LEARNING SPANISH IN SAN JUAN DEL SUR

Us with Kip's Spanish teacher from waaaay back, Rosa Silva. Yes, she remembered "El Loco."

Most of us remember our favorite teachers, right? 

Kip got a treat when he had the chance to reunite with Rosa Silva, the lovely and very patient lady who helped him learn Spanish some 15 years ago in San Juan del Sur. Since the days of giving leciones de vocabulario on her front porch or in a beachside park, Rosa and her daughter now have their own school and hostel two blocks from the ocean. 

If you're looking for a relaxed atmosphere where you can learn some Spanish and catch a few waves between classes, you could do far worse than the Spanish School House. 

Please tell Rosa that El Loco sent you!

VOLUNTEERING IN SAN JUAN DEL SUR

The entrance to the San Juan del Sur Library.

If you've got some time to spare between beach breaks and surf sessions, drop by the San Juan del Sur Library, aka Biblioteca Movil.

Just off the Parque Central about four blocks from the sand, the white-washed, one-story building trimmed out in ocean blue packs a big punch in a tiny package. 

In addition to hundreds of books in English and Spanish for kids and adults, they also offer computer literacy classes, study times, and best of all, a mobile library. 

For those unfamiliar with mobile libraries, first imagine a food truck, but instead of being a place to buy burritos, the library on wheels offers free books for loan in remote communities where libraries exist only in the dreams of the children who live there. 

It's food for the mind.

Travelers-turned volunteers are welcome to tag-along on the Mobile Library's scheduled three-times-per-week trips, which leave SJDS early and come back mid-afternoon. 

Sadly, the trips were on hold for a week-long holiday while we were there. If, like us, you're unable to make a trip with the Biblioteca Movil, the library also accepts new and used books, as well as supplies for their child learning and computer center.  

Drop by the Library for more info, to make a donation and of course, to sign up for a trip on La Biblioteca Movil.

Two librarians fill out library cards and educate visitors about volunteer opporutnities at La Biblioteca Movil. 

In front of the library, Kip waves hello after we dropped off some books and craft materials.

FUNNY MONDAY: TODD VISITS A BATHROOM

Todd ponders that age-old question, "To pee, or not to pee?"

You see a lot of strange public toilets while traveling--like the one in Korea powered by remote control and the one in Nepal where users are charged a fee depending on the length of their visit. 

Nicaragua took things to a whole new level though, as Kip's brother Todd discovered while at a rodeo in San Juan del Sur. 

Seen above standing precariously in flip flops on a wet, muddy board, he contemplated whether he'd be better off just walking around the back of the shed. 

Meanwhile, two ladies waiting in line for the "DAMAS" stall have a good laugh watching the hesitant gringo. 

Ultimately, he decided to wait til we got back to the hotel. Good decision, big bro!

PHOTO FRIDAY: CENTRAL AMERICAN RODEO

The crowd watches a not-quite-sober rider attempt to tame a bull at San Juan del Sur's annual rodeo.
Unlike a lot of attendees, Todd and Kip didn't climb into the ring and chase the bulls around. So they say.

Central American rodeos don't compare much to your average rodeo back home. 

Bull riders are usually well-liquored up kids from the local town, not pros who bust broncs for a living. Some of the riders actually tie their shoes together underneath the bull.

You'll see little-to-no fancy riding equipment, and rarely do cowboy boots get involved. 

Oh, and if standing atop the makeshift wooden fence doesn't deliver you close enough to the action, anyone who wants to, young or old, drunk or sober, can get in the bull ring and play "clown" for a day. It's really what most people come to see.