Casa Silas B & B | Nicaragua

While out cycling you never know what you might come across. This rancher was out with his 100+ head of cattle moving them down the road to new digs.

Music :: El Toro Relajo (The Troublesome Bull) | Linda Ronstadt, from the album Más Canciones available on iTunes

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We've got to start heading out earlier. We missed the Granada to Jinotepe bus, which must leave at 8:30am or earlier, and because of that we had to take two buses with the inherent delays between transfers, in order to get us to Diriamba. Once we arrived in Diriamba we were off. The new expressway is two lane fresh blacktop asphalt and the first few miles actually have a dedicated bike lane. There is so little traffic midweek on this road that most of the time both lanes were ours. The elevation in Diriamba is near 2000 feet and we were heading to the sea so it was almost all downhill and some nice winding descents too. Midway through the ride, Miguel suffered a front tire that wouldn't hold air. Asking two boys at the roadside if they knew where we might get a pump, they returned in a minute with their own pump and we were off again. Further down the road that tire finally gave up altogether. We asked at one house if they knew of a bike repairshop and we're told "sure Julio fixes bikes, he's a few doors down the road". Riding on his rim for a short distance, we found the casa de Julio, who in addition to fixing bikes, the family makes handrafted quality furniture and operates a neighbourhood pulperia (variety store). Julio's son pulled the inner tube out of the tire without removing the wheel, patched it in place and had us ready to go in as long as it took the three of us to finish our Cokes. Racing down the distance we finally arrived at the rotunda where the road divides north to La Boquita and south to Casares. We opted for La Boquita this trip. Intur (the Ministry of Tourism) operates a park on the beach where there is full access to the shore and ocean and there are several restaurants y bars but, today none were very busy. A gentleman greeted us at the entrance to the park and offered to take us to his establishement but, we thought we might have a look around before committing. Sure enough, at the end of our look around, he was standing right beside us, so we followed him. He was right, the beer was cold and food was plentiful and delicious ($1 beer/ $5 lunch - though you could spend more if you had the "every known meat and seafood platter" for $35. I suspect a family of carnivores might not be able to finish that plate, if the quantity on my own little platter was any indication. Unfortuately, by the time we arrived at La Boquita it was almost time to leave. we weren't really sure of the last bus out of town but, consensus seemed to be 4:30. We hustled to the bus stop, and after a few minutes a small pickup offered to take us on our return to Diriamba. We accepted their offer and were in Diriamba in no time. From Diriamba, after 4 there are no direct buses to Granada but, the Masaya bus passes right past Catarina. At Catarina we decided there was still enough daylight to get to Granada (there wasn't). We arrived in darkness to Granada, tired and satisfied and ready to return to Diriamba. Most photos by Steve Vermuelen

                                                                                     

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We're all getting excited about our next cycle path - Diriamba to Casares (28km) on the Pacific. Diriamba is at an elevation of 1800ft and the Pacific is . . . wait for it . . . 0ft or sea level. There are no Steve Bauers or Lance Armstrongs in our little group so downhill is how we ride. From Granada we'll bus to Diriamba and the return trip we'll bus from Casares to Granada or if time permits from Catarina to Granada we could ride. That's a wonderful road as well, and well, it's downhill also.

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Another great day on the road began early at 7:30 with the loading of the cycles onto the bus for El Crucero. We could have made this easier by taking the "direct to Jinotepe" bus but, we learned something for next time. El Crucero is 53kms from Granada on a spectacular ridge that over looks the Pacific Ocean. It's an odd landscape, kind of wind swept with rolling hills that drop off toward the ocean. The prevailing winds, and it is windy on the ridge, carry the fumes of Masaya volcano across the land. The acid rains that form with the wash out of the sulphur dioxide from the air cause the vegetation to be limited and stunted. Small houses, in various stages of construction dot the landscape. The owner of Comedor Morenas explained that the people add to the homes as they save up the money. No financing or mortgages to fail here. We stopped first at Comedor Morenas where Mike decided to have the lunch special and Steve and I settled for beverages. Our next landmark down the road (Pan American Highway) is the intersection 13kms away where we divert to the road to San Marcos, Masatepe, Niquinohomo and beyond to Granada. Terrific rolling hills followed, where we could "almost" pick up enough speed on the downhill to crest the top on the other side. San Marcos is a nice little town with a university and the ubiquitous central park. We managed to find a quiet little tavern (midday and no other patrons). On the road again, to Masatepe. We found the town in preparations for a festival. We never were able to figure out whether it was religious, agricultural or civic. We were here long enough for me to get two punctures in my front tire, so I was bound for walking until we could find a repair shop. In Nicaragua, you're never too far from a man who can fix a bike. We stopped in at a little carpentry shop where we were told, a half block away we'd find our man. Sure enough, and no waiting, he was on the tire with a pump and all seemed well. We hung around long enough to have a Coke, and to see the tire go flat again. The owner's wife brought out some patio chairs for us, while his son had the bike overturned, wheel off and tube out, in a minute. On closer inspection, passing the tube through the water revealed two punctures and for .50 cent we were on our way again. Great hospitality and outstanding service. Masatepe to Niquinohomo was quick and painless, the worst was yet to come. Niquinohomo to Catarina is a straight road and has a whopper of an incline with no relief. After a day of cycling this was too much so we had to dismount and walk the cycles to the top. The remainder of the ride was covering familiar ground from Catarina to Granada, though having done this route two weeks earlier we knew we didn't need as much brake, so we rode full out to Dilan's Bar at the Guanacaste/Granada cutoff. Last refreshment before Granada, and we're off again. Twilight was approaching, 5:30, so it was full on peddling and no brake downhill. Back in Granada before darkness fell. What a day.

