Border Crossing 2&3

After a cool night on the hill we rolled into the city of Esteli, the last town of any real size before the border, to get into some admin so we we're ready for the next push.

Dropped all our laundry, got a cheese heavy breakfast and mooched the town. A bustling mountain market town, but a very relaxed pace and super friendly locals. Went to a waterfall swimming hole to escape the heat of the afternoon and lounged around in the peace of the water and trees. Back to the town square for people watching as the sun went down and a takeaway pizza back at our camp at the parking lot of a family park on the edge of the city in friendly neighbourhood.

In the morning we got a fancy coffee and sussed the up coming border crossing, got a pile of photocopies of our documents ready for checkpoints, did a drive by the laundrette and skipped town. A town that we had a surprising like for. Such a nice contrast of busy but relaxed and friendly, chatty folk about, we felt very welcome and to be at altitude the furious heat was dulled to a manageable temperature. So we moved on satisfied and even had the local chief of the 4x4 club give a listen to the engine and strap down our battery ready to ride.

We continued north to a National Reserve only 20mins from Honduras, called Somoto Canyon. A small river but deep canyon cut into the yellow and orange rock, perfect blue waters, swimming holes and eagles soaring. We camped at the end of the road on a family farm, sharing with donkeys and all. That afternoon we hiked to the top of the canyon ridge to glimpse at Honduras, the fantastic mountain range we were in and the river carving its way. It was a beautiful clear night and rumours of a meteor shower, we spent the evening sitting out under a cloudless sky watching shooter after shooter, toasting whiskey to Nica, enjoying the freshness of the air. I stopped counting shooting stars after 15 but easily saw well over 40 of all shapes and sizes!

The next day we swam the canyon. A 20min hike up stream, followed by a half hour swim then rock scramble into the depths of the river, high sheer cliff faces either side. A full adventure into one of the country's national monuments but we turned back when we saw the red/black/white striped snake on the eaters edge and dead bird, both as bad omens! And retraced our steps back to camp. In the afternoon we moved river spots down stream to a place where the water was wider and we could park up on the river side. Hanging out all afternoon, swimming and chilling at this local wild spot. We washed Franky down to the amusement of the young lads also there and gave him a clear out ready for a few days transit.

The night was spent on the road side along with noisy cockerels and howling hounds. We'd parked up where our river track met the highway because we had a big day ahead, but the combination of noise and excitement meant very little sleep! Up at 4am we got to the first border in great time, a crisp starry morning. At such an early hour of the day we had no hustlers and no queues of people but still a wild goose chase for the three officials we needed. One window to the next trying to find the customs guy, find the forms to fill in, find the policeman in his unsigned hut, sign form, back to customs, sign form, immigration, stamp stamp, friendly currency exchange with a sleepy guy holding wads of cash, go to leave, stopped, vehicle inspection with excited dog. Done! Out of Nicaragua...

Cross into Honduras and beat two coaches in so we ended up front of the line and first in the country. Either we had woken up a little or it seemed there was more order this side. We go to customs, hand over our docs, he says come back at the end and it'll be done, so medical check, immigration, stamp stamp, back to customs and he's ready for us, pay entrance fee, wish everyone a Merry Christmas and we're away. Sun coming up from Nica in the distance over the hills and the day had broken beautifully, we were bang on time. A queue of trucks had blocked the road so we jumped the kerb

outside the officials office, scooted and tooted our way to the final checkpoint, one extra documents to photocopy and done! Out of one, into another, good morning Honduras.

With the sun rising behind us we left the mountains on a very bad road and a few pot holes hit but gorgeous views over the land ahead and islands in the gulf. We bypassed the first town to pull into the nicest service station we had seen all trip and took advantage of good toilets, hot coffee and fresh(ish) breakfasts before continuing the days slog. Our aim was to be at the El Salvador frontier by about 9am as we had heard it was chaos on the Honduran side. It felt like we were cheating by driving straight though the country but from what we had heard it was the best option. Before we left for the trip we thought it was only possible to transit through anyway, we learnt otherwise but the country worth seeing was all to the north, mountains, Mayan history and the Caribbean coast, but to the south where we were it was a drug runners haven in the gulf and on the coast, plantation and poverty in the lowlands, no camping and lots of robbery, so for now we skipped through.

We pulled up to the border around 9.30am as the heat was setting

in but the chaos not so bad. Just a 100m long queue for now, it took time but we got into the immigration building at 11am just as tensions and temperatures outside were rising but again staff were great and customs was also inside so once we were in it was swift. Back to Franky, across the no man's land bridge to pull up at the El Sal immigration window, a quick stamp stamp and away, one last stop but as for customs we couldn't find it! In the end we were sent down the road which seemed strange but after 5mins of driving a huge roundabout directed us into the huge new truck stop customs building. Again, great staff, super speedy and efficient and a nice Kiwi to chat with while we waited. And that was that, borders done and after a brief lunch of leftovers and bottle of fizzy pop we were in El Salvador with the police smiling and waving us through the last checkpoint as we cheered our way into the country, much to their approval! An awesome team effort and damn good turn around... to the hills!