Home » Mexico » Paradise (?) Revisited, 4 Countries in 1 day, Guatemala Still Gorgeous, Mediocre Moles and More Mexicana Madness in Puerto Escondildo

Sorry, I’ve edited and re-edited but it’s still a long tail!

Starting off…..Back in sweaty, sultry, sloow, San Juan del Sur, if Puerto Viejo was desultory San Juan is sultry…..more gringo developments arising around us and a Japanese funded port facility (many Nicaraguan road bridges are signed “with the love and friendship of the people of Japan”, now I understand!) and the dolphin research centre next maybe?… but it’s still beautiful, maybe No. 2 after Bocas, went for my early morning dip and copped a sea wasp across my arm, blisters and pain, vinegar cure, sunsets at the Iguana Bar, D still hanging in, the usual crowd and some interesting travellers as always.

Paradise (?) Revisited, 4 Countries in 1 day, Guatemala Still Gorgeous, Mediocre Moles and More Mexicana Madness in Puerto Escondildo

Bill Shum
2006-08-21 17:09:01

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writing about, one thing about life on the road, especially solo, is the range of characters you meet, just astounding, I’ve met about a dozen people who have been to Cuba including a Swedish chica was able to stay 6 months, all had wonderful experiences, once they got out of Havana, I so want to go back there….just can’t see it this time..

I had a look at the map yesterday and it’s (only) 1100 or so kms to the Mexican frontera, 2 or 3 days tops ? (IF…. the roads are open, fronteras straightforward, weather reasonable etc) so I’ll stay another day, it’s open stage at the Iguana on Tuesdays and everyone’s getting excited (doesn’t take much) but should be good, German George the carpenter who wants to be a photographer plays bass, American Oaxaca zocaloBill, former computer programmer, been here 18 months, plays guitar and sings, D sings, others bring instruments and I think everyone gets roped in sooner or later, jesus wept!

It was a Big night but I had to go early and rode carefully, the roads good except for the odd distraction, halfway between Managua and Leon, following a truck, waiting for the passing op, he plunges into a huge puddle, more like a small lake, no time to change course and I figure he knows best, I follow….as the front wheel goes right under I realise it’s a bit deeper than I thought! I’m committed tho’, one of the suspect design flaws of the bike is that the air intake is up under the tank, only 750mm above ground level, the positive is that the bow wave created as you enter water (and as long as you keep moving!) keeps it free…a huge wave of muddy water rises up and crashes over me, from helmet down, I’m covered in obscure mud, the water is over my knees, everything goes wobbly, look to where you want to go (Luke) be the bike, yeah, yeah, we get thru’, After those Costa Oaxaca, Mexicobridges anything is tame! However my nice clean bike (and Me) are coated in quick drying cement! ...