Laguna de Xiloa

One of our longer rides in a while, we had a 85km ride that took almost all day against the wind. Erin was still weak from being sick, so we finally, after 7 months, figured out how to connect the bikes for a tow and Erin got a lot of help for 25-30km of the ride. We passed big piles of salt from salt factories and big piles of bricks from brick making. Also passed Cerro Negro fairly close, the volcano we plan to hike and board down.

Salt piles for processing the results of evaporation pools

A friendly pet parakeet

Waiting for the bovine to clear the road

Arrived in Xiloa after dark. A family offered to let us camp on their lawn. They had a bucket shower, outhouse, and in the yard a pile of bricks for a future building we used for a table. After using their water and hospitality we quietly left them 100 cordoba in the morning.  Slept well, only 25 celcius overnight!

In the morning at our rural Xiloa home camp spot

Headed down to the lakeside to check it out, it was very inviting with benches set right in the calm water. Inflated an tube we bought in Leon and jumped in.
Very nice to swimin the saline water. With the wind it got a bit choppy and was cool whenever we were wet, but dried very quickly. Met a fellow Daniel swimming as well. Talked for a while and he agreed to try to show us Apoyeque, at least the top of the crater lip for the view.
Went for lunch at a restraunt lakeside, and the owners had a room for the night so we agreed to take it for 200 cordoba. Erin was still feeling weak from vomiting the day before during the ride so she waited while Rigel met Daniel at the lakeside base where he was apparently a sargeant and used both bikes to head to the bottom of the trail. Daniel picked up Erin's bike and headed into the bush and Rigel followed as they passed near a prohibited military zone. Unfortately the Nicaraguan military were liberal with their definition of tresspassing and didn't like people passing near the base on the Xiloa crater rim.
After being interrogated by over half a dozen military officers ranging from Lieutenant to Colonel, the bother was over. One of the junior troopers rode Erin's bike back along side me on my own bike in the midst of the interrogations around 5 pm. Things continued at the restaurant and finished at 7pm. Poor Daniel, he was not of the same unit as the lakeside guys and probably cotinued to have a bad time.
Thanks, Contra War, for making the military in Nicaragua paranoid about North Americans, Don't go clockwise towards Apoyeque from Xiloa, take the eastern side of the lake!
The rest of the night was uneventful, though it is nice to add that the folks we stayed with were a very nice young couple!

Sunset over Laguna Xiloa, half an hour's drive from Managua. Very nice for swimming in!