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MILE 0 (Jan 2nd, 2002)
Today we begin our journey along the Pan-American-Hwy, the longest stretch of unbroken highway, in journey that takes us from Seattle, WA. to Ushuaia, Tierra del Fuego, also known as the "end of the world."
In Seattle we are cleaning out the 1993 Astro Van (which has 126,450.00 miles) and packing it up with bags of supplies for a possible 7 month journey to the southern tip of Argentina. As we pack things up, take out the middle bench seat and put in an old lazy boy swivel chair that Joe had in his room I am reminded how lucky we are to have this vehicle to escort us through the Americas, and reminded of its good Karma.
The van was given to us by Joe's parents after a temporary misplacement and a spell of good Karma brought it back. Turns out that the van, sitting in a parking lot filled with donated "dress for success" clothing (in route to be donated by Joe's mom Mary-Hamilton), a supply of groceries and beer for 1 month (Mary-Hamilton had just been shopping) all guarded by the family dog, was stolen in Seattle. Joe's mom, came back to the original parking spot to find the van missing and the family dog, Whitney, to be sitting in the parking spot in place of the van. The van thieves had a joy ride with tons of new cloths, plenty of food and alcohol and took a road trip. They were caught illegally parked in San Francisco, CA. The van was returned to WA. with no more damage than the extra 1,000 miles put on it.
So, soon it came time to say goodbye to Joe's parents and family. We got in the van which was parked in the driveway, looked at Mary-Hamilton one last time and waved our hand in reassurance that everything would be fine and that we would be safe. Joe, in the drivers seat then turns around and says to John, a Peace Corps friend from the D.R. who is visiting and whom we are driving to Tacoma on our way south, "Dude, watch us t-bone a car as we leave the drive way and end this 15,000 mile trip!" Joe puts the van in reverse laughing to himself at the idea and gives his mom another nod of reassurance as we begin our trip and the car moves out the driveway. Meanwhile, I sit back in the swivel chair in the back and think, "man i better get use to sitting in this van!" After going 10 feet in reverse, my train of thought is broken as we reach the end of the driveway and I feel the van come to a sudden stop, followed by the sound of broken glass. I! look at Joe and John and their blank look of "what just happened?" I glanced forward to through the front window to see Joe's mom in shock with her hands on her face. "we just hit a car," I think. Everyone jumps out to see the trash can on its side with broken glass (which was to be recycled) all over the street. We just hit the trash cans! Everyone started laughing hysterically at the thought that Joe will be driving to the southern tip of South America and on the first 10 feet of the trip has already gotten into an accident!
MILE 277 (Jan 3rd)
Joe and I stopped in Portand to see friends (Davis, Bree, Jay, Cheri, and Rob G). We also put $980.00 worth of repair into the van at a mechanic shop. We got new brakes, shocks, a transmission job, new serpentine belt, new fuel filter, oil filter, 2 extra spair full size tires on wheels, 10 cans of "fix-a-flat," 12 quarts of oil, and a bunch of other stuff I didn't understand.
MILE 1,016 (Jan 8th)
We arrived Turlock, CA. to pick up Matt, the missing link of our trio. Spent time with family, then continued south to San Diego. I am currently reading a book called "Road Fever" by Tim Cahill about his journey driving from Tierra del Fuego" to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in a world record of 23.5 days and can relate to what he is going through as we embark on a similar journey. Below is a passage from the book:
"I never set out to become an adventurer. The money we owed after the Around-The-World trip forced us to do the Africa-Arctic trip, and by the time I was done with that I was hooked. I liked taking a concept that involves travel and making it a personal, political, and technical challenge. The job involves conceptualizing, planning, financing, public relations, writing, and lots of wheeling and dealing. I like the fact that I can move through different elements of the job, which keeps the boredom factor at a low level"
MILE 1,602.00 (Jan 13th)
We spent our last weekend state-side in San Diego with friends then moved east to Tucson, AZ.
MILE 2,100.00 (Jan 15th)
After spending our last night state-side with my uncle, Chris and his wife Faith, we will cross the border in Tucson, AZ at Nogales and spend a week in SONORA, in northwest Mexico. Tomorrow morning we will cross the border.

