Popoyo – Beach Break

We had a yoga retreat booked for the latter end of January, which meant finding somewhere to kill time. What better place to do this than by one of the many amazing beaches that line the west coast.

Our days here involve little variation from reading, researching next steps, playing games, lolling about, sunbathing, hiding from the sun, watching the sun go down over the pacific with rum and coke in hand, paddling in the sea, diving through the waves and running or walking along the beach. Meaning there’s little to blog about this time, just a few worthy mentions and photos.

Staying in a tiny palm-leaf roofed hut, probably our smallest accommodation so far.

Finding out one of the owners used to work at Brixton Academy and lived in Central London and Brighton whilst he was studying. He has a friend who lives in Old Street Studios, literally down the road from us.

Meeting various super-friendly people, including Gabi at Castaways, a gringo at the shop, who tells us about pineapples and iced cookies (which are essentially fridged alfajores and very nice), Adam from Putney who bought a plot of land years ago and built the Castaways bar, Marion from Switzerland who had 5 weeks off work to enjoy and explore Nicaragua.

Trying to time swims in the sea with the small waves, only to get wiped out a few times in some absolute monsters.

Enjoying and battling the many cats of the property who had taken the bar as their own.

Seeing a sunset like no other, with a haze of grey, yellow and pink instead of the usual rainbow.

Finding the night-shot setting on my phone and getting carried away trying to take it all in

Rum

Sunset dogs

Horses galloping along the shore

Sandcastles and drawings

Finally getting a ripe papaya:

The pool

The toilet door being guarded by this crab, claw raised, “you shall not pass”

All the endless, empty beach views:

And never getting tired of sunsets, seeing the bright, orange yolk of the sun squash against the horizon before finally giving in and dropping behind:

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Adventure – walking and then swimming across the channel to get to the other end of the beach (James saw a man fireman’s lift his partner across it!), diving through the waves.

Excitement – finding avocadoes and getting to eat a ripe papaya! Tasty local stout. Every night watching the sunset. Meeting friendly people who made us feel welcome and comfortable. Sleeping in a tiny hut while gale force winds whoosh around us.

Trauma – the relentless heat, not sleeping properly and getting in my head a lot, the shouting phone calls by our hosts. Getting sandblasted by the strong wind. Sand EVERYWHERE.