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Riding from Granada to Catarina along the Nandaime highway is possible (I've spoken with one guy who does it daily, returning home from work) but, it's not for me. Leaving from Granada the incline is immediate and the destination is a 460m/1500ft rise. On the other hand, the return trip is almost entirely downhill, and some of the elevation drops are exceptional. Over the past two years the road has been almost entirely repaved making it a cyclists dream highway and something I've wanted to experience.
 So, we three gringos decided to cart our bicycles by bus to Catarina and then to cycle back. Departing from Las Palmiras bus station in Granada the attendant put our bikes up top and we headed out. The bus ride to Catarina is relatively short, about 30 minutes, and a great way to see the country. It's not an express bus and stops can be frequent. You needn't worry about food or drink though. Before departure, vendors offer more food and drink than you'll ever be offered on most airlines.
 Arriving in Catarina, it was still relatively early and we had hoped to find a coffee somewhere. Nicaragua grows some of the finest coffee in the world but, finding a cup of it out here is still virtually impossible. A short ride down the road, we headed first to San Juan de Oriente. SJdO is renown for the quality and variety of its ceramic artistry. This wasn't our first time here and shopping was not on the agenda today so we had a quick tour through the streets and then headed off down the road to our next destination, Diria.
 Diria is one of the quiet little towns on the rim of Laguna de Apoyo known as Los Pueblos Blancos. A very short ride in from the highway we arrived at Diria. Like most towns in Nicaragua, they are designed around a central park. Diria is no different, with a quiet little central park, a mission style Catholic church on the east side and the Alcaldia or city hall on the west side. After a slow circle of the town we decided to head off to see the mirador or lookout point onto the Laguna de Apoyo. Most guides make a point of having visitors see the Laguna de Apoyo from the Catarina mirador. It is much more developed, and much more frequented by tourists. There are more restaurants, vendors and groups of live musicians playing traditional marimba music. It also has a spectacular view of the Laguna. Diria has the view and three smaller restaurant/bars. It is much more frequented by locals than tourists. I hope I'm not giving their secret away. I think they'd be happy if I did. Today, the restaurants were in the process of expanding the gardens that border the mirador. I think they'd be as happy to see you as they were to see us. We decided to drop into Dicky-Dicks. Having missed coffee hour, the time had arrived for cold Toñas.
 Leaving Diria we headed out of town to Diriomo. The two communities are divided by the ring highway that circles the Laguna de Apoyo. First we had to stop and have a closer look at the statuary that welcomes visitors to the town. I'm not 100 per cent certain on the town naming but, Diriangen was the name of the last tribal chieftain of the indigenous Chorotega people who lived in the area when they were "discovered" by the spanish conquistadors. This statue is of Diriangen.
 Diriomo is a regular stop on the Catarina bus route. The bus enters one side of town and exits the other on its route. Diriomo is also the last town on our route of return to Granada. Across from the central park we found a nice little pizzeria and decided to stop for a slice and a beer. Diriomo is considerably larger than Diria but, at 1 pm on a Monday the town was still very quiet with the exception of the commotion caused by the arrival of the Granada bus.
 On the road again, leaving Diriomo we headed out toward the Nandaime highway. A few kilometres of wonderful downhill coasting away we spotted Pulperia Alba (painted in full Coca Cola colour scheme), a little roadside stand with a few soda stools out front. We decided to stop for a coke. In Nicaragua, coke can still be found in glass bottles 6, 8, 10 oz. We had a couple ice cold 6 oz bottles for .20 each. and talked with Marcella about her neighbourhood.
 A few kilometres further and, the Catarina ring road meets the Nandaime highway. Left to Granada, right to Nandaime and straight ahead to Dilan's Bar. I've passed Dilan's Bar while on the bus so many times, and this time I thought we should drop in and say hello. At 95º it's always pretty easy to say yes to a cold Toña or Victoria. The last stretch of the road back to Granada lay ahead. Most of the highway is bordered by banyon, tamarindo and carob trees that in places almost touch to form a canopy of shade and a welcome relief from the sun.
 There are two places on the southside of the Nandaime highway as you approach Granada, where the side of 300 foot hillside slopes have been exposed. The red-volcanic pumice contained within is used here as a roadbed material. We'd never seen the operation up close and now was a great time to get in and have a look. Cycling really allows you to get off the highway and do a little leisurely exploring. This wall of pumice is an amazing landform.
5 km more and we were back in Granada, after a day well spent.

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