Thank you - more to come.
How low can we go.
- Thread starter gspod
- Start date
We moved on with a plan to stop near the border for a usual early morning crossing. However around lunchtime we were crawling through a busy town when the Mexican bikers pulled out of a side street in front of us. Once out of town we all pulled into a petrol station. It’s so strange how serendipity moments happen when you’re travelling - they had been delayed, due to not having the required vaccines for Honduras and were now heading for the border. Even though it was lunchtime we decided the opportunity for help was too great so we tagged in behind.
The traffic was bad and we were in a hurry so it was a real cat and mouse game overtaking all the trucks and cars with everyone waving each other around blind overtakes. A, on the Himalayan, did well to keep up with the more powerful bikes but we made it to the border in the early afternoon. I won’t go into all the details but what a good decision we made to tag along with the guys - the crossing was slow and complicated and we rolled out in the pitch black and rain, not ideal for one of the most violent countries in the world. The Mexicans were long gone but before they left they introduced us to a Honduran biker who lived in California and was trying to cross the border on his US registered Ducati - his story was unbelievable and he’d been at the border since 11am
. He told us of a small seaside town, about an hour away, which would be safe and reassured us that the road was good.
We rode through the rain and found a basic hotel with secure parking and a restaurant across the road. We were soaking and knackered so a quick cold shower and across the road for a beer and food, which was excellent.
The room looked pretty rough and as we sank into the springless bed the rain came crashing onto the tin roof. But there was air con and we slept like children after a day on the beach
The traffic was bad and we were in a hurry so it was a real cat and mouse game overtaking all the trucks and cars with everyone waving each other around blind overtakes. A, on the Himalayan, did well to keep up with the more powerful bikes but we made it to the border in the early afternoon. I won’t go into all the details but what a good decision we made to tag along with the guys - the crossing was slow and complicated and we rolled out in the pitch black and rain, not ideal for one of the most violent countries in the world. The Mexicans were long gone but before they left they introduced us to a Honduran biker who lived in California and was trying to cross the border on his US registered Ducati - his story was unbelievable and he’d been at the border since 11am
. He told us of a small seaside town, about an hour away, which would be safe and reassured us that the road was good.We rode through the rain and found a basic hotel with secure parking and a restaurant across the road. We were soaking and knackered so a quick cold shower and across the road for a beer and food, which was excellent.
The room looked pretty rough and as we sank into the springless bed the rain came crashing onto the tin roof. But there was air con and we slept like children after a day on the beach
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While Guatemala was a lovely surprise Honduras was much more what we thought the Central American countries would be like. It has suffered from civil unrest for many years mainly caused by the US funded banana republic system and consequently is a poor and violent place.
We decided to travel through for obvious reasons and found a lovely air B&B in the centre of the country built by a retired mining engineer and his wife. He spoke perfect English and showed us a good route utilising a new road, that had been built along the El Salvador border, which led to the best border into Nicaragua.
There were some modern restaurants on the main road - all the shops and restaurants had armed guards, the ones at the petrol stations had pump action shot guns - not really sure if it was reassuring or not while I was eating my chicken and chips. Our last stop was a nice hotel in a town close to the Nicaraguan border with good security. A went to enquire about a restaurant and we were told to get a delivery There was some confusion and the owner said he would show Amanda a nearby restaurant. Instead of pointing or walking the 400 metres he took her in his van - okay point taken.
Just as we were getting ready for bed there were some gunshots fairly close by. We came out of our room, along with the other guests and we heard police sirens. Nobody wandered out into the street though
.
At the entrance to the car park sat a lone security guard with a shotgun on his lap - I wonder what his hourly rate is
We decided to travel through for obvious reasons and found a lovely air B&B in the centre of the country built by a retired mining engineer and his wife. He spoke perfect English and showed us a good route utilising a new road, that had been built along the El Salvador border, which led to the best border into Nicaragua.
