From Coconuts to Conflict

I'm back in the Holy Land after a month-long vacation in Miami, the Florida Keys, and Nicaragua. All in all it was a much needed respite from living inside the whirlwind of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

It was refreshing to surround myself with a different set of political problems, which in contrast to the Middle East quagmire, seem fixable.

I spent some time in Little Havana, chatting with Cubans about the new legislation sponsored by Obama. The fact that he carried Florida so easily in this election emboldened him to make some changes in US policy. The changes were minor, and I see their importance being more on a symbolic level. It is a sign that the hard-line Cubans in Miami are a dwindling, elderly group whose political might is fading. Obama was just testing the waters with this new policy, and I hope he has the political courage to jump in completely, and lift the unethical and counter-productive trade embargo against Cuba.

As for Nicaragua, I was struck by how eager the Nicaraguans were to talk politics. Somehow they are back under the rule of Daniel Ortega and the Sandinistas. The majority of the people I spoke to despise him and are downright pessimistic about the future of the country. They speak of stolen elections, corruption, and an uneducated populace.

Wait, back to the fun stuff. In a remote surf camp in Northern Nicaragua, I didn't have much of a choice but to disconnect from the political world and tune into the natural one.

We ate fresh lobster, expertly caught by a bare handed, Indian free diver and delivered to the doorstep. We napped in hammocks until the crease lines imprinted themselves in the skin. We worried about when the next swell would come in, and then worried about the enormity of the waves it produced. It was a great vacation indeed.

One recommendation and one advisory:

I highly recommend Nic's surf tour company. In Nicaragua, unlike Costa Rica, it is imperative to have local knowledge of the breaks and how to get them. Nic is a good host, and will take you to some awesome, relatively uncrowded surf.

Do not, under any circumstances, stay in the Landmark Inn in San Juan del Sur. I have stayed in some seedy places, but none compared to this one. It's not worth repeating on this blog, because the truth has already been disseminated all over the internet. Here's one review, which I think sums up the place fairly well.


So here are some Nicaragua pictures, and my first, unsuccessful attempt at surf videography:

An incredible river mouth break called "Freight Train," which is exactly what the name implies. It was too big for me that day, and my brother was nearly washed to El Salvador.

Miami and The Keys

Bad Surf Videos:




Me on a teeny bopper wave




My bro on a longer wave