Across Nicaragua and Into Costa Rica: A Day of Wind, Water, & Wheels

Day 29 Pines 2 Patagonia log

Managua, Nicaragua

To

Puntarenas, Costa Rica

The ride across Nicaragua was beautiful. The landscapes were diverse and continued to change as we went South.

We went through several small towns where it appeared life was much more simplified. Horse drawn carriages in the streets, kids riding bikes and kicking soccer balls in the park. Families gathered for a meal after Church. It was very refreshing to see this way of life again after spending some nights in the bigger cities.

Further down the road, the ranches and lakesides of Lago Cocibolca were lined with nearly a hundred large power generating windmills and we again found ourselves riding at a 10-12 degree angle to attempt to stay in the lane. The lake was much larger than we had expected and the swells were a solid 2-1/2’ to 3’ tall and covering every inch of the surface.

We made it to the Costa Rica border crossing in Beña Blanca around 11:30 that morning and began standing in lines again. The process is beginning to feel familiar to us all. Annoyingly inefficient and confusing, but familiar nonetheless.

After 4.5 hours we were out of Nicaragua and in Costa Rica. We are not sure why, but Costa Rica just felt different. Maybe it seemed more South American than the previous countries had or maybe it just sounds more exotic. Either way we were excited to be there. A few clicks down the road we found a small cantina and enjoyed our first meal in CR.

After some chow we headed down the road to Puntarenas. We will be staying here for 2 nights and recharging after slamming through several counties in just a few days. We checked into our beach front accommodations and headed for the water. It was a very clear night and the water temp was perfect. Getting in the ocean is the best way to close out a day of border crossings and hard riding.