Visiting with borrowers in Monte Fresco.
From October 24 to November 2, 2015, you will have the chance to join us on a bike tour.
Visit with women we have given loans to. Hand out loans to new micro-entrepeneurs. Eat local Nicaraguan cuisine. Enjoy amazing panoramic views as we cycle from the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua to the border of Nicaragua and Honduras. While doing all this, we will raise money to help women receive micro loans in Nicaragua.
It’s all about our borrowers.
On this ride, you will have an opportunity to visit with many of our borrowers. You will visit their villages and their homes and enjoy a meal with them as you hear their stories.
Breakfast in Granada.
Where will we visit?
We will stop in many beautiful cities along the way. This includes Granada, the oldest city in Latin America, where we’ll stop for breakfast. We will enjoy a scenic ride uphill, overlooking the amazing mountains and valleys.
Our borrowers ride with us.
Each day one of our borrowers will ride with us, and you will get to hear their story.
The Lending Journey
The Lending Journey is micro-finance charity whose primary goal it is to help women who have been left abandoned by society. We do this in two ways. One is by giving them a small loan to help them create a sustainable income to look after their families. Secondly, we invest in their lives, in getting to know them and becoming their friends.
Cycling through scenic valleys
The bike ride
One of our most successful fundraising programs has been our bike ride across Nicaragua. In 2014 we raised enough money to provide over 800 loans to women in need. The goal of this bike ride is to expand our medical clinic and develop new support programs to support our borrowers. One such program is Loans for Homes. Many of our borrowers in rural communities live in terrible conditions, and we would like to provide low-interest loans to help them live a more civilized life. The total distance of the ride will be roughly 450 km. We will cycle from early morning to midday and then spend the rest of the day enjoying the scenery and meeting the people of the villages and cities that we visit.
Our support team makes sure you are well looked after.
How it works
Each rider will be responsible to cover their airfare, which will be approximately $1,000. Additionally, each rider will be responsible to raise $12,000. All donations made will be tax-receiptable. Each rider will receive a spot on our website for potential riders to find them and donate. The Lending Journey will provide all necessary marketing materials to share with potential donors. All ground costs will be covered by The Lending Journey. This includes vehicles, hotels, interpreters, support crew, and all food.
Ascent to Significance
This is our first Ascent to Significance bike ride. As you ride each day, you will have an opportunity to see purpose in action. At the end of each day, we will have breakout sessions with questions and discussion about legacy. The trip will conclude with two-day retreat and conference on our own personal journey to significance.
For more information or to reserve a spot, contact Vince.
Through her own efforts and donations from her company, Helen raised over $27,000.
A beautiful hotel in the city of La Trinidad.
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Nicaragua
Friday, October 24
We will arrive in Nicaragua around midday. At this point we will load up our luggage and our bikes in the rental vehicles and head down towards the border of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. We will arrive in the city of Rivas early evening and enjoy a wonderful meal together as a team. We will be joined by our interpreters, fellow cyclists from other countries and one of our borrowers who will be riding with us for two days.
Day 2: Penas Blancas to Granada
Saturday, October 25
Today we will leave the hotel around 7 am and head to the Nicaraguan/Costa Rican border. We will start the bike ride in a small town called Penas Blancas. We will ride 105 km. to the city of Granada. Along the way we will stop to take in some of the beautiful views and look for monkeys hanging from trees. We will also stop for a picnic lunch. We will spend the evening in the oldest city in Latin America, Granada.
Day 3: Granada to San Benito
Sunday, October 26
This morning we will have breakfast in Granada where we will start our day’s bike ride. We will travel 60 km. to San Benito. We will ride into the village of San Benito and have an opportunity to visit with a number of our loan recipients. You will have an opportunity to try some local cuisine in San Benito and ask questions of the borrowers. Tonight we will stay in Managua and if time permits visit some local sights in Managua.
Day 4: San Benito to La Trinidad
Monday, October 27
After a quick breakfast we will head out on the road for a 91 km. bike ride from San Benito to La Trinidad. For riders who don’t want to carry on all the way to La Trinidad you can rest and relax in Sebaco where we will stay for the night. Here as we ride you will get to watch Nicaraguans working in the rice fields and harvesting coffee beans. At the end of the ride we will head back to Sebaco to join up with the rest of the team.
Day 5: La Trinidad to Somoto
Tuesday, October 28
Okay! Today we will leave La Trinidad and ride through the Nicaraguan mountain range and arrive at Somoto. We will stop for breakfast/lunch in the village of Condega where we will dine overlooking mountains. Todays ride is roughly 94 Kl. We will have a quiet dinner in Somoto get some sleep and get ready for a good trek in the morning.
Day 6: Somoto to El Espino
Wednesday, October 29
Hurray! We finish the ride with a short 20-km bike ride to El Espino. We have two options for the day; you can return to Somoto and relax and tour this beautiful city or visit with us at the Canyon of Somoto.
Day 7
Thursday, October 30
Today is a travel day. We will make a stop at an old suspension bridge in Condega and take a few photos. From here we will drive the Pan American Highway and arrive at our destination Barcelo Montelimar.
Day 8
Friday, October 31
Ascent to Significance Conference begins.
Day 9
Saturday, November 1
Ascent to Significance Conference. Conference will end just after noon and we will have free time for the rest of the day and evening.
Day 10
Sunday, November 2
We will be up early in the morning and head from the conference center back to the airport and home to Canada.