Nicaragua...or BUST!!!

I have changed the name of my surf tour company, and it has a new look. I am in the process of improving my ranking on Google and Yahoo, so if you get some time, I would LOVE it if you would search for my site in those programs. If not, just click on the links below and it will help with my traffic.

Not been traveling much, but I will update my blog when I actually do some traveling. I have almost a grand of printed materials coming my way at the end of the week. Once I have them in hand, I plan to put Desperado back on the truck and head down to Costa Rica and Panama, and then finally back up to El Salvador to distribute the materials.

Thanks for the visit...Nicolas

Surf Tours Nicaragua provides tours of the uncrowded surf in northern Nicaragua, where there are over 25 surf spots within striking distance of our base camp in Leon. The north coast is relatively undiscovered, and thus provides an opportunity for surfers to experience what surfing in Central America was like 20 or 30 years ago.

With Surf Tours Nicaragua </a>, you get the “local knowledge” that will allow you to consistently score good, uncrowded surf. We get you access to a number of different surf spots that otherwise would be prohibitively difficult to access on your own. If you would like to surf waves that few have surfed and would like to check out what the north Pacific coast of Nicaragua has to offer, start by checking out some killer photos , then head over and check out our packages at the Deal . Finally, get in touch with us for reservations and information . We hope you can come spend a week with us that may change your life.

I forgot that my focus now is on my new surf tour company called Da'le Pues Surf Tours. Da'le Pues means: Let's Go in Spanish. Check out my temporary website at:

http://www.dalepuessurftours.com

and send me some clients so that I can continue this adventure!!!

Much love,

Nico

Been in the Land of the Ratrace for the past few weeks, and now I am finally on my way back to Nica for some fun in the sun. I have to say that after 3 1/2 weeks in the US, mostly celebrating marriages and enjoying time with friends and fam, I am ready to get back...bit too much time on the sauce since I have been here!

After a few days hangin' in PDX with my cousin, I headed over to Seaside for a couple of nights of hard partying and surfing with Blaine and his dad David. Two nights were all that I could handle with those fellers, and it was time to get over the hill to Bend for Jim and Megan's wedding festivities.

The wedding kicked off in proper style with a beautiful ceremony at Black Butte Ranch under the cover of a forest fire that was burning just behind the ranch. It really had us all worried that we might have to evacuate, but with a little luck, they got the wedding done, and we all enjoyed the reception to the fullest!

After Bend, I was off to Ashland to start preparing for Annie's wedding on the 8th of September. I got there early in the week expecting to be put to work, but instead, I was just put on the sauce! Eric had a couple of friends in town from Michigan, so in true form, I got on the piss with them in early celebration of Annie's marriage. When the wedding day finally rolled around, I was definitely ready for it. The ceremony was INCREDIBLE, and all went as planned at Clint's place out on the Little Applegate. Thanks to all that contributed and showed up for this incredible joining of two beautiful families!

Another week passed for me in Ashland, including a fishing trip to the lower Rogue with Dad, where I caught the only Salmon of the trip, a few days of visiting grandmas and the rest of the fam, and now I am back at PDX, ready for my return to Nica.

I bought a new 6'1" board that I am pretty excited to use when I get back, and from what the surf report has to say, I am definitely in for some good waves upon my return. Just gotta get myself from Managua to Poneloya, and I will be all set in no time!

More adventures to come!

After almost 2 months in Nicaragua (wow, I can't believe that...time flies when you're having fun) living on the beach, surfing, relaxing, and looking for new opportunities, the time has finally arrived for me to return to the US for a bit. My sister, Annie, and my good friends Mim and Jegan are having weddings in early September, so I am off to hang with the fam and friends in Oregon for a few weeks.

Lots of things here in Nica have been moving along quickly. Over the course of the past couple of weeks, a number of opportunities have fallen in my lap, some of which I have jumped at, and others I have had to turn down. Didn't I say that Nicaragua is the "land of opportunties?"

First, I finally came up with a winning idea for a business here in Nicaragua...and of course, it involves my new found love of surfing! I am in the process of developing a surf tour company here called <a href="http://www.dalepuessurftours.com">DA'LE PUES SURF TOURS</a> that I hope to get off the ground in the coming months up on my return. Follow the link above to see what its all about. As well, I have taken over a magazine that a buddy of mine has been producing for the past 6 months here in Leon. Harry his heading back to England, and his business partner Adam wants out of the mag, so over the course of the next few months, I am going to take it over and see what I can make of it. It is far from a money-making proposition, but something that will keep me busy and that I can enjoy...hopefully!

