Feb 5th
San Juan Del Sur Nicaragua



It is smoking hot here. Took a ride out to
the surf beaches were all the hard core surfers go. Dirt road wild
ride in but the most picturques bay when you get down there. Would
have loved to have grown up next to the ocean. They have a 3 ton
truck that loads surfers on and takes them 5-10 mile up the shore to
where the curl is. I visted a number of housing developments today
also the man power is unlimited here. Casas with a veiw of the ocean
are about 250k-300k USD. But if you want and acreage here just out of
town it cheap. The best buys are old houses close to the water front
and turning them into stores or cafes. A few Canadians have gigs down
here. On of the windjammer cruise ships was in harbour this morning with 4 tall masts towering over the other boats in the harbour. At the end of the day the tall ships sillotte was set in the sunset as it pulled anchour and headed for the next port kind of a nice setting to have supper in. We will most likley head for PANAMA tomorrow providing Greg has not locked himself into a piece of dirt in Nicaragua.









Small Nicaragan family






Feb 2nd
My laptop was trying to shot sparks out the back, then for some reason it would not work. TECH CRAP. So the postings will be a little farther apart and more painful. I took the day to explore our island home. HAIRY I dont know if I have used the word hairy. We changed hotels and found one right on the lake , complete with a lagoon and monkeys and a bunch of spooky folkyore. Tara was getting a little burned out so we said we would stay the next day. We had supper with our friends Bernie and Lynda from Missiagua they seem to meet us in each city we go to. They are going to Granada next Bernia is going to get my boots back GO BERNIE.






Feb 1st

BEAUTIFUL GRANADA NICARAGUA.Got up early and went to the Internet cafe with Greg we needed to do some business, on the way there this kid asks me if he can help me with anything info .........he only wanted food in repayment. another younger kid asks if he can shine my boots. We are in a rush so I come up with the brillant idea to get the one kid to put my boots on then the other would shine then what a time manager. I to find the younger kid waiting to get paid and then realize the older kid Mantaquea has boltted with my boots. BIG GRIN. Mantaquea means butter in spanish. Slippery bugger. I jump on my bike and I go into my Dwayne Dog Chapman bounty hunter mode and head to the local market that is about 5 blocks of wall to wall people. I plow my way through hundreds of starting Nicarugan eyes. I has seen the butter man. I see this cop and ask him if he knows Mantaquea, of coarse he does. I explain the story along with the help of an english speaking Nic. Now I have every one in ear shot laughing. I was all worth it, we pulled out and headed to Ometepe the island in lake Nicarugua. We blew through Manugua 10 million people very modern but still ox carts on the freeway. Masaya was a fly by also but from a distance very beautiful. We arrived in San Jorge early for the ferry Greg Tara went to the bank while I tore up the beach on Lake Nic. That was kind of a BLAST.









Loaded on to this beater of a ferry along with banana trucks. First they had to load 200 sacks of cement by hand. I jumped in and gave the Nics a hand they carry the bags on their heads I was the nutbar with no hat. The lake is massive you can see these two smoking volcanos from shore. About one hour into the ride we see this barge that is loaded with coke cola and hippie kids a drift. Then the captians start yelling in spanish with one another. The junker barge sends a kid over board with a rope. Paint this picture, 4 to 5 foot swell 10 knots and 100 feet of rope. The kid swims like a fish and lands us a lead line climbs back aboard his boat just in time to see the badge lists to the póint of turtleing. The bardge with not tow it tacks from side to side so our ferry slows and we pull it up along side. Now its like and Okanagan house boat party. We land safe on the Island and find a small town hotel located right between the two volcanos. The island has next to no cars or truck. Thre is this section of road that is all paving stone for 30 km it is awesome. The photos are postcard perfect. The rural areas are like walking back 200 years this is jungle living.

