We had expectations of getting to our destination today as we packed up and got in line to cross the border into El Salvador. We stopped in El Salvador to eat at Wendy's. El Salvador uses US dollars as their country's currency which made it easy to buy the lunch.
After lunch we headed toward the Honduran border with hopes to make it through Honduras before the border closed. We did have to wait a couple hours to get into Honduras.
The border didn't smell the best and this was a common sight as we waited to cross into Honduras. Even a pig wandered through rooting in the trash pile by our van. The road sides look like what we would call a dump. When the trash piles up too high some one just sort of piles it together and lights in on fire. I guess that's one way to get rid of trash and plastic bottles. I'm not too sure about what it does for air quality.
We had to take a courier with us through Honduras. His job was to see that we didn't unload anything along the way. They wanted to be sure that what we entered the country with would not be unloaded in the country and go out the other side. Of course we had to pay for the couriers wages and for a hotel room on the border because it was to late to come back. Even with the courier with us we were stopped four or five times in the two hour crossing by the police checking to see who we were and where we were going. Every country we went through there was a tax to enter the country and sometimes to leave. This tax was any where from $20.00 to $40.00 for the six of us. We did make in time to cross out of Honduras but when we tried to enter Nicaragua we ran into a snag.
Because we were carrying many things with us the guard at the border didn't have the authority to allow us to enter with all the things we had. We camped in the parking lot. We ate junk food for supper and had a great time. We had to sleep in the van. One in the rear seat, one in the middle seat, one in the driver seat, and me in the passenger seat. Pastor Victor and Julio slept on the floor of a storage room with only a blanket and a pillow.
Day Nine
Upon the arrival of the official that could allow us to enter Nicaragua, we had to pull everything out of the van for inspection. By this time we had plenty of stinky clothes in our suitcases so they didn't poke around too much in those. In the end a tax of $40.00 was levied on the used computers and we were on our way.
A few miles down the road we stopped for breakfast in a unique cafe.
We had to take a courier with us through Honduras. His job was to see that we didn't unload anything along the way. They wanted to be sure that what we entered the country with would not be unloaded in the country and go out the other side. Of course we had to pay for the couriers wages and for a hotel room on the border because it was to late to come back. Even with the courier with us we were stopped four or five times in the two hour crossing by the police checking to see who we were and where we were going. Every country we went through there was a tax to enter the country and sometimes to leave. This tax was any where from $20.00 to $40.00 for the six of us. We did make in time to cross out of Honduras but when we tried to enter Nicaragua we ran into a snag.
Because we were carrying many things with us the guard at the border didn't have the authority to allow us to enter with all the things we had. We camped in the parking lot. We ate junk food for supper and had a great time. We had to sleep in the van. One in the rear seat, one in the middle seat, one in the driver seat, and me in the passenger seat. Pastor Victor and Julio slept on the floor of a storage room with only a blanket and a pillow.
Day Nine
Upon the arrival of the official that could allow us to enter Nicaragua, we had to pull everything out of the van for inspection. By this time we had plenty of stinky clothes in our suitcases so they didn't poke around too much in those. In the end a tax of $40.00 was levied on the used computers and we were on our way.
A few miles down the road we stopped for breakfast in a unique cafe.
This was an open air restaurant with the food prepared over an open fire in the kitchen. I had some kind of black beans, rice, and scrambled egg mixture. While eating you could see the men chopping up the fire wood used to cook with. This was in a big open area to the left in this picture. Chickens were roaming through out the entire area and occasionally one would wander through the restaurant.
Back on the road again we knew the long road trip would soon be over. One last stop before we reached our destination would be at Julio's house. He showed us around the chicken egg farm.
This chicken egg farm has 78,000 chickens and harvests 58,000 eggs a day. This is a picture of just one row of chicken cages. There are four more and other open pens as well. It's one of four largest chicken egg farms in Nicaragua.
After the tour of the chicken farm we were honored guests of Julio and ate a special meal prepared just for us. I'm not sure about what it was as I didn't recognize anything in the soup. I think it was fruit and mystery meat of some kind.
Upon arrival at our destination, we all were glad the trip was completed and looked forward to a nice shower. That was short lived as the water goes off at the most odd times in Nicaragua. This happened to be one of those times. Each household stores up water for just such occasions. With a five gallon bucket of water setting in the shower, a splashing of water all over the body could be accomplished. Then soaping up and rinsing in the same splashing method competed the shower. Nice.
Old friends came to visit while we rested during the evening. I got to visit with Oscar and his wife. Then a good friend Norwing took me to his house to meet his wife, baby, and family. It was a good reunion.
Back on the road again we knew the long road trip would soon be over. One last stop before we reached our destination would be at Julio's house. He showed us around the chicken egg farm.
This chicken egg farm has 78,000 chickens and harvests 58,000 eggs a day. This is a picture of just one row of chicken cages. There are four more and other open pens as well. It's one of four largest chicken egg farms in Nicaragua.
After the tour of the chicken farm we were honored guests of Julio and ate a special meal prepared just for us. I'm not sure about what it was as I didn't recognize anything in the soup. I think it was fruit and mystery meat of some kind.
Upon arrival at our destination, we all were glad the trip was completed and looked forward to a nice shower. That was short lived as the water goes off at the most odd times in Nicaragua. This happened to be one of those times. Each household stores up water for just such occasions. With a five gallon bucket of water setting in the shower, a splashing of water all over the body could be accomplished. Then soaping up and rinsing in the same splashing method competed the shower. Nice.
Old friends came to visit while we rested during the evening. I got to visit with Oscar and his wife. Then a good friend Norwing took me to his house to meet his wife, baby, and family. It was a good reunion.
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