After my slightly uncomfortable night in Danli I got up early ready to head for Nicaragua.
At the bus station (which are crowded, frantic, noisy and a tad dodgy in general !) I asked for the bus to Las Manos, I vaguely understood that I had to get a bus first to El Paraiso and then change. Ok then.
Arrived El Paraiso and jumped straight on a bus to the border.
Since leaving San Pedro Sula I havenīt seen a single other gringo face which I suppose goes someway to explaining the reaction of the Hondurans to me. Somewhat cold.
At the border the bus stopped and I took the walk to the immigration offices of both Honduras and Nicaragua. Iīve been looking forward to Nicaragua for a long time. At last Iīm here, I donīt think Iīm going to be disappointed, the Honduras official stamped my passport and didnīt say a word. At the Nicaraguan side the guy was pleasant, as I started to walk away from the office into Nicaragua I was scanning my passport to see my new stamp, I stopped, couldīt find one ... a guy from the office came over and explained that if I was looking for my stamp I wouldnīt find one, they only stamp on the way out. He smiled - Welcome to Nicaragua, goodbye Honduras !!
There was another bus waiting at the border and I jumped on that one which took me to Ocotal and from there I had to get another bus here to Esteli. That was a journey ..... I found myself squeezed at the back in the luggage area sat on a bag of onions or some such vegetable, with ..... yep, 2 real live chickens in a cardboard box with airholes cut out - the chickens spent the journey either on my knees or on my feet. Then we had a puncture, the spare tyre was in such a state you could see the metal through the rubber and certainly no tread to speak of. I think I had the classic Central America bus journey experience !
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