COSTA RICA | Monday, 31 Dec 2007 | Views [786]
Between Christmas and New Year’s Ticos, as Costa Ricans are known, take the week off and head for the beaches and the national parks. We had hoped to go from La Cruz to Laguna Arenal in the mountains but the hotels were full and it began to look ... Read more >
Tags: The Great Outdoors
COSTA RICA | Monday, 31 Dec 2007 | Photo Gallery
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COSTA RICA | Friday, 28 Dec 2007 | Views [791]
We went only as far as La Cruz, the first town with lodging and settled in the German-owned Bella Vista Hotel. It is on the hill with a nice breeze and overlooks a beautiful bay. There was a large group of bicyclists from Holland here last night ... Read more >
Tags: Beaches & sunshine
NICARAGUA | Thursday, 27 Dec 2007 | Views [904]
I put this entry off until I cooled down but I am not sure it helped. On the 27th we planned an easy 100 mile drive from Leon to Granada. Along the way we were stopped three times for police shakedowns; the offense – DWN (Driving While Norte-americano).... Read more >
Tags: Scams & Robberies
NICARAGUA | Tuesday, 25 Dec 2007 | Views [1903]
We spent the past few days traveling border to border; Guatemala-El Salvador, El Salvador-Honduras, Honduras-Nicaragua. We are getting pretty good at avoiding the "helpers" and avoiding the scams from the officials but it is draining and one ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
GUATEMALA | Thursday, 20 Dec 2007 | Views [1880]
Market day at Chichicastenango is a riot of color as craft vendors and tourists pack the narrow cobbled streets. Amazingly, these people are even smaller than the ones in Totonicapán and are known for their special brand of religion, a combination ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
GUATEMALA | Wednesday, 19 Dec 2007 | Views [1145]
Our hotel for the next three nights is in Panajachel on Lago de Atitlan, also known as ‘gringo-tenango’ for its many expats. “Pana” is a cute although touristy town on Lake Atitlan, the 7 th largest lake in Central America and one of the most picturesque ... Read more >
Tags: Mountains
GUATEMALA | Wednesday, 19 Dec 2007 | Photo Gallery
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GUATEMALA | Tuesday, 18 Dec 2007 | Views [3045]
Tuesday is market day at San Miguel Totonicapán, a town at the end of the road in the mountains about 40 miles from Quetzaltenango. The market is packed with locals buying and selling locally made crafts: baskets pottery, leather goods and the colorful ... Read more >
Tags: Markets
GUATEMALA | Monday, 17 Dec 2007 | Views [1810]
Now we know why few people bring a car into Central America. Even before we reached the border between Mexico and Guatemala we picked up a guide. He and his son directed us to follow their motorcycle then handled our exit from Mexico and the ... Read more >
Tags: People
MEXICO | Friday, 14 Dec 2007 | Views [2506]
Chichen Itza is probably the best known and most visited Mayan site in Mexico. It was in its heyday from 600 to 1250 AD. It is a long day trip from Cancun and Chetumal and by 11:00 tour buses fill the parking lot. We arrived yesterday afternoon ... Read more >
Tags: culture
MEXICO | Tuesday, 11 Dec 2007 | Views [1006]
Campeche sits on the Gulf of Mexico and is another UNESCO World Heritage Site which Connie described as ‘too cute for words.’ It was always a Spanish city and parts of the fortress remains. The buildings are single story blocks painted in pastels.... Read more >
Tags: Culture
MEXICO | Sunday, 9 Dec 2007 | Views [823]
Palenque (pa-len-kay) is a real find. It is in the state of Chiapas, known to Americans for its civil unrest but we really enjoyed it. The gate to the ruins is a mere hundred meters from our campsite at Maya bell but we ... Read more >
Tags: culture
MEXICO | Friday, 7 Dec 2007 | Views [2395]
This is our trip and we reserve the right to whimsically change our plans. Rather than follow plan ‘B’ towards the Pacific coast and into Guatemala we reverted to our original plan and headed north east towards Xalapa (ha-la-pa) - also spelled Jalapa ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
MEXICO | Wednesday, 5 Dec 2007 | Views [1702]
The zocalo in Oaxaca is the ideal place to people watch and the restaurants provide the perfect vantage point. Musicians stroll around the plaza which is decorated with poinsettias at this time of year. Kids eat ice cream, lovers embrace on ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
MEXICO | Tuesday, 4 Dec 2007 | Views [9740]
We are in our third day in the Oaxaca (wha-hock-a) area and haven’t yet visited the city. We have visited the nearby pre-colonial sites of Monte Alban and Mitla. Zapotec, Olmec and Aztec cities were much like the city-states of ancient Greece.... Read more >
Tags: culture
MEXICO | Saturday, 1 Dec 2007 | Views [1974]
As Teotihuacn declined around 700 AD Xochicalco became the dominant political and economic center for the next 200 years. It sit on a hilltop and covers nearly 20 square kilometers. Excavation has been going on only in the last 20 years. As with other ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
MEXICO | Friday, 30 Nov 2007 | Views [665]
We didn't really want to go to Cuernavaca but there were some campgrounds nearby we could use as a base for exploring the area. The climate certainly is better than Mexico City. It's shorts and T-shirt weather with banana trees and many flowers. Taxco, ... Read more >
Tags: Shopping
MEXICO | Thursday, 29 Nov 2007 | Views [6568]
We spent our final day in Mexico City at the Palacio des Belles Artes at the Diego Rivera exhibit. Rivera is probably Mexico’s best known artist and certainly its most prolific. The exhibit consisted of murals which could be transported, sketches ... Read more >
Tags: Culture
MEXICO | Wednesday, 28 Nov 2007 | Views [1661]
Sunday is the day that Mexican families swarm the city, visit the parks and otherwise relax so we let them to it and took the day off. It is important to take a break once in a while. After all, we are supposed to be enjoying the trip. We tended ... Read more >
Tags: Sightseeing
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