging with all his might less than 5 minutes later I was surprised again that I didn't feel really any pain. When he showed the tooth to Nicolas I was even more surprised that it was done and over with so quickly. If I would of done it at home they would have put me under and it would of been a long process. While paying him the money and getting a prescription for antibiotics and mild pain meds my ideas of what you NEED in a dentist dramatically changed.

And out comes my tooth

All these things I thought I needed to be able to go to the dentist were things I lived without just fine. Part of traveling is learning the differences between needs and wants. For me they continuously change with each trip. My needs and wants were different before I visited Uzbekistan with my mom and they were different when I went to Peru and again they changed after this dentist trip. Sometimes I hear other travels say "wow they have absolutely nothing but they are so happy". It is very true that many of the places I end up traveling are very poor, but its one thing to be able to recognize this versus actually feeling this.

I keep thinking that we have these experiences of loosing things and getting things taken from us because we need to learn more what its like to have nothing. Each trip we get rid of almost everything and live out of our backpacks but at the same time we could hold more value in our backpacks than some people will hold in their whole lives. Its such a strange concept to feel, literally feeling my backpack and thinking about this. Sometimes I wonder if I deserve this wealth that I have, what makes me so special. Nicolas told me yesterday that he will make more than one day than one of his friends will make in a month. I have these struggles in my head but then I wonder how people that have millions don't have these same feelings. I'm a college graduate making minimum wage having worries that I have too much and I'm too wealthy while the people we would actually consider wealthy don't seem to be feeling this.

For me I am the lucky one, not the millionaire. I think sometimes money can warp the mind but I was lucky enough to grow up with always enough but not too much where I can't see anything else. I'm lucky that my mind is open to these changes.

Just for today show Gratitude.

Nicaragua....another lesson learned

Nicolas has always wanted to go to Nicaragua. He talked about it the first day I met him so I felt like when we arrived to this country we were completing something he started a long time ago. Nicaragua was going to be surf. surf. and more surf. Of course we arrive at the last bus station and there are no buses to the town we are planning on going to Popoyo but there are never buses all the way to this town. We either needed to take a bus to the closest town and walk or take a taxi. It was kind of late and Nicolas was anxious to see the ocean so we took a taxi all the way to Popoyo.

When we arrived the taxi driver took us to his aunts house where she had a small cabin/shack, no running water and an outdoor shower. It wasn't the best conditions but it was cheap and Nicolas liked the family. They cooked us up some carne asada and we were hooked, ready to stay in the shack for the next week.

During high tide

There was a river that ran in the back but during high tide the ocean would come in and we had an ocean view from our door. Setting up our hammocks I could lay there all day reading especially if I had gone surfing once or twice. Nicolas would surf early morning before light, sometimes 3 hours, come back have breakfast then take me surfing. Sometimes he would go out again or we would go together for a sunset sessions. So many hours surfing and resting that the days flew by and everything seemed so perfect regardless of the lack of running water but I felt like there was something up.

The first day my phone disappeared and I swore that I put my phone on the bed. Nicolas thought I must of left it outside or it was misplaced somewhere in our messy room. Since we didn't have internet there anyways I was in too much of a need for the phone so I didn't look the hardest. After almost 10 days staying at this place Nicolas said we needed to take more money out. That didn't seem right, he keeps track of every dollar we spend so he looked at the numbers and I was right, there should be no reason we would need to take money out. After a bit we realized that they had been slowly taking money from us probably since the first day.

So their place is at the end of the road, Popoyo only has one road. Mendoza's, they have great carne asada but be weary to stay here. We found that one of the boards was actually movable and there was a perfect man size hole for them to come into our room from the adjacent room that was locked whenever they wanted. We moved to Popoyo Loco after we realized our money was missing. 

To end on a positive note I had an amazing time surfing at Popoyo. I caught some great waves that really got me stoke on surfing and it helps have such a great teacher. 

Breaking Plans and a Beautiful Waterfall

We did have a house stay lined up on the Caribbean side but it wasn't for us. We decided to move on to Nicaragua but yes we had to go through Costa Rica. We thought we might stay in Costa Rica for a week or two but when we arrived the very first bus driver was a complete dick. He charged us way too much for the boards then when we got off at our stop he started driving off while we were taking our stuff out from under the bus. It didn't feel like "pura vida".

We stayed at a very nice eco-hostel for the night but it was $20 a piece for us to have a private room with shared bath. It was a lot more than we were used to spending. Nicolas went grocery shopping and it came to almost $30 which was more than some of our shopping trips at home. Everything just seemed so expensive, the people not the most friendly so at this point we decided to change our week stay to a 2 night stay.

