bicycling in Central America

there are plenty more pictures, stories and all of the above at www.spinningsouthward.com. The 1000+ miles that I covered pales in comparison to my friends who are going from Alaska to Argentina and raising $50,000 for the National Brain Tumor Foundation. A few highlights below...
southern Nicaragua was a breeze

climbing up into Monteverde - no words, just lumpy roads, hills, and lots of pushing - perfection

crossing into Nicaragua at sunset on a nice bridge donated by the Japanese

push on Mike - about another mile

crossing the Rio Rincon, a place where bull sharks like to spawn


Favorite dish: Gallo pinto con hueves fritos y queso fresco. Oh, y uno cafe. ("spotted rooster" - rice/beans with a fried egg and fresh cheese. Also, a coffee) This was fuel every morning in Costa Rica. Sometimes at lunch and dinner too.
Best meal: landing the elusive nacatamales in San Jorge, before catching a ferry to Isla de Ometepe. The extras we purchased stayed warm for dinner.
Worst meal: Two days later, our last meal in Nicaragua, was laden with greasy pork and countless shards of bone. (or the fish soup that was actually fish head soup - no body, just pure fish head and broth)
Best bargain meal: 5 beers and dinner (although a skimpy one) for under 5 US dollars in Las Lajas, Panama
Craziest camp site: amidst trash and overly damp grass behind a run down convenience store 40km from Panama City (the generators still worked and the pumped noisily at 4am)
Scariest moment: getting clipped and runover (just the trailer) alone at night in Santiago. While worried, I was helped by many kind strangers.
Surreal time: Diving into massive waves at night under an ominous sky - storms in the distance. Flashlights and a search for a body on land.
Superman?: Harold the German we met who biked from Alaska to Panama City (and onward to Argentina) in Levi's jeans. No shorts. No other pants. Just Levi's.