surf's up

My foot was inches away from a species capable of rendering my lips paralyzed and my equilibrium off. With caution I stepped, knowing the scorpion had just been seen in our bathroom minutes before and had disappeared into the wood-work. Hours earlier, on our drive back to the resort from our sunset walk on the beach, we saw a boa constrictor crossing the road. We are in Nicaragua.

We chose SOMA surf resort in Popoyo Nicaragua, two hours south-east of the capital, Managua, because we were intent on learning to surf and had heard Nica was the spot. Surfing is a sport that is said to be one of the most humbling, we were warned. Successful financiers, tech people, and CEO's have reportedly come to SOMA seeking to excel in surfing, as they do for most things, and have repeatedly failed. "The sport is dynamic. The water moves under you and you move on the board. The ocean conditions are unpredictable and always changing. It's not like skiing, where you move on a stable mountain," Bill, the owner and our surf teacher for the week, explained. Still, I had high expectations for my improvement, expecting to be on a short-board by the end of the trip. Though Jonathan levelled my expectations by saying, "Thinking you'll be on a short-board is like aiming to be on the Olympic Ski Team after a week of lessons. Audacious at best. Impossible in reality."

Fortunately I had two lessons in the Maldives prior to coming to SOMA, where I was able to refresh my skills (dare I say?) from my last surf experience: casual Costa Rican lessons almost four years ago. Which means that day-one Nica I was on a foam top board but starting to turn. And day two I graduated to an 8ft hard top. I've always poo-poo'd the adage "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" but while I still think that it IS possible to learn new tricks, it is REALLY REALLY hard.

But of course we're not JUST surfing, as our limit for being pummeled by crashing waves, and our patience with our improvement is not fool hardy. So the rest of our days are filled with a plethora of other fun adventures: two hour yoga sessions, volcano hikes, deep sea fishing, horseback riding, and hot spring plunging to ease our weary bodies. This morning is our horse back riding session, a two hour beach excursion where, we were told, the horses are allowed to open up to a full canter. Great! We didn't want any of the blaise beach walks that most tourist excursions limit. This is where an un-litigious country comes in handy.

But in addition to the fun-filled days of activities, this trip is already a success because my friends, Bridget and Alexis, had never met before, let alone traveled abroad for a week together. And as expected, they are getting along swimmingly! Both with a dry sense of humor and an ability to observe, and call-out, a nuance of a situation, they are fun travel companions and even better friends. Plus, we're all beginner surfers, which makes us a perfect trio.