Through Nicaragua

I've crossed Nicaragua now. These central America countries really don't take long to cross. It was a beautiful country full of friendly people. I even took a few days off to enjoy the beach and the volcanoes.

The first volcano I visited was just outside of the city of Grenada. A pretty tourist town on the coast of the largest lake in Central America, Lake Nicaragua. I camped near the foot of it and harvested a few coconuts there to have with dinner. The next volcanoes I visited formed an island in the lake. They are twin cones connected in the middle, the largest rising to nearly a mile in height. They were wonderful to look at. The clouds seemed to catch on the tops day and night. Monkeys swung through the island trees and the road I followed cut a path directly between the two peaks.

Between visiting those volcanoes I detoured to the beach. I spent a night in Popoyo, a famous surf beach. The nice guys at Somos Surfistas handed me a beer first thing when I arrived then let me put up my hammock for the night at their hostel. It was a great place and I watched the most spectacular sunset there. My next stop was at El Gigante. I only went there because the name of the town made me think there was a giant tree to see. There was no tree, barely a town even. Instead I found the fantastic Gigante Bay bar and hostel. The owner, Captain John, a fellow cycle tourist, saw me arrive and invited me sailing on his 38 foot catamaran and to hang my hammock on his porch. More picturesque sunsets, swimming in the warm Pacific waves, vivid stars mirrored by bioluminescence in the surf, it was tough to pull myself away. But I did. I hear the Costa Rica beaches are nice too.

 Welcome to Nicaragua

 Winning-the-Pooh bandit

 Grenada church

 Another Grenada church

 Inside the blue church. Blue is my favorite color for churches.

 These trees are amazing

 The largest tree I found in Nicaragua

 Thank you Somos Surfistas!

 Sunset from El Gigante beach.

 My drawing of driftwood on the beach. The large catamaran in the middle is the boat I went sailing on.

Thank you John and Gigante Bay hostel. 

 The Gigante Bay hostel bar. It's casual there.

 The ferry to Ometepe, the volcano island.

The twin volcanoes of Ometepe. 

 Sunset from the ferry.

 One Ometepe volcano

 Petroglyph near where I camped on Ometepe.

 A wind turbine blade. They are so big.

Now Costa Rica!

Crossing Honduras

I finally escaped the Utila island life. It wasn't easy to leave but once I got back on the road I remembered I like bike touring more, more than anything else apparently. I had a mountain range ahead of me as I pointed towards the Pacific side of Central America. I was looking forward to getting back into mountains, it had been a while. What I got was remote, spectacularly beautiful and so very steep. 

One day from the coast I turned onto a very quiet dirt road and started climbing, up to over 4000 feet. The views along the way were breathtaking and I yelled out my approval to the uncaring panorama. The dirt slowed me down and I was glad for the extra time to take it all in. The forest around me changed as I climbed higher eventually placing me in a pine forest that reminded me very much of the North West United States. 

Half way across Honduras I hit pavement for a few miles before diving back onto another dirt road going south. Unlike the long gradual climbs in the north this dirt road wound steeply through confused, choppy hills. Never was their a moment of level roadway. I started into that road feeling strong and climbing well. Eight hours later I dismounted at the bottom every trough and pushed slowly up to the next peak, my feet fighting the whole way for traction on the loose dirt. The effort was rewarded by the scenery and the many nice folks I met along the way. 

The last stretch of Honduras was again paved. The coffee industry sprang up just before the border. The homes all had roses and other flowers, unknown to me, growing by the road. It was very pretty. Honduras didn't feel like the scary place that the news might lead you to believe it is. 

 One last photo from Utila

 The lush mountains of Honduras

 I spent two and a half days on dirt mountain roads.

 No hill too steep for farming here

 I would say it was remote in the northern mountains

 Another cabin with a view

 What a $3 meal is in Honduras

 This stream came out from both sides of that center road

 The stream crossings were useful in cooling my wheels from all the braking.

 Every few days I find a giant tree.

 A Honduras flower for you.

Now Nicaragua!

Utila

Utila is the sort of place that is hard to leave. The proof of that is the number of people I've met that came for a short visit and now, sometimes years later, still have not left. The temperature is high 70s day and night. When it does rain it is as comfortable as a warm shower on a warm day. I've had my hammock strung up on my diving instructor's porch for nearly two weeks now. When I arrived I signed up for the open water certification which taught me about scuba equipment and allowed me to dive down to 60 feet. I enjoyed it so much that I then signed up for the advanced class which took me on a night dive, to two ship wrecks, taught me underwater navigation and on a deep dive to 100 feet underwater. Both classes included plenty of time just swimming with the fishes too.

I am pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoy diving. It feels as if my world, which I am trying to see a whole lot of, just expanded. Now I have an underwater landscape to explore, the landscape and the flora and fauna, all of which seemed so foreign and new. The night dive took me to a completely alien world. Descending on the light pillar of my flashlight I touched down onto soft white sand and watched my dive buddies descending slowly from above. Their own lights fading into the thick blue darkness. As we circled over the coral I joined a school of small silver fish. They engulfed me and flashed brilliantly in my torch light. With the flashlights off unseen bioluminescent creatures glowed and faded in the wake of my movements. It was surreal and truly beautiful.

Most of the travelers here have been out for a while, a few even as long as me. It does not seem to be a destination for week long vacationers. With so many vagabonds in town the bars are busy every night. There's no weekday/weekend cycle here. My unruly hair even seems to be in style. I plan to leave soon but for now I am still in the grips of island life.

Max is my guest photographer on this blog post. Thanks Max!


Max and I about to go under.

This coral has "Christmas Trees" growing on it. That is really what they are called. When disturbed, usually by nearby snapping fingers, they quickly pull inside of the coral.

Island life.