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.