Border crossing
1st day
We leave quietly in the morning for the border 30 km away, with a stop to print the results of our tests and make the photocopies that are missing.
Our first stage being Managua at 167 km, we do not hurry knowing that there is nothing to do in this capital.
Costa Rica / Nicaragua border ... 4 hours and 30 minutes
The exit is easy, but the entrance into Nicaragua is a hell of a mess. Nothing is organized and we are constantly being directed from one desk to the other...although we are almost the only one crossing the border.
The most difficult thing is the passage into the scanner tunnel ...Nobody knows how to do it ... In the end, to make it short, we fill a card that we give to an office, and then head to the scanner.
After the scan, we return to the counter ... and there : surprise of the day ... Our vehicle is considered as "suspect " !!!
A bad and aggressive "sumo" is in charge of controlling our camper... He has in his hands a map of a vehicle with indicates points to be checked , such as the engine!!! 10 minutes of inspection and the result ... negative ... phew!!!
Moreover, this border crossing is done under a blazing sun..
We arrive in Managua in the middle of the afternoon and reach the guarded parking lot of the "paseo maritime"
In the evening we order takeaway meals in a restaurant and go to bed early.
2nd day
We get up at 6 am to reach the only test center in the capital.
The tests are carried out from 7 am to 10 am, to get the results at 4 pm online .... Fast
There is a huge crowd .... a real brain teaser.... Huge queue after paying 150 USD each.
We go from one waiting room to the other, but finally one hour later we’re off.
We quickly leave the capital to reach Leon 100 km away.
Lunch in a former convent converted into a hotel and restaurant ... superb service and meal, waiting for the results that we got on time.
Re-printing and photocopying.
Quiet evening in our guarded parking lot.
3rd day
We leave early to reach the border. Today we have to get through 2 borders because we cross Honduras without stopping.
Nicaragua / Honduras border ... 2 hours 30 minutes
The exit is easy as always. Entering Honduras will be faster but still as complicated.
Temperature taking, updating the visa and registering the vehicle ... Here, everyone helps us with a smile, especially the employee in charge of the registration of the camper car who asks us 35 USD and which gives us a receipt of 25 USD!!!
We travel the 131 km to the next border on a good road and without too much traffic.
Honduras / El Salvador border ... 2 hours 30 minutes
Always the same ritual: temperature, visa and registration of the camper
We spot a bivouac in San Miguel that we reach in the late afternoon
Quiet but noisy night.
4th day
Take off early for our last step.
Today we travel 363 km.
Salvador / Guatemala border: 3 hours 15 minutes
Last border but entering Guatemala takes a long time. We become professionals, like truck drivers!!!!
At each crossing, obtaining the Temporary Import Permit from our travelling companion takes time and we must check the information entered (often errors) in order to avoid problems when leaving the country.
We expected to arrive in Antigua at the end of the afternoon, but we’v been stuck for 3 hours in a huge traffic jam due to a road accident where, during our passage, a dead body layed on the road ... Welcome to Guatemala.
It’s getting late and it’s dark. For once we drive at night in search of a safe bivouac and we take more than an hour to find one under pouring rain.
Dinner at the small restaurant of the resort and noisy night.
5th day
We finally arrive in Antigua and we reached the campsite which has changed a lot over the past year.
La Cruz
It will soon be time to leave Costa Rica to join Guatemala.
It’s a whole organization.
To reach our destination, we have to cross three countries: Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador!!!
The distance is not that long ... 760 km from border to border, but we do not know the conditions of border crossing since Covid appeared .
The program is set up : we calculate the number of days for this rapid crossing.... 4 days…, and immediately arises the famous question of the PCR tests.
As in many countries, a test of less than 72 hours is required in all three countries.
The delay between the test and the result has to be taken in account.
We realize that a second test will be necessary ... but where and under which conditions.... a real puzzle .... but we are challenging!!!
1st step: find a laboratory near the border to save time ... it will be in "Liberia"
2nd step: the result delay ... 24 h or 48 h
3rd step: find out where to have the 2nd test ... it will be in "Managua"
4th step: find out the date of departure which will be dependent on the results and weekends.
We book online our appointment in Liberia .... on April 28 at 8 am. hoping for a result within 24 hours.
In the meantime, we return to Puerto Soley, which we’ve been to when we first entered Costa Rica in 2020. It is a beautiful spot and very hot 38°.
The rules to park at night on public beaches have changed... No parking from 6:00 pm to 5:00 am .... but we find a spot near by to overnight. We move our travel companion every night.
All in all, we changed our appointment for one, 24 hours earlier. Why should we wait until Wednesday?
Waking up at 5:00 AM for a departure at 6:00 and 1 hour to reach the laboratory.
We are the only patients and the test is performed immediately ... result logicaly the next morning.
We pay USD 136 each for the test.
Back on the beach to wait for our results which finally arrive the same day at 18:30 .... Lucky we are.
Departure tomorrow for our adventure.
Samara
We look forward to meeting our Quebec friends ...They have not changed.
They give us a fabulous welcome and despite a whole year without seeing each other, we feel like we left each other the day before.
Martine has concocted some delicious dishes that we ate with some good bottles of wine.
Sylvain helps Christophe to carry out repairs on our motorhome and among other things, the bumper.
We had three fabulous days, devoted to the visit of the surroundings.
The weather isn’t still at its best, but the most important is to be together..
We end our (too short) stay, dining in a lovely the restaurant on the beach.
Junquillal Beach
Before joining "Martine et Sylvain" we rest in a campsite on the Pacific coast.
We stay there five days experiencing sunny and rainy moments.
The land being unpaved, we wade into clay ... a nightmare.
However the site is beautiful and we occasionally witness a lovely sunset.
We take advantage of this ralaxing time to update the website.
Nueva Arenal
We join "Babette and Jean-Jacques" by the lake "Arenal" where they found a great bivouac.
We spend a rainy afternoon together, discussing our respective trips and what we hope to do next.
They leave the next day, but we decide to stay one more day to rest.
Quiet day punctuated by showers.
ROAD BOOK 097
MAVROS ODYSSEE