CENTRAL AMERICA
15 January – 12 March 2017
It’s a wrap
I therefore bring you the close out of our Central American
experience which continues within Life in a Year Full of Saturdays.
The Central American tour, Because it’s
there’, was just one of those things where we thought, hey, why shouldn’t
we. Lets’ just got and see what’s there.
So here it is…Central America ‘The Final’
Our favourite places
1 1. Caye
Caulker (Belize) - To
think, this place wasn’t even on the itinerary, it was one of those places that
we considered adding in ‘if’ time permitted, and hell, weren’t we thankful for
making the correct decision. A Caribbean dream.
Caye Caulker - Belize
Caye Caulker - Belize
2 2. Havana
(Cuba) - An old favourite, this place is timeless and
will always hold a special place in our hearts and minds. Even as the wind of
change makes its way across the island, what it is and what it stands for is
pervasive and special to all.
Havana - Cuba
The Malecon - Havana - Cuba
3 3. El
Tunco (El Salvador) - A surprisingly wonderful destination.
Sunsets, surf and cocktail dreams. Inspiration on the Pacific in a corner of
the world that remains reasonably undiscovered
El Tunco - El Salvador
El Tunco - El Salvador
4 4. Antigua
(Guatemala) - The ‘Melbourne’ of Central America,
speakeasies at every turn. A town of stunning colonial architecture, fantastic
food and bars that could find themselves in any Alpha City of the world.
Antigua - Guatemala
5 5. Cabo
San Lucas (Mexico) - Where
the desert meets the sea (or rather, the ocean), white beaches, nightlife,
water sports. It’s a place that allows you to do a lot, have fun and sets the
scene with gorgeous scenery and equally supportive climate.
Cabo San Lucas - Mexico
Most Surprising
Caye Caulker (Belize)
We really didn’t expect much from Caye
Caulker, perhaps our Central America on a
shoestring guide didn’t do it justice. With that said, Belize City is not
at all spectacular and not worth occupying your time, but then, jump on a fast
ferry, get out to the Caye’s and soon enough you’ll be swinging in a hammock,
staring up at the wonderful palm trees and thinking that life can be as simple as this.
Best Drinks
1 1. Cadillac Margarita – Hooters – Cancun (Mexico) - Don’t
knock it unless you’ve tried it. Both Inga and I enjoy the junk food hit and the satisfaction of not eating healthy, and then
rolled in the big, stylish Cadillac Margarita which just swept us off our feet.
2 2. Pina Colada – Malecon – Havana (Cuba) – Hotel
Terral – It’s all about the quality at this place. Equally as great as the
first occasion I tried it here two years ago. Sweet, rich, cold and delicious
on every occasion. It was 2015 all over again, consistency and deliciousness is
triumphant here.
3 3. Daquiri – El Floridita –
Havana (Cuba) – You could hardly believe that a drink that is as mass produced
as the daiquiri in El Floridita could be any good, but of course, you would be
wrong. Batch made, not bespoke, but the man behind the bar has some 25 years of
experience and man, he obviously knows a thing or two about turning them over,
getting them out and making them right!
Can you believe it moments
11. El Tunco (El Salvador) - Sitting
on the back deck of the El Sunzal El Tunco, the waves of the Pacific crashing
at our doorstep, staring up at the stars, sharing a drink and a cigar, it was
hard to believe that a simple place like this could be so wonderful…but it was.
El Tunco - El Salvador
2 2. Leon (Nicaragua) - Waking
up at 7am to what we thought was an evacuation alarm, and believing in that
moment that we were in the midst of a volcanic eruption with our lives,
potentially being on the line, was not cool perse, not until such time that we
figured out that the alarm was the standard morning wake-up call for the school
kids of Leon.
Leon - Nicaragua
3 3. Sunset on the Malecon – view from our
hospederia – Havana (Cuba) - Two
years earlier we had walked the Malecon and wondered what it would be like to
watch a sunset from one of the buildings on the ocean front. Two years later we
were fortunate enough to share that very experience together.
