I rose early and was given a coffee and biscuits by the hotel owner, alas only instant coffee. Then i was on my way to the Nicuraguan, Honduran border eighteen kilometres away. The usual sight of trucks lined up for kilometres greeted me but i now have a system, go through to the front and park right in front of the Customs office. A tramitadore and guard for the bike were hired and i was told to join the queue by an official. Minutes later i was summoned inside the office and the paperwork was promptly completed. Only 2 hours fantastic. The road to Esteli was in excellent condition the best so far, beautiful rolling green hills, you could imagine yourself in England, except for the diverse plant life, the oxcarts and mountains the wild rivers, coffee plantations should i go on. Riding on your own does stimulate the imagination. There were dry stone walls though. I stopped in Esteli to try and get Herberts chain sorted as it had reached the end of its adjustment, a link was removed in a little workshop for a few dollars which hopefully should get me through to a major city where i can get sprockets and a chain.
An early start saw me off in the cool of the morning heading south towards Granada. My plan was to avoid Managua at all costs and guess what no road signs and my enthusiasm took me into the heart of Managua. I was assured that i could find my way through easily by a taxi driver whom i stopped and asked. Hopelessly lost i decided to cut my losses and re tread my steps back 70 kilometres to Tipitapa where the turnoff should have been. Going back the other way, there it was a sign for Granada. I was flagged down by a policeman waving a radar gun at me. Apparently i was in 25km per hour zone doing 72km per hour. He was going to fine me which would mean riding back to Managua to pay at a bank or the other option you guessed it, no receipt and pay him. I did deserve this one so i took the latter option only 300 Cordobas about $15.00. Granada is a wonderful city, apparently the oldest constantly inhabited city in the Americas, lots of beautiful old biuldings in similar style to Antigua but grander in scale. Lake Nicuragua beckons with the Isola of Omotepe so that will be my next stop.
I left my luxurious hotel room and headed towards Lake Nicuragua. I stopped in Rivas for a cofee and chatted with the lady behind the counter. Next the husband comes in, he is the local vet. He convinces me to stay in Rivas. A phone call later and help is organised for the shop in the afternoon. They are going to show me around, while waiting i am taken down to one of the lake beaches and given food and beer. Then we go and do house calls for some of his patients, at this stage i am thinking this might be one of those strange days. At one in the afternoon with the help sorted for the shop, a motorbike arrives and we are riding off on a shocking dirt road towards the Pacific Ocean. After 1 hour of rocks and wheel ruts and two rivers we arrive at a fishing village with a launch waiting for me all set up for fishing. People who know me will know how much i love fishing. The next 2 hours are spent trawling around the areas Pacific Ocean fishing. Its then back to Rivas and off to San Juan De la Sur for dinner and a walk on the malecon for ice cream. It is nearly midnight before we get back and exhausted i fall into a deep sleep at a cheap motel. Once again the kindness and genorosity of strangers who have very little but give so much. A great finish to my Nicuraguan adventure.