Jan 31st

Visual image of the day young boy with a shovel he makes a big cloud of dust as I approach the he takes a scoop of gravel and fills a pot hole as I get closer. Just as I pass the boy holds out his hand, business man of the week. So I leave him a little dust. I like the kid.

Feliz cumpleanos anos mi Hermano Hola mi familia tam bien. TODO BIEN mi gusta

We set out from the little oceanside side town of La pineta we planned to head to Lake Nicarugua and the lush Island of Ometepe. We went back into Leon which is filled with dozens of old Catholic churchs. The Nic's love basball and all the hype down here is the playoffs between Leon & Manugua. We went around the outskirts of Manugua because 10 million people was enough. I was born in a small town! The city of Manugua is very metro and has a very stark contrast between the have and have not. I was the easiest metro to get through yet. Then we head to Masaya it began to smell of dead presidents (American money) The little walled villages convenience stores. Our destination was the Island of Ometepe we would have to catch the ferry in the city of Granada that we had hear a lot about. We got into the town and found the most classic old town yet. Its the kind of place you just want to light up a fat cigar and pull up a rocking chair. Granada has a feel of New Orleans ( above water). Every house has a rocker in the front door or veranda. The buildings are a renovators dream. Americans are in here buying tons of stuff. It has a touristy but very relaxed feel. I saw a 2 story house that was completely gutted with only the classic front wall left. I walked though the one across the street that had been renovated. Talked with the people and it is a good way to get a year of living in Nicarugua reno a house.

I took a drive through the market the Nic's market and this was very different from the other countries. Only one block over and the poverty jumps right out at you.

I saw this bike in town today it is the same bike my Dad bought my brother and I when we were little shavers. Fastback 100 Eatons Deptment Store. Thanks Dad Mom.

These are some flowers for you Mom. Hope you like them

Hotel Alhambra Granada Nicarugua mi casa esta noche.

This is the beautiful old hotel we are staying in tonight right across the street from were all the horse drawn carriage's park. The smell of horse manure has a more pleasant appeal in this setting.
The streets of every city and town In Nicarugua are filled with horse drawn carts with old car axles. These carts pull tons of products at times they are loaded 15' high with the driver sitting atop the pile of goods.

Jan 30th
Nicaragua. The little town turns out to be a jewel. Very clean and quite awoke to 40 above sun shine and the crash of surf. A Canadian & Nicaraguan flag fly on the same pole just two houses down. Lazy day G&T like the beach so they just laid around. Cammmer jumped on the Bimmer and toured the little town. One of the sites that always amazes me is Kids getting out of school. Mexico and all of Central America wear Uniforms and they are sharp. The boys wear blue pants and white shirts the girls wear plaid skirts white blouses and socks. I think we could learn something about education in this area. Stopped at this gorgeous little fresco cerveza stand next to a lagoon and watched the Nica kids play in the water. Made me wish I was 8 again. I had came across a young surfer and his girl friend one from Sweden the other from South Africa. They bought an old van in San Diego and have gone all the way to Panama now they are returning. While talking with them I was approached by another group of young men one with a Guitar I told him that my son was learning and of cause he had to play for me. They had to sign my bike and the usual mill dos ceintos 1200cc’s cuanta questa para tu moto. How much for your moto. So we talk an bit they bought me a drink and asked if I would come to their house for a Bar B Que. Some of their family studies and lives in Miami. So tonight should be a blast. -----------------I was right my new friends love to play. I drove about five miles from the beach to the little ranch that they have there maybe ½ acre in total. The boys saddled up the horse and left me do a little round up I chased the cows down the road to another pasture. They asked me if they should kill the pig and have a Bar B Q. I wasn't sure what to say so I said it not necessary. So they killed a chicken instead. We had Pollo for supper con arroz (with rice). It’s still staying down. We laugh and looked at their family pictures. Then Winston brings out a Smith & Weston 38 Special. Kind of freaked me out at first then he blew off a round and handed it to me. I fired off a couple shots then it was like it misfired. Just out of bullets so Victor The real wired guy sends the young kid in the house to get more bullets. We empty the ½ box into the starlight Nicaraguan sky. It all ended with a large grim on my face and 8-10 Nica’s laughing and patting me on the back.
Then we did the Spanish English class and talked about the differences in our countries. They all remember the civil war and say that Ortega is now a different leader. You get a real interest in political history being here.


