A sunrise good bye to the Pristine Bay Resort, my Tranquility Base in Honduras!
Planes, Torch and a border crossing was the flavor of the day for me today. I awoke and said goodbye to the Pristine Bay Resort on the Island of Roatan, fly back to Tegucigalpa by way of La Cieba, picked up Torch at the Real Intercontinental Tegucigalpa, crossed the Honduras-Nicaragua border at Los Manos and made my way to the home of Connie and Ernesto Cantu in the mountains above Matagalpa. As I would learn in Central America, elevation dictates temperature and being on the ‘Journey to Olympic Golf’ precipitates new friendships, adventures and certainly the celebration of life each day!
Torch was right where I left here among the United Nations election observation cars!
After three nights at the Pristine Bay Resort and two rounds of golf on The Black Pearl, I did not want to leave Roatan. But it was easy to do as I would be venturing into the sixth country of this golf and life odyssey to Rio. Due to the elections in Honduras there was no room for me at the Real Intercontinental Tegucigalpa, hence the manic travel day. My flights out to and back from Roatan were my first on the JTOG. That in of itself would be enough to fill one day. So too would a border crossing as they can be dicey, confusing and challenging, especially taking a vehicle across with you. Besides the flight and the border crossing, there was the 300 km (nearly 200 miles) and five hours of drive time (as estimated by Google Maps) between picking up Torch and my bed at the Cantu’s.
Click here for a Highlight Video of the Day’s Travel.
Playing the CC of Tegucigalpa with Henry and Rodolfo was a highlight of my visit to Honduras!
I took a few minutes on the drive out of Honduras to collect my thoughts on my time in Honduras. Starting with the kindness of Roger the customs officer who personally escorted me through getting my vehicle permit for Torch. I couldn’t thank Henry Kattan enough for hosting me in Tegucigalpa—meeting his father, playing the Country Club with his childhood buddy Rodolfo and giving me a tour of the Honduras Olympic Village and introducing me to a couple of Olympians who competed in London. Same for Enrique Toriello, I couldn’t thank him enough for hosting me at the Pristine Bay Resort and playing The Black Pearl two and a half times. And of course there was the luxurious stay at the Hotel Real Intercontinental Tegucigalpa. It has been a great visit to Honduras, I can’t wait to return!
Click here for the Recap Video of the Spirit of Golf & the Olympics in Honduras.
Going into Nicaragua Torch really got fumigated this time, even on the inside!
The day evolved perfectly and pretty much as I estimated timewise though I did get a little lost finding their home in the mountains above Matagalpa. I was going by handwritten notes off Google maps and the last part from conversations with Connie and Ernesto. Signage and numbering is definitely less available and if available, less prominent, in Central America, at least to me and Torch. After a timely flight and a taxi back to the Intercontinental we left at a little after 10 am. Estimating two hours for the border crossing, that would have us arriving around 4 pm. As it turns out we made it by 6:30 pm pretty much right at dusk. Maybe travel, like work, fills up the time available?
The road was beautiful and so was the countryside in Nicaragua!
The ride on both sides of the border was absolutely beautiful, easily navigated (for the most part except when I was lost) and a safe passage for Torch and me. I took the northern route up through the mountains and high flatlands through Danli and Ocotal in Honduras and Esteli and Secaco in Nicaragua. The ride through Matagalpa and up the hillsides, through what I think were coffee fields, was appealing and fascinating. I took 70 beauty videos. I especially liked the stonework, actually volcanic rocks, along the parkways right after entering Nicaragua. The craftsmanship reminded me of La Reunion Resort & Residences and the entrance drive into Chenango Valley State Park back near my hometown of Binghamton, New York. I guess when so much is visually new and culturally different it is natural to make comparisons to what is familiar in one’s life. As much as I loved the resorts and the golf courses along the way, the people and their customs were what really intrigued me.
Connie and Ernesto with Torch outside the El Torro Bravo restaurant in Matagalpa.
The Cantu’s are awesome people. Remember I was connected to them through the tout Jorge at the Guatemala-El Salvador border a week ago on JTOG Day No. 37. Not only were we were fellow Americans but I guess Jorge saw a similar zest for life and a sense of adventure. He was right. After settling into my comfortable room, we headed back down to Matagalpa for a celebratory dinner at El Toro Bravo, The Brave Bull, streakhouse. Torch, my brave bull, got a premo parking spot right outside the restaurant. It was a fabulous evening of stories and perspectives about life and traveling and living in Central America.
More on that and the Cantu’s tomorrow as it has been a long, tiring, though invigorating day of travel. I was in bed and asleep by 10 pm. In the haste and fast pace of the Journey this was a one night stay, with the Saturday evening before and the Sunday morning after.
Tomorrow would be an interesting day as the Cantu’s showed me a special place in Nicaragua and I made it to the capital city of Managua and found another Real Intercontinental, this time the Real Intercontinental Managua, my home away from home in Central America!
Pleasant dreams…
There are some more stories in the pictures below this request to make a donation to The First Tee… please make a donation today. Much appreciated.
I am looking for 100 new friends in the next 100 days to make a $100 donation (or any amount that you are able to make) to The First Tee. Each day I will be reliving the original “Journey to Olympic Golf” and hope to find a new friend in golf. Is that you? Please join me in giving back to the game we all love.
CLICK here to make a donation to The First Tee.
The First Tee has a positive impact on young kids in life and on the golf course.
Please select ‘Andy Reistetter’s Journey to Olympic Golf’ on the drop-down menu for the question ‘What inspired you to make a gift today? This is for tracking purposes only, Andy does not receive any part of your donation or anything financially from The First Tee organization.
There are interesting incentives for making your donation to the First Tee…
PLEASE click here to make a donation to The First Tee.
Thank You!
With a young Nicaraguan police officer at the border.
Thinking this is a World Cup soccer ball trophy at the bus stop but I am not sure.
With the Cantu’s and the manager at El Torro Bravo.
