100% Nica

Welcome to Central America’s largest country, Nicaragua. Here the beers are cheap, the volcanoes active, the lakes massive, and the animosity towards Costa Rica, stronger than ever. 

We entered Nicaragua at dusk. Normally this would be worrisome due to preceived threats to any and all things on the highway after sunset. Instead, Nicaragua is a country where it seems you can let your guard down. Want to ride a few hours into the night to get some extra KMs? Go for it. How about leaving your bike (yours truly) unlocked while you search the supermarket shelves for the last bottle of super chunky peanut butter? Knock yourself out. Whether real or not, Ryan took this newfound sense of security to heart and the Nicas (a fun way to say Nicaraguan Citizens) never let him down.

As per usual, the first stop on the itinerary was surfing related. Ryan spent several days trying to fit himself in a beachbreak barrel while I enjoyed the laid-back town at The Boom. For a reprieve from the Bros, we pedaled to the revolutionary stronghold of Leon. With cobblestone streets and a historic church for nearly every resident, it’s the quintessential colonial town. Plus it has volcano boarding nearby, which given the ubiquitous ads in English, might just be the new zip lining. 

Overall, we enjoyed our stay in the north but rode south quickly so that Ryan could find a temporary home for me while he hosted and traveled around the countryside with girlfriend (Cait) and mother (Dawn). So, rather than relaying my thrilling week locked in a San Juan del Sur hotel room, I’ll do my best to interpret all the non-biking fun they had.

It seems that they started their trip near the colonial paradise, Granada. Armed with binoculars and a large bottle of Flor de Caña, they spent their first few days hiking volcanoes, boating around islands, and hosting morning chow for an unsettling number of town dogs. Then came the beach. Playa Gigante was the perfect seaside retreat to rest their weary legs and produce the necessary amount of melatonin to prove they traveled to Central America. Finally, they went off the gringo trail by visiting the coffee regions of Northern Nicaragua. There, the flavor of life and food was decidedly Nica. 

While biding my time in San Juan del Sur, I worried that all this family time and fossil fuel adventuring would ruin Ryan’s appetite for bike touring. I mean, how fun is struggling to maintain 15 km/hr in a headwind when you can cruise at 100 km/hr without breaking a sweat? However, my fears were unfounded as Ryan came back for me, unlocked the lock, and set off for the Costa Rican border without a moment of hesitation. Perhaps he knows I’ll slander him on this blog if he quits on me? Whatever his motivations, I’m happy to have my wheels spinning again.