Jan 29th
Honduras is a rather large country in relation to the other CA countries. It takes two days to get to the gulf of Mexico so we are just going to pas through the little pan handle that touches the Pacific ocean. It is really only about 3 hours from El Salvador’s border to Nicaragua’s border. So we slept in the best room we have had all trip. This area of Honduras is very dry and poor there is a lot less traffic on the road even less buses in the cities. We started seeing a lot of these horse drawn carts with enormous loads. We share the road with them along with the odd cattle drive with cowboys on bicycles or horses. We stopped at the Yamaha dealer and added the first bit of oil to the bikes and headed for the Nicaragua Front era. Leaving each county they stamp you out at immigration so again the gauntlet of Chico’s and money changers I love this part G&T hate it. I usually take a little longer and enjoy the entertainment. After exiting Honduras you cross a large Bridge that has a rather nice view of the landscape. We stopped right on the bridge to take pictures of the welcome to Nicaragua sign. I had a picture in my mind of these Sandinista Contra type personal at the border in Nicaragua. Very different I was followed from the Honduran side to the Nicaraguan side by Miguel 35 year old father of 3 with only one hand. While helping me and waiting we talked about his accident that lost his hand I showed him video of my son Rio who also has only one hand. He assured me that he is a much smarter person now having only one hand. The personal at the Nicaraguan border were some of the nicest Dennis my clerk even recommended our hotel and hit it bang on nice place. Olympia typewriters still get the job done along with carbon paper. We headed into this country with a long history of civil war not knowing what to expect. Not 100 yards from the border the roads turned to a maze of pot holes you could not dodge them you just had to hope that you did not bend a rim this went on for 40 miles through the toughest looking country yet. Then the hwy changed to rather perfect wide open road with no traffic but the carts and cattle drives. To the left stood two majestic volcano and to the right thousands of acres of sugar cane burning. We stopped at a city called Chinadega and asked again were there a nice beach. La Piñata just past Leon. We stopped at the ATM before leaving the city and out side the bank with a massive line up were maybe 10 young men and women with again stacks of money between 5-10 and thousand dollars in there hands with calculators hanging around their necks. We need the ATM and had nothing to trade them. I think for anyone with US money you can save lots buying from them as apposed to the real bandits the banks. The guys loved our bikes and all wanted to sign mine. Here I’m blocking traffic in Leon Nicaragua with the money changers who had maybe a hundred thousand cash amongst all of them. I counted 8 armed guards on that street corner. We also met a guy buying property on the ocean he had done it in Costa Rica in the 90’s and said it is a carbon copy here. 20-40k buys 200Acres of ocean front. He will build house on them then sell them. We took an hour ride out to the ocean to our town La Piñata , the road lead though the roughest of living conditions and also the roughest road we were beginning to wonder if we made a wrong choice. Going along the beach we saw hundreds of what looked like empty houses right on the Ocean. Then we can across the Hotel Suyupa named after some catholic Saint. nice little place bang on the Ocean. Quite an only on other family from Holland I think. Just as we were putting the bike in the compound the power went out. She is black when the power goes out. Just then a few feet away the he clatter of an old genset fires up restores power to our hotel, sweet. The rest of the town carries on in the dark. We walk to the beach before bed and find a grey brown beach littered with sea shells. As we return to the hotel I recognize a familiar voice, someone I know from Winnipeg, Burton Cummings it kind of made the world real small listening to his smooth voice again. We will take a much need rest next to the Pacific Ocean in La Piñata Nicaragua.

