Nipping Through Nicaragua

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Hi everyone

Last week, the UK was gripped by storm and this week it's snow in London! Things are certainly interesting back home.

Before I finish on Honduras, I must tell you about a couple of people I met on my last night there. I thought my journey was kinda adventurous until I met these people. First, there was a Danish copper and his missus who were travelling around central America in a similar way to me. Only difference was that they had their two children with them - aged 6 and 7! With no car, they were also travelling around by bus. Then I met another London solicitor who had jacked it all in for a while. I knew there might be something out of the ordinary when I saw him arrive with a bicycle and small trailer. It turned out he had already been on the road a year. He had started in southern Argentina and was cycling the entire length of the American continent. He hopes to end in Alasksa. If you need more diversions from your work, his website is www.pushonnorth.com. What a nutter.

Somehow, I felt very ordinary catching a simple bus into Nicaragua on my own. The scenery on both sides of the border was again well worth staying awake for. If you are buying any posh coffee in the next few days, keep your eyes peeled for my head popping through the pictures of the coffee plants on the front because that's where I was. Lush greenery on all sides. There were occasions when the landscape flattened a little, a few trees appeared and the view was almost the English countryside. Then a huge volcano would appear on the horizon and I would remember that this is not England.

I made my way to the colonial town of Granada on the shores of beautiful Lake Nicaragua. Granada claims to be the oldest continually occupied town in the whole of central America. It was founded in 1524. The one storey houses were often paintly in bright colours and almost all had red tiled roofs. all very picturesque. Although probably the most touristy town in Nicaragua, there was still enough authentic activity so that I didn't feel swamped by North Americans. Sometimes being in a touristy place is nice because you get to eat fat man breakfasts of banana pancakes now and again.

Granada is in the shadow of the nearby Mombacho volcano. As soon as I saw the volcano, I knew I had to get up there. I went as part of an excursion with a group of lively Spaniards from Menorca. We were taken up 3,000 feet to the summit (in a 4x4) and then we hiked around the top of the volcano for a couple of hours. Initially, there were some great views of Lake Nicaragua and the view stretched for miles around. We walked through the Mombacho cloud forest. We soon found out why it was called that. The clouds moved in and enveloped the whole area. From being able to see everything, we could see very little. It was an odd sensation. On the way back down the volcano, we stopped at a coffee ranch for one of the best cups of coffee ever.

Sadly, there was a bad ending to my time in Nicaragua. Some of you may be able to guess what is coming. I spent my final night there in the capital, Managua, as I was catching an early morning bus to Costa Rica the next day. I was walking back to my hotel in broad daylight on a supposedly safe street when I was jumped by a gang of teenage kids. There were 4 or 5 of them and I had no chance. Two of them pinned me down whilst the others helped themselves to the contents of my pockets (or at least they thought they did) and made off with my bag. The whole thing only took around 20 seconds. They ran off out of sight immediately. I picked myself up and dusted myself down. I was not injured. As I tried to work out what I had lost, I reached down for one of my pockets on the leg of my shorts. It was only closed by the power of some mighty velcro. As I reached inside, I was almost elated to find my camera, fully intact. The muppet robbers had failed to steal it. It was the single most valuable thing I was carrying at the time.

When I got back to the hotel, I was actually thankful for small mercies. It may sound a strange time to count small mercies but all the things stolen can be replaced. They didn't get anything of great importance and me and my specs were still in one piece. I have an emergency debit card stashed away which I am now forced to use. It could have been a lot worse. Travellers have been robbed before and, unfortunately, will be robbed again. I was pleased to be leaving the country the next day. It was a shame because Nicaraguans in general are such friendly and welcoming people. But it will take more than a few scrotes to stop me getting to Panama City in time to complete this leg of my trip.

The journey continues...

Next time - it's time to keep moving. I find out what it's like to arrive in a country without a map or guide book! And I enjoy one of the best meals of the trip so far.

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Comments

[Randy, Denise, Ana, and Raquel]

So sorry! :(
Gosh, that's terrible! :( We're really glad that you are alright though!!! We have been thinking about you a lot this past week, continually praying for your safety throughout your journey. And we will keep doing so! Hope this sad incident doesn't damper your spirits... Just so you know, we love reading your blogs! :) And please stay safe!!!!! :)

[Tim J]

4 or 5 teeneagers eh? I'm sure by the time we see you it'll be 9 or 10 karate experts. Seriously though, glad you're okay and didn't lose too much. I thought you were going to say that you'd woken up to discover your hotel surrounded by boiling hot magma and you were trapped and had to make an amazing escape. But alas, it was yet again, a tale of the speccy kid getting beaten up. All the best Tim

[Trinder]

Scrubbers
I remember a similar incident when I was in Florence with Raffi. We were walking along a street near the main train station (which, as you know, is where scrubbers usually hang out the world over) when a group of kids jumped Raffi (note, they left me well alone as, like all good predators, they go for the slow moving defenceless prey). It was a bit like a group of little sharks taking a nip at a blue whale. Raffi did a lot of shouting and gesticulating wildly with his sweat flying everywhere and the kids pegged it. I eventually got over there to find him no the worse for his experience. I forgot to mention that I was, as you can imagine, quite a few paces ahead of him when it happened - what can I say, he was being slow. Anyway, keep your chin up and don't let it change any of your plans. 5 of them? Where is Hong Kong Phooey when you need him?

[Nick]

demonspawn
sounds like you came out of a potentially damaging situation without too much lost (except for a bit of cash and a bit of pride at the time). glad to hear not too much was taken mate, don't let it cast a cloud on your adventure - a simple shrug and a rueful mutter of "E Amena", and back to the experience of a lifetime.

[Graham: O's Boss]

Lay off the Catweasle recruitment
Didn't they realise that they were attacking the most influential fantasy footie manager from Cas. Good to know you are ok and that you are trying to now navigate by the stars. Travel safely Chief and sort your team out before Phil gives you a battering on Saturday !!( hes getting a bit to cocky with his messages)