"DROP THE QUESTION WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING, AND COUNT AS PROFIT EVERY DAY THAT FATE ALLOWS YOU". Horace

Left the hotel around 7:30 the journey was mountainous and pretty. The day was overcast with occasional showers. I went through the towns of Danli and El Paraiso before arriving at the border in Las Manos. There were a lot of trucks queued up waiting the o.k from immigration, i overtook them all and started on the paperwork, with the help of a youth that was around. There are many people offering to either polish boots, help with immigration, look after your bike while your in the office. I had a few snicker bars in my pocket and handed them out to them. To my surprise everything was done pretty quickly, an hour in total.
I needed two copies of passport, payed 1 month insurance for Ange - $US12, Immigration fees $US3, importing the bike is free and the immigration visa was 152 cordobas ($US8) and for a receipt you need to pay $US5, and i gave the guy helping me 100 cordobas ($US5 aprox)
The road to Managua is constantly populated with various villages, throughout and the inhabitants are friendly.
I passed a motorcade of bikes who apparently were headed to San Juan for a Harley reunion. We signalled at each other through horn tooting and light switching.
40 kms before Managua i saw a bloke about my age with his bike parked along the road i was on, he was under a tree resting and reading. I didn't stop but i regretted not having had a chat. Further along when i did stop i waited 15 minutes to see if he would come along but he didn't, so i continued to the Lake of Managua-or Xolotlan.
Here at Managua I am staying at Hotel El Almendro for $US73.60 with breakfast. A little pricey for my taste but everything is first class, naturally. Apparently, these kinds of prices is what to expect in this city, the GST is 15%. The hotel is not much to look at from the outside but inside it is fabulous, Angelina is taken care by high security. In nearly every city security is second nature, many guards carry rifles or machine guns. Small businesses do their transactions through grates.
We have returned to the metric system, and regular petrol costs 19 coronas for the lt.
At the hotel they charge $US3 to use the internet so i gave it a miss. I went for a walk to a shopping centre nearby, it was luxurious a huge and sad contrast to the poverty outside.
PHOTOS: 1 - Ange & I at El Almendro Hotel, 2 - Cathedral in Managua, 3&4 Houses right in the middle of the city of Managua.

SAME TEXT HERE IN SPANISH: Dia 19, siendo un Sabado 16 de Feb
Desayune en el hotel y sali despacio, no habia mucho trafico a las 7.30 camino montañoso lindo, pase por Danli, El Paraiso y a los pocos kms frontera Las Manos, habia colas y colas de camiones esperando el o.k de la aduana, los pase a todos y llegue a empezar los tramites para mi sorpresa fue bastante rapido una hora todo y me ayudo un muchacho, varios de ellos querian lustrarme las botas cuidarme la moto ayudarme con los papeles, tenia un monton de snickers de los chico en el bolsillo y le di uno a cada uno. Desde que sali nublado y lloviendo de a ratos. tuve que sacar dos veces fotos copias Del pasaporte despues que me fecharon y de importacion demoraria de la moto pague seguro por un mes 12 us servicio de inmigracion 3 us me dieron un recibo por dos. la importacion es gratis y la visa pague 152 Cordobas, me dieron un recibo por 5 us le di al muchacho 100 cordobas
Me olvidaba al salir de Tegucigalpa me pararon los milicos dos me pedian licencia y papeles de la moto el otro con una ametralladora.
El camino a Managua lleno de pueblos, la gente simpatica, me pase con un monton de motoqueros como yo, cambio de luces, bocina y saludos con las manos aparentemente hay una reunion de harley´s en san juan
Unos 40 kms antes de Managua vi a un motoquero abajo de un arbol leyendo un libro, viejo como yo, la moto apuntando mi camino, no pare ya que tenia que dar vuelta, pero me arrepenti, no haber vuelto y saludarlo, mas adelante pare y y espere por 15 minutos y nada, segui y empece a ver el lago de Managua Xolotlan, estoy en el hotel El Almendro por 73.60 us con desayuno, muy caro para recomendarlo, todo de primera por supuesto mucho para mi.
parece que son los precios en esta ciudad el iva es de 15 por ciento, el hotel no dice mucho de afuera pero es fabuloso, la moto adentro super seguro. Casi en todas las ciudades de CA todos los comercios tienen seguridad y muchos de ellos con escopetas o ametralladoras en las puertas, los negocios chicos es todo atraves de rejas,
volvimos a litros y kms gasolina regular 19 coronas el litro. no pude escribir aqui en el hotel quieren 3 us la hora
Fui a comer a un shopping center caminando a tres cuadras, un lujo todo nada que ver con la pobraza que hay afuera