Belize lived up to expectations and proved to be the most expensive country on the entire trip. Even so, it can be traveled on a relative budget. You might simply have to pass up on a few more pricey activities.
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Monday, April 4, 2011
Beach Bliss Comes to an End
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Diving Belize: the Obsession with the Blue Hole
All it takes is to mention Belize and diving in one sentence and you will be asked whether you are planning on heading out to the Blue Hole. There is an absolute obsession with this picturesque site, but one that results more due to the hype surrounding it, than to its own merits.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Caye Caulker: Snorkeling with Stingrays and Nurse Sharks
After a mere 3 ½ hours journey from the western end of Belize, we had arrived on the island paradise of Caye Caulker. This little spit of sand, located on top of the world’s second largest reef would be our home for the last 4 days of my trip. The island is less than 8 km from north to south (including the northern portion which is split from the southern), and supposedly less than 1.5 km wide (although according to what I’ve seen, the widest point would at most be about 200 meters). The town is comprised of 3 or 4 sandy streets where most walk barefoot, an endless collection of little hotels and restaurants and more palm trees than inhabitants. It is truly a little island paradise.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
San Ignacio: Navigating Sacred Maya Caves
We greeted our arrival in Belize with a wave of relief. The journey from Flores proved to be quicker, easier and less bumpy than expected (they had paved large chunks of the 25km stretch of gravel road). The border guards welcomed us in perfect English, inquiring after our plans, wishing us a quick return to health and offering friendly advice. The hostel we checked into in San Ignacio was run by an elderly gentleman with 21 grandchildren, a fascination with birds, and a willingness to take us to any of the numerous Maya ruins in the vicinity, to arrange any other excursions we may wish and even to offer American bought Tums for any indigestion problems we may have.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Guatemala: Cost Breakdown
Guatemala is one of the cheapest countries in Central America, whether it’d be food, accommodation or even the various sights and tours. Yes, you will pay $20US to get into Tikal, but places like this often cost a lot more to get into. If on a budget, this is definitively a great destination.
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Tikal: An Ancient Maya City
Monday, March 28, 2011
Semuc Champey: Cascading Pools
Hard to reach, but incredibly rewarding when you get there, Semuc Champey is a magical place. It is a 300 meter stretch of a river where a natural limestone bridge consisting of numerous pools has been formed. Most of the water flows below this bridge, but a decent bit of it fills the pools and offers an amazing place for swimming and chilling. It was very reminiscent of Plitvice Lake National Park in Croatia, just on a smaller scale and more enjoyable since you could take a dunk in these fantastic pools.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Bikinis with Legs: Yet Another Random Theft
I guess generally when you think of bikinis you also think of legs – nice long straight legs protruding from them. Yet that is not what I’m referring to here. Instead I think that the bikini bottoms grew legs and walked away while illuminating their path with my favorite headlamp.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Los Tumulos: the Obsession with Sleeping Policemen
They come in all shapes and sizes. Some are fat, others have really protruding bellies. Some have decayed a bit with age and are crumbling around the edges. Still others are double-breasted. A few are quite bright but most tend to be quite grey and blend in with the surrounding. Central America, and Guatemala especially, seems to be obsessed with sleeping policemen. They appear everywhere, whether it’s on a dirt road or on a highway. Sometimes they appear from nowhere, other times they prefer to stay in groups and slow your progress every 100 meters. Their most common characteristic is that they are insanely annoying.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Chichicastenango: Market Day
Chichi, as this town is affectionately called, turns into a chaotic mass of stalls, goods and people two times per week. The main square disappears and if you climb onto the stairs of the church, all you will see are the endless tarp or tin roofs of all the stalls. We were warned that this market, famed as being one of the largest in Central America, is very much a tourist affair. However, depending on what you want from such an experience, you do not have to leave disappointed.Thursday, March 24, 2011
Volcano San Pedro
The 3020m high summit of this extinct volcano was our goal on our second day in San Pedro. The ascent was to start at 6am with a hike up to the entrance to the National Reserve. However, as Antonio, our elderly guide showed up to pick us up, he recommended taking a tuk-tuk these 4km so that we would at least have some nice views before the rising sun disappeared behind the prevailing clouds.
Volcano-Ringed Lago de Atitlan
A number of weeks back I described Isla de Ometepe in Nicaragua as a fairytale setting that could easily have played host to either Shrek or Lord of the Rings. Lago de Atitlan, although completely different in appearance, could easily compete with Ometepe for that distinction. It is a beautiful lake set amongst gorgeous green mountains and ringed by what seems like an endless number of volcanoes. Little towns and villages dot its shores, coffee plantations climb the sides of the mountains whose peaks are often covered by clouds. It is a truly magical setting.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Antigua: The Chaos of Municipal Markets
One of my favorite activities to do when traveling is to visit the municipal markets. Not the tourist stands, but rather the place where all the locals go to buy their vegetables, meat, fish, clothes, toiletries and anything else that they might need. The chaos of these spots is unforgettable.
