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waking up to heavier rain than you feel asleep to is not the best way to start the ride, most of the remainder of Honduras was wet almost the whole way to the border...the plan was to stop in Danli but we got there at noon and decided to head for the border after getting thru Tegucigalpa with no problems beside a cop wanting to stop us just to say hello :D
the clouds broke up just before the border at el parisio/ los manos http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2837-XL.jpg the border here is easy just a lot of BS as usual checking out of Honduras head up the hill past the hundreds of parked semis and the building to your left is where you do the migration and pay 60 Limperas and cancel the bike import this photos is looking back down the hill, so left as you come up http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2846-XL.jpg jump back on the bike ride about 50 yards or so more to the right and get disinfected, BIKES DO NOT HAVE TO PAY, then park over to the left outside the insurance building, which you will do three things at...get your insurance 'Seguros' (guy in a white polo shirt), get your immigration paper (guy in white shirt leaning on the post) to fill out and later come back to have your bike inspected so leave it hear for the rest of the time this is where you get get your mandatory insurance for 290 cordobas, you will be asked for it so don't skip this first step http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2845-XL.jpg behind the billboard (couldn't get a good photo) is a building, go to the far end (right as you look at it) to do you migration for Nica and pay 300 Cordobas http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2844-XL.jpg next go to the aduana on the far left of the building and do your import, show title, insurance, license and passport, they didn't want any copies once thats done go back here and a guy in a light blue shirt will do a VIN or tag inspection, same place again http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2845-XL.jpg then take that paper back to the Aduana window again and they enter some number in their computer and give you your paperwork back now get on your bike and ride almost out of the gate but stop at the police check point on the left for him to see your paperwork http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2847-XL.jpg then head to the gate/ rope where you will be stopped again and have to pay $1 or 24 cordobas road tax/ province fee now you are free to go :eek1:eek1:eek1:eek1:eek1 like i said lots of BS, both border took 1 hour 45 minutes for two bikes we headed down the road and not five minutes later there was a stopped bus, Dylan went around it and crossed the yellow line and four cops jumped out to stop him...its shakedown time :clap:clap:clap:clap:clap of course no spanish came out of either of our mouths from this point forward, but between we understand more than enough so it went like this... them - you crossed the line us - no i didn't them - do you speak spanish us - no fumar espanol them - que!!!! us - no fumar espanol them - gringos es stupido them - whats in that bag us - stuff them - let me see, OK close the bag them - (turning to his superior) how are we going to get money out of them if they don't understand us us - at this point i'm laughing at them and telling Dylan to enjoy his first shakedown, put his helmet back on as this isn't going any further Dylan gets his paperwork back the four cops lean back against the car to wait for the next sucker who speaks spanish and has a full wallet us - seeya!!! as we ride off the roads in Nica are way better than Honduras, better scenery, cleaner everywhere so we stop in Esteli and find a small hotel that Sjoerd Bakker recommended for $18 with secure parking http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2853-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2856-XL.jpg |
rolling thru Nicaragua from Esteli heading to Leon the altitude dropped and the heat rose, farming looked very organized
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2870-XL.jpg the land flattened out besides the few volcanoes dotting the horizon http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2874-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2881-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2891-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2892-XL.jpg dylan got a bug up his ass to do some off road when we had some of the best pavement i had seen in weeks http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2875-XL.jpg we rolled into Leon just in time for the big screw cap checkers game http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2905-XL.jpg and spotted the biggest single cylinder ever (maybe, well fins for sure) http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2906-XL.jpg Dylan was working hard to impress the local ladies http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2909-XL.jpg and i found a clock that tells time perfectly for an adventure rider... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2916-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2918-XL.jpg sadly they are working on the main square so no real good photos of the Cathedral, or as it is also known Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of Le�n...sadly it was closed and appears to be having work done around it, the main square was closed off...what we didn't get to see inside under its arches, in their crypts designed to withstand earthquakes , lie the remains of 27 people, including 10 bishops, five priests, a hero of independence, three poets, a musician, six notables and a slave. http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2923-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3401-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...emapped-XL.jpg there is a Russian influence in some of the buildings, what looked like it could just have been a balcony could also double as a watch tower for some with a Kalashnikov rifle? http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2928-XL.jpg and how about this for a complete architectural failure... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2929-XL.jpg the real Leon is quaint but seedy, old signs fr building that not longer remain are still firmly planted http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2935-XL.jpg life here seems to run at a very relaxed pace which is perfect for us that don't know the day or the time and honestly really care http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2937-XL.jpg ...but what Leon does have is probably one of the largest populations of manequins per capita that i have ever seen http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2938-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2939-XL.jpg just couldn't seem to find the real life version anywhere in town :cry |
It's cold and miserable here so keep these great updates coming..
Ride safe and enjoy the warmth.. |
no problem, difficult decision today....which shorts and t shirt to wear so i'm not too hot :sweat:
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had an extra day in leon and went to eat with the locals
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2942-XL.jpg all this for about $1.50 and hows this for surroundings???? http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2943-XL.jpg and here's the kitchen http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2947-XL.jpg decided to do a little James Bond language lesson in the afternoon, English with Spanish subtitles...now i'm really confused, as i read along as listened and they were totally different :huh http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2949-XL.jpg the following morning it was time to roll out of this secure area http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2950-XL.jpg |
riding out of Leon and deeper into Nicaragua, the roads to this point had been perfect, the weather was getting a little warmer, actually doesn't bother me at all after living in Vegas for 12 years but Dylan was looking for shade every time we stopped but with this temporary roadblock the was none
http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2951-XL.jpg right after the cows the road turned and it was pothole city for about 40 miles http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2956-XL.jpg we had a riding debate which side gave the best traction as the pavement just plain sucked http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2957-XL.jpg cresting a hill gave a good view of the **** road to ride on for miles and miles more... http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3437-XL.jpg did a quick stop at the Volcano in Masaya, i guess i have been spoiled by other volcanoes in the past, i was off the coast of Monseratt, in the caribbean in the late 90's when it was erupting whilst a total eclipse of the sun was happening and it went dark at midday as the volcano was going off in the background...also i was in Hawaii watching molten magma roll into the ocean and make Hawaii bigger so into Masaya volcano, it had gone off quite recently so it was still smoking so most areas were off limits, shame http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2972-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...MG_3452-XL.jpg on the ride back thru managua Dylan spotted a cash wash and suggested we was our dirty bikes, mine really needed it, we had four guys working on two bikes for over an hour and were charged $1.60, when the bikes were done they looked new, i was amazed how much they seemed to care about what they were doing, they certainly did a much better job than i would have done. To give you an idea if this means anything to you, bikes would have passed inspection to get into Australia http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2975-XL.jpg http://dmh65.smugmug.com/RidingRTW/n...AM_2977-XL.jpg on what looked like new shiny bikes we headed off to inmate 'Salcar' to stay at his place...now get this, he is not even in the country and he let us stay at his place...cannot thank you enough for that, it was perfect, happy travels in the Bali, Salvador |
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