So here was the thing that made Costa Rica worth every penny. While waiting for our bus to the next spot we realized that our times had been off and the next bus wasn't for another 2 hours. This couple sitting with us with matching backpacks and brand new lonelyplanet book told us about this waterfall they just came from that had a natural waterslide. Nicolas heard fresh water and slide and was already saying lets do it. We stored our bags across the street at a liquor store then started the "short" hike to the waterfall. If you are ever in the area the name of the town was Uvitas, little grapes.

After a hot hike, we paid the $2 entrance fee and walked down to the waterfall. It was picture perfect, clear water, and beautiful surroundings. Somehow we scored and we had the whole place to ourselves which was beyond amazing. So the fun began.

Nicolas enjoying the cool fresh water

So when you sit at the top looking down it seems that you are going to fall right into rocks but somehow it projects you forward away from danger but it was definitely scary for me. Nicolas went down the slide twice but I only was able to go down once because we ran out of time and we didn't want to leave our stuff alone.

Going down the natural water slide for the first time

For not having experienced a whole lot in Costa Rica this was the best thing we could of done. It was so incredible and worked out soo perfect you couldn't help feel like it was meant to be.

A skip and hop later we found ourselves with another stamp on our passports, Nicaragua.

Santa Catalina to Kombutal

We spent two weeks total in Santa Catalina and had a pretty amazing time. For the first week we were right on the point and a short walk for me to get to the beach break. Away from town our days were spent surfing, cooking, eating, sometimes yoga and reading. It was definitely the good life and I started going down the line for the first time which was a huge booster for me.

We loved the spot on the point but we had issues with the manager so we had to leave for a different hostel which wasn't as close but was very luxuries for Nicolas and me. There was A/C, private bath and a mini fridge. We both commented how nice the TV was when we showed up but there was no cable to use it so it was a joke whenever someone came into our room to point out the "great" TV.

Our luxury room. 

 While in Santa Catalina Nicolas was able to take out his pole spear for the first time and caught us dinner! When he left to go out I was really worried he would come back disappointed because he had never gone spear fishing, before but I was very impressed with he returned with the parrot fish. I made a coconut curry with pineapple out of it and it was amazing.

Nicolas's first catch. 

I'm sure Nicolas has a bunch to say about the amazing waves in Santa Catalina but I'm trying to get the blog up to date so I'm just doing short posts about each place we stopped out with a few photos.

We left Santa Catalina for Kombutal but we didn't really know that when we left. We can never seem to decide what we are doing until we are on the bus so sometimes our fate is dependent on which buses show up first. For me this is a lot of fun and I love the surprise of the adventure.

Kombutal is a small little fishing village but so beautiful and friendly. Before here we didn't experience the friendliest of locals and were a bit over Panama but the people in Kombutal couldn't be friendlier. As I sat on the side of the road with all our bags every person waved and said hello as they passed me. When Nicolas came back he was very excited about showing me the spot he found.

We stayed up a small hill at Kombutaleko which was such a beautiful and relaxing place. Every morning they brought us a fruit salad and coffee while we listened to the birds and howler monkeys. The place was full of wildlife and a bunch of guava trees that we checked on daily. This was one of my favorite spots of the trip but the power was very finicky and whenever it rained the power would go out. Since it was the rainy season the power was out the majority of the time while we were there which didn't matter too much until the night when we needed the fan.

The surf was pretty good but a huge swell was coming the spot was maxing out so after about a week we took off for our next adventure.

Monkeys in the trees near our room. 

Our little hang out area. 

Friendly kitties. 

Beautiful garden area. 

View of the ocean 

Bocas del Toro

We arrived in Bocas via boat taxi during Semana Santa which is the busiest time for Central America. All the hostels were full and prices inflated. I sat at a café guarding our bags while Nicolas walked around looking for a hostel. The café was super cute and I ordered this amazing veggie wrap that had olive oil and vinegar as dressing, super fresh. Nicolas came back saying that he found a room but it was going to cost us $20 each. This is probably the most we have ever paid for a hostel but there weren’t many options.

Boat ride, being careful not to loose my life out the side of the boat.

First meal in Bocas. 

You walk through a bar that has fun drinking games and a ton of fans in order to get to the hostel. It definitely had a chill vibe with murals on the walls, hammocks hanging in random spots and nice little garden area for sitting. Our room was very basic but there was a lockbox and a fan which are two of the most important things for us. There was also a kitchen which was good because the majority of the spots to eat are very expensive.  

After unpacking our stuff we asked where the closest beach was and took off in that direction. Although the beach itself was pretty dirty with garbage and seaweed I was so excited to see and feel the Caribbean that I didn’t care. We swam and had a good time watching someone take a surf lesson then headed back to the hostel. Later we found out that they call that beach shitty beach because it’s the nastiest one in the area. 

