Driving in Nicaragua - No hay problema.

I am going to write about my experience in Esteli, Nicaragua - my stay here, the trip here... everything. After all, I return to Managua tomorrow afternoon.

When I got here last Friday evening, I was fortunate to have Steve Herrick as a guide along the Pan-American Highway.

But before we left Managua, I got pulled over by the police in what appeared to be a normal check. Without hesitation, I responded to the police with a 'Buenos Noches' and handed over the license, registration and my license. There was no problem, we were motioned on. The problem was that when they motioned for us to pull over, we were about to turn right on a small path to where Steve worked. So Steve was trying to explain that we needed to back up and turn right... and the officer, calmly and with a smile, said in Spanish: 'Are you nervous, my friend?'.

Steve wasn't nervous. So we headed back the other way, looped around, and took the first legal U-turn we could find. Having picked up his stuff and run the errand of getting food for some people, we proceeded to the Pan American highway, where I began to scare Steve a little.

The trip was uneventful; the winding roads at night were a joy for me with the car responding well to the gears. Well, there was the small matter of the truck overtaking the motorcycle, causing me to pull off the road... but that's just part of the fun.

The next day, I took Steve back. I didn't have to, but I did - and I didn't regret it, though I think Steve had a mild cardiac arrest along the way. Something about me passing a few vehicles and suddenly seeing a roundabout in front of the first vehicle. Steve's OK, and the return found me at another stop with the Policia. Again, no problem and I returned to Esteli.

Of course, Phil thinks I'm crazy. He doesn't enjoy driving as much as I do. There's only one person I know who does enjoy driving as much as I do, and he has his drive every Sunday to Maracas Bay in Trinidad and Tobago.

For those of you out there who really enjoy driving, get out of the city and head out on the Pan-American toward Esteli from Managua, and lose yourself in the gears. Even the small and sedate looking Toyota Yaris I rented is quite fun, especially in the mountains. If you're not used to mountains, be sure to use gearing more than brakes, and pay attention to the signs. While I didn't encounter any of the animals in the signs (yet), it is worth being cautious.