ENTERING MEXICO

MILE 2,612 (Jan 16th)
We drove through the northwest state of Sonora to a sleepy beach town called Bahia Kino where we pitched a tent and slept on the beach. Falling asleep to the sound of waves crashing on the shore was nice after a long 9 hr drive from Nogales, Arizona. Our first experience driving in Mexico has been great, the roads are wide two lane freeways. So far, no potholes, or federalies bothering us.

MILE 3,102 (Jan 17th)
After debating about which town to stay in, whether or not we should camp again or sleep in the van, in mutual agreement we decided to b-line it to Mazatlan for the weekend (I mean we are in Mexico, right?). It was a celebration we deserved after driving over 3,000 miles without seeing a beach.
So, far we have encountered NO problems with the police and it has been a smooth ride down the Mexican international hwy #15. However, we are taken back and shocked by the price of gasoline, our rate of use, AND money paid at toll booths (we average 8 hrs in the van on one tank= $US 50.00 and maybe $US 5 to 10 at every toll booth)

MILE 3,271 (Jan 22nd)
We had a fun weekend of excitement in Mazatlan. We were "shaken down" and arrested by 3 Mexican police officers for carrying open bottles of beer (which is not illegal, they just wanted to scare us and get $). They wanted bribe $ but we refused saying that we didn't do anything wrong (people were waling around with open beers all over the place), so we waited for the "police van" to come pick us up (knowing it was a bluff) for 1 hr, after which we were told to leave....they must have though we were the MOST stubborn gringos ever, the next day we met 2 Canadians who bribed off 2 officers with $US 500.00 to not take them to jail....this is how police officers make their money, but we are not fooled.
On Monday we drove 5 hrs south to the next resort town, Puerto Vallarta, a beautiful tourist town with an amazing boardwalk along the water. We are having a fun time, but spending too much $ and are concerned we will run out of funds so our plan is to keep away from the tourist areas.

MILE 3,676 (Jan 28th)
We left the fun times at the beach and arrived Guadalajara Friday after delaying our visit to see my brother Matt Wight by 3 days (hard to leave the beach). We had a fun first weekend and got to meet many of Matt's friends from work and see his local hangouts. We plan on spending the week here relaxing, doing laundry, email and trying not to spend too much money.

From our guide book: "Traditions are preserved and customs perpetuated in Guadalajara; its a place where the siesta is an institution and the fiesta an art form. Mexico's second-largest city, and the capital of the state of Jalisco, Guadalajara is engaged in a struggle to retain its provincial ambience and colonial charm as its population surpasses 7 million."

On Sunday we were invited to go to a hot springs called Bosque Primavera with Matt's landlord, Juan Carlos. Juan is a professor at the University here in Guadalajara and is very informative and friendly. He has constantly been offering us food, making sure we are comfortable and inviting us on hiking trips. I get the feeling he enjoys leaving the city of 8 million (covered in smog) to breath the fresh air outside in the countryside. However, a hot springs in 80 degree weather was not the most refreshing thing....
This time in Guadalajara is good for us three, too much time in the van together can get rough. However, to keep mentally and physically sane we have developed a system; he who is not driving is either reading or navigating in the front seat, or sitting in the back doing a number of exercises (push ups, sit ups, dips, carrying gallon water bottles....you can get pretty creative after long periods of boredom). Also, at every city or town we have stopped to say in we have made an effort to find the local basketball court and find pick up games- Mexicans are not the natural basketball players and we are holding a winning record (3 on 3), thank God we brought a ball!

The other day we met 2 bicyclists who came from Montreal, Canada on their bikes. I will never complain about sleeping in the van again!

MILE 4,482 (Feb. 5th)
We delayed our departure from Guadalajara by 1 day after the misplacement of our only set of car keys (Joe locked them inside the van) on Superbowl Sunday. We also lost money betting on the Superbowl in a sports bar in an effort to make gas money, it was not a good day. So, instead of leaving early Monday morning we relaxed another day, found a locksmith and took off the following day for Mexico City.