New this week

Guatemala El Salvador & Honduras

Jan 28th
La Liberdad El Salvador nice clean beach and great surf me and the Americans stayed across the hwy G&T close to the beach. The American are iron riders 40,000 miles a year so they book it out early. We took off at 9 ish. And headed through the little country of El Salvador. About the size of the entire Okanagan. We passed lots of cattle ranches and goat herds more donkeys chickens buzzards. She is starting to get hot real hot 40 ‘s and dry I think I had 5 sodas 4 water today maybe more. You don’t realize the sweat you lose because of the wind from riding is constantly drying you. We got to the Honduras Border at about 3:30 pm a little late but with the assistance of our chico’s and money changers we were back on the road, in no time. We had heard that the cops in Honduars like to get a little grease $$$$$$$$$. But that was not the case very plesant. We had also read that Honduras is very poor, very poor means the highway becomes a cattle path and sidewalk there is never a mile of road you do not see 100 or more people on at one time. This place is dirt poor it hurts to watch what is going past you on the hwy. Sad but you get numb to it. Guatemala & El Salvador have and abundance of food but this portion of the country is dry and hot.

Jan 27th
Never slept a wink last night the hotel was find just the whole town of San Jose at dark takes on a different light. The hotel clerk reminded us what time sundown was and that taking laptops out after dark. After we worked on my bike the hotel staff and I had some sodas across the street and I noticed that every store has these fully enclosed bared areas in front of the counters. I asked is it really necessary. Si Yes. About 1:30 am both G&T and myself heard gun shots 2 at first then 5 or 6 in rapid fire. One of the shots I could hear a ricochet down our street. It was cooking hot 35’s and mosquitoes bugging me all night. In the morning I took a Quad ride around town and videoed life on the streets of Guatemala. Greg & Tara for what ever reason told the gate guard that they were going to head out to Esquintlar the next before the frontera the El Salvador border. I returned to see that their bikes were gone I asked the gate guy were my amigos he said that they are going to return. I waited 3 hours entertained by the local kids that wanted to see & sign my moto, even got a Guatemalan moto plate during the time. So with not note and no Idea what was going on I headed for the Border. Big four laner the first part then back on a really nice stretch of the Pan Am. This part of Guatemala really cleans up the still tons of people on the road. Again I thank God for each sense that I have. Your eyes are filled with Varity every second. The smells change every few hundred yards in the cities. The sounds are constant even now the pounding of tropical music continues into the night. You can feel the heat of the sun I’m riding in T shirt and shorts. Just a couple more driving tips. I pulled out to pass and the truck in front of me cut me off, then I realized that he was blocking me from passing because the car in front of him was making a left turn right into the path that I would be going. Also when a bus backs up on the street either a passenger or person on the street wave him back and blocks traffic. Most slower cars and trucks will signal you to pass with the left blinker. When passing and you getting to close you give each other the bright lights for a flash this means I see you. If some one impedes the flow of chaos then it is mandatory to use your horn. Also the taxi will honk to get you attention to see if you need a ride. They honk to say hi or if they need more room to pass. There is no silence in the cities. I ask the fruit stands along the way have you seem my amigos. Yes three americanos. No 2 amigo’s yellow motos. Yes so I followed the trail of spectators to the El Salvador border. When I arrived I was meet by they money changers. Not the gong show there was at Mexico Guatemala. This was more laid back. Buddy still lead me from office to office and did the photo copies its kind of fun that was immigration. Then I headed into the El Salvador and some how went vehicle registration point. So I got to the first check stop a few hundred yards they made me turn around. And get a registration for my moto. Two young guys wanted to help me get the paper work done the one said, I can speak English. I said querio aprendar mas espanol. I want to lean more Spanish. so I chose the Spanish speaking kid. I was there I met up with the three Americano’s Wayne 65 Leroy 79 Rufus 70 on their way to Panama these guys ride 35-45 thousand miles a year. Leroy is quite the legend, he had AJ Foyt as a member of his pit crew when he was young and then raced against and beat AJ when he was firs starting out Leroy even had a copy of the news paper clipping to prove it. Coolest old farts you’ll ever see Everything went smooth and I headed into El Salvador very clean and and the smell of more money. The first gas station had a Porsche boxtser and a Mercedes at it. Seems like every day has a ride a little better than the rest this one took me along the Pacific coast towards a town call La Liberdad. The Bahi faith has a bunch of hotels along the way that they run also some spectacular mansions that own massive pieces of ocean front. I got into La Liberdad along the way I thought I heard someone yell I was in traffic and needed gas so I thought I will get gas and head back. As I pulled into the pumps Greg had chased me down. We returned to a nice little Oceanside hotel full of Salvadorians saying were you from Donde Viven. Had supper with the Americano’s good guys life after 50 60 70.