I have been offered three managerial positions as well, all of which I was forced to turn down, as I want to put my energy into the other ventures that I have taken on. One was a hostel manager here in Leon, and the other two are managerial positions for two different surf camps north of here. Although they are all good opportunities, and things that I might consider for the future, I really want to put a ton of effort and time into <a href="http://www.dalepuessurftours.com">Da'le Pues</a> and LeonEazy to see if I can make them successful ventures.

I have been surfing a ton, of course, chillin' with McKenzie, relaxing in my hammock, and getting in touch with the community here in my spare time. Things are going so well that it is scary at times!

All for now. More from the US in a while.

Nico (my Nica name!)

One night at Olla Quemada, another at Tortuga Booluda to celebrate La Dia de la Revolucion...another couple at the Tortuga, and I was more than tired of Leon and ready for a bit of beach time. Luckily, Josue and I made it out to the beach most mornings for a surf, so that kept me sane.

After a few nights at the beach with Josue, Olin, Ofelia, Bridgit, and a few other friends, everyone departed except me. With Josue's emphatic blessing, I decided to stay on in Poneloya/Las Peñitas for a while. Turned out that I stayed longer than just a while!

With Nicaraguan surfing buddies on the horizon in the brother's Lenin and Rafael from Las Penitas, better waves than I expected, and a beautiful house to stay in compliments of Josue, I decided that I had better stay on for a bit to see what I might discover.

I was able to take the camper off the truck and leave it in Josue's driveway, so that gave me the freedom to move about unimpeded by Desperado. I surfed the break at Penitas almost everyday, and got to know the local kids there better with each day surfing. Other than that, my days were spent reading, writing, engaged in a war with bats, swinging in my hammock, walking the beach with McKenzie, and just basically chilling out!

I spent one night in Puerto Sandino hangin' with my friend Jlili, who was nice enough to put me up in her family's hotel there. I only had a short session at Punta Miramar, as the waves were SUPER heavy, and breaking over a reef that was intent on drowning me!!!

I got down the road toward Popoyo and the competition early the following morning.

I made it to Popoyo after a rough travel day, but was VERY excited at what I saw when I arrived. The swell picked up quite a bit over the day before, and the crowds for the competition had not yet filled in. I connected up with the brother's Rafael and Lenin from Las Peñitas, and their friend (and Josue's) Bridgit, and we surfed the beach break at Popoyo and LOVED it!

I stayed for the next couple of nights at my buddy Chip's place in Las Salinas, about a 20 minute, grueling drive from the breaks. Samir, Chip's pseudo son and his girlfriend, Ashley, were there chilling, getting ready for the competition. Samir's preparations paid off, as he won the competition for the Nicaraguan Nationals! Nice work, buddy.

After a hard night of partying on Saturday with Lenin and another buddy of the brothers, I had to get up early on Sunday to head to the CR border as my vehicle permit expired that day, and I needed another one. The drive in the morning was a killer, especially with a lasting hang-over, not to mention the time and frustration of the border!

Although it cost me a fortune and the better part of the day, I was able to cross the border of CR and return the same day with a new vehicle permit in hand lasting for the next 30 days.

I was disappointed to only get 30 days, not 90 that I thought I would get by heading to the CR border, but I was happy to have done the process in one day, rather than having to stay in CR for 3 days, which is mandated by Nicaraguan customs and aduana.

I headed into SJDS after hitting the border, and was not disappointed by this shithole, once again. I had a hell of a time finding a place to stay where they would accept Kenzie, as they were afraid of her infecting their houses with fleas (more likely that their houses infected her), and ended up staying in a TERRIBLE room that cost me more than I wanted to pay for such luxury.

I did get a chance to surf Playa Maderas in the morning on my way north, which was fun, although it definitely left something to be desired in the waves. Good experience nonetheless, as I hadn't surfed there since I actually am able to surf, finally!

After my lovely night in SJDS and my night of partying in Popoyo, I managed to catch a wicked cold that drove me home early from the south back to Poneloya where I could take up my chill lifestyle of rest and relaxation.