An island, formed by two volcanoes, in the middle of a lake that looks like an ocean? Sounds like something straight out of a story book doesn’t it? Feel the magic of idyllic Isla de Ometepe in today’s photo gallery.
Yeah, we’re about as sick of them as you. Buses have been our main mode of transport, and like zombies, we jump on another one for a full day’s ride from San Salvador, El Salvador to Nicaragua, but the sight at the end of it is worth it. Grab a seat on today’s journey.
Greetings from El Salvador, where everyone packs heat and you expect to see Carleton Heston around the corner! We hop on another long distance bus to begin our bolt from Guatemala to Nicaragua. Hop on the bus in today’s photo gallery.
Moving on, we head out of Xela, again on a chicken bus, to Central America’s deepest lake. Picture perfect Lago Atitlan and its conical volcanoes, dominates the scene, and this photo gallery of our day in Panajachel.
The prices baffled us in Guatemala – we found food costs high, but our lodging costs went down to a mere $6 a day at points. Quetzaltenango is seemingly designed for extended stays, with numerous guest houses to provide a home for the booming language school scene in town. We took advantage of one of these guest houses, and stayed at one place for five nights for $30 each – and we had our own rooms.
Our final day in Quetzaltenango was a lazy Sunday and, along with the rest of the city, we decided to take it easy. After a quick hike up a nearby peak and a daring display of motorcycle riding, we settled down in an empty bar to watch the Patriots. Take a chill pill with us in today’s photo gallery…
If Sundays are for football in the U.S., then in Guatemala, Saturday is for futbol. With Quetzaltenango’s team on the road this week, we too hit the road, heading to San Marcos, a city about 1.5 hours back towards Mexico, to catch their team play. Kick the ball around in today’s photo gallery.
Eighteen days in, we’ve been able to execute this trip near flawlessly – today, on my birthday, all our bad luck caught up to us, providing a series of misadventures. But, on the road, even the worst day is nothing to frown about.
I woke up to a package, sent down by my girlfriend via Express Mail. Donning the shirt (and I was in need of a fresh one) in the courtyard outside of our room, I felt good about the day. Reminders of home are welcome additions to days when we’re not sure about where we’re even going to sleep for the night.
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After a bumpy start we arrived at a coffee farm in the highlands of northern Guatemala. The friendly workers at Nueva Alianza gave us the low down on the seven step process that turns a sweet red berry into that familiar brown bean. Ever wonder what goes into your morning cup of Joe? Find out in today’s gallery.
It had been a frustrating morning, to say the least. After a late start and a bus ride that took twice as long as we were told it would, we were now sitting on the side of the road somewhere in Reu, under a rapidly receding spit of shade. We were told that we would be able to find a ride to Nueva Alianza, a coffee plantation up the road, which we wouldn’t have believed were we not sitting with three locals also waiting for this phantom ride to the finca (plantation). (more…)
We’re on our way up a curvy mountain road to the sizzling mineral baths of Fuentes Georginas, riding in the flatbed of a camioneta – a pickup truck that doubles as taxi and delivery truck in rural towns like Zunil, Guatemala. Halfway through town, the driver—whom we’ve paid the equivalent of $3 for an 8-kilometer (about 5-mile) drive—slows and shouts to a 20-something man who is ambling along with a group of men. The man, two Coke cans in hand, deftly pulls himself into the flatbed with us as the driver hits the gas.
Almost instantly and without any reservation, he greets us in nearly flawless English, “Where are you guys from?” he asks.
Immediately, my eyes are drawn to his mouth full of bling. Try as I might, I can’t help but notice his two gold-plated canines. While it is definitely not rare to see the indigenous people of Guatemala with full-on golden grills, witnessing this young man’s mouth of Olympic gold up close makes it harder than normal for this foreigner not to give in and stare. His mouth – both the English and the shine flowing freely from it – is certainly not his only distinctive characteristic. His slightly baggy pants and dark blue denim coat atop a white tee are not-oft-seen reflections of the west in a sea of straw hats, flannel shirts and bolts of colorful floral cloth.
This is Sebastian, and he has golden teeth. (more…)