It ’ s almost as if they asked us to open everything as a formality with no intention to look through everything . Relieved we closed everything and a little while later we rode straight into Nicaragua .
Our first stop in Nicaragua was the city of Esteli which lies directly on the Pan-American Highway . It was mostly a convenience stop for us as it ’ s less than a two-hour ride from the border . We found it to be quite charming . It is surrounded by mountains and seems to be a popular base to explore the surrounding nature or visit coffee plantations or cigar factories . For us , it provided a perfect base to relax after a long day . We checked into a hotel right in town and went for a stroll in the main square . The streets were buzzing , and we enjoyed soaking in the vibe . It was a perfect introduction to Nicaragua !
The next day we rode to Leon - one of the most beautiful post-colonial cities we ’ d visited in Central America .
The architecture was captivating , the buildings were colourful , there was music around every corner and the street art told stories of past political struggles . The vibe was incredibly unique , and I instantly fell in love with this city ! This was going to be our base for the next few days . We rarely stayed in places for longer than 24 hours but when we did , it was always a pleasant change . It meant we could leave our heavy panniers and luggage at the hotel and explore trails and dirt roads withy greater ease .
There were many places to visit around Leon , but it is quite famous for one unusual activity called volcano boarding .
It seems you can ’ t visit Leon without hiking up Cerro Negro and try to set a new speed record to get back down . I was quite taken by the pictures I had seen of the black volcanic ash surrounded by lush green forests . It looked unlike any
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