* Central America 2003

Panama

It was an adventure just getting there. I had waited in Cartagena, an amazing spanish colonial town for almost a week before jumping on a cargo boat illegally for $50.

We started out the 6 of us - Germany, England, Switzerland, Holand, Argentina and France, with 15-20 locals and crew. The captin who sold us the tickets lied to us about Visa stamps and drop off points. He didn't evn come on the boat (suprise). We had a few arguments with the sailers over food rations and tried stealing their mattress's but were unsuccessful. Most people slept on the floor deck but I ended up on the cargo and backpacks as there was no space.



The 2nd day we arrived in Acandi. I negotiated a canoe boat to the border of Capurugana in the Darien gap. After 2-3 immigration posts and several problems we had to leave the Argentinian behind. None of us had the required papers or funds or outgoing airtickets but I managed to bullshit most of us out of the border.

Finally we arrived in PT Obaldia expecting to jump on a plane the same day, but unfortunately the miltary took control of all the planes leaving us stranded for several days.

It was a bit intimidating to cross through the Darien gap by boat, its too dangerous by land because the Darien is full of bandits, smugglers, guerillas, and paramilitaries (chasing guerillas). Fortunately all our probems were limited to redtape at the border, having no money or food, and being stranded .

We all had very little money as we didn't expect to stay there for more than a day. I just had enough for a flight and 6$. We had to pull all our money together to have just enough for all the flights. The next couple days we survived eating from the trees - coconuts, mangos and starfruit.



Pt Obaldia itself is a miltary camp rather than a port village. Not so long ago it was controlled by Farc guerillas which is why it's full of soldiers, bunkers and has very few civilians . You need to ask permission just to go to the beach and after a certain time can not leave the inner town.

We finally got a plane but had to leave the Swiss and Dutch couple behind as they had more money, each other. There were only 3 spots left on the plane. It had the shortest runway I have ever seen, we lifted off right before falling into the ocean.



Arriving in Panama city was fantastic. The city itself is a very modern and American looking . Was strange to see cash machines again. Panama city is like a little New york . It was so nice to eat real food again. I was getting tired of climbing trees looking for ripe mangos and star fruit.



However it is the only place I have been where locals have stopped me in the middle of the street to warn me of danger if we continued up certain streets. I visited the Panama canal and then flew we to the carrabian coast. Stoping in Bocas del toro Island (Panama) and the Pt Viejo (Costa rica)- a cool little hippi town on the Carrabian side with some good surf and nice beaches. Unfortunately it rained most of the time we were in the Carrabian.

Costa Rica

Saw some nice beaches and loads of wild life but I found Costa Rica terribly expensive and too overcrowded with package tourists (mostly north Americans). The locals were quite distant as well, probably as a resullt of excess tourism. We saw the Volcano Arenal while erupting and went to the bottom to see lava flowing towards us. It was spectacular.


My last stop was Montazuma on the pacific- a cool little beach town. I ran into a german guy I had met in the bolivian jungle in march- he had rode his bicyle all the way up to Costa Rica ( loco! ) After not meeting many interesting people and my credit card having expired (leaving me with 80$.) I left .

Nicaragua

Was a place with few tourists in general. San Juan had good surf and nice beaches and colonial Granada was interesting. Granada has a contrast of nice colourful colonial buildings and dusty, decaying rundown buildings. Leon also a colonial city -is said to be by some the only real city in the country ? The island of Ometepe (formed by to joint volcanoes) is cool from the distance but not what I expected.

I found Nicaragua friendly, poor and politically very interesting. The US intervention has been strong in Nicaragua. The CIA, US marines and US financial backing to intsall or remove dictators and governments has gone on for decades.



As recent as the 80s Regean sold illegal weapons to Iran to fund the contras (military groups) out of honduras against the current goverment (sandistas). Ironically, these contras are x- somazas the other party that the US Orginally supported until they got out of hand and switched over to supporting the sandista revolution. For the 3rd time they have swtiched sides creating another war to further there own politcal interests.

Politcs aside the capitol is a shithole, more of a town than a city. I'm waiting for a bus tomorrow through Honduras stoping in San Salvador for a day or two before heading to Guatamala and later Mexico.

Guatamala

San Salvador- was a very dirty, dodgy, chautic place. I didn't stay long.



Antigua- Guatamala to the contrary is beautiful, colorful, colonial city. It has a nice atmosphere, with loads of people walking on the streets and is full of foreign students and tourists.

San pedro a town on the lago de Atitlan felt more local although popular with backpackers.



It was a good place to relax before heading to the jungle to see the striking pyrimids of tikal ( some of the most impressive ruins on the continent) .

Mexico

It was great to arrive in a place that has good food, Spices and some variety . Somthing more than just rice, beans and chicken!



I crossed belize stoping in Tulum, the only ruins I have everseen along the coast. It's a beautiful place with white sand, crystal clear blue water and just a few beach cabanas and huts. A cool relaxed part of the Carrabian that isn't yet overcrowded.



Playa de Carmen and it's bigger version Cancun were terrible. Like little vegas strips on what used to be a beautiful beach full of overpriced restaurants, hotels, shops and 1-2 week package tourists(yankies).



Cuba

Was a great change and a place to visit (while Fidel still lives). Cuba is such an interesting place . Habana has a great atmosphere and always has some little bar playing live bolero, sono or salsa. It has a lot of character, although its buildings are dirty and decaying they still look very impressive. In Cuba you actually feel like you are in the 50's. The buildings, the old american cars... It seems as if Cuba stopped developing and never progressed after the US embargo. Leaving Cuba quite preserved.



It's has an interesting system. I enjoyed not seeing any American fast food chains and bill-boards. They have 3 currencies going around and as a tourist you pay a lot more. Although by paying with local money which is hard to get some things are very cheap like a cone of ice cream (4 cents), a pizza (25 cents) a mango juice (8 cent). Otherwise things like hotels, long distance buses and restuarants a very expensive.



I had to cut my trip short as I have been reyling on money transfers this last month since my credit card expired. I was told I could recieve money in cuba so went with about 150$ which didn't last long.



After news of the transfer being sent back I had exactly enough money to pay the exit fee and was forced to change my ticket( 25$ and 25$).The last 2 days I had zero money for food or accomadation and even had to take a local bus (and then walk 10km to get to the airport) since I could not pay for a taxi.

Mexico

On my plane to cancun I met a mexican woman smuggling in several boxes of Cuban Cigars. Having no money I agreed to smuggle one box in exchange for transport to the center, money for internet, transport to a bank and then to the port. After all that I jumped on a boat to Isla de mujers (island of women).



Stoped in merida to buy a hamac as I no longer have enough money to sleep in hotels. Then visted the impressive ruins of Palenque and spent 4-5 days in San cristobal and Oxaca. They are both extremely colourful and beautiful spanish towns.

My last stop before going to visit some freinds in Mexico city were the beaches of Mazunte, Zipolite and Pt Escondidos. Then I will vist my father in Cali for a month and the rest of my family in Paris before heading to look for work in london.