Antigua: One of the most picturesque cities of Central America
Antigua is by far one of, if not the, prettiest city I have visited in Central America. It, like Granada, is a colonial jewel. However, Granada lacks the setting and the culture that is so abundant in Antigua. Cobblestoned streets lined with multi-colored colonial buildings are juxtaposed against the gigantic conical shape of Volcano Agua and the traditionally dressed Maya women. Yes, Antigua is an incredibly touristy city with travel agencies, hostels, and tourist catering restaurants on every street and around every corner. Yet if you make the effort and take your time you will be able to see past all the gringo stuff and truly appreciate the city for all of its own beauty.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Antigua: Roasting marshmallows on Volcano Pacaya
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Price Wars: Make Sure you Shop Around
Antigua is probably one of the touristiest places in all of Central America and as a result is chockfull of tourist agencies offering an every kind of possible service. However, do not assume that two places right next to one another will be offering those services at the same prices.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Honduras: Cost Breakdown
The daily total in respect to Honduras is quite deceptive and not very accurate if you are planning to visit this country and not dive. Honduras was in fact one of the cheapest countries I've been to in Central America.
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Copan Ruins: Remains of Mayan Grandeur
Once again travel in Honduras proved to be quite the expedition. I left Utila by the 6:20am ferry and didn’t get into Copan Ruinas until around 6pm. This included a 1 hour hold up between La Ceiba and San Pedro Sula supposedly because of a teacher’s strike. With no breakfast and not much for a lunch, I must admit that my first priority upon arriving in Copan was to look for food.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Utila: Kayaking is painful, in more ways than one
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Utila: Where the Whale Sharks are to Abound
Monday, March 14, 2011
Transit Woes
One would think that getting from point A to point B in Central America should not take long. The distances are short and the bus services are quite regular. So the logical conclusion is that times should also be short. Unfortunately, this would be a grave misconception.
Gracias: The Cobblestoned Town with No Cobblestones
El Salvador: Cost Breakdown
Surprisingly El Salvador was the cheapest destination to date. We did not expect this since our first perusal of accommodations in San Salvador seemed to indicate prices of $75-95 for a triple room. However, if you were to add my two robberies into the calculations, it might prove to be less affordable.
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Sunday, March 13, 2011
Snatch-and-Grab: My iPhone Woes
So I traveled with Julita and Paulina for a month without any incidents. They left and within a few hours I was attacked by a machete wielding bandit. Then I met Colin and Dave; traveled with them for 4.5 days without any further problems; I left them and within 1.5 hours I found myself once again heading to a police station. Apparently I should not be traveling on my own.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Lago Coatepeque and Santa Ana: Volcanoes from High and Low
Like Laguna de Apoyo, Lago Coatepeque is an insanely picturesque yet not easily accessible lake. It is a volcanic caldera and was formed during a series of major explosive eruptions between about 57,000 and 72,000 years ago. The crater lake now found within this caldera is one of the largest in El Salvador and offers fantastic opportunities for swimming, kayaking and paragliding.
Tacuba and the Impossible Park
We left Juayua with the intention of spending the night in a neighboring town but Ataco proved not to live up to expectations. The guys had checked into their hotel and then offered to drive me to my hostel. What seemed like 20 loops and circles later, in a miserable attempt of following the various Spanish directions we were receiving, we managed to track it down. However, it turned out that the cheap and highly recommended
Chicken Buses #2
Were you late getting up and did not have time to have any breakfast? Did you forget about your nephew’s birthday and are now rushing there empty-handed? Are you feeling a bit under the weather? Did you have to stay at work late and now need to head home in the dark? Or maybe you missed your Sunday service? Well, no worries. All that you might desire will be provided for you. Whether it is a cold Fanta, a breakfast snack, a meal comprised of chicken with rice, a kid’s toy, a flashlight, some vitamins and even a 20 minute sermon, all of this can be found on your local chicken bus.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Juayua: A Gastronomic Highlight
As I’ve mentioned in the earlier post, every weekend Juayua plays hosts to countless visitors, both local and foreign, as it celebrates its acclaimed Fiesta Gastronomica. It is amazing that something like this would take place all year long, weekend after weekend, as opposed to just for a month or two in high season. Yet it does, the food seems to be endless, the quality fantastic and the prices super cheap.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Juayua: A quiet friendly town where you might be able to negotiate with robbers
Friday, March 4, 2011
La Libertad and the Beaches of El Salvador
Whether it deserved this highly acclaimed status I do not know since I do not surf. Overall the beach was nothing exceptional but it did serve our purpose. We swam in the warm Pacific Ocean, avoided the massive waves as much as possible, sprinted across the scalding sand to our sun chairs, and had strawberry smoothies and lobsters.
