San Juan Del Sur- SAFETY WARNING

You actually meet people on the street? How often do they let you out of the asylum?

Wow, your sense of humor is the most dated unfunny I have heard in a long while. You sound like pimply teen who is really mad.

Tim I am here on this thread because I enjoy reading peoples travel adventures. I post on this thread because I am not going to sit around while you abuse people just to make yourself feel better.

Sheesh boys, that's enough for all of us. We are all forming our own opinion of certain responses. It is best to ignore them. OP, I am sorry for the response you received. I have traveled to Nica 2x's and love it, however, I have also been nervous at times and use that intuition to keep myself safe. I am so sorry you had that terrifying experience, especially when you had every assurance to feel safe. I appreciate your warning and your positive insight on the area you stayed. I hope you will recover from this soon and feel ready to travel again. Peace be with you.

Solohobo, I appreciate when you are positive and don't put posters down. I want to thank you for the help I have received from you experience. On your advice from an earlier post I visited the NPH orphange on Ometepe and fell in love with the kids there. I will write more later, but thank you for mentioning NPH.

Wow. OP here. I spent all day at my real job, earning back the money stolen from me in Central Am (oops,CA), and I find this whole debate going on. Hopefulist: Yes, I have posted before, last in approximately 2000 or so (sorry, spent the last 6 years not travelling and instead getting an education. I was indisposed of; not available for posting and had no good travelling to indulge in). I don't even remember the name I used, but SoloHobo/Tim/Self-Proclaimed King of the Thorny Bush there were no negative posts from me. Sorry to disappoint.

I guess the most shocking thing about reading responses to the long entry I wrote is that people on this blog (no names to protect the guilty) of ALL places, defend a crime that occured to another human being. That is sad. Not in the pitiful way, but truly in the sad way. See, I work with dying individuals. Today was my first day back at work since the robbery at knifepoint. The people I work with die very slowly. They are not always sad, but often sad and in many ways tragic, deaths. I experienced in a brief 5 minutes on Friday February 1st at 5:30 p.m., what my patients' experience for months to years at a time. THEY FEAR THAT THEIR LIFE WILL END BEFORE ITS TIME. They aren't ready, ever, but they have no control. And that is how we felt on the beach that day. Out of control of the most valuable thing that we have.

It amazes me that this was really the message I was trying to send- how shocking it can be to feel like your life is threatened- and everyone seems to be caught up in whether or not I am a veteran of this blog. Hmmm. I remember when this blog had some light debate and banter going back and forth when someone offered their experience and opinion. Now it feels like a venue for superiority...

p.s- I never said I lived Nica, nor that I had been there before.
p.p.s- duh, people who live near the jungle or rural areas carry machetes. This does not excuse turning them into weapons to threaten others, EVER! Period. :)

Greetings.
Sorry to hear about your misfotunes.
I too was a victim off an attemted robbery. I pcked up a hitchhiker on the way back from a surf spot south of SJDS and he pulled out a knife from his right boot with his right hand.
Luckily I had his window opened and went after the knife, held it out the window and elbowed his nose till it broke, grabbed the door handle and he fell out or the truck. Blood was all over the place.
My mistake, he should have let him ride in the bed of the truck.
I too now carry a walking pole when I am alone walking on the beach. I even thought of buying a machete. Not that I would use it but I think it would give those punks a second thought.
The cops thing well thats Central American way they are just outsie of the airport on the way to Granada, also at the Papa Johns and at the turn off the nice paved road.
Yea I give em 10 bucks but there is another route if you turn left and head to the coastal hwy and it more scenic.
I usually pass trucks or tuck in behind them at the known check points and keep on going. It not worth the hassel to chase you and most of the time they dont have transportation.
I even pick them up if they are walking give em a ride. I had one on the bed of my truck with a machine gun heading home.
I like SJDS dont get discouraged.
I am on my 8th trip there this summer and made lots of Nicaraguan friends.

I've been to Nicaragua a bunch of times. Never had any real problems. I find the cop-stops more a nuisance than a threat. I don't think it's fair (although perfectable understandable in your case) to state Nicaraguans are unfriendly when compared with people from other Latin American countries, or to imply that Nicaragua is more unsafe than other countries. The first is subjective, but most visitors would strongly disagree. The second is objectively false.

Oh, i guess i should point out that Playa El Coco is not in SJDS and there are other options in SJDS besides remote cabins or high end resorts. Most of them quite safe.

Anyway, i'm very sorry you had such a nightmarish exp. You and your boyfriend handled yourself well - many of us wouldn't have. And thanks for reminding all of us to be wary no matter what the guidebooks say.

Edited by: hankest

I totally agree with #14. We should veto Solo Hobo AKA Tico Tim. He poses as really knowlegable of Nicaragua. Fact is he´s been to Nicaragua only once, and stayed not even a week. He resents something about Nica, that who knows what is. Have you noticed his constant criticism of Nicaragua.
I agree that people have to be more carefully when travelling to a foreign country, and it is good they share such an experience so we stay allways alert. But if someone decides to go soft on caution it is their choice. Period. But Hobo, you are nobody´s parent in this forum. I believe no one likes your lecturing.

About the original poster, there are a couple of things I do not agree with you: There is corruption in Latin America, of course, but not to the extent you imply in your comment, that is really stereotyping for, probably, personal perceptions. Raped by colombian men? Wow that is not really helping the sufferd people from Colombia. I do not want to look anything like Solo Hobo, but those statements were really unnecessary and out of contest.

For corruption without being pretentious, that is a universal evil. Take a look at your own country. I could remind you of at least 10 cases that are famous worldwide, not to mention the less known. I just don´t want to get into that. To answer back to Solo Hobo there is no need to throw mod at anybody.