Into Nicaragua!

I’ve been thinking about the border crossing for weeks. It really feels good to get on with it. After lots of strategizing I decided to simply hit it staight on.

I drove from La Cruz to Penas Blancas early this morning. I arrived at 7:45 and was driving freely in Nicaragua before 9am! This was accomplished with the help of Vladimir of Costa Rica and Albert of Nicaragua. Our previous border crossing have been quite difficult. THis crossing was much better owing to the skills of Vlad and Al. Neither were kids, 45 to 55 I’d guess. Neither spoke english but together we got across quickly with no fines or bribes. I did pay each of them $15 and very happily. Of course the real proof is on exit of the country. If the entry paperwork is not correct mucho problemas. All the paperwork looks good from here, i’m benig allowed 30 days in Nicaragua before i have to exit. Bentley is legal and so is the car. Cost: $10 for Bentley, $3 tourist card /passport stamp, $7 for the car entry and $2 for fumigation of the car.

Sticking to my plan i turned west onto a dirt road towards El Ostional, turtles and the beach. Unfortuantely withn 3 miles the road was much more mud than dirt. I continue to be impressed with the ability of the Landcruiser to get through stuff. At one point i slid down a 200 yd hill; then it started to rain. Hard. So i decided that things on that road were likely to get worse, deep rivers replacing the mud, so i turned around. The car surprised me by slowly climbing more or less straight up the 200 yd hill i’d just came down.

Horses everywhere, once you get off the PanAmerican highway horses are how most people get around. Pretty nice really, lots of kids, horses, dogs near the villages and lots of tropical birds and misc small unidentifed small mammels elsewhere.

Once back to the PanAmerican i headed to Rivas and swung west to San Juan Del Sur. SJDS is supposed to the happening place in Nicaragua. It has a completely different feeling from anything in Costa Rica. It’s more of a frontier town, a western frontier. Not because it’s wild its just the way the buildings are arranged. It’s flat ,long straight streets, high sidewalks somehow remind me of western shootouts.

The ocean is red with tons of runoff mud. The streets have water flowing fast at a depth of 2 ft. It’s pouring again, i’m sure i made the right choice in getting off that dirt road. In fact i think i see most of the dirt road breaking in the surf right now!

Gas is expensive here, $4.05-gal. Oops, gotta go. It’s momentarily stopped raining and Bentley hasn’t been out of the car since it started.

Fred