Hi-Ho Gitty-Up

San Juan Del Sur, Nica. 1-7-10
Hola Amigos
We honored both the angry, hungry gods-- or so we had hoped- and bad TV westerns on the drive from Managua to San Juan Del Sur today, by a near collision with a caballero on his pint-size horse . He charged from the dark-leafy shoulder of the road, and reared up in High-Ho-Silver fashion onto the highway in our direct path.( My god, horses really do this in real life, not just in the movies?!) Our tiny compact, whizzing along about sixty at the time, with three tourists, an obese Nica driver, and two surf-boards strapped to the roof- screeched, fish-tailed and shuddered to a burnt-rubber halt barely missing the horse and its rider. We had been initiated in the first hour within the country and not even to Masaya yet! Clearly tourist trips can begin like badly scripted action movies! The offering to the gods had been made. Hopefully more grave or fatal accidents and crimes will be avoided. Instantaneous cure for jet-lag that it was after the 'Red-eye' from L.A..
The highways have been greatly improved but the awareness of drivers, bicyclists, kids, dogs, cats and horses has not. Cops are still grifting foreigners with surf boards on their car rooves for cash.. Our driver was a local with all the right papers so no cash was exchanged. A good omen. Gracias.
Hi-Ho-Silver!
Esteban