So far we have already spent 2 months in the saddle, pedalled 2,500 kilometres, crossed 4 countries, recovered from 4 bouts of flu, changed 2 chains, repaired a handlebar, fixed 4 "flat tyres", and now we are in Nicaragua.
The people are helpful, friendly and very tolerant of our "meagre" Spanish vocabulary. The roads are well built, paved and mostly lined with plantations, forests or meadows. Being able to enjoy this lush, varied vegetation "up close" has its price, though. It is not unusual for the thermometer to reach 38 degrees by 10:00 in the morning, with the humidity still very high. Between 11:00 and 14:00 we try to escape the sweltering heat in a restaurant, and pass the time doing bike maintenance or peeling pineapples. In this kind of climate, our day starts at 5 o'clock: getting up, breakfast, packing, and setting off at 7 o'clock. That way, even with a "long" siesta, we manage more than 100 kilometres a day.
What stands out is that there are fewer supermarkets. Mostly we find small shops with about 25 m² of floor space, with goods stacked from floor to ceiling. Even the entrance is blocked by a "display wall" on wheels. You can find almost everything somewhere, and if not, there is a good chance you will find it at the market. There are as many pharmacies in Central America as there are bakeries at home. But you will look in vain for one of those selling wholemeal bread. In the evening, people meet in the town park, where life happens. Music, motorbikes without silencers, and lots of dogs. Wherever there are four-legged friends, Mama's roadside grill is never far away. On the menu: pollo, cerdo, res, frijoles, tortillas, gallo pinto, plátanos ..... and, very important, salsa picante. In Masaya, for just 3 dollars, we get a big plate piled high with the best traditional food, plus a drink.
After a short "hop" of 21 kilometres we reach Granada, on Lake Nicaragua. A small town with a pleasant atmosphere, charming buildings, a busy market and, of course, a few tourists. At the hotel "La Posada del Sol" we spend 2 nights in an originally designed rustic apartment. At the tourist centre we ask about the ferry to "Isla de Ometepe", the largest island in a lake in the world, formed by the two volcanoes "Concepción" (1,610 metres above sea level) and "Maderas" (1,394 metres above sea level). This volcanic island is home to 40,000 people and is mainly used for farming. A shuttle bus takes us to the port of "San Jorge", where the ferry to "San José del Sur" is waiting for us. A seaworthy piece of wood, consisting of a leaky hull, a compass and a steering wheel, a captain, an engineer and 6 sailors (one of them at the bilge pump). To change gear and speed, the captain gives the necessary commands from the wheelhouse to the engineer below deck, by pulling a cord attached to a signal bell. The licence for this commercial ferry, carrying 70 passengers, is granted by the government for 30 days at a time. After an hour's crossing, with the sailor at the bilge pump having successfully pumped the water overboard, we reach the landing stage. This landing stage, also known as the harbour, is only suitable for pedestrians and two-wheelers. Another 10 minutes to the hotel "Charco Verde", where we move into a bungalow surrounded by exotic plants. At the edge of the lagoon, a wealth of plant life awaits us: mangroves, giant trees, palms…. and lots of mosquitoes.
Here we want to let island life spoil us, like Robinson Crusoe. The beach of Lake Nicaragua, 10 metres from our bungalow, is made of black volcanic sand. Even at night, the water of Lake Nicaragua keeps the temperature from dropping below 25 degrees. A rattling ceiling fan above the bed stirs the hot, sticky air a little. So as not to fall completely into "doing nothing", the next day we decide to ride the 49-kilometre loop around the Concepción volcano. At "Ojo de Agua", fed by the active Concepción volcano, we find a well-earned chance to cool off. The "eye of the water", with the healing power of a thermal bath and a water temperature of 25 degrees, surrounded by exotic wild plants, is a quiet and restful piece of nature.
After 420 kilometres we leave Nicaragua with these impressions:
Lush and varied vegetation
Modern power generation with wind turbines
A spectacular ferry crossing, and a bungalow on Lake Nicaragua
A presidential election, celebrated with village festivals even on an island
The unique thermal bath "Ojo de Agua" (eye of the water)
Sunset on the horizon of the island of Ometepe
