DAY 7 Waspam - Kansas City: 370 KM
Today I would venture out to the "big unknown". I had fail to get accurate information about this area. I had gotten a mix stories and a LOT of warnings. I cannot recall to how many people I asked about the area around Makantaka. The words of the Salesman that had travel greatly along Nicaragua where "There is nothing out there, no water, no cell phone coverage, no police... that is the cocaine route and people have weapons... that is a place where they will kill you and nobody will ever find you"
In a way, it was the same warning I've been hearing since I left the US to travel around Latin America. In my travels i have learned to take advice with a bucket of salt unless it comes from first hand. The night before departure i met an older man, bus driver from the Atlantic coast. He claim to have been in that area and that it was safe but to be careful.
I woke up around 5 am to finish packing and putting the bags on the bike. At 6 am I was at the gas station getting fuel. this time i would fill the 2 containers (1 gallon/each) with gas. The extra gallons would give me a little less than 300 km of fuel range. I had enough gasoline to go directly from Waspam to Rosita without having to go into Puerto Cabeza which would add another 44 km of riding and I would lose approximately 1 hour.
The day was another beautiful day for riding and as soon as i left Waspam i got into a good rything with the bike. I was extremely focused on the road and getting as many miles behind me. It was the same road that I rode into waspam so i knew it and i could keep a fast space. Once in a while i would stop to drink water, take a small break from the saddle and snap a picture to document my journey. Here is a pic of one of the many fires currently in the country.
Once in Rosita I got gas, bought some bread and water. My money was starting to run low and I knew I would have to pay a boat to get to Laguna de Perlas or I had to ride back the same way I came. The easiest thing where I could save cash was food and lodging. The next few days I ate a lot of bread and water - bread is cheap and filling.
From Rosita I headed to El Empalme which I had driven through before and from there I took the road to Alamikamba. Once I entered the road to Alamikamba a mix of emotions started flowing in my veins. I replay all the warnings and I was ready to turn back as soon as I feel unconfortable. The road was in "good" condition which was a good sign but I lowered my speed since this were new roads.
Getting closer to Alamikamba after approximately an hour since i had seen a soul I came across a man on a bicycle. I slowed down to a stop and i stopped the man to ask information on the route ahead. It was around 2pm in the afternoon and I still had 4 hours of day light. Alamikamba was very close and I had a chance to make it to Makantaca. The man on the bicycle said that Alamikamba was a safe place and there was a hospedaja. He said the road to Makantaka had been abandoned for quite some time and it was a little unsafe to drive throught it because the road was used by cattle smugglers/bandits. he said that as long as i rode during the day i would be fine but recommend to wait until the next day. he said that it would take approximately one hour from Alamikamba to Makantaka.
I figure that even with a flat I could make it to Makantaka with day light. So i drove to Alamikamba until I reached the river.
and it was time to look for someone to help me cross the river. that was easy...
After crossing the river the bike wouldn't start. The river bank was made of deep sand and the boat had left me with one wheel on the water. It was hot outside and I had 3 hours left of light. I kept trying to kick start the bike when two teenagers came by and asked me if i needed help. They helped me push the bike out of the water and after several kicks the bike started again.
The two teenagers confirmed that the road was a bit dangerous and there were a couple of trails that went to other communities. I asked them if they knew someone with a bike that could show me the road to Makantaka. They did but they had to go look for him on the other side of the river - i figure that would take the reminder of the day light. Instead I offered to pay on the guys to ride two up with me and show me the road to Makantaka.
I moved the bags to make room for other guy. I was surprise how well the little bike did with two passangers plus all my gear. By this time i had been on the road for 8+ hours, i was tired of riding on bumpy dirt roads, the sun was starting to come down, i was all dusty and i just had bread and water for lunch and no breakfast.
