April 2006

NICARAGUA
COSTA RICA

April, April – I do what I want!!

After the usual 1 ½ hours border paper work and the first terrible kilometres I made it to Leon.
A lot of history and chaos try to combine here and the result is a relaxed, busy, big town.
Also the old and new, tradition and trend is well mixed.

Horse carriages are seen as well as fancy cars & fashion.
I explore a lot by walking and on a nice day I ride with Fusae to the beach.

What a surprise, Poneloya is great.

Totally nice beach, half-moon after half-moon bay, some rocks and hardly any tourist.

It is nice to explore at the clean beach and have a drink here and there.

The sound of the ocean get mixed with some music from the bar and maybe some working noises.

It looks like it is only a question of time till this little paradise changes.

From riding on the bad roads some parts of the motorcycle simply break.

Its easy to find a welding shop which does it immediately!

On the outskirts of Managua I ride my way to Granada.

Catch even the right road.

Many time I have to cross where to go.

It helps to orientate after the sun and maybe the direction of the wind than searching for signs ;o)

After some days in and around Granada we (Fusae, Moses and me) take the ferry to Ometepe.

At the ferry jetty beach is on Sundays a lot going on.

The boat rides to the double Volcano island is not a s bad as the roads over there.

About a quarter of the island roads are cobblestone and the rest...?!

The rest is more a track then something else. I make it to my accommodation and enjoy it TO BE.

I swim to a money island and have on the way back a yet with the fisher man.

At the hostel dock it is photo time with Fusae.

At the 5th day back to the mainland, I see one more historic interesting town which is changing to a tourist destination.

It is crazy, just cross the border and the wealth is smiling at me – I’m in Costa Rica.

Except of the bad roads it’s an American- westernised- Tico(Costa Rican) world.
First I make my way at the Nicoya Peninsula south.

In the super alternative and ‘wonnabe’ hippy town Montezuma only the Cabo Blanco nature Reserve gets my attention and passion.

The great colours, animals, the for me new noises, plants and strong ocean are impressive.

With the ferry I easy get back to the main land and ride up to the mountains.

At lake Arenal I meet the German bicyclist Rainer again. Via little Switzerland, where I ‘jodel’ of course when I pass, I just make it without rain to Fortuna. Many time I get asked about home sick.... I do have everything I need – Ok, here and there it would be nice to have family and fiends around me...

All the time I have some little projects going on.

See great waterfalls, hike forest roads which I have almost for myself (and if it starts to rain – I make myself a ‘natural’ umbrella), great views and at night we see even some glowing lava rocks rolling down the volcano Arenal !!

How cool is that – never seen something like it before and I even could hear the volcano grumbling.

On the way to Alajuela, Fusae has the 1st flat tire on the back – of course in the cloud forest with permanent rain :o(

In Alajuela I find a nice little, cosy hotel where I make also a reservation for next week.

Shane (the crazy Kiwi) is flying in form the states to celebrate my birthday.

On this Easter weekend is a lot going on.

The statue of Jesus get with a lot of other people in bible costumes carried around town.

I take off in to the jungle.

There is a biological station in the northern corner to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica.

I get invited to watch a soccer game which cracks me up.

So much fun – gringos against Ticos.... any questions...even at the game the footwear nr. one are rubber boots.
Have a look at the referee – not a story!!

I do it the same way for my hike in the forest.

In the high grass and plans you are not looking for a snake surprise!!

From this rubber boot hike to a 12 km beach walk close at the Panamanian border I experience all sorts.

Also on the way from one location to the next one –traffic jam, a truck lost his material or just the regular roadwork when they try to fix them causes a traffic jam.

It is totally normal – all the time something is going on!

The same way on Sunday when Shane arrives. Since a while I was nervous and I didn’t knew why,... but when I picked him at the airport up, it was clear – the love is gone!!
At my 30th birthday I took all my strength to tell it Shane :o(

Since this day I’m back on my Solo trip!!

And if the light, my mood, the camera angle is right – I still look acceptable with my 30 years!?

On the move.... to the pacific .
At Quepos I enjoy the beautiful Manuel Antonio National Park and prepare Fusae for the continue travel with a great oil and filter change.
The tyre rims I got in Alajuela done, that we can hit some more pot holes!

I think I spend the last April days at the OSA peninsula, but I only think it. As I reach Dominical Fusae dies!!

So I spend these days in this little town at the surfer beach and hammer around Fusae to see what’s wrong,
Shit , an other big repair – I’ll see what Royal Enfield USA says.

What’s going on with my travels the next future – you will read on this pages.

Maybe I do even a special for the 1st year anniversary!
Oh – something else – I got a mail from an other ‘traveller’ I met.

He is telling me that he put me in his ‘collection’ at http://world1tours.com/Luna/TN.HTM !

For now I say almost like a real Tica – PURA VIDA !