Granada, Nicaragua
"It's hot. Damn hot! Real hot! Hottest things is my shorts. I could cook things in it."
So said Robin Williams in "Good Morning Vietnam."
I'm sure he would say the same if he were here. This is the time of year where it is 95 degrees and humid. Everyday. No rain, maybe a wisp of clouds. Brutal and we haven't even been on the bikes yet. That starts today. It will be interesting.
Yesterday, after a quiet day
of walking the streets, touring a couple of churches and dodging the sun, I returned to the hotel for a dip in the pool and a short nap. At 6 p.m. the group gathered for the first time. As is customary, we sat in the lobby and took turns introducing ourselves. There are three others my age, a couple from the U.K. (John and Margaret) and a gent from Calgary (Bill). There is a twenty something women from California (Crystal) and a 30 something Irishman (David) currently living in London. Everyone has done a lot of traveling, either trekking or biking. All seem to be experienced bikers.
Our leader, Fredder, is Nicaraguan, as is our driver Edgar. Fredder explained multiple times that the riders are supposed to stay together. He doesn't want anyone getting lost. This will be a challenge for me. I've tended to stray ahead in the past, trying to push myself.
After inspecting our bikes we headed out to dinner. Fredder asked whether we wanted authentic Nicaraguan food, which of course, we all said yes. I was surprised then that we went to the touristy street where I had been the two nights before. The waiters set up a table for us at one of the popular outdoor cafes. The food was indeed Nicaraguan but no more so than the other touristy places. My chicken fajita was good, not great. It was the same as you'd get at any Mexican restaurant back home.
It turns out that Fredder's meal was free. That is what I figured. He worked out a deal that his meal was on the house if he brings a group there. Given the average salary of $2,000 in Nicaragua, I can empathize with deal. On the other hand, I felt a little manipulated. Either way, we had a nice time and began getting to know each other. We drank quite a lot of beer. Fredder talked about the country's history and culture. We told some stories and shared some laughs. It was a nice first night together.
We'll be meeting shortly for an early breakfast and then heading out for a 45 kilometer ride exploring the area. We plan to finish late morning to avoid the midday heat. We'll return for an afternoon bus tour of Granada and a trip to the market. We'll spend our last night at this hotel and then head south towards Costa Rica tomorrow. I can't wait.
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Location:Calle El Caimito,Granada,Nicaragua
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