Off the grid

Off the grid and into the mountains for the second time in six weeks. This weekend Marissa, Megan Siobhan and I all traveled in a true Nicaraguan bus, as always, two hours into the mountains for some serious R & R, returning to Paradise on Earth, also known as Miraflor. Miraflor is a community of people that work on or have their own organic farms. They produce coffee, bananas and veggies of all different kinds. While visiting a lucky explorer can take advantage of the abundance of orchids as well as other plant life, horseback riding, hiking, swimming and quickly making friends with dogs, cats, horses, cows and maybe a rooster or two.

I find it very difficult to write about Miraflor because words, and even pictures of that matter cannot begin to describe the beauty and magnificence that is present. I didn´t address Miraflor the first time we went because I knew my words were far from the real experience, but since this is our second time and will not be out last, I thought it was high time you are all let in on my secret to sanity, big shocker it´s the county? On our first visit we spent the entire day on the move horseback riding all throughout the farms, only stopping for pictures and lunch.We loved the clean air, open land and ´stillness´that we can´t get in the city so we promised each other and ourselves that we would back, for a girls only weekend- an escape from life in the city and a celebration for Siobhan´s 20th birthday. Lindos Ojos (Cute Eyes) is where we stayed hosted by the biggest hippies I´ve ever met. Gene and Katarina, both born in Germany- lived briefly in the states and now reside in Nicaragua are two amazing people that are so conscious about the environment and their own personal impact they use very little energy and do all they can to help the environment. Fluent in ENGLISH, Spanish and German, they were gracious hosts that went the extra mile for us to ensure a wonderful weekend.

Since we already had the pleasure of a guided tour all across Miraflor on horseback exploring the trees, coffee and flowers, we decided to be a little more low key this weekend. Needless to say we took the laid back approach to this weekend. Our physical exercise stretched only across Saturday afternoon while we hiked to the waterfall, swam and hiked back, which took about 4 hours in total, and yes - it was uphill both ways.

The funny thing was when we were making our way to the waterfall a young woman pointed out a great short cut for us. Shorter, yes.. Easier- NO. If we had continued the way we knew it would have been only ten minutes longer, yet with our new and improved trail it required a few Indians Jones moves where a barbed wire fence was concerned- fun? not really. A few bloody fingers and the inner girl scouts in all of us came out putting that fence and the short cut to shame.The waterfall was so close we could hear it, a little team work was necessary and it sure wasn´t easy and certainly not graceful but we got there all the same.

The waterfall- beautiful, clean, clear and refreshing! It was exactly what we came to Miraflor for, and boy did it fail to disappoint. The only way I can describe it, is paradise just got better. While we were exploring the waterfall, and the ways to get there Christmas must have came early, or maybe a visit from Gene, because once we made it back from the waterfall a beautiful white hammock was hanging on the porch of our cabin- Hello Heaven. I will tell you all right now, it is taking every bone in my body to stop myself from bringing one home. If Nicaragua does something well, it´s got to be hammocks. There is no problem a cold beer and a jump in the hammock can´t fix, Nothing! Drowning ourselves in good music, girl talk, a little rum, blankets, hammocks and the best food I´ve had in six weeks, it was the best weekend so far. I think I ate my weight in pasta, because Gene, he sure knows how to cook, and I didn´t want all that hard work to go to waste!

The mountain air , cooler temperature and lack of ´hola chica, I love you´s´ made the weekend everything I had hoped for and more. I kind of expected the sleeping conditions to be a little rough, maybe a little ´roach motel´ ish but the cabins were beautiful, the beds comfortable and get ready for this .. WARM showers.. as many as you wanted to take. Hot water doesn´t exist in Nicaragua but Heaven had it warm and that´s good enough for me.

While we quickly made ourselves comfortable we made four new friends, Rin tin tin, Molly, Tobey and Molitof, who all relaxed a little on our deck and patrolled the rest of the farm in shifts. All three pups were from Molly, although they didn´t look anything alike and a quick visit with Maury might be in order to discover the father. This weekend was so refreshing we have already made plans to visit one more time in July, to purchase coffee for home, eat until we fill out our pants and hang out in the hammock. If this is what Heavens life, sign me up.