After all the excitement of the volcano, we headed to El Paredón to relax on the beach. The black sand was boiling so we often ran into the sea to cool off (although the Pacific currents were very strong). The hostel also boasted a pool which made everyone very social and we met some great people. We had family dinner each night when everyone ate a buffet together, and the first night was particularly fun as the country-wide alcohol ban (which was in place during their elections) was lifted. Funny to think that making alcohol ilegal supposedly makes people vote with a sound mind.
We rented some kayaks one of the days and made our way up the Rio Acomé (through the national park) and into the mangrove forest. It was so peaceful and the mangroves were full of crabs that popped out to say hi. At points we didn’t have space to use the paddles and managed to get stuck in the branches a few times, but it was a good outing and we enjoyed the silence of the river compared to the noise of the ocean.
After another day of reading in the hammock and only standing up to go for food (especially these amazing watermelon ice creams!) it was time to leave. This involved getting packed into a van which was driven onto a wooden platform with a motor engine. To our surprise, it all went smoothly and on we went.
holahola2019 