Not once in my life I have ever imagined that I would find a barbed wire across the road neck high while riding. I was going approximately 40 km per hour when I saw it. My first reaction was to let the gas go and to break but i knew i wouldn't have time to stop the bike. I saw the barbed wire coming straight at me. My first thought was of death, I would break my neck or the barbed wire would cut my carotid artery and I would bleed to death. I closed my eyes and told to myself "Let the will of God to be done".
The wire hit the helmet, then it slid under my chin making a deep cut and then wraped around my neck making several cuts. It was a miracle that the barbed wire made out of metal broke instead of my neck! Everything happen in a matter of seconds but it seem for ever. I felt every single one of the cuts and then we crashed. I was in panic but the crash was like a slap in the face that brought me back to reality. I was trapped under the bike and I couldn't move. I was scared as I felt the blood dripping down my neck. The guy with me was screaming that his leg was hurting and to let him out. I managed to free myself and I saw an old man with a kid standing right there watching us in awe. I yelled at the old man to come help us but he was in shock and wouldn't move. he later thought that i was dead when i crashed.
After i freed myself, I helped the guy get off underneath the bike and i started to take all my cloth off. I was dripping blood and i was sure i would bleed to death.
I realized this would be the last minutes of my life. My safety kit was in the big duffle bag so i figure i could use my t-shirt to put pressure on the cuts. But the t-shirt was soaking in sweat, it was dirty and i it wouldn't do any good. Time was passing and everywhere i move i would leave a trail of blood. The size of the blood drops were huge and i was sure the barbed wire had cut my artery.
The whole experience was intense. I was in the middle of nowhere and i had no cell phone reception. No oportunity to make one last call. I though of my family and my friends. I was in survival mode and fighting to keep all my thoughts on staying a life. I knew i had to put pressure on the cuts! Like a mad man i started taking off the bags of the bike until I reached the safety kit where I had a absorbent sponge.
I opened it and put it agains my neck. There was absolute silence. The guy, the old man and the kid were just staring at me. The world as I knew had stopped.
While I didn't see my whole life replay in front of me. A wave of strong emotions ran through my body. From sadness of leaving love ones behind, anger that the old man didn't stop me before hitting the wire, of scareness not knowing what how long it would take before bleeding to death. And a lot more... Overall I've had a good run with my life. A family that has always supported me, a lot of friends around the world, a lot of achivements academically, in sports and with my career, a lot of travelling and many many adventures and experiences. I've truly lived a full life and thank God for it.
While holding the sponge against my neck I talked with God. I'm not a religious person and don't like talking about it but i do have Faith in a greater being. I was raise catholic but consider myself more cristian. I don't go to church. I belive in Karma and in Buddha and believe there are other ways of getting to God in addition to Jesus. I belive that there are other ways of calling God such as Love or Universe. I believe that everything happens for a reason no matter if it is good or bad. I belive that hard experiences are the ones that transform us the most the most. I made a promise to God that if i would survive this accident I would keep working on increasing healthcare access to rural communties and while doing so I removed the sponge. Like in a miracle, when i removed the sponge the bleeding had stopped completely.
I gave thanks to God and realized that time was running out. Soon it would be dark and I should be driving on this road at night. I put some sterile gloves and started cleaning the cuts with iodide wipes. Then i put antibiotic cream and covered the cuts so they wouldn't get any more dirt.
The old man assured me i would find a doctor in Makantaka and a store where i could by purify water. After cleaning the knee of the guy that was riding two-up with me I asked him if he still wanted to show me the way. He said "let's go". I had a couple words with the old man and asked him why he didn't stopped me, i re-packed and off we where. But before i had to take a picture of the old man with the barbed wire.
I was riding into the unknown wounded. Destiny had given a second chance. I was riding into one of the worst road of the whole trip. Every bump my neck would hurt and i could feel the cuts. i couldn't tie my helmet because the strap when over the cut under my chin. It was a painful ride, it was on a bandit trail and i had no clue where i would spend the night.
