Midnight Crater Swim during a Thunderstorm
Trip Start
Aug 21, 2008
1
19
59
Trip End
Ongoing
San Jose,
Province of San Jose,
Costa Rica
Sunday, October 5, 2008
- No surfing for me at the beach - just sleep....
- Detoxing during the VP debate
- Its not everyday you go swimming at midnight in a Volcano crater in the middle of thunder and Lightning with a b unch of 20-something scandinavian babes....
Kim and I headed to the Las Penitas beach the next day. I would have been quite happy just to stay in bed after an all night music session with the London DJs but I didn't want to let Kim down. This was the first time I'd seen real surf waves and was shocked by their immense power. I decided that I'd been pushing my luck over the last couple of days and thought that learning to surf after only just surviving a bull run and volcanco boarding was probably not a good idea, especially afer no sleep for 48 hours
Rain Storm in Apoyo
. Instead, I collapsed on the beach and slept for a good 4 hours... After a few crazy nights on the run, I was looking forward to a more sedate night watching the US VP debate on TV.....Palin didn't fail me and was completely useless (Sorry GOP Lovers!) and in my opinion nailed the final nail in Mccain's coffin. We all agreed that Mccain's poor decision-making was out on show by choosing an inept VP - an indication of poor decision making if elected!
I watched the debate with Mark a 35-year-old ex NYC bar owner/wannabe writer, Maxi a 27-year-old Russian (but US citizen) lawyer, and Jason a 35-year-old African Aid Worker and learnt a hell of a lot about world politics in a very short space of time...Mature coversations alongside games of cards and chess (The Russian kicked my ass in the first game but I was overjoyed with a tie in the 2nd game) was a refreshing detox form the 5 nights prior.
I stayed two more nights in Leon before heading out for a quick pitstop back at the Laguna de Apoyo with Maxi for a chilled day. The Monkey Hut Hostel can only accomodate 18 people (book in advance) and was full of 25 year old Scandinavian ladies
The Scandinavians
. At one point Maxi and I looked like we'd be sleeping on hammocks for the night. Fortunately there was a cancellation and we bagged a double room.That evening the idea of drinking games was rapidly shot down by me and only compromised with a swim in the still, warm waters of the Laguna. The experience was quite surreal as thunder crashed and lightning lit up the midnight sky whilst cold rain hit the exposed parts of our bodies that weren't under water. I recall a rendition of the Skandi's singing 'Yellow submarine' but have no clue why...I would have thought singing in the rain would have been more appropriate!
The next day was taken up with a 10 hour journey to San Jose, Costa Rica so I could get my flight back to NYC. I was not a happy bunny though as Costa Rica swindled me out of $27 for departure tax even though I explained to the woman that I was in transit....she couldn't care less.....Putitio!
Anyway..back in NYC for a week; heading out to London for a week before returning to Central America to escape the financial meltdown...hope to catch up with some of you...
One last thing....I want to shake the hand of the guy in Leon who set up an exchange program with a school in Norway - Absolute Masterstroke - if he's not rich bu now he's certainly happy!
Comments
Girlfriend Comment #3
Hope the scandinavians were fat and ugly. Oh wait, there's a photo. Darn!