First ("real") capital: Managua

Actually, we had planned to avoid the capitals in Central America as it's no fun biking in big cities. However, we got an invite again, so we decided to stay a night in Managua. It's our first capital on the trip (as Herbert doesn't count Belmopan in Belize as a real capital).
The route was quite uneventful, quite some construction at the beginning and strong headwinds for the rest of the day.
We met a Dutch cyclist on his way from Panama to Mexico. Finally, we meet others on a similar adventure.
In Nagarote, we stopped for lunch. JoPo, our contact in Managua recommended to get Quesillos, a typical food in this region. It consists of tortillas filled with a special cheese, onions, salt and creme. Not too bad for a snack.
Next stop was at a mirador from where we had spectacular views of Momotombo, a smoking volcano. Here we met a family from Costa Rica. Roger and his wife invited us to their place, so we exchanged numbers. Let's see if we will pass by.
In Managua, we had some time until we were going to meet JoPo, so we visited the harbour, the malecon, and the Plaza de la Revolucion with the cathedral. The city of Managua is quite different to what we've seen before: big alleys, many monuments, huge buildings that resemble more a former Soviet city.
As we still had some time, so we went to a swimming pool. Although it was hot, the pool was nearly empty. When we heard the price (about 1.50US$ per hour), we knew why. That's a lot of money here! None the less, Herbert went for a swim - his haircut was suitable for the pool. I had to opt out as you needed a bathing cap with long hair... Instead, I just enjoyed a free cold shower only.
Then we headed to the Japanese park to meet JoPo. He had organized a stay with his friend Manuel. His house is like a museum with old telephones, discs, cans, books, and whatever else he had collected in his life. We had an interesting evening discussing bike travel, politics and other things. Always interesting to talk to locals and learn about their country from them!Читать далее