Pearl Lagoon and Awas

Pearl Lagoon, not to be confused with Blue Lagoon, was named for it's shape and not it's pearls. The waters of the lagoon are brownish and silty because of all of the rivers draining into it. The lagoon also teems with sea life because of these nutrients from the ocean colliding with the rivers. This is the main reason why there are so many fishing villages along the lagoon's edges.
    After nearly 10 hours of driving, it proved to be a sleepy seaside town at the end of the road. If you ever plan on visiting much of the Atlantic region ATMs are either in short supply or nonexistent. For Pearl Lagoon the closest ATMs are in Bluefields over an hour by boat away from here. Driving to Bluefields takes about 6 hours on dirt roads, so boating is definitely the way to go between towns.
   For us, we originally planned on staying at Pearl Lagoon for 2 nights then head off the Pink Pearl Island for a few days with our friends. Our intention was an island get-away and we even sang Gilligan's Island songs on our way to the coast. However, nature did not cooperate and there were 6 foot waves in the ocean. Eventually the Nicaraguan Coast Guard closed off the waters to boats as the risks were too high. Personally we were thankful to hear a stern "No" from the government, as many of the boaters would have taken the risk for a few bucks transporting people more than a hour out into the open sea.
   We, instead, chose to see some of the sights within the massive lagoon and opted to modify our trip going forward to include Rio San Juan in southeastern Nicaragua.
   

A beautiful moon over the bay.

We saw many fishermen in homemade boats, using black plastic for sails.

The kids loved the local bakery in town and the adults loved the strong coffee.

Choosing sweets can be a challenge so the owner came out to explain the options to the kids.

Cute house

Peaceful setting

Kids love to play in new spots.

We stayed at Casa Ulrich.

A dad with a machete, opening a coco, it does not get any better than that.

Awas beach and a local pub.

I found out that vertical vegetation on a canoe, like this, means he has goods to sell.

Jumping off the bridge in Awas community.

My daughter is regaining full use of her knee and is enjoying jumping again.

The clear fresh water marshlands just before the coastal waters.

Kids naturally know how to have fun. 

Local kids bringing the family laundry to the marsh for washing.

Shampooing in the waters.

A timeless scene where big brother shows little brothers how to hunt with a bow and arrow.

Looking for a target in the clear waters of the marshland.

The women were doing the laundry, by hand, while everyone else played. 

The local kids were super cool to chat with and liked to show off some of their diving skills.

The marshland is the last area on land before the fresh water and salt water collide. 

Our girls were very interested in how women clean clothes by hand.

Houses in this area are built above ground so water can freely move around.

We ate here everyday while in Pearl Lagoon.

Rasta house.