note: this post was written by patrik. mileage (dates) range from 151,699 (06/11/09 at 8:30am) to 152,520 (06/16/09 at 3:30pm). gps point is a bit west of the nicaraguan airport (patrik’s departure). pictures will follow soon hopefully. enjoy the post….it’s definitely the best written one so far:
Having just returned to Berkeley after riding along with Beto for a week, I wanted to say a few words about the Sentra experience from a passenger point of view.
First off, traveling through central america by car is quite different from going by bus. When going by bus, you miss out on adventures such as fixing a starter motor, or repairing a tire. You don’t experience the slight difference in the police checkpoints from country to country: do they care about your papers, your fire extinguisher, or do they just want to take your money? What about running into giant potholes, or almost hitting some pigs or cows on the road? While it may seem like such experiences are best avoided altogether, they make for some of the more interesting memories and stories, and become an integral part of the trip.
It will be a while before I forget the expression on the face of the police officer in Honduras after Beto produced a warning triangle, spare tire, and fire extinguisher when asked. I was impressed myself on more than one occasion by how prepared he is. Three spare tires, two car jacks, two flashlights, two driver’s licences, not to mention the jerrycans and the gps unit. The timelapse camera is a great idea, the hidden compartments in the doors filled with granola bars and other things add a nice touch, and the kill switch preventing unauthorized persons from starting the car even with a key completes the picture.
Thinking back, we went to a lot of places in those few days. Some of my favorite moments on the trip include watching fireflies and chatting with peace corps volunteers by a lagoon near Alegria, and later watching thunderstorms from afar near the top of a mountain. I enjoyed fixing the car in santa ana, the food fair in Juayua, walking through the university campus in Leon, and our failed attempt to drive on dirt roads to the back entrance of parque el imposible. I was amazed by the intensity with which people in El Salvador described the flavor and depth of their coffee; they’d give any wine grower in Napa or Barossa a run for their money. The ghostly deserted Area Monumental in Managua was a surreal experience. I never got tired of seeing volcanoes pop up ever so often along the road, and Granada was beautiful yet a tad touristy.
Overall, the trip was a great experience, and I’d like to thank Beto again for the ride. If anyone reading this is thinking of taking a week of your time to go join him, I highly encourage it. You won’t regret it.