There were some modern restaurants on the main road - all the shops and restaurants had armed guards, the ones at the petrol stations had pump action shot guns - not really sure if it was reassuring or not while I was eating my chicken and chips. Our last stop was a nice hotel in a town close to the Nicaraguan border with good security. A went to enquire about a restaurant and we were told to get a delivery There was some confusion and the owner said he would show Amanda a nearby restaurant. Instead of pointing or walking the 400 metres he took her in his van - okay point taken.
Just as we were getting ready for bed there were some gunshots fairly close by. We came out of our room, along with the other guests and we heard police sirens. Nobody wandered out into the street though
.At the entrance to the car park sat a lone security guard with a shotgun on his lap - I wonder what his hourly rate is
Restaurants from different ends of the spectrum.
The bottom picture shows a roadside comedor run by a mother and daughter, with grandma sitting alongside the customers.
I’m sure you can guess which one served the tastiest meal.
The bottom picture shows a roadside comedor run by a mother and daughter, with grandma sitting alongside the customers.
I’m sure you can guess which one served the tastiest meal.
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The lovely room with communal kitchen, not that there was any one else there.
Tyson the pit bull looked after us
The last photo is the local corner shop. Inside, the two windows are barred with a small opening to hand your money over and receive your purchases.
Tyson the pit bull looked after us
The last photo is the local corner shop. Inside, the two windows are barred with a small opening to hand your money over and receive your purchases.
As we reached the border to Nicaragua our hearts sank, the queue to get stamped out was huge - a couple of hours I estimated for what is quickest process. However as we parked up to join the queue a woman ushered us inside, past the queue and up to a window. We were seen immediately and stamped out - no one said a word.
Back outside and she was a money changer - we had a bit of money to change, she offered a low but not extortionate price and we accepted with thanks.
The rest of the crossing was fairly straightforward and the whole process took 3 hours - considering the film Titanic is 3hrs 14m we were we felt this was a good use of our time.
We’d read a little bit about Nicaragua and there seemed to be a lot to see and do so we decided to spend a bit more time looking around.
It is supposed to be the poorest country in Central America but it didn’t feel like it after Honduras and again the roads are way better than Mexico.
Our first stop was the University city of Leon which had a slight rebellious feel to it and history of anti establishment.
It’s a very pretty city with a rich history and amazing street food. We found a nice hostel owned by an American guy and his Nicaraguan wife and spent a few days sightseeing.
Back outside and she was a money changer - we had a bit of money to change, she offered a low but not extortionate price and we accepted with thanks.
The rest of the crossing was fairly straightforward and the whole process took 3 hours - considering the film Titanic is 3hrs 14m we were we felt this was a good use of our time.
We’d read a little bit about Nicaragua and there seemed to be a lot to see and do so we decided to spend a bit more time looking around.
It is supposed to be the poorest country in Central America but it didn’t feel like it after Honduras and again the roads are way better than Mexico.
Our first stop was the University city of Leon which had a slight rebellious feel to it and history of anti establishment.
It’s a very pretty city with a rich history and amazing street food. We found a nice hostel owned by an American guy and his Nicaraguan wife and spent a few days sightseeing.
We were repeatedly told not to go into any of the capital cities in Central America (except Panama) so our next stop was Granada, another lovely, small colonial city.
A found a hotel/hostel in a suburb about 15 minutes walk from the city square. It was set up with funding from Spain and the Netherlands as a charity to help local women and children. We parked our bikes in reception, it was a tranquil oasis in the city and the lady that runs it was so lovely and helpful.
The walk into town was through the, bustling market street and the town square was beautiful. We treated ourselves to a Saturday evening meal in a posh restaurant and, even though we had the cheapest thing on the menu, it was delicious.
On Sunday we tried to visit a coffee farm but it was unexpectedly closed due to an accident. However, in the evening we went in a taxi, with a guide, to see an active volcano - definitely one one of the highlights of the trip so far.
The original site was a mega volcano which exploded back in the depths of time creating 2 smaller ones - 1, of which, is still active and last erupted in 2001. The guides get you there just before sunset and as it grows darker the magma lights up.
