Ride to Managua, the Big City – 20220812

Today I got up in Sebica and left around 11 am. It was a pretty nice and easy ride to Managua except that I didn’t have the helmet plastic or the sunglasses that could block the dust. So I teared up and blinked through dusty eyes the whole way.

I arrived around noon and are the best pollo asado I’ve ever had in my life and then headed to my airbnb.

I took a nap and then went to go eat and to the supermarket where I bought some fruits, yogurt, and wine. I need a few days of just rest and no driving and near death experiences.

Drive from Maciza de Penas Blancas to San Isidro – 20220810

I started the morning eating breakfast with the group I met yesterday. The coffee is so good. They make it themselves here. Straight from the backyard to your cup.

I said goodbye to the others and packed my things. It was raining a bit and I waited a tiny bit. I decided to just go in the rain as there is just no end to the rain here. I don’t understand how it’s possible.

It quickly got nicer though and pretty much the whole day was sunny and I really enjoyed the ride.

I stopped at Cascada Blanca on the way to San Isidro. I was honestly just exhausted, semi-sick, and wanted to grab a coke at the restaurant on the side of the road, but it ended up being an amazing place to walk down, see a gorgeous waterfall, and go for a quick swim.

The road was great and especially the last stretch to San Isidro is just a perfectly straight and fast road next to gorgeously green rice paddies.

Another Day at Finca Don Chico in Penas Blancas – 20220809

I decided to stay an extra night here in Penas Blancas because it was just too nice to pass up.

I got up and ate breakfast with the family I met the night before. My plan was to do a long hike and after much confusion I finally went on my own with some oral instructions from Don Chico. I hiked down the cow pasture to the edge of the woods where I found the path that would start climbing up.

It very well may have been my favorite hike I’ve ever been on. The greenery was unbelievable. There were some majorly sketchy parts of the hike. One where I basically had to shimmy next to a tree while holding onto branches to not fall hundreds of feet below.

Somehow for most of the hike it didn’t rain much. The entire rest of the day it would pour every 10 minutes. It’s really unreal how much it rains here.

The hike went up to a waterfall and then I followed the ridge along to try to get to the top of a mountain. I had some amazing views on the way of just sheer dropoffs.

I couldn’t quite make it to what I assumed was the end but it was probably for the best as I kept getting lost. I tracked the hike on my phone though so kept walking back to intercept the drawn line on my map. I headed back down where I would rest a little bit at the cabin unable to think as the rain pummeled the roof every 10 minutes.

Tomorrow I will start the journey towards Managua. I’m not sure where I will go yet tomorrow but I’ll stop somewhere on the way.