JAJURE HOSTEL - San Juan del Sur
Girls in swimsuits from sun up to sun down, beer and rum for breakfast, pool dips for showers, random drunken hook up’s and endless amounts of conversation to satiate anyone’s ADD. “This is the Real World of Travelers"...Jajure Style!
Located in Nicaragua’s famous beach town, San Juan del Sur, Jajure Hostel is the product of an ex-pro surfer’s dream. His goal was to provide surfers a home base for waves and for non-surfs, the opportunity to learn. Now, 5 months after it’s grand opening, the owner Chely has become a household name amongst most Nicaraguan backpackers.
Located in Nicaragua’s famous beach town, San Juan del Sur, Jajure Hostel is the product of an ex-pro surfer’s dream. His goal was to provide surfers a home base for waves and for non-surfs, the opportunity to learn. Now, 5 months after it’s grand opening, the owner Chely has become a household name amongst most Nicaraguan backpackers.
Within a few hours of arriving at the big beautiful white beach house, you can’t help but feel at home. As if catching up with old friends, every roommate offered fabulous, worldly conversation and by days end our hostel felt like a family. Young, spirited, up for anything Scandinavians, heaps of hilarious maple syrup or marijuana loving Canadians, Swiss surf stars, and a handful of Dutch, German and Scottish solo travelers completed the crew. Not to mention one laid-back, half-baked owner who kept the good vibes flowing all day!
Highlights included hours of R & R and ice cold Tona’s by the pool, international cooking missions in the fully stocked and CLEAN kitchen (a travelers dream), mowing down on Taco Stop’s cheapest and best drunk (or sober) food, Iguana bar table dancing, hiking to Jesus, and of course any Real World episode wouldn’t be complete without a fight. A wind up, sayanara punch delivered by Chely to an outspoken Ozzie.
Another highlight involved an afternoon snorkel and fishing trip. The snorkeling was nothing to write home about but the fishing was fabulous! Our boat driver said the fishing technique, known as jigging, was an ancient method used by his grandfather but in reality the method only involved fishing string, a few attached hooks and a small weight. Drop the line and jig until you feel a bite. But ancient or not, it did yield some 20 pescado’s for a quick hours work, one of which topped my personal catch list…a puffer fish! |
Pulling him up, the poor guy started hyperventilating as only gilled animals can and suddenly POOF. He blew up to the size of a spiny volleyball. I truly thought his black pearl eyes would pop from their socked and his hundreds of spines would shoot out one by one. Gingerly removing the hook we released our ball of joy back to his watery home.
The puffer was exciting to say the least, but the biggest catch of all, was reeled in by Jay, one of our crazy Canadian housemates…his catches name was Sam. A marriage proposal of sorts, culminating with an impromptu, beach wedding! Sure the decision to finally tie the not came after dozens of cerveza’s and splifs, but no time like the present right? |
So the next day was spent in preparation for the wedding festivities. Sam, a hysterical Canadian hockey playing, rapping tomboy was just happy to have a dress that could double as wedding attire while all the female housemates took the helm in planning details! Our sweet young Scando’s made a beer can bouquet of “borrowed” flowers from the trellis next door while a few of the others constructed a giant heart out of beach rocks to form the matrimonial beach alter. The rest of the Jajure family picked up other wedding necessities such as potluck-style food, bride/groom piñatas and cheap, colorful masquerade ball masks for the post party (they seemed like a good idea at the time although it turned out Sam hates masks).
The wedding was loosely scheduled for sunset but instead of the groom being late from a “Hangover” style bachelor party or the bride getting cold feet, the matrimonially hold up was caused by a necessary third party…the officiant. Guess the moral here is when a Nicaraguan man says he can marry you for a fee, don’t pay until he shows up.
But official or not, a wedding would be had! A good friend of the bride and groom, known as Marco “Pollo”, officiated as best he could with all 30 of their nearest and dearest hostel mates filling in his vow gaps. Rings exchanged, man and wife professed and one hell of a kiss, yep, hey were married in our eyes. Let’s party!
But official or not, a wedding would be had! A good friend of the bride and groom, known as Marco “Pollo”, officiated as best he could with all 30 of their nearest and dearest hostel mates filling in his vow gaps. Rings exchanged, man and wife professed and one hell of a kiss, yep, hey were married in our eyes. Let’s party!
The sandy, pseudo elope was definitely a first and it couldn’t have occurred at a more perfect place. Book in for a few nights but plan to stay for much longer. Thanks to my most amazing Jajure family for one hell of a week! Buen Viaje!