Monterrico - Pacific Coast

The chicken bus ride to Monterrico was epic, but 3 chicken buses, a passenger ferry, 5.5 hours, and 30 quetzals later I was on the Pacific Coast. Getting there was the reward - dark sand beaches, warm Pacific water, a laid-back feel, and good people awaited. I made two quick friends right off the bus, and was in the water within 30 minutes.

After sunset, everyone camped out at Johnny's Place - the place in Monterrico. The appeal is huge, as Johnny's has hammocks to swing in, a beachside bar, and a come-and-go-when-you-please approach to both clients and non-clients.


The mangrove tour the next morning was another early- morning test, starting at 5:30AM. The mangroves were filled with birds, a four-eyed species of fish that skips across the water rather than swims, and amazing foliage, and we enjoyed a remarkable view of the volcanos at Antigua during the sunrise. I was hoping to see a bit more varied wildlife, like caiman (small corcodile) and turtles, but there numbers are few. I did stroll through the Tortugaria, a local refuge for freshwater and saltwater turtles, iguanas, and caiman to compensate (8q).

The day was spent almost exclusively at Johnny's, with a brother-sister duo from BC. Mark is a park ranger / planting supervisor somewhat stationed in the Slocan area, and Nicole works for a student union (Langara, maybe) in Vancouver. Evidence that it is a small world: Mark went on a Neil Young-inspired road trip with Kevin Chong, who turned it into the book Neil Young Nation, who had my sister as an editor. Pam's copy of the book, with a note of thanks from Mark's friend Kevin, sits half-read on my bedside table.