Travel to Nicaragua

Saturday 12 November was a long day. Staying at the Premier Inn at Heathrow, I was up at 5:15 to get the bus and thereafter two AA planes to Miami and Managua. With a predisposition against US airlines and not having flown by AA before, I was pleasantly surprised by the flights. Both busy but service and food was good. We had lovely doughy individual pizzas before landing in Miami.

I'd never been through Miami Airport before but it´s new and pretty impressive. US Immigration must have been investing money in the number of Immigration Desks, and particularly, in Customer Service courses, as things were quick and smooth. Mind you this is off-season, and the procedures of having four fingers of both hands and thumbs plus face photographed will cause big delays at peak time. Still, the need to pick up your bag, trail it through Customs and then, apparently randomly, pass it under a tape to some guys to put on another carousel, doesn´t seem so efficient. The bag of one of our group went missing here: she got it 2 days later minus all her jewellery etc.

Got out of Managua Airport by 8:50pm and into the hotel Patio del Maninche by 10pm: This was 4am UK time so everyone was exhausted. The group is 16 strong, with 2 Aussies, 1 Canadian woman and 13 Brits. Aside from myself, there was a semi-retired dentist and his wife (of Polish origin) in their 60s, who had been on 15 Exodus trips, their favourite being the Galapagos Islands; 8, I'm guessing in their 40s, including two couples; 4 in their 30s, including one couple; and finally an English Exodus rep based in San Francisco aged 27.

We´re in the Patio del Malinche for two nights. Rooms are plainly furnished with air con and fan, and a good shower. Above average from my experiences I would say. Breakfast was brilliant: muesli with yogurt, fruit of many varieties I can´t remember eating before, and toast and mango jam.

Not sure if and how I´m going to write this blog. The leader is an American who now lives with his family in Costa Rica and is now full-time during the season; and one of his colleagues has written extensive notes on the planned trip day by day. So I could write this up any time. Instead I´ll maybe write in a thematic manner. It´s different to New Zealand but I´ll try and make it interesting.

This computer has free access for guests. It´s located in the central open area of the hotel planted with trees and flowers. It´s 6:30pm and there are few bugs around but only marginally irritating. Temperature must be about 28C and pretty humid.

Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama Trip Details

Here are a few trip details so that you can see where I'm going over the next 16 days.

I'm staying near Heathrow Airport on the evening of 12 November; and fly to Miami, departure 09:45, with a transfer onto a flight to Managua in Nicaragua, scheduled arrival time 20:30 on Saturday 13 November ( the time change is -6 hours, so that is 14:30 UK time); with a two hour bus transfer on to to Granada (Day 1).

We travel down the Pacific coast, over the border into Costa Rica on Day 5. The cycling in Costa Rica takes us close to the active Arenal Volcano as we ride through jungle and rural areas to the tropical lowlands on the Caribbean coast at Cahuita.

We move into Panama on Day 10 with some longer days cycling as we switch coasts again towards Santiago and then on to the Panama Canal and Panama City. We depart Panama City on the afternoon of Saturday 27 November at 14:00, transferring again at Miami for a 20:35 flight to London. Finally I am due to get a 15:00 flight on Sunday 28 November to Glasgow.

All international flights are American Airlines. Just a small detail for travellers: our American friends now require visas even for transit passengers. A new level of security checking. You can apply electronically, cost $14; lasts for 2 years.

Travels in Central America, 12-28 November 2010

Hello folks,

This is my first post since New Zealand & Australia at the start of 2010, and my first overseas trip except for work-related visits to Switzerland and Ireland. Unlike the Australasian travels, I am going to Central America as part of a group cycling holiday with the travel company Exodus.

It's my 5th overseas trip with Exodus, others being to Mali (Timbuctou, trekking etc, 2005); two to Morocco (ascent of Mount Toubkal, and Atlas Descent mountain biking, both 2007); and the Pyrenees (Pyrenees Single Track mountain biking, 2008).

The other travel company I have been on international walking holidays with is Ramblers Holidays to 6 locations (Mallorca, 1998; Las Alpujarras, Spain, 1999; Francavilla, Sicily, 1999/2000 millennium; Ligurian Alps, 2001; Andalucia, Spain, 2002; and Madeira, 2005/06 Xmas/New Year). Despite it's rather unfortunate brand name - when I first went with this company, my son commented 'when I think of Ramblers, I think of old guys like you with Rohan trousers'! - I've had some good walking and usually nice company.

As these are UK-based companies, most of the people are British, especially with Ramblers, where the age profile is older too. The Exodus mountain biking holidays in particular attract largely the 30-somethings age group. As with all these activity holidays, you can choose the grade you wish, although as I've found the grades are not always consistent! This can have interesting consequences as with my Pyrenees mountain biking where I went over the handlebars on the first morning, and then came off again when I skidded on some stream water on the same afternoon! Decidedly bloodied, but mostly unbowed, I got better! I still went over the handlebars a second time later in the week, and I was at the limit of my mountain biking 'expertise', but I enjoyed it a lot.

