Where I am Living in San Juan del Sur

I opted to stay with a family on this trip, for a few reasons: it’s cheap, authentic, and I get to practice my Spanish with the locals. That was a good choice because the town of San Juan del Sur is full of tourists and ex-pats so everyone speaks English here so it would be hard for me to practice otherwise. And the main point of my being here is to improve my Spanish!. It’s also worked out well because my home is seconds away from the school. Here’s more details about where I am living in San Juan del Sur.

The family

The family whose house I am living in is a large multi-generational and friendly bunch. There is a mother and father and they have grown children – I believe there are 3 living in the house: a son and his wife and their son, Alex, who is 8 (yes, he is the only one whose name I remember. He is very chatty and cute and likes baseball and soccer); and two daughters, one of whom does most of the cooking. One or both of them may also have husbands and children, because I have seen other grown men and I have also seen a teen girl. The father had a stroke recently so he doesn’t move around much. He spends a lot of his time on the front porch and is very nice. There is also an abuela, or grandmother, (actually, she’s Alex’s great-grandmother). I don’t know how old she is but she’s pretty spry and friendly too.

Continue reading “Where I am Living in San Juan del Sur”

Spanish Lessons in Nicaragua

My experience at the Spanish school, Spanish Ya, has been great so far.  The teachers are friendly and very capable, the space is really nice, and it is very well organized and run. Here I am taking Spanish lessons in Nicaragua.

Where is the School

As I mentioned, the school is very close to my home stay, just outside the busy tourist beach town of San Juan del Sur. The classes are held outside on a veranda in the shade of some trees across the street from a small river. The weather has been great for outdoor schooling: blue skies and cool breezes!

Spanish Ya school Spanish lessons in Nicaragua
Spanish school

spanish lessons in nicaragua

Classes are 1:1, so I sit at a table across from my teacher and we work. My teacher, Loammi, only knows a few words of English but she is very good at explaining Spanish. It’s probably for the best that she doesn’t speak English as this way I am forced to communicate in Spanish all the time in class.

Another great thing about the 1:1 is the class is tailored to my needs. I took a few tests at the beginning and Loammi was able to pinpoint my strengths and weaknesses. I am also able to ask questions about the things that trouble me with the language.

Continue reading “Spanish Lessons in Nicaragua”

A Day At the Beach Playa Hermosa, San Juan del Sur

The first actividad (activity) offered at school was an afternoon trip to the beach! The town beach is San Juan del Sur is not much, so people take shuttles or private cars to beaches outside of town. We spent a day at the beach Playa Hermosa, which is owned privately by an eco-lodge and allows visitors for a fee of $10 US.

The drive was about 15 minutes from school/home, and it is a beautiful beach! The place is so stunning that is was used as the site of a couple seasons of Survivor, for all you reality TV fans out there.

Survivor Nicaragua signs
Survivor signs at the Playa Hermosa bar

If you want to, you can stay in the lodge at Playa Hermosa. It’s remote and far from town, but they do have a bar and restaurant. For me, it’s a good spot for a day at the beach.

Continue reading “A Day At the Beach Playa Hermosa, San Juan del Sur”