Following The Lego Brick Road To Jinotega
There were no lions, tigers or lollipop kids on the lego brick road to Jinotega, just hundreds of ‘kamikaze’ butterflies and massive fincas de cafe, tobacco and of course, cacao. I spent some time chasing the butterflies around with the camera whilst Lars replaced some brake pads and a frayed derailleur cable (muttering about wishing he had a coffee in his hand).
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After a beautiful ride from Estelí to La Concordia, we ducked for cover (and a long lunch) to avoid the daily downpour (and the arduous task of drying shoes and clothes in the rainy season).
La Biosfera mountain retreat is based just outside of Jinotega. We stayed there for three nights on a help exchange programme. We did some gardening in exchange for a 50% discount on the room. We also enjoyed some good food and good company. It was a revelation to have a kitchen for a change! Thanks to Suzanne for the warm welcome!
Suzanne showed us how to make dark chocolate sauce from freshly ground cacao beans with a bit of sugar and cardomom.
Clever bunkbeds at La Biosferra made from old tyres
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