pain, lots of it

an inventory of recent injuries:

1. bee sting. i am allergic to bee stings and most bites from insects. after a 4-5 mile hike outside of estelí and into the mountains south of town to find a 100-foot waterfall, i was chilling by the swimming hole and this weird bee-like thing stung me for no reason. it hurt like hell and appropriately swelled up to nectarine size, all pink and tight and shiny, for several days.

2. achy leg muscles. nothing like a long hike up a mountain or volcano to make your legs hurt like hell for a while. i hiked out between matagalpa and jinotega, in the coffee-growing region with matthew, this guy from colorado. the selva negra is rainforest7cloud forest with howler monkeys, quetzales, bromeliads, and lots of butterflies. we took the "difícil" trail and i rode some down on my ass in the mud (everything was muddy). that was days ago and my thighs still hurt like hell. we also got drenched in the rain on the 2 km walk back to the highway to catch the chicken bus back to matagalpa.

3. learning to surf. i am really glad i came down to san juan del sur before committing to a plane ticket to the corn islands. the carribean is cool, but i would rather hurt like hell and have some cool bruises to show off when i get home, more than just a tan. yesterday i rented a board and siim, my estonian friend, showed me what to do. it was awesome! i actually stood up once too, before giving up - i was beat, and by the second time i went out my hips, ribs, and knees hurt like hell, mostly i think from scrambling onto the board like i was going to die otherwise (which is how i approached it the first two hours). apparently the swell was jinormous yesterday (two guys had their boards broken at the bay i was at), and will die down this week, so i will just get easier. dinner last night was difficult, involving me groaning whenever i stood up or sat down, and this morning i discovered i have an impressive selection of symmetrical bruises on all body parts listed above. can't wait to go do it again today! confidential to rizpreez: chill out. i'm never in water over my head and it's really not that dangerous or difficult, and i am leashed to the board, which floats. and i'm in a bay, not out on the ocean.