Tag: Photos

Scuba Training: I am a Rescue Diver

This week I took the course for my next levels of PADI Scuba, and now I am a Rescue Diver.  I also needed emergency response certification to complete the course, so it was a very intense week!

Course Materials

I had three books to read, study and memorize. Fortunately for me, two of the books were in English. The dive shop only had a Spanish version of the emergency response book. So now I know how to use a defibrillator and perform CPR and rescue breaths in Spanish.

Scuba books I am a rescue diver
The dive books I needed to memorize
Busy Week

This week, I spent Monday and Tuesday morning in Spanish class and Tuesday afternoon in scuba class, reviewing all the signs and symptoms of diver accidents and ailments.  I spent Tuesday afternoon and evening studying and then on Wednesday afternoon had a dive class in Spanish (the only available instructor speaks Spanish) about emergency response. Just to make things more difficult! What is life without new challenges? Needless to say, I spent a little less time at the gym this week.

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Getting Some Exercise in San Juan del Sur

Besides walking on the beach, swimming, surfing, scuba diving, and climbing up the many hills around town, there are a few other ways to get a workout in San Juan del Sur. Here’s how I am getting exercise in San Juan del Sur.

Zen Yoga

The town has a lovely space to practice yoga, tucked away downtown just past the park.  A drop in class only costs $10 and everything is in English. Just show up a few minutes beforehand and you’re good to go. They even supply mats for those, like me, who like to travel light.

Zen Yoga’s classroom is on the second floor in an open space, so it is always full of fresh air and wind – like now, the windy season!

Zen Yoga exercise in San Juan del Sur

Exterior of Zen Yoga in San Juan del Sur
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Cooking Class – Eating Nacatamales in Someone’s Backyard

I got to participate in a really fun activity in San Juan del Sur: a cooking class! We learned to cook a local food at a local’s house. This is my experience cooking and eating Nacatamales in someone’s backyard in Nicaragua.

What are Nacatamales?

Nacatamales are a traditional Nicaraguan food and a twist on the tamales most of us have had in Mexican restaurants. Cooked in banana leaves over a flame for hours (4-5 in this case), they are very big and contain meat, corn meal, rice, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, peppers and mint.

Here in Nicaragua, they are popularly served for special occasions like Christmas and Sunday breakfast.

Learning to Cook Nacatamales

You know my Spanish school organizes all sorts of fun activities to keep us students busy and entertained! Well, one of them was this cooking class. A group from the Spanish school went to a local’s house to learn how to cook nacatamales on a Friday afternoon.

Do you like trying the local food when travelling? Read about the food and drink of Iceland and the Caribbean island of Bonaire

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