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tonight my work space has a window.

This is where Im staying in San Juan sur Mer. Above average in quality and price compared with some of the other places I’ve been. Shame the town was hit by the no-electricity blight today. Still there’s lady who launders over the road, and she doesn’t use elctricity, so I’m cleaned up again.

That is one issue with travelling light, the need to wash clothes more frequently as you run out fast with the sweaty damp heat, road grim and general body stuff that happens.
So laundry becomes a very big issue.

El Salvador border. This is the main building for documentation, another appears to be a very poorly stocked shop with a typewriter and the third was a window with an irksome child sitting in it and a large sullen women opened the window fractionally, extended a chubby arm and took paperwork, then quickly closed it again, without any explanation or idea of timescale. If you were in a hurry, this would be annoying. If not, then just playing along seems to be the best option.
Regard this as social payments to the populace in exchange for nominal, manufactured jobs by the Government and you’ll see the implications.

If you are passing, find this place. That’s easier said than done, but just head for the town centre then you may spot signs> it’s a $30 gem compared to some of the flea pit hovels and over priced homogenized large chains I’ve used.

Plaza Pedro Joaquin Chamorro 1c al Este 1 1/2 c al Norte Monimbo Masaya.

Apart from the street fair, it’s the first place I’ll happily recommend.

It was a good find too, having come after my first corruption encounter. The Nicaraguan Police who fleeced me should be ashamed. It’s blatant theft. Granted it’s only a few dollars, but considering the lovely welcome that Nicaraguan people have given me, for an arm of the government to be allowed to spoil that welcome is a crime in itself.

Sorry about Honduras. At the point where I entered the country it was only a short ride until I left, what I saw was thoroughly enjoyable. It’s different from El Salvador and Nicaragua, in that the geology seems more manageable and hospitable, more rolling hills (with a distinct conical twist) than towering volcanoes. The potholes are less liberally scattered than El Salvador. They are deeper though.
In contrast Nicaragua positively discourages entry by having the border built on a site where the roads (loosely termed as such for the sake of avoiding expletives) challenge you to cross over> i know that a hurricane has wrought havoc on the area, but none of the buildings looked damaged and the potholed morass looks to be created by trucks. It’s a few miles before you are rid of the dust, gravel spitting trucks and general mess that is the main road into the country.

Machismo.
It’s a strong influence on the driving and riding styles, a big GS being a particularly desirable prize I’d guess. That would explain some of the things I’ve seen and been part of.

Okay,Nicaragua.
Managua ring road is dotted with large roundabouts. The cops wait for you to come off the island then call you across. Then they say you switched lanes, which is true, because you’ve just come across two lanes to see what they want…cunning!
Then they say you can have a ticket and pay 400 cordoba at a bank, or you can settle it with them without a ticket.

The longer you are prepared to spend wasting their time, the lower the figure gets. I had an hour, during which other potential money was passing by.

It’s a game you can’t win, but you can come away knowing that they know that you know.

Well once again the fear mongers were wrong. As soon as you say you are happy to wait all day and not offer a bribe, you’d be surprised how fast things move along. Add that every dollar you spend is a dollar less for a children’s charity then thank the helpers proffusely for donating their time free of charge and that’s it. Paperwork in hand and on your way. 2:30hrs including the hours lunch break when they stop.

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Told you that Kevin was a clever chap. If you can read this it’s because he set up a system where I can email direct to the blog.

Cotton socks are blessed again.
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