San Simian weekend

Friday January 7^th.

  It is almost 3pm and a pleasant breeze is keeping things comfortable as we relax in front of our cabana. Lago Apoyo is just a few feet away and we are surrounded on all sides by the caldera of a very extinct volcano.

 The trip here from Granada took a little over half an hour with the last 2 km or so taking up much of the time. The road was, more or less, a collection of potholes linked by the odd flat stretch. The occasional rooster attempted to briefly block our way and the only people sharing the road were villagers on horseback hauling firewood and children playing in the dirt.

  San Simian is listed in the guidebooks as a resort. Robinson Crusoe might be impressed but “rustic” is a term that would better describe the place. Having said that, it is a very relaxing way to spend an afternoon. How we will survive the night might be a different story. The bedroom, with the exception of a waist high support wall is mostly thatch, including the roof. Screens offer a little protection from the wildlife and a mosquito net might slow down their advance, or at least require them to make several detours before they attack. Our bathroom is not actually a room but a walled extension of our cabana, open to the stars. Each cabana has been assigned the name of a locally grown fruit. Ours is Pitaya, which we know in Canada as Dragonfruit.

 In the woods adjacent to the resort are some sizeable termite nests- a definite threat to any pirate with a wooden leg who might decide to attack the resort! The lake itself is about 4km across and has been measured at up to 300 feet deep in some areas. It has the distinction of being the lowest point in Central America and it is, in fact, below sea level.

  When we arrived, the manager explained the house rules, the staff offered us freshly squeezed juice and the family dogs all came to introduce themselves.

 Slightly below our rustic habitation is the main bar/restaurant, which appears to be the hub of most daily activities. Barely audible above the breeze is the chatter of other visitors, conversing with the bar staff in a mixture of English and Spanish.

5pm

 Deciding to take a walk before supper I headed down a trail into the hills. Looking behind me, I realized that I was not alone. Behind me was one of the resorts family dogs, a 13 year old mix. He stayed with me the entire way, providing an escort until I decided that I gone far enough and then keeping me company on my return to the hotel.

  Following a second trail, this time along the lakeshore, the same escort service was provided, the dog occasionally moving ahead of me to ensure that the route was ok. Again, when I had travelled as far as I wished the animal simply followed me home. Bibi, as he is known to the owners seems to be the alpha dog in a group of 4 or 5 that are the hotel’s “house dogs” The other dogs are less attentive to the hotel guests unless the guests are eating. In which case they have their 100% attention- ever on the alert for spilled food!