Crossing Into Nicaragua
I suppose the Piedras Blancas crossing is not as bad as it sounded. I took a “direct bus” from san jose. This time I got an assigned seat! It was a darn comfortable bus. Nothing fancy – no air-conditioning, etc, but the seat backs hadn’t collapsed, meaning that each seat had the proper amount of leg room. Of all the shortcomings on buses here, that is the most annoying problem I’ve encountered. But I have faith I will come across worse ☺.
The 7am bus from san jose to the frontera was full so I took the 7:45. the trip takes all of 5 hours by the time you get off the bus and get your pack so by the time I cleared immigration it was almost 2:30. Lonely planet says if you pay (ie. tip) someone to lead you thru this border crossing process it’s a waist of money (there are a plethora of people there to “help”), but I think I got my $2 worth out of my friend. I was trying to get to ometepe, an island in the middle of lake Nicaragua, on the last ferry. I had misread the ferry times and thought this was at 3:30 so I was going to splurge for the taxi from the border to san Jorge, the town from which the ferry departs.
Even splurging for the taxi I was cutting it close. The “assistant” I had not agreed to “tip” yet proceeded to wave me to the front of the line and somehow get me processed. The girl standing in front of me in the first line I was in was still standing at least an hour from the front of the line when I zipped away to get the next meaningless, stamped slip of paper that inevitably costs a buck. So by the time I was all finished I paid him what I thought it was worth. Does this make up for the fact that the taxi driver he set me up with overcharged me (part of which I’m sure he got a cut)? i dunno. I did start to get a little uncomfortable when the driver “admired” my watch then asked for it as a gift. For a friend, you know? I explained it was necessary for my travels and that was that. whew!
Tags: central america, Nicaragua, Travel
Peggy Rehm