Tuesday 17th June 2025 Rivas to Managua
Chris Pidcock All the very best mate, thinking of you. Once a Yorkshire man always one, but very welcome to the Garden of England, true god’s country. Stay in there mate, total respect.

Bingo and Gringo, currently in the wilds of Nicaragua.
After the walk around Rivas and sampling a few of the bars, watched a bit of rounders on the TV, not sure what was going on, it looked like a load of blokes in their pajamas playing rounders, then back to the restaurant for another meal, got to keep the fires burning. Also booked in for breakfast in the morning at 6, so another lay in, right proper holiday now.

Get all the bikes ready, before we enter the restaurant, then the lovely lady says sorry breakfast not until 7?, little chat, tried a smile, that did not even work, maybe I do need a haircut, it never usually fails, though managed to get two coffees, filled them up with sugar, that will do for breakfast, well it will have to.

Off we go, straight through the little town of Rivas, just as the lads and lasses are off to work, feels great being on holiday, as soon as we our out of the town, back into the tree lined avenues, pretty flat to start with, then a little incline we think. Heading to a pretty big city Managua [It’s the capital city of Nicaragua: Ed] on the banks of another lake “Lago Xolotian” nothing booked just see how we go, first part of the morning is very nice, before the sun rises, by 9ish it is very hot and the sugar ladened coffee has worn off, so we pull over to a roadside shack Comedor San Roquito, coffee, with loads of sugar, soft drink and breakfast, couple of fried eggs, chapati thing (I know they are from India, but that’s what it looked like and tasted like) Bingo also had the sausage and mine, not much to fuel these toned athletes.

On we push still lovely green tree lined roads, every now and again you hear a shriek, then we got lucky, managed to spot a tribe of monkeys swinging in the trees, loved it, stopped on the side of the road for ages watching them. The little incline is getting a bit steeper now, we knew it ramped up a bit, for about 20 miles, nothing serious, just know you are going uphill, getting very hot now, quick little ice cream break in a fly infested petrol station so did not stay there long. Just carry on pedalling, taking in the brilliant scenery, now the sun is really breaking through, be carful what you wish for, as the sweat is dripping of us, have a little chat, we both fancy a drink again, but want to go inside, find a little shop in Jinotepe , just like the little Co-op, or Tricky Trevs whatever its called now, make ourselves at home on two plastic chairs in the middle of the shop, in fact it was nice, very cool with a fan and air conditioning so spoilt, another ice cream and soft drink more importantly relax

Sure we was only in there half an hour, weather had completely changed when we came out, dark clouds hanging and light drizzle, Bingo the weather man did not predict this, within 10 minutes it was a full blown tropical storm, fork lightning dazzling us and the loudest claps of thunder I have ever heard, rain pelting down, on we pedalled, to be honest the lighting bit was a bit leary, but did not fancy just stopping, so pedalled through it. Torrents of water cascading down the hill, sometimes it way over the pedals, but these lads from Sunshine Corner can handle it, all the motorbikes were pulling off the road, had a chat basically do you want to stop, Bingo said not keen on the lightning, but would rather carry on, I totally agreed, so on we went. The rain and the thunderstorm not letting up, just as we come over the brow of a little hill, petrol station on the right, so we take a bit of cover in there, its packed with motorcyclists, so stand in the corner with a hot cup of coffee, check the maps, bit easier in the dry, reckon there is a restaurant about 3 miles up the road, lets go for it. Turned up in the restaurant only us two drowned rats, little old lady with all the charisma of a French waitress (none), don’t think she liked us dripping water over her pristine floor, managed to get the order and a few beers. I think she then realised we were on bikes, eventually she even managed to crack a smile, a nice meal though and a few little beers, made us both feel better.

Only a couple of miles to the end of the little climb, then a nice roll into Managua, Bingo managed to book a hostel, while I was trying to get a smile out of Giovanny, the scary waitress. For once it was a glorious roll in, as soon as we came off the hills, the weather cleared, back to the sun, lovely. Straight into the basic hostel, really not going to do much tonight, get out of the wet cycling gear, wash and dry as best we can, then eat again. All booked in the hostel, a few beers and relax, when the chores have been done.