The Aussie Who Ate The Big Apple

My EPIC journey to celebrate *30* in Nicaragua!

A week ago I was cruising through the emerald seas of the Pacific, off the coast of Nicaragua. Exactly a week after my 30th Birthday, with 4 beautiful friends, we made the trek from NYC and Charleston to Managua, Nicaragua on American Airlines. I had decided I wanted to go somewhere that I could celebrate turning 30 with beaches and tropical drinks but I also wanted to make sure I was heading to a new country in my passport and somewhere that I could discover interesting cultures, adventures and food. Friends of mine also own and run a surf camp and resort in a little coastal town of San Juan Del Sur, called Casa De Olas. . I had been wanting to come and stay at the Casa for a year or so and now after so much talk - here we were! The Casa is located a top a hill looking over the bay of San Juan Del Sur. After arriving in the afternoon at Managua airport, we shared a Zebra painted Land Cruiser on the 2 hour trek through the winding roads and small towns of Nica. Arriving at the Casa at night, we were greeted by Carla and Fred the Aussie owners. To say we felt right at home is an understatement. Rounding the pool, we could see the other guests hanging out around the bar for happy hour. Beers are $1.50 and if you want to splurge on wine, it’s $3. Haha! The whole place has such an awesome vibe to it and we immediately started celebrating and meeting other guests. The casa offers both dorm style accommodation and then the private rooms which we reserved. The rooms are spacious and airy and have white nets hanging from hand made wooden four poster beds. Simple decor, private bathrooms and ocean breezes made this really feel like a tropical vacation. Oh, and did I mention they also have a monkey?? Yes. An orphaned monkey that has the rule of the Casa, Buzz has many fans and even her own Facebook page! After a good first night sleep, we all woke up early and another perk of Casa De Olas is the fact that breakfast is included! Strong home grown Nicaraguan coffee and this morning, fresh banana pancakes. The beaches are about 5, 20 & 30 minutes away depending which you are after. Most cost about $5 round trip for a car/shuttle and include a pretty awesome drive on hills/dirt roads, past cows pulling wagons, machete wielding beach guards…. but once you round the hill and see the ocean poking through the trees, you really realize how special it is to be here and get to enjoy these beaches. Our first day, we made the trek to Playa Hermosa which is known for being a expansive and fairly uncrowded beach. There is a little hut that sells food and drinks and a place to rent surfboards. There is also a little resort for people to stay right on the beach. The guys went out surfing and the ladies and I relaxed on the beach and drank a few Toña beers. I seriously should be in line for a sponsorship from them… ;) I drank quite a few! Lunch was made in a simple wooden kitchen, with a wood fire and small stove right behind the little drinks hut. I somehow fandangled my way into the kitchen for a little look see - the woman were so lovely and showed me their frijoles cooking on the fire and their produce in bowls and baskets around the kitchen. For lunch, I ordered salpicon de pescado with rice, beans and plantains. The salpicon is almost ceviche like with lime, chilies and onions… it was DELICIOUS. The beans were seriously smokey from being cooked directly on the fire. My friend Tori ordered a chicken and vegetable kebab and it was also so good! Considering the chicken literally came from the back yard (There are chickens and pigs everywhere in peoples yards in Nica) I would imagine the taste was so good because it was fresh! The next day we made our way to Playa Maderas which is known for being the better surf beach. There are 3 little spots up on the beach. The taco shop (famous for their fish tacos) - 3 brothers aka the chicken shack and also a very bare bones place to stay - and then another hotel & bar in the center. We drank pina coladas on the beach while the guys surfed and then went up to 3 brothers for lunch as the taco spot was packed. We noshed on whole fried fish, fish tacos with lots of veggies/salsas, rice, beans, salads and more fish. Everything was very fresh and it didn’t hurt that we enjoyed this view as we ate! The sunsets in Nicaragua are something to behold and we saw some pretty spectacular ones from the Casa. Dinners at the Casa are fantastic! Family meal is served every night at 7:30pm and costs a whopping $7 a person for a massive plate of food and dessert! We had everything from Shepards Pie w/ veggies, rice - lobster, fish and veggies, mahi mahi, ceviche, whole roasted butt of beef with roast potatoes and coleslaw. Certainly comfort food and definitely worth the price. The best part of this is sitting together with others from the casa and enjoying conversation with people from all over the world! Pic via www.casa-de-olas.com Our last full day, we had Fred organize a trip out on the sea with some local fisherman. Two leather skinned brothers with kind smiles and a wooden boat took us out on a two hour adventure to catch some fish. I love fishing. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE fishing. So I was in heaven! And…. both my friend Dart and I both caught a Tuna each! Mine was a white tuna and was seriously a major workout to pull in! But look at my face. THIS AUSSIE CAUGHT A FISH! ;) While in the town of San Juan Del Sur, we watched some American Football games at Iguana Bar and had great service, drinks, beautiful sunsets and also free wifi - hello Instagram! It was an incredible 5 days with my friends. We loved meeting people traveling from all over the globe, sampling delicious and fresh seafood and also staying at a very special little spot on the top of the hill. If you are looking for a vacation spot that has way more character than the usual all inclusive generic I - could- be- anywhere hotel (not that I don’t mind that either at times) - then, I think that Nicaragua and Casa De Olas should be on your list! Info on their website: www.casa-de-olas.com xo Sarah