Friday, April 29, 2011

Day 115 - San Jose - Altagracia (Ometepe, Nicaragua)

Distance travelled (by bike): 11,730

Early start, big day! Leaving the hell of San Jose and one way streets behind i headed north for the border of Nicaragua. After a long, amazingly hot ride i reached the border at 11.30. Having taken some time to clear Costa Rica it was lunch time when i wanted to enter into Nicaragua! Having wasted my time been sent from place to place i gave in and payed someone $10 to help me with the process, this was a great help and sped things up hugely (though i never trusted him with my documents).
Hotter than i've been on my travels so far and resenting paying $12 to have my passport stamped, the $1 border charge, $5 tourist charge and Nicaraguan Insurance i rode into the country a little bitter. I was soon driving around Lago De Nicaragua, the bitterness forgotten. I decided to get to San Jan del Sur and stop for the day, but as i arrived i saw a ferry loading to go over to the island. Ometepe, the largest fresh water island in the world and is basically two volcanoes. After an hour on the ferry i disembarked at Moyogalpa, enjoying the scenery i drove straight through and around the island to Altagracia on the east side of the north island. About to over heat i had to stop for the day.

the last of costa rica

hidden behind the trees is the office you need to export the bike from costa rica, not easy to find and 300m from the border

lone bike at the border

inside nicaragua

Ometepe in the distance

waiting for the ferry

local kid who decided to look after the bike on the ferry crossing

ometepe

the only paved road around the island, i soon diverted off to the gravel

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