Bocas del Toro is a party town, with the island vibe and travelers from all over the world that creates an amazing feel while walking around town. I loved seeing the bicyclist and it made me miss my bike but we never had a chance to rent them for the day. I would say it’s a bit gringoey and I don’t normally like the spots where everyone flocks to, but it was just so beautiful you couldn’t help but love the town.

We spent about a week in total on the island and ended up switching spots to Hostel las Brisas which was right on the water. It was $25 for both of us with AC and amazing WIFI. A few of the nights we went out and had a good time dancing but after one long night we called it quits. We also went to a few of other spots like Red Frog Beach and Starfish Beach. Normally while we travel in Latin America we constantly drink coconut water but it wasn’t till we visited Red Frog Beach that we found our first coconuts. It was perfect with our Easter lunch of egg salad sandwiches.

Another spot that requires special recognition was Bocas Yoga in the Purple House with Laura Kay. I took as many classes as I could with her for only $5.50 a class. I felt very welcomed at each class and learned something new each time. The studio is beautiful with light air conditioning, wood flooring and nice floor to ceiling mirrors. Laura custom made her home/studio and you can feel the love she put into it right as you walk in. She also has incenses for sell which was a nice grab for later travels when we had to deal with stinky rooms.

Another thing both Nicolas and I got out of Bocas was $100 boards. It’s so expensive to ship boards anymore so we decided before we left to buy them when we arrived, but sometimes finding the right board for the right price can be quiet a chore. I told Nicolas to believe that the right board would come and not worry and sure enough someone came to our first hostel to watch the surf contest and he happened to be selling a few boards. One of the boards was in a shop that we saw earlier for $125 but the guy said he could have it for $100 if Nicolas kept the artwork of colorful hearts on the front of the board; of course Nicolas had no problem with this. A few days later a couple from España happened to be leaving soon and they didn’t want to pay to ship the board home so they sold it to me with fins and leash for $100. The next day Nicolas took me to Black Rock which is supposed to be a beginners spot but it was a bit big for me and breaking over reef. Nicolas surfed a ton at the spot around the corner from Black Rock. I would watch sometimes but the tiny little mosquitoes were too much.

Nico going for a surf. 

We both enjoyed our time in Bocas and would definitely go back if the opportunity were to arise again.After leaving Bocas we experienced the beginning of the “surfer tax” which is where they charge you a $1/$2 extra for the boards. Sometimes you understand because they have to climb up onto the roof of the bus or van and tie it down. Sometimes it can take a bit of time so I see it as a mandatory tip to the drivers but sometimes all they do is throw the boards under the bus with everything else and don’t even help you, which is when I get frustrated. Luckily we got a free board bag and we were able to smash both our boards into it making it look like one board, so we only have to pay the surfer tax one time rather than for both boards.

Next up Santa Catalina…

The Beginning

We left the states on March 31 and landed in Panama City on April 1st. We took a taxi for $20 to the bus terminal then took a collectivo to Santa Clara.

Santa Clara has a beautiful beach but that is about it. We were planning on spending the night there before we headed out the next day for Santa Catalina. First thing we did was jump into the ocean, which was a bit colder than we imagined, and then walked around the beach trying to figure out what we were going to do for the night. Nicolas was able to find a guy who would let us put up our hammocks and put our stuff in a locked room for the night for $5. The chief for one of the only food places was missing so we ended up drinking beer and eating chips for dinner.

We woke up the next morning and Nicolas looked over at me and said “vamos a Bocas del Toro”. There wasn’t any swell on the Pacific side but there was a bit of something on the Caribbean so he decided during the night that it would be better to go there. I was pumped, seeing the Caribbean has been a dream of mine for a while and I was finally going to see the beautiful blue colors I always drooled over in photos.

So we took one bus after another to find ourselves at Almirante for the night. We didn’t see a hostel as we drove in on the bus so we caught a taxi. He took us barely 2 blocks and charged us $2. I was frustrated but held my tongue. It was late and all I wanted to do was fall asleep so I could wake up and see my dream.

I woke up like a kid on Christmas morning, super early bouncing up and down to wake Nicolas up. We bought some bread, cream cheese and bananas across the way then walked to dock where we took the boat to Bocas del Toro for $6 a piece. 

Easter weekend on the beach in Bocas del Toro

Once we arrived we realized things were a bit hectic because it was Semana Santa, Easter weekend. Everything was booked so I sat a cafe while Nicolas looked for a place to stay. He came back a bit later saying he found us a private room but was going to cost $20 each which is way above our budget but there weren’t any other options. We dropped off our stuff and ran to the water. We found ourselves at shitty beach which is full of seaweed but we didn’t care. The water was warm and we were in the Caribbean. 

Our first night sleeping in our hammocks on the beach in Santa Clara, Panama.