Introduction & Theme 1: Cycling in Central America

My post from Managua was as it turned out the only one I could manage while I was in this region. Hotels often had internet access but no computers and we were hardly ever in towns, plus in Nicaragua and Costa Rica I struggled with the keyboards (!). So I'm writing now from my notes. But first I wanted to add another observation to my list of disadvantages of group travel. I found that I had rather little time to myself, and also little integration with local people and cultures because these interactions (for example, dealing with Customs & Immigration, which in fairness would have been a nightmare especially at the Nicaragua / Costa Rica border) were handled by the Trip Leader.

The attraction of this trip to me, when I was thinking of booking, was its variety, so writing in a thematic way is quite appropriate. Cycling was, of course, the central purpose and so I'm going to write about this first. I would describe this activity as 'designer cycle touring' (remember 'designer backpacking' in New Zealand). Bikes were Cannondale hard tail mountain bikes with semi-slick tyres, appropriate for the mix of terrains. Most of the cycling was on minor tarmac roads but potholes were a constant threat, and there were some tracks and rutted unpaved roads.

Most of the group were active cyclists, and a number were much more serious than myself which showed in their stamina and power, especially on long, flat sections - but (as with my walking experiences) some of the Southerners weren't so good on the uphills. Cycling gear was well in evidence-tops, shoes, shorts etc (by comparison I simply wear hill-walking stuff except for cycling shorts with their padded inserts).

We had a mini bus for the entire trip with an impressive roof rack that carried our 19 bikes. It also had a container at the back with water, fruits & snacks plus repair equipment for the bikes. Aside from Rob the leader who cycled, we had two Costa Rican cyclists/mechanics (Paul and Randall) and a Costa Rican driver Luis. Paul and Randall were brilliant mechanics as there were quite a lot of punctures plus broken chains, and my derailleur which broke when I ran into Mary who came off in front of me. Later in the trip we lost Rob who went back to his family in the US for Thanksgiving and was replaced by non-cycling Kevin (which didn't go down so well with the group), and Paul who had to quit because of a throat infection.

In total I cycled 275 miles at an average speed of 11.6mph. Doesn't sound much I suppose. We cycled on 11 days but mileages were very short on some days; I opted out of one day to go to the rain forest, and another was effectively washed out by torrential rain. Maximum downhill speed was 40mph - one or two people got up to >45mph but I braked as soon as as got to 40 in case of potholes. Most of the cycling was in the mornings as it got very hot and humid after lunch, and I have memories of reaching some restaurant lunch stops, really enervated and absolutely lathered in sweat. As the days went on the interior of the bus really stank!

The longest cycling were Days 7 & 13. The former involved 43 miles from Hotel Tilawa (near Tilaran) to La Fortuna, a developing (but currently shabby) tourist town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. Basically we cycled around the north side of Lake Arenal towards the beautifully symmetrical, cone-shaped and very active Arenal volcano. This was a lovely cycle through lush agricultural land and dense rain forest. The rolling countryside meant numerous albeit generally short uphills and made it pretty hard going in the heat. I definitely had 'lead legs' and had to push myself hard for the last few miles before lunch. Stayed at the Hotel San Bosco near the beach in La Fortuna: I was looking forward to swimming in the Pacific Ocean at sunset, but the sight of two sewers was somewhat offputting, and I ended up dipping my toes in the water.

Day 8 also involved 43 miles cycling in Panama from Santiago to the Pan American Highway some distance from Panama City. After an uphill section at first, the route was mainly flat through rolling countryside (a bit like southern England). It was hot but I felt great and really enjoyed this.

Other interesting days involved cycling to/from country borders where one really got close to people, long lines of trucks, and scruffy border posts; crossing and re-crossing the Continental Divide; and Day 9 when the formal cycling was cancelled as I mentioned above. Leaving La Fortuna on this ninth day, we crossed Costa Rica to its Northern Caribbean coast, where we stayed at the lovely Hotel Atlantida, near Cahuita, amongst beautiful tropical gardens right by the beach. The rain had more or less petered out and a few of us went out for some offroad cycling on the rough track running parallel to the palm-fringed, totally empty beach. Named Black Beach, it looked to me have pristine white sand. Undeveloped at present, this will undoubtedly be a tourist haven in years to come. At present the most distinctive features were the small palm-leaved huts with reggae bars and little dwellings; and the area itself is Afro-Caribbean, with English spoken in a Jamaican dialect, lots of 'hey man', dreadlocks and a very laid-back, friendly atmosphere. Cycling along, the track became increasing indistinct and muddy with no possible access for cars, and little 'bridges' over creeks which eventually led to a tree-trunk bridge that was impossible for bikes too. This was about the only occasion where bugs were a slight nuisance. Still it was a great end to a day mostly stuck in the bus. My personal finale was to go for a little swim in the sea, although I didn't stay long as it was getting dark and there was a noticeable undercurrent.

So this is just a flavour of the cycling which itself characterises the variety of this overall journey. The scenery encompassed banana plantations on the Caribbean coast, the rugged, tree covered mountains of the Continental Divide; the volcanoes particularly in Nicaragua and the huge Lake Nicaragua; rain forests; and lakeside and coastal vistas.