The Chase

Shortly after checking into my hotel in Granada I met a fellow Canadian traveller Ben, a backpacker from Montreal.  We decided to check out the city and see what activities there were that would be fun and interesting.

The first stop was an active volcano just  20 minutes away from the city. We took public transit to get there, my first time taking public transit in Central America and it was quite the experience. The bus smelled worse than my motorcycle jacket which I have not washed in 4 months, and we had to jump off while the bus was still moving, I much prefer my bike. The volcano was really cool, it was steaming a lot and was much larger than I expected and the views were amazing.

The following day we decided to check out Laguna de Apoyo, a lake in large crater apparently full of natural minerals and therapeutic to swim in. Getting there was difficult, a stinky bus then a long taxi ride. He taxi dropped us off at a real crappy spot, some run down restaurant with a small patio on the water. We didn’t stay long and had to hire the restaurant owner to drive us back to Granada. As soon as we got out the car back in Granada Ben realized that he left his very nice camera inside.

The chase was on! Ben grabbed another taxi and I went to get my bike. I grabbed my jacket and helmet, the staff at the hotel put the ramp down for me, and I was now in pursuit. One way streets, horse and carts and tourists made getting out of Granada a bit more time consuming than necessary. Once I was  on the main highway I had the bike up to 140km/hr, dodged a large cow, a small horse and a few pot holes until I reached the cut off for the restaurant. Down some cobble stone road until I reached the restaurant where I found our driver just about to enjoy his lunch. I could tell by the look on his face that he was surprised to see me. He claimed not to have the camera and even let me look in his car to see if it had fallen under the seat. I just knew he was lying, but there was not much more I could do. Ben got lost in his taxi and did not show up for another 30 minutes.  With his camera gone the only option now was to file a police report and hope that he can find an affordable replacement so he can capture the memories of his trip.

I kayaked around Lake Nicaragua later that evening, enjoying the nature. I asked my kayak guide if there were crocodiles in the lake. I took little comfort when he replied “not at this moment”. He told me that at other moments they have some that are very large.  

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3 Responses to The Chase

  1. Jane Rose says:

    OK, the pix are lovely, but now, with added incidents we are all waiting for “Greg’s Adventure” the movie!
    Talk about exciting. Glad ya didn’t hit the cow!

  2. Greg says:

    I don’t know if you still check this page but since you have done this ride what is a reasonable time frame to ride from the Texas/Mexico border to Granada?

    • greg says:

      It really depends on how much you want to see along the way. Depending on where you cross I would think 2 days would be good, 3 if you want to take in more of Mexico.

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