Nicargua – ‘impression diet’ with few bends to ‘a vulcano on a lake’
Honduras follows right after El Salvador. It’s a huge country comparing to El Salvador. The bumpy roads and dirty sideways are quite as a contrast to El Salvador’s neatness. It’s the shortest time we have spent in any country so far, couple hours to cross it. Nothing to be proud of, but nothing to regret to either. The more we travel, the more we understand, that you won’t be able to get to know all places, so choosing few and knowing them slightly better it’s much more of a valuable experience. Maybe that’s why living in Australia, staying few good weeks in Alaska, paddling down the Missisipe for a month, and later staying in Costa Rica for a month it’s both good rest and slower pace to learn things. But surely you got to sacrifice something otherwise you will need all your lifetime getting to know the world.
We hit the hot road with a zero shaddow. Ok, there is a burned down tree with few lousy branches. That’ll do. Otherwise it feels like you are on fire. Soon we are joined by a company of unequal share. They are soldiers, came to hitchhike, too. Nice one – they see a car, one of them gets out in the middle of the road all armed, shows to stop, and the car stops (but of course) to negotiate a deal. Trying to raise our hands we looked a bit ridiculous. So we thought to wait when they will finally get their lift, and then we will do our job. Fine they were, as soon as they got their car, luckilly some other car got to stop too. The soldier somehow convinced (we never asked or talked to them) to take us further. Good. Another truck, and we are out of Honduras nearly not noticing that.
We finally hitched a truck driver who brought us to a good spot in Nicaragua as he promised. In fact, with him we completely lost our confidence in Spanish language. It seems the more you go south the less likely you will get what are they talking about. He somehow hyperactivelly explains where should we go, which road to choose, apologising he is not going that way. And then he goes exactly that way. Oh well, we got to a beautiful spot just before Managua. The lake of Managua and the vulcano Momotombo. Nice calm spot for a night. The swimming is not recommended here – the capital just pours everything down the lake. But the view doesn’t stink.
Here we realized that our senses came to a point where we need to make a stop. The vulcanos seem to look alike, the people becoming a challenge, and the heat is unbearable. ‘The impression diet’ we call our new plan. No trips/people/nothing. Only four walls, some movies, quick outs to have a proper food (Nicaragua is very cheap place to dwell, so we use that opportunity to enjoy what we can). For few days we don’t even couchsurf, we just find a cheap hostel and barricade ourselves in there. It helps. Only few days later we get in touch with Lenin.
Lenin is a superactive young man with a nose in every possible field. Programming, tourism, outdoor activities, volunteer in firebrigade. You name it, he is there. His home looks like a studio with a drum set and a hammock swinging. There we spent our days reading and doing almost nothing. No sightseeing – but what can you see in Managua after all, the locals sigh. We stay here for some days until we get to know we have been accepted on the farm to Costa Rica where we are going to spend the month working for food and shelter, and continuing our peaceful life. Christmas is around the corner, too.
The last bit of Nicaragua was pretty quick. No stop in Granada (oh dear, are we missing another touristy bit? ) doesn’t matter – we are off somewhere we are not tourist but rural life and peace. The last night near the Nicaragua lake with Ometepe island and two dorming vulcanos. We got a safe spot in hazienda, where the watchguard was kind to accept us, but not surprised. He solely inquired whether we are with bikes. Nah, hitchhiking we are. Well, some years ago some woman was riding a horse from Argentina, then a couple of Europeans on their bikes. Someone walking too. So we are just one of those on the road from Central to South America.
Goodbye Nicaragua. We are sorry maybe not being able to appreciate your full beauty, but you were far too hot for us now. People talk, Costa Rica climatewise is a paradise. Let’s try that one.