San Salvador: People Packing Heat
A few weeks ago upon finding out that my friend’s boyfriend was from El Salvador, I asked for recommendations of places to see and things to do in this country. The response I received was a recommendation not to go there. This seems to be the prevailing sentiment and many of the backpackers I had met along the way had opted to skip El Salvador. I tend not to be deterred by such options and consider that with a bit of caution, awareness and with the avoidance of any unnecessary risks a country that is not at war or under revolt should not be skipped simply because people claim it not to be safe.Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Nicaragua: Cost Breakdown
Nicaragua proved to be incredibly inexpensive. Transportation cost next to nothing, as did accommodations. The food was also relatively cheap even though we ate out virtually every one of our meals.
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Off to El Salvador. No Scratch that. Off to Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Somoto: A pleasant swim through a Canyon
Our main motive for visiting Somoto was to explore the newly discovered (2003) and renowned Nicaraguan canyon. We hired a guide for the day and with an early start endeavoured to explore the entire length of the canyon from water level as well as from up above.Julita decided that wading and swimming down the Rio Coco was not her thing and chose to stay behind. So Paulina and I, along with another French backpacker set out at 7am and began
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Chicken Buses
Leon: Boarding down Nicaragua's most active Volcano
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Granada's Surroundings: Masaya, Catarina and Laguna de Apoyo
One of the benefits of Nicaragua is that distances are relatively small. As such, within a short hop from Granada one can find numerous other attractions and enjoy an endless array of day trips. One such day trip can be made to Masaya, a town renowned for its artisans and its markets.
Granada: A Colonial Jewel
As the Lonely Planet puts it, “The goose that laid Nicaraguan tourism’s golden egg is beguiling Granada, whose restored colonial glories render it a high point of many travelers’ time in Central America.” Being in Granada is like traveling back in time to a relatively peaceful colonial era. The city’s highest building is its
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Isla de Ometepe: A Fairytale Setting
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Nicaragua: Hot Enough to Melt Wheels
If we thought that it was hot in Bocas del Toro, we were mistaken. The refreshing cool air of Monteverde has been left behind and we have entered the Nicaraguan oven. Not that we’re complaining about the nice weather. Well, maybe just a bit.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Costa Rica: Cost Breakdown
Costa Rica has been billeted as one of the most expensive countries in Central America (along with Belize). As such we were expecting increased costs but found it quite surprising in the end, that food prices were one of the main factors.
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Panama: Cost Breakdown
Panama came out under budget, which is always a nice way to start a trip. Below you will find the detailed breakdown for our expenses throughout the 7.5 days in this country.
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Expenses: How can I afford this?
The most common questions at the end of my trips are those related to the finances: How much did the trip cost? How can I afford to travel so often? Did I have a budget? The general answer is that all my trips are done on a relative shoestring budget. However, there is more to it than that. Firstly, its worthwhile to keep track of one’s expenses, not only so as not to lose sight of one's financial limitations, but also for future reference.
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Thursday, February 17, 2011
Monteverde and the Costa Rican Cloud Forest
One would assume that since distances in Central America are not large, then travel times would also be relatively short. However, anyone maintaining such an assumption would be greatly mistaken and today’s marathon 12 hour commute would have been proof enough. Especially were one to consider the last 38km
Monday, February 14, 2011
Costa Rican Jungles Teeming with Life
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Beach Bumming in Bocas del Toro
After Boquete the day was once again spent in transit, heading first south to David and then north across the mountains and the clouds to Almirante on the Caribbean side of the country. From there a 20 minute ride brought us to the town of Bocas del Toro, the capital of the entire Archipelago and province.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Boquete: Coffee Heaven
Monday, February 7, 2011
Panama City: Waterlocks and Sunburns
Apparently there is absolutely no need to have an alarm clock in Panama so long as you need to wake up around 7am. Still exhausted from the previous night’s flights and unable to fully open my eyes I was woken by drumming and percussion. Completely confused I finally managed to force one eye open and check the watch only to realize that it was barely past 7 am compounding the confusion even more. Why would there be a marching band and a procession passing in front of a little quaint and peaceful neighborhood at 7 am? Apparently this is standard procedure here for the
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Panama City? Maybe Havana or Miami?
Friday, February 4, 2011
Getting Ready for Central America
I seem to be haunted by the number seven. Last year it was Via the Seven Seas (I think in reality it turned out to be 8 or 9 of them), this year it's trip number 7 to the seven countries of Central America in essentially 7 weeks (well - officially it will be 8 weeks).
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