Biking Day: Esteli to Granada (170 km / 105 miles)

Day 1: Esteli to Tipitapa (130 km / 80 miles)

We didn´t sleep well since we were so annoyed about the taxi incident from the night before, but we got going at 5 am anyway.  We had a bit of incline the first hour or so then a long down hill that opened into a large agricultural plane.  The wind was whipping like crazy in the bottom of this valley, and of course it was going against us.  It gusted so hard at some points that it felt like we could barely peddle, and at some points I felt like I would be knocked over.  It was coming at us slight from an angle so it easily could have knocked me over.  So instead of enjoying the flat, it felt like pedeling uphill.  The wind combined with the passing semi trucks and non existant shoulder was quite scary, their tail wind was like a vacuum which first pushed us off the road and then sucked us back in.  Luckily we only had to continue 15 km like this before the highway turned and the wind was pushing us.  We had made it past the junction where we had got the taxi from the previous evening and also crossed over the protest.  Vehicles still weren´t being let though, but we didn´t actually see any protestors just a line of tires blocking the road in a few different places, and mass chaos of vehicles waiting behind the lines.  I don´t understand why they didn´t just drive over them and continue on.  We didn´t mind though cause we had the road to ourselve for quite a long time.  The road was newly paved, which made for smooth riding, and the wind decided to change direction and blow at us again, but it wasn´t so bad.  We stayed cool because of it and made good progress.  Around the 70km mark and only 5 hours in we took a 2 hour break for lunch at a truck stop.  We didn´t have high hopes for good food but it was actually amazing!  We got grilled chicken which came out on a sizzling iron plate, with plantain chips, salad and rice. :)  Usually this far in I start to get tired, but I was doing really well, perhaps I am finally building my endurance and becoming fit!  So we kept going and going over gently rolling hills.  We passed through a few small towns, none of which had hotels, so it was a good thing I was feeling so good.  In one of the small towns we saw lots of people on the sides of the road holding iguanas by the tail, several at once.  I presume they were trying to sell them, and this may have been our one chance to eat iguana, but we continued on.  At almost the half way point we went down a long grade out of the mountains, the wind was so strong that we had to do some downhill pedeling!  We had a lovely view of the endless flats ahead and the gigantic Lago de Managua.  The lower we got, I could feel the temperature of the wind changing, it became a hot desert heat!  Good bye cool mountain air, hello 4 am wake up calls.  At the bottom we had planned to stop at a town called Las Maderas cause it was at the halfway point, but again no hotels.  Still feeling great we decided to continue all the way to Tipitapa, 45 km away.  It was mostly flat with some small hills.  There was nothing between the two towns and I was wishing for some sort of refreshment, such as a watermelon.  Then out of nowhere there was a road side watermelon stand!  It was so exciting.  We stopped for 30 minutes and split one of the best watermelons we´ve ever had!  We continued on and the wind pushed us the rest of the way to Tipitapa.  With the wind pushing as, we had a quite different experience with the semi trucks.  I still have a small panic attack when I hear them coming but instead of knocking us all over the road, the tailwind simply gives us a forward boost, it´s actually kind of fun!  We arrived an hour before sunset amazingly still not worn out from the biking!  That is the longest disntace we have gone so far in a day.

Lago de Managua

Day 2: Tipitapa to Granada (40 km / 25 miles)

Only 40 km! I remember when 40 km would have seemed like an insane distance to bike.  It is strange how your perspective can change!  A few years ago, I used to carpool with my ex boyfriend David.  He commuted from San Diego to Orange County every day for work, and I would have him drop me and my bike off in Dana Point and I would ride the 27 miles along the coast to Huntington Beach to visit Shannon and father.  There were a few hills along the way and depending on how windy it was, it would take me between 2 and 3 hours.  I used to do this ride because I wanted to go visit without the environmental impact of using all that gasoline.  I remember I´d arrive about to drop dead, probably more mentally than physically, because at the time I thought this was a long way so I in turn felt tired because I thought I should!  Now it´s nothing.  In fact, I can´t wait to get home to San Diego and ride my bike from Pacific Beach to Oceanside.  It would be about 60 miles, and with my new perspective, it is very doable in a day, as long as I take the train back.

So yesterday was quite an easy day of biking.  With one break to buy water, we made it in under 3 hours.  It was low rolling hills, but it was pretty easy.  We arrived to Granada around 9 and used the rest of the day to explore the town and of course eat lovely foods.  I am on a mission to try all the street foods!  Nicaragua seems to have a far greater variety of street food than any other country so far.  I fought tiredness all day cause I didn´t sleep very well the night before (two nights in a row of bad sleep!).  I made it to 9pm, falling asleep instantly and sleeping soundly all the way to 8 am!  I feel excellent today. :)  We shall do some more exploring around Granada today, either Volcan Mombacho or Las Isletas.