A found a hotel/hostel in a suburb about 15 minutes walk from the city square. It was set up with funding from Spain and the Netherlands as a charity to help local women and children. We parked our bikes in reception, it was a tranquil oasis in the city and the lady that runs it was so lovely and helpful.
The walk into town was through the, bustling market street and the town square was beautiful. We treated ourselves to a Saturday evening meal in a posh restaurant and, even though we had the cheapest thing on the menu, it was delicious.
On Sunday we tried to visit a coffee farm but it was unexpectedly closed due to an accident. However, in the evening we went in a taxi, with a guide, to see an active volcano - definitely one one of the highlights of the trip so far.
The original site was a mega volcano which exploded back in the depths of time creating 2 smaller ones - 1, of which, is still active and last erupted in 2001. The guides get you there just before sunset and as it grows darker the magma lights up.
Next day we rode to the island of Ometepe which is made up of 2 volcanoes, again one is still active. The tops of the volcanoes have a near permanent cloud cover and this ‘cloud forest’ makes the island very green and lush with an abundance of wildlife. We stayed on the smaller volcano at Rosa’s cabins - it was down an almost un-rideable horse track, there were 3 cabins on the edge of the water. Rosa’s cooking was fantastic, it was like paradise, the stuff of dreams - the Dutch guy in the next door cabin had come for a holiday and stayed for 7 months and we could easily see how time would slip away from you here. The roads on the island went from being block paved (yes really) to slippery mud and we spent a great few hours doing a circumnavigation on our bikes, although, at times, I could have done with the traction of the Himmie.
We had to drag ourselves off the island as we had arranged to meet the daughter of an old friend (who is studying monkeys in Costa Rica) in the small seaside resort of San Juan del Sur - she had to leave Costa Rica briefly to renew her visa. There is a Turtle beach nearby but it’s the end of the season unfortunately, perhaps we will see some in South America. There is a statue of Jesus overlooking the town which, at 36m, is the 3rd tallest in the world so we went to take a look. At the end of the beach is an estuary with a small pull boat that will take you across for 25p. We reached it at the same time as a young English couple - the guy said he would wade across and, in fairness, it didn’t look deep, however, there was a boat and I figured it was there for a reason - well he went down to his waist, then his chest, then his chin. I’m guessing he was around the 6 foot mark which was just as well. Of course it was Top Gear rules on the boat, even from his girlfriend, but he took it in good spirit. The walk up to the statue was really steep but just as we got to the difficult bit an American guy stopped in his 4x4 Polaris and offered us a lift - he lived on the gated mountain and took us on a dirt track to the very top. The views were outstanding.
The town was small but similar to a Mediterranean resort with bars, restaurants and excursions offered. We stayed in an old colonial style hotel and, I must say, we rather enjoyed it.
Our next country is Costa Rica then Panama both big tourist destinations but Nicaragua has been a revelation and very enjoyable - we would definitely recommend it.
We had to drag ourselves off the island as we had arranged to meet the daughter of an old friend (who is studying monkeys in Costa Rica) in the small seaside resort of San Juan del Sur - she had to leave Costa Rica briefly to renew her visa. There is a Turtle beach nearby but it’s the end of the season unfortunately, perhaps we will see some in South America. There is a statue of Jesus overlooking the town which, at 36m, is the 3rd tallest in the world so we went to take a look. At the end of the beach is an estuary with a small pull boat that will take you across for 25p. We reached it at the same time as a young English couple - the guy said he would wade across and, in fairness, it didn’t look deep, however, there was a boat and I figured it was there for a reason - well he went down to his waist, then his chest, then his chin. I’m guessing he was around the 6 foot mark which was just as well. Of course it was Top Gear rules on the boat, even from his girlfriend, but he took it in good spirit. The walk up to the statue was really steep but just as we got to the difficult bit an American guy stopped in his 4x4 Polaris and offered us a lift - he lived on the gated mountain and took us on a dirt track to the very top. The views were outstanding.
The town was small but similar to a Mediterranean resort with bars, restaurants and excursions offered. We stayed in an old colonial style hotel and, I must say, we rather enjoyed it.