Jan 26th
We set out from Panajachel taking the same road I had came in on two days ago, this drive is so scenic that it is hard to keep your eyes on the road. In Guatemala there are far more people walking down the roads than are driving on them. Everyone seems to have a job that they are doing or going to at less in the Panajacel area. The people walking are always carrying something the women carry new fabrics or laundry. The men carry machetes and large bundles of sticks. The buses are just stuffed with people and they never come to a complete stop you just jump off. This scenic relaxed road turned on to the Pan Am Hwy. It without a dought the best hwy in Guatemala. 3 lanes of traffic but the center lane is for the seriously aggressive driver which most Guats fit into. The truckers wave or signal you by. We took a turn off on to the hwy that leads to Puerto San Jose and found 40 km of brand new 2 lane asphalt to wind it out on, then it was contrast with 40km of gravel. I was really kind of fun you can pass cars on the left or right depending were they are. Just a little dust behind the big trucks. We arrived in San Jose to find black volcanic sand. And tons of basura en La Playa garbage on the beach. We again were immediately escorted to the beach by the chicos. We parked in a little thatched roof garage. Then we walked out on to the beach my partners were a little shocked not what they expected. G&T were ready to head out again right away. I met another resourceful kid Luis who rents Quads on the beach (can’t do that in Canada). I ask him were a good hotel is, he says he can shows us. We are then paraded through the streets of San Jose by Luis on his Quad. We arrive at a very up scale hotel that has armed security guards and military personal armed also. We have grown accustomed to armed guards at banks and stores but this is the first hotel I counted 6 pieces in total. The price was a little rich so Luis found us another that was right on the ocean. All the staff came out and had to look at the bikes. This area of Guatemala has even more moto’s here than anywhere we have seen. You can not believe the agility and balance these people have. I sat for a while out side a store and just watched how people moved it was total chaos but it works. One young fellow along with his girl friend who is riding side saddle with him hit this bump they are both air borne she simply grabs his shirt and returns to her seat on the moto. One other thing I felt again today is how large corporation are plundering & polluting our planet. These people have lived for centuries in the same locations and now with the advent of packaging they are destroying healthy habitat. The farm workers are really no different than sweatshop kids. I watch as the guy cutting the sugar cane covers him self with fire charred soot and sap till he is black from head to toe. He receives 20 Quetzal 4 Bucks a day. He is the guy walking to work or riding with 20 others in the back of a pickup truck. Enough Green Peace. I do not have rack for my spare gas & camp fuel so I Bought these cute brightly colored little knitted bags for carrying water bottles. Tonight after supper “another” George from Guatemala, who works at the hotel in maintenance along with the manager Rudolph ,me and a few tools installed the beautiful bottle racks on my bike. My favourite time is in the evening when I sit down with some locals and laugh. We are going to cross into El Salvador tomorrow it’s supposed to be pretty smooth. Going to a place called La Libertdad again right on the Ocean. Hasta Pronto.