CYCLE TOURING NICARAGUA

 

Nicaragua

511 Kilometres – 18 Days
21 June – 8 July 2012

Photos

 

 

21 June - La Cruz, Costa Rica – San Jorge, Nicaragua - 64 kilometres

From Costa Rica the road to Nicaragua veered inland away from the Pacific Ocean and onto the busy Costa Rico-Nicaragua border. Trucks were backed up for kilometres, still, our crossing into Nicaragua went smoothly. After crossing the border, one first noticed Lake Nicaragua, a substantial freshwater lake. We continued in the direction of Rivas, the first big(ish) village.

From Rivas, a smaller path led towards the lake where we discovered an inexpensive guesthouse in San Jorge, a tiny lakeside settlement. From here, ferries departed to Isla de Ometepe, an island fifteen kilometres off the mainland. Isla De Ometepe was formed by two volcanoes rising out of the lake. Concepcion (1 610m) is still considered active, but last erupted in 1957.

The most remarkable fact about Lake Nicaragua was that it was home to sawfish, tarpon, and sharks despite being a freshwater lake. Initially, scientists thought sharks in the lake belonged to an endemic species, the Lake Nicaragua shark. In 1961, following comparisons of specimens, the Lake Nicaragua shark was found to be synonymous with the Bull shark, a species also known for entering freshwater elsewhere. It had been presumed these sharks were trapped within the lake, but it was subsequently discovered they could jump along the San Juan River’s rapids (which connects Lake Nicaragua and the Caribbean Sea), almost like salmon. Bull sharks tagged inside the lake were caught in the open ocean (and vice versa). How amazing is that?

 

22 June - San Jorge - Isla De Ometepe - By ferry

On the car ferry across the lake to Isla De Ometepe, a waterspout appeared, not something I had witnessed before; what an incredible sight. It barely allowed us snapping a few pics and then completely disappeared.

From San Jose, it was a mere twelve-kilometre cycle to Moyogalpa, one of the bigger villages on the island. Not a great deal happen in these places, except for a few backpackers wandering about. The harbour was the busiest place where goods to and from the mainland were loaded and offloaded.

Street food appeared once the sun had set, and tables and chairs were placed along the sidewalk. Both islanders and visitors miraculously reappeared from their midday hideouts to enjoy the cooler evening air.

 

23 June - Isla De Ometepe

The island is tiny and, while exploring, I noticed a small path leading towards the lake, where we found a single cabana right on the lake shore. No one was getting me away from that spot. We swam, relaxed on our little veranda, and observed lakeside living, which had a surprising amount of activity. Seeing it’s a freshwater lake, islanders bathed, did their laundry, washed farm animals and fished.

 

24 June - Isla De Ometepe

Early morning was the coolest time of day and, as I woke early, I grabbed the camera and began exploring. I soon came upon villagers doing their chores. Ladies did laundry, men fished, and horsemen washed and broke in horses. I thought it all fascinating.

Once we checked out from our idyllic abode, a short but scenic cycle, which offered sensational views, took us to the opposite side of the island. The village of Altagracia was not merely home to a cathedral built in 1924, but it also featured giant ancient basalt rock statues. Eventually, we returned to Moyogalpa where we spent an additional night.

 

25-26 June - Moyogalpa – Granada - 78 kilometres

By morning, a ferry returned us to the mainland from where we proceeded to Granada. Granada came as a pleasant surprise as a plethora of restored colonial architecture lined its narrow streets.

Situated along the shores of Lago Nicaragua, Granada has a fascinating history. Its location along the lake gave it easy access to the Caribbean Sea via Rio San Juan but also made it an easy target for pirates. As a result, the city fell victim to many invasions from English, French and Dutch pirates.

Today, Granada is a peaceful, pretty city sporting a lovely mango tree-covered central plaza, many colourful restored houses, and quite a few impressive churches. The most remarkable was the cathedral at Parque Central. Our early arrival allowed us plenty of time to snatch a few pictures before sunset.

Grenada called for an additional day of investigating as it was blessed with countless attractions. Unfortunately, our establishment was incredibly hot and it was impossible to stay beyond sunrise. Eish!

 

26-28 June - Granada – Masaya - 21 kilometres

From Granada to Masaya, well known for its arts and crafts, was a short twenty-one-kilometre ride. It was also the most accessible place from where to get to the top of Vulcan Masaya.

A backpacker’s hostel made for easy exploring and we set off to the artists market, a vast walled structure with a warren of stalls selling everything from stuffed frogs to hammocks.

Far more interesting was the municipal market and bus terminus. This dusty place was fascinating and buses came and went in a seemingly chaotic fashion. The equally dusty market was jam-packed with traders, shoppers, food vendors, and scrawny-looking dogs. A place where one could find almost anything, from rice and beans to homemade cheese and handmade leather goods. Joining other Nicaraguans, we sat down to a plate of baho (plantain and beef stew), as it’s said that food becomes an adventure in a foreign country. Oi!

