Week 115: to Choluteca: country bagging

June 14, 2017

Country bagging is what some people call jumping in and out of a country and saying that "you've been there". Well, that's what we are doing today. It will be a short visit to Honduras.

"Are you a guide?" Patrick asks the man cycling along with us. "Yes, and this is my house," he answers, then turns off. There are signs for the Somoto Canyon National Monument. He was offering his services to tour the canyon and with more time we might have considered doing this.

We have our usual breakfast of fruit, cereal,and yogurt and leave the hotel and "the town with no water." The first 10km are gradual up and down, then the next 20km up to the border were tougher today. The border crossing was rather sedate. There is no official exit stamp leaving Nicaragua, the 90 days on entry is for the region: Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala. We did have to pay $1 for a municipal tax. While Patrick checks the process, Rachel is interviewed by a girl from Ecuador taking information about tourism in Nicaragua writing the answers on a paper sheet. There is a $2 each fee to leave Nicaragua. There were armed military watching. Finally, before setting off, the ritual of exchanging old currency for the new currency. This has gone away in many border crossings, but at least here there is one guy.

We cycle just a couple hundred meters to the Honduras immigration post. Here we are fingerprinted, photographed and we pay $3 each entry fee and just like that, we are in another country. What we think is another passport check is a Honduran lady also taking a tourist survey using a tablet, though her questions are just about nationality and age.

From the border, we still have 20km of climbing. Just past the border we see 4 armed military, 3 stop a pickup truck, we think to inspect, but no, they hopped in the back just wanting a ride. There's very little traffic and the shoulder good, except for when the plants take over. Almost to the top of the climb we stop at a shop for a cold drink. Then reaching the top we have a glorious 20 km downhill, a great ride, just not good for pictures. After the long struggle up to have a free ride makes it hard to stop.

As we descend, the temperature rises, the three days respite of cooler temps in the highlands was nice. The last bit into town had only a few bumps. We find the Pacifico Hotel mentioned by Andy Peat in his blog "Going South". A basic room, AC, WiFi and most importantly water, at least for the shower, though not potable. Rachel filtered water in the evening. The town has all the options for Western fast-food except the Golden Arches so we opted for Wendy's for lunch.

"I cannot find the cause of the leak" Patrick says. He has had a slow leak in his front tire for days and since he cannot find the little wire that is probably causing it has decided to replace the tire with the spare. As he pumps air into the tube suddenly the tire pops off the rim bead. Disaster! The rim has been worn down by the brake pads over the last 33,000 kilometers and has gotten too thin. The increased tire pressure got to be too much for the rim, the wall bent-out and the tire pops off. Fortunately the rim has not split, but it is too weak now to hold a pressurized tire. Patrick walks down the street and finds a garage and a pair of pliers to bend the rim back in shape with the tire at low pressure we can ride, but something needs to be done soon.

A long climb takes us towards the Honduras border.

At the Nicaragua immigration. After paying our fees we exchange the last of our Cordobas for Lepiras.

Honduras immigration building. Not sure what 1945 signifies.

At the Honduras immigration. This is country number 40 on this trip, but we will not stay long.

Taking a lunch break after some miles in Honduras. For some reason today is tough for both of us.

Recycling plastic bottles. Not sure if they already had them here, or whether they have been collecting the bottles from the roadside. We add one to the pile.

Pothole demarcation. Good luck in the dark.

Car tire yard decoration. Rachel wants one, but it is too heavy to carry.

Another lunch break and some cold drinks. The roosters are after scraps.

Honduras license plate. "take care of the woods".

We lose about a thousand vertical meters descending down to the coastal plains. It gets hot again.

Handicap ramp at a Wendy's in Chocuteca. "Not sure, I don't have a smart-level, but is seems a little steep," Patrick, the architect, says.

Today's ride: 88 km (55 miles)
Total: 33,255 km (20,651 miles)

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