Life in Margaritaville

Having lived in many different parts of the world, my experience has been that interesting places attract interesting people and San Juan del Sur more than most. Misfits, oddballs and just plain characters abound here. One local compares it to living in a bad Jimmy Buffet novel, "Going down to Big Wave Dave's to see Three-Finger Bob play guitar while BJ, the Monkey Lady, dances on the bar." Some came looking for a life less ordinary, others hoping to put some misfortune behind them. A few, like myself, have a chronic case of wanderlust.

For the expats who live here, the power outages, dirt roads and many things that you simply cannot get form an invisible barrier keeping out the plastic wrapped, push button world that they came here to escape. It is a very open little community that does a good job of generating its own fun and everyone is invited. Last night there was the weekly poker game at someone's beach house and one of the beach bars showed a free movie, but we chose to join a group for a sunset yoga class, followed by supper, a salsa dance class and open mike night at a local club. The town's growing tourist influx adds a welcome liveliness to the town and sustains a modest nightlife, although no one is anxious to see Matthew McConaughey return, but the people who live here just hope that it doesn't change San Juan's funky, laid back, ragged at the edges personality too much.