Going south in better shape, but under police pressure

Sight of two volcanoes on Lago de Nicaragua

On Sunday morning, we entered Managua, were a new type of problems was awaiting us. For the first time since the beginning of the trip, the police and their requests for bribes would become really annoying. In the few days we were in the city, we maybe got stopped 15 times. Carrying foreign plates is a real problem, and you get pulled over immediately as soon as they see you are from out of town. Already in Honduras, we got controlled a lot, but the cops got tired before me when I affected to not understand what they wanted. The only time we had to pay another bribe was in Mexico, when a cop asked us US$5 to buy a chicken. I gave him $2, and he was happy with it. Border crossing were always very transparent and simple, and we never had any questionable request for money, which make me think the situation really improved during the last few years, considering other traveler reports.

Nick and Nakor

In Managua, most of the time, we were able to get them out of our back, but it was really stressful at the end, enough to try to avoid the city if you don’t have anything specific to do there.  Eventually, while leaving the city, I had to pay US$15 when they threatened to keep my driving license for three days.
But of course, we really needed our part, so there was no other choice than staying in the city. Sunday, on the third time we got stopped, and as the policeman was getting ready to give us a ticket for some imaginary infraction, a local guy stopped to help us out. As soon as he did, the police asked us to leave immediately, as the situation become less manageable when more people begin to argue.
Nakor, who will become our Managua connection, was curious about our trip and the reasons we were passing through the city. As soon as he knew about our car troubles, he offered to help, first by providing a place we could camp, and then by locating the part and a local guy who could put it on the truck.
We relaxed until the end of the day, cooked and slept, and at 8 the day after, we started looking for the axle housing. We managed to find a used one, but before to buy, decided to check out the price of a new one. Surprisingly enough, the price was the same, so we decided to go with the new one. After that, we went to drop the part at Nakor’s friend.

Mario, Nakor's friend, and his staff

He told us he could put the axle in the day after, which would only take him a day of work if we came at 7 a.m. We did, and at 10 p.m. Tuesday, we were ready to go. After a last night in Managua and some work on the car in the morning, we were on our way south, and went looking for a beach we could spend at least two days to celebrate the new year.

The beach

On our way down, we stopped at the main Nicaragua Lake, and enjoyed the sight of the volcanoes on Ometepe Island, in the middle of the salty lake. As the salt level was low, we decided to take advantage of it to clean up a bit. Half an hour after, we met people on the beach who offered to show us the way to a spot where we could camp on the beach, close to San Juan del Sur. It was perfect for us, as we wanted to avoid the very touristic town. 30 miles later, we found the perfect location north of the city.

The dusty trail leading to the beach

For few dollars, we got access to a small campground on the sand, with access to water, a shower and toilets. No Internet access unfortunately, which explain this late blog entry. We decided to stay two days, but eventually were there for three.

The Swiss team chose a Land Rover to go across the Americas

There were few travelers on the beach, including a Swiss couple driving through central and South America with a land rover. Most people were on the road for a long time. Few months, or few years. Everybody was happy to have found each other, and even me, usually looking forward to more quiet time, was happy to have company for New Year’s Eve. It was a long time we didn’t speak English and we could exchange travel experience and tips.
The seawater was warm there, and waves were big, attracting many surfers. On January 2, we would leave the beach and go south again, pass the Costa Rica border, and reach Tamarindo.

Mathilda beach campground

New year on the beach

We left a month-and-an-half ago, and covered 5,000 miles since New York. The last two weeks have been stressful with the car troubles, but we were able to get out of the first tricky situation. I know there will be more difficult time ahead, but hopefully, luck will be on my side. Happy new year to everybody in New York and Paris, happy new year to you all who are following our adventures, and happy, happy new year to all the people who helped us since we started this trip.

Mathilda beach