Our next country is Costa Rica then Panama both big tourist destinations but Nicaragua has been a revelation and very enjoyable - we would definitely recommend it.
I’ve been internetless for the last two weeks but I’m back on track now & enjoying it once more
Carry on Dermot
Carry on Dermot
The border crossing into Costa Rica was a slow affair (4 1/2 hrs) and the humidity was draining when queuing outside but there’s always someone to chat to and the abundant children create a great atmosphere.
Our first stop was in the dry area of the North West, La Cruz. The hotel is perched on a ridge looking down into a beautiful bay which we rode down to the next day. Even though it was a Sunday there was only one family It was the perfect beach for us, with shade, trees to hang the hammock, a mixture of stones (to rummage through and leave our stuff on) and sand. There was also a nice breeze which makes it popular with wind surfers although we didn’t see any - the number of beaches around the peninsula and lack of local population makes you, almost, feel like Robinson Cruso.
It’s a lovely area with a nice climate and we couldn’t understand why it wasn’t popular with tourists, all the better for us and we stayed a few days.
We were told about Sodas - they are small restaurants (traditionally just a few tables) husband in the kitchen and wife front of house we tried one in La Cruz and it was the best meal we’ve had in Central America.
Costa Rica has a stable, democratic government, and highly educated population. We have seen no signs of poverty and everyone seems very happy and polite. The saying here is Pura Vida which means pure life.
It is also one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, this combination makes it a tourist hot spot and there’s plenty to see and do ……. Unfortunately it’s all US prices.
So we did our research and made our choices.
From Cruz we went to the Arenal region. We rode around the beautiful lake with the volcano backdrop, did a tour of a chocolate farm (obviously) and went to a Sloth territory - 13 hectares of privately owned land. Here you can see wildlife in its natural environment (rather than a sanctuary) as it travels through the jungle. Obviously this way there are no guarantees but you are with a guide who can spot and you get the close ups through a telescope - we were rewarded with an amazing view of a Sloth on the move (very slowly
) and some great pictures - even the guide was excited 
.
We had a fantastic ride through the mountains down to the beach and stayed in a beautiful guest house, run by a lovely family, in the forest - there’s lots of tropical birds and one morning we were woken up by howler monkeys.
Our first stop was in the dry area of the North West, La Cruz. The hotel is perched on a ridge looking down into a beautiful bay which we rode down to the next day. Even though it was a Sunday there was only one family It was the perfect beach for us, with shade, trees to hang the hammock, a mixture of stones (to rummage through and leave our stuff on) and sand. There was also a nice breeze which makes it popular with wind surfers although we didn’t see any - the number of beaches around the peninsula and lack of local population makes you, almost, feel like Robinson Cruso.
It’s a lovely area with a nice climate and we couldn’t understand why it wasn’t popular with tourists, all the better for us and we stayed a few days.
We were told about Sodas - they are small restaurants (traditionally just a few tables) husband in the kitchen and wife front of house we tried one in La Cruz and it was the best meal we’ve had in Central America.
Costa Rica has a stable, democratic government, and highly educated population. We have seen no signs of poverty and everyone seems very happy and polite. The saying here is Pura Vida which means pure life.
It is also one of the most biodiverse countries in the world, this combination makes it a tourist hot spot and there’s plenty to see and do ……. Unfortunately it’s all US prices.
So we did our research and made our choices.
From Cruz we went to the Arenal region. We rode around the beautiful lake with the volcano backdrop, did a tour of a chocolate farm (obviously) and went to a Sloth territory - 13 hectares of privately owned land. Here you can see wildlife in its natural environment (rather than a sanctuary) as it travels through the jungle. Obviously this way there are no guarantees but you are with a guide who can spot and you get the close ups through a telescope - we were rewarded with an amazing view of a Sloth on the move (very slowly
) and some great pictures - even the guide was excited .We had a fantastic ride through the mountains down to the beach and stayed in a beautiful guest house, run by a lovely family, in the forest - there’s lots of tropical birds and one morning we were woken up by howler monkeys.
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