Anyhow in anticipation of going cycling in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama, I thought it might be interesting to provide a few observations on the pros and cons of group holidays in case any readers are thinking of signing up. So here goes...obviously group holiday are are less flexible; some group leaders may permit people to do their own thing at particular times (such as going up a mountain which is outside the holiday grade - at one's own risk of course), but this is not the norm. For many people the fact of having no responsibility is a major plus point for group holidays, and basically it depends what one wants. Independent travelling has its limitations when there are language barriers or safety problems exist; and in some instances governments may not permit solo hiking as with the Inca Trail trek in Peru or where it's physically hardly possible to travel alone (the Manu Biosphere Reserve in the Amazon region falls into that category)

Outside these obvious points, there are a number of factors which determine the degree of enjoyment in group holidays (the actual holiday locations and activities have all been great, at least matching my expectations so I won't say any more about these issues):

• Organization and logistics: All good. Flights and transportation were efficiently organized with people being met at the airport by the group leaders. The Ramblers trips were hotel based (2 star- ish) in one location, with day hill walking (except Madeira which had two centres over a 14 day period, the others being typically 8 days in length). The Pyrenees mountain biking with Exodus was based in a chalet; otherwise these Exodus trips involved trekking in whole or part (with camping / hutting on occasions) or mountain biking in the Anti-Atlas region where we stayed in hotels. I always have a single room in the small hotels even though the additional cost can be quite high.
• Group leader: The leader clearly plays a major part in the success of the trips. Mostly these were Brits, except in the case of Mali and Mount Toubkal where the leaders were locals, and the Pyrenees, where there is a French requirement to have a local as well as a British guide. There were one or two slight difficulties with Ramblers who may have trained volunteers as leaders, who weren't always so fluent in the local language or didn't really know the routes very well. In fairness I would say that some routes in Mallorca had been blocked off by land owners, associated with the big growth in German holiday home ownership. The best leaders were those who were efficient and friendly, but not over-friendly (I can think of one who seemed to be more interested in the women in the party than in guiding!). It's not an easy job though, given the personalities of the group members!
• Group profile: I talked a bit about the group age and nationality profiles above. From my perspective as a single and 'older' person, other factors influencing the success of trips were the mix of single/married people (sometimes the latter tend to stick together somewhat); age range didn't bother me despite being the oldest by far on the mountain biking trips; and nationality mix. I would say I prefer a range of nationalities since it makes for more interesting discussions. On Ramblers holidays, all-British groups wasn't an issue on the short trips, where conversation revolves around who has been where, when and associated anecdotes. But anything longer than a week or so means that conversations begin to get into potentially contentious topics. I have to confess my problem with the 'Middle Englanders' (they may not be English-they could be Scottish or Welsh!) and their illiberal / socially conservative views on immigration, gay rights, hanging and so on, and readership of you know what newspaper(s). So there are conversation topics to avoid, let's say.

In my New Zealand blog, I mentioned my favourite locations and I'll do the same for my group trips, although I'm loathe to rank them since they were very different:

1. Atlas Descent-my first mountain biking with superb mountain scenery, and landscapes shimmering in the midday heat; pretty (albeit poor) little villages with bleating, bell-jangling goat herds. And we had a really great leader - Liz Proctor. It was graded higher than the Pyrenees trip but I think Liz altered routes to match group skills. The finale was amazing: a long downhill ride to the ocean.
2. Francavilla, Sicily. This village resides above Beautiful Taormina with rugged landscapes and hill walking that included a partial climb of Mount Etna (we were forced back because of deep snow and volcanic activity). It was almost bound to be a hit because of the millennium. The group was great and we had a lot of fun. On New Year's Day there was a sinister atmosphere pervading the town centre - fires burning, gnarled old Sicilian men in dark shabby suits, grey day...Welcome to the new millennium.
3. Mali (Timbuctou and the Dogons): I've been fascinated by Timbuctou since I was a child and always wanted to go there as it seemed so remote and romantic. I went with my friends Richard and Susan Shaw and Sue's friend Alex. The route went via the capital Bamako and along the River Niger, with some trekking and camping in the Dogons and thence on to Timbuctou by mini bus. Timbuctou, once a major centre for Islamic learning, is now being taken over by sand, as desertification sweeps inexorably southwards. It may not exist 50 years from now. The main street was 25-30 cms deep in sand, there was sand in the hot, humid wind, and sand in our bread rolls. The Tuareg looked menacing and hostile (and still have women slaves). I was pretty sick (like Richard too) and still I loved it.
4. Now that I've identified the above three, I feel I shouldn't have done this. It means I've omitted the Ligurian Alps where we stayed in a quaint rustic village. The group was great and danced a lot, and we had stimulating conversations and ate homely Italian food.

In truth I've enjoyed everywhere. Just be positive and adaptive, and don't get involved in petty issues like how much the group should tip etc. And now to Central America!