The Malecon - Havana - Cuba
The Malecon - Havana - Cuba
Un-cool moments
1 1. El Jardin de la Vida – Ometepe (Nicaragua) - Having
dragged two mountain bikes, aka, gross
hunks of chunk, around the base of Volcan Maderas, we managed to get back
to our accommodation only to be accused by the owners of being ignorant, naïve and
almost negligent for the complete break down of their bikes. Well, your
treatment of us was pathetic, your moral compass off and your understanding of
your own responsibilities in renting out this bikes were grossly
underestimated. I said it once and I’ll say it again, to the owners of El
Jardin de la Vida, you suck!!
El Jardin de la Vida - Ometepe - Nicaragua
Yes, you SUCKED!
2 2. Te’Kila, 6541 Hollywood Boulevard – Hollywood - Los Angeles (USA) - The
audacity of these guys slipping a 20% fee onto our bill and hoping we wouldn’t
call them on it was one thing, but then, trying to get it by us by claiming it
was a tourist tax, well that was
pathetic. We called them out and they backed down, but their manner was just so
shonky and disrespectful.
Te'Kila - Hollywood Boulevard - Hollywood - Los Angeles - USA
Yes, you guys were DODGY!
Te'Kila - Hollywood Boulevard - Hollywood - Los Angeles - USA
Yes, you guys were DODGY!
3 3. The Nowhere Bar – Los Cabos San Lucas
(Mexico) - It
all came unstuck here when the waiter told me that the tip that I had given him
was insufficient. It was close to 10% but not 10%. Hmmm, no I was of the
opinion that tips were in fact discretionary and not an obligation. So with
that said I simply pulled whatever tip it was and offered nothing instead. I
think this set off the internal combustion of this guy and it got to the point
where he asked ‘where are you staying’, in
a thinly veiled threat. F*** you hombre!!
Best Accommodation
1 1. The Hard Rock Hotel – Hard Rock Megalopolis –
Panama City (Panama) - The
place is just cool and hell, it was a great place to stay, even though it was a
fair amount more than our on a shoestring
budget dictated
Hard Rock Hotel - Hard Rock Megalopolis - Panama City - Panama
Hard Rock Hotel - Hard Rock Megalopolis - Panama City - Panama
2 2. Random hospederia – Malecon – Havana (Cuba) - Looking
out onto the Malecon, watching the sun dip down over Havana Bay whilst people
made their way up and down the ocean front. How much more of a spectacular
location could you ask for?
3 3 . El Sunzal El Tunco – El Tunco (El Salvador) - What
an amazing location you get for the price. Fronting the Pacific, you are front
and centre to the show that nature puts on every evening.
El Sunzal El Tunco - El Tunco - El Salvador
Random but still cool moments
Entrance to Tikal (Guatemala)
We had a difference
of opinion with our tour operator when we reached Tikal. Effectively,
without wanting to pay entry into the park twice, we had to stay at the
entrance until such time that our day ticket, for the next day, would let us
in. We spent 6hrs at the front gates, a space of time that we thought we
brutalise us, but, with some imagination and ingenuity the time passed quickly
and in fact, to me, it actually turned out to be a lot of fun.
The entrance to Tikal - Guatemala
6 hours, right here
The entrance to Tikal - Guatemala
Travel breakdown
Total number of flights
13
Total flying hours
49.15
Total distance flown
33,240kms
Total number of bus rides
19
Total distance covered by bus
4235kms
Average number of pupusas per day in El Salvador
7.2
Total number of boats/ferries
6
And there we have it, the wrap of a tour that was quite surprising for what it
offered. As a whole Central America was about what I expected, as a whole, but
there were pockets that delivered so much more and that’s what made travelling
through this part of the world so satisfying.
So where to now? Well our next escapade it going to be into the region where we’re
scheduled to tie the knot on June 30th (2017).
This trip is more about validating that our location wedding actually is the right
location for us. Wish us luck!!