I tried making my way to Vulcan Masaya but could only find a guide for the following evening. It was fun, and the guide’s English was slightly better than my Spanish. However, I considered his vehicle far from roadworthy. I sometimes doubted whether we would reach the top as the drive was steep along a winding road. The poor car splattered and hiccupped but, eventually, we got to the lip of the crater.

The Santiago crater is an active crater billowing out thousands of tons of toxic gasses, causing acid rain and thus very little vegetation at the top. Folklore has it pre-Hispanic inhabitants of the area threw young women into the boiling lava to appease the goddess of fire. When the Spanish arrived, they called the crater the Gates of Hell and placed a cross overlooking the crater hoping to exorcise the demons who dwelled within.

The nearby bat cave was equally interesting and home to millions of vampire bats. Around sunset, these bats left the cave for food - an extraordinary sight.

 

29 June–2 July - Masaya – Managua - 30 kilometres

A short 30-kilometre cycle ride led to Managua, Nicaragua’s capital, where we came upon a somewhat disjointed city. The city had been subject to many natural disasters; the latest being a devastating earthquake in 1972, which destroyed the city centre. Managua was rebuilt around it with outlying shopping centres and markets. As a result, it took cycling around before locating the “traveller’s area” close to the old town. Sadly, the old city centre was derelict, with just the remains of an old cathedral visible. Interestingly, the clock still showed when the earthquake hit - at 12h35 midday.

As always, Ernest needed bike spares but couldn’t find a shop selling decent quality spares. However, we did get an address for one selling Shimano spares, but it was Saturday and already closed.

One of the exciting things in Managua was the Ancient Footprints of Acahualinca. These tracks consist of fossilised human footprints in volcanic ash and mud, solidified about 2,120 years ago. The footprints were buried four metres underground when unearthed and are still in perfect condition. The prints indicate a group of 15 people (men, women and children) en route to the lake. In addition to the human footprints, there are deer and raccoon tracks.

One can’t go far in Managua without seeing a statue of Augusto Nicolás Calderón Sandino, a Nicaraguan revolutionary and leader of a rebellion against Nicaragua’s US military occupation between 1927 and 1933. Of course, he was labelled a bandit by the United States government. However, his exploits made him a hero throughout much of Latin America, where he became a symbol of resistance to the United States’ domination.

 

3-5 July - Managua – León - 93 kilometres

The way to León, Nicaragua’s first capital, was significantly more challenging than anticipated. The road deteriorated and led along a hilly and potholed route. If I ever wondered what two tectonic plates smashed together looked like, this was probably it. I had no energy but battled on until reaching León, dehydrated and unwell.

León was very much a university town and graced by picture-perfect restored colonial architecture. Construction of León’s most famous building (The Cathedral) began in 1747 and lasted over a century. Today, the cathedral is the largest in Central America. According to legend, the city’s leaders feared authorities would turn down their original grandiose design and submitted a more modest but bogus set of plans.

 

6 July - León – San Isidro - 114 kilometres

From Leon, the road turned inland and headed towards the hills to San Isidro. Our day consisted of a slow slog up the mountain; mercifully, it came with a cloud cover and a mild gradient.

To our dismay, San Isidro turned out considerably further than the signboards indicated. At first, the distance was expected at most 90 kilometres, but the 90-kilometre mark came and went and still no San Isidro. Doubting whether we were on the right road, we eventually made it to tiny San Isidro where we bunked down at a hospidaje. Food was from a pavement eatery and I crawled in early as I wasn’t feeling 100%.

 

7 July - San Isidro – Esteli - 30 kilometres

A short but hilly ride took us to Esteli, a seeming cowboy town where one could find handmade leather boots and oversized belt buckles. The land around Esteli is perfect for growing tobacco used in cigars, and the town became a refuge for Cuban cigar makers following the Cuban Revolution in 1959. These award-winning cigars made Esteli one of the most significant cigar-producing cities in the world. Searching for these famous cigars was a relatively easy task. By evening, Ernest puffed away and declared it excellent quality.

Esteli was the scene of heavy fighting during the civil war against the Somoza government. Most of the town was destroyed during that time. Today, it’s a peaceful town featuring only a few murals reminding one of its not-so-peaceful past.

 

8 July - Esteli – Ocotal - 81 kilometres

Following an unhurried departure, our route proceeded to the Honduras border. Being firmly in the highlands, the road continued to be hilly. I thought it amazing what a difference 1,000-odd metres can make. The weather was substantially cooler at elevation and the best part of the morning was spent cycling in a drizzle, making it cool enough to don a windbreaker. Fortunately, the hills weren’t too extreme, and we encountered as many descents.

A comfortable abode off the Pan-Americana Highway made it an excellent overnight spot a mere 25 kilometres from the Honduras border.