After driving for 10 hrs we reached Teotihuacan, a site of Aztec ruins and pyramids 1 hr north of Mexico City. There, we camped outside of the park entrance.
The next day we got up to see Teotihuacan.
From the guide book: ´This Mesdamerican Giza is one of the most powerful sites in Mexico, from its size and scale, there is no doubting Teotihuacans monumental place in history´.

At sunrise we climbed the pyramid of the sun, the 3rd largest pyramid in the world, used to warship the sun Gods. At the top, overlooking all the ruins, courtyards, streets, one can imagine what would have been thousands of huts surrounding the ruins in its time as a Mayan empire, 100 BC. The Aztec took over around 650 AD after deforestation of the surrounding hills led to a water shortage and thus the downfall of the Teotihuan.

MILE 4,520 (Feb. 6th)
We gave ourselves one day to see Mexico city, the largest populated city in the world (25 million). This was based on the assumption that we would not last more than one day walking around in the thick blanket of smog that covers the city. Using public transportation, we saw an area of the city where ancient Aztec ruins have been excavated (the city was built on top of the Aztec empire)....it was weird to see people walking around the 2000 year old ruins talking on cell phones, eating McDonalds and engaging in modern day things. We hung out until night fall- at which point we got caught in a mob of people running in the street singing revolution songs and carrying Che shirts and flags (Chilean revolutionary). Turns out they were student protesting against the university system, its cost and regulations. The protesters where followed by police officers ready to break up anything that got ugly....we decided it was time to go. W! e left Mexico city that night and drove to Acapulco, a beach resort town to the west.

MILE 4,892 (Feb. 8th)
´After a half century, Acapulco endures at the top of the glitterati top 10 list as a sentimental favorite and a party-hearty resort town. With miles of beaches and some of the glitziest discos this side of the pacific.´

We spent on the beach, over looking one of the most beautiful bays I have ever seen, after arriving Acapulco at 5am Feb. 7th. The following day we got a room for a reasonable price and spent the day on the beach attempting to walk the miles of beachline that encompass Acapulco beach.

That night we went to the famous discos on the beach and had a funny experience. A ´free´ drink was given to a North American women whom we were hanging out with. In fear that it may have roofies or some form of a date rape drug, she put the drink on the table to not be drunk. Matt, however, oblivious to the situation saw the drink and either thought it was his, or thought someone had bought it for him. After drinking it (only his 2 drink that night), he described going from sober to drunk in minutes. He was fine and made it home ok, but it was funny that he drank a date rape drug!

MILE 5,331 (Feb. 11th)
7 hrs south along the pacific coast from Acapulco we arrived Puerto Escondido. We met 4 Germans the day before in Acapulco who where in route to Puerto Escondido as well. In an effort to conserve money spent on gas, and keep the 3 of us from killing each other (too much time together in too little space), we mad a deal and would drive them in exchange for money to fill a tank of gas (US$55.00). This ingenious concept made us think- picking up other tourists 1) makes the road trip more exiting, and 2) cuts down on our biggest expenditure. The 4 Germans paid less than they would have on public transport, were able to drive more comfortably, and gave us free entertainment! From here on out we are going to advertise our transportation service and take advantage of the fact that we have a van!

´Puerto Escondido has long been prime territory for international surfers. The town has the coasts first airport and has grown up to tourism. Although the 4 block pedestrian walkway- crowded with open air seafood restaurants, shops, and cafe bars- is lively, the real town is above the strip with its busy markets and stores, provides a look at local life and a dazzling view of the coast.´

Puerto Escondido has been the cheapest, most international, relaxed place we have visited yet. We will probably stay here a few more days before driving 9 hrs east up the mountains to Oaxaca City. Also, we are in the middle of Carnival and every day there are floats and parades, and nights full of excitement.

MILE 5,522 (Feb. 14th)

After several fun days in Puerto Escondido advertising our transportation service on the beach we found 4 others who wanted to go to Oaxaca city. So, the following day we loaded up the van and took off. Tyson, originally from Denmark, and the owner of the hostel we stayed at, had a Oaxacan girlfriend whom he wanted to see for Valentines Day; James, an Australian traveling Central America; and Bo, a fellow Washingtonian from Spokane made our road trip unusually fun. The 7 of us drove 6 hr (192 miles) north through the windy roads of the Sierra Madre mountains to Oaxaca city.

"Oaxaca City is traditionally Indian, and although cosmopolitan touches are everywhere, women and children still peddle everything from wooden combs to chili-seasoned grasshoppers, and men and boys offer shoe shines around the cities many parks. Although poverty and unemployment are problems, levels of destitution in the state capital are far less harsh than Mexico City."

Tyson, having lived in Oaxaca city for over 4 years, was an ideal guide. He took us to a friends hostel where we paid a reasonable price for our weekend stay, took us to a friends shop where we had our motor oil changed for the first time, and was our guide to the Monte Alban ruins, 25 miles SE of the city. The Monte Alban ruins are a complex of structures started by the Zapotecs, later taken over by the Mixtecs. Monte Alban was an Indian civilization that thrived after the Mayan but before the Aztec, and what remains is a gigantic courtyard surrounded by pyramids and ruins. Oaxaca was a beautiful change from the beach we had cool weather, and our first look at the indigenous culture.

MILE 5,735 (Feb. 18th)

After a sad depart to our traveling friends (Tyson, James and Bo were heading back to Puerto Escondidos), we left the city of Oaxaca, drove back down the windy mountains south toward the state of Chiapas in route to San Christobal de las Casas. Chiapas, a state used to process the coco leaves from Columbia into cocaine, has had many political problems. So, in an effort to avoid crossing the military check point after dark we camped off the main road next to a family run store just hours before the boarder of Chiapas.

The next day we got up with the sun, packed up camp, and drove 6 more hrs to San Cristobal. Fortunately, we had no problems getting into Chiapas and were never stopped by police or federalies. The drive was one of the most beautiful we had done yet, up a mountain passing small indigenous villages surrounded by pine trees.

"San Christobal is a pretty town of about 150,000 in a valley of pine forests interspersed with maize fields at an altitude of 6,888 ft above sea level. It's the most touristic city of the Chiapas highlands; here indigenous women with babies tied tightly in colorful shawls share the plaza with backpackers. Travelers who come to San Cristobal are not put off by headlines about government troops and the EZLN- or are even intrigued by the political ramifications. In truth, the rival sides are more likely to snipe at each other via newspaper editorials or the internet, than in hostile confrontations.
San Cristobal is among the finest colonial towns in Mexico, and its cool climate is a refreshing change from the sweltering heat of the lower altitudes. On chilly evenings, smoke from chimney fires curls lazily over the red-tile roofs of small, brightly painted stucco houses and elegant colonial mansions. The mystical atmosphere here is intensified by the fog and low clouds that hovers over the town and by the remarkable quality of the early morning and late-afternoon light."

In San Cristobal we found cheap accommodations and are relaxing a few days before continuing north to Palenque, one state away from the Yucatan.

MILE 5,842 (Feb. 19th)

After a day roaming around San Cristobal (went splunking in caves outside of town and walked around the small colonial town recruiting more backpackers to accompany us on the next leg of the trip), we took off to Palenque, a 5 hr drive. Our new traveling companions were 4 Norwegian girls whom where in route to Palenque also and forced us to take away from the local economy by putting their money that would have been spent on public transportation into our gas fund.

A windy drive down the mountains north led us to Palenque where we found a campsite, El Panchan, nested in a beautiful rain forest setting 1 mile away from the Palenque ruins.

"These ancient ruins include 500 buildings spread over 1.5 square km, yet only a relatively few have bee excavated. Everything was built without metal tools, pack animals or wheels. The site stands at the precise point where the first hills rise out of the gulf coast plain, and the dense green jungle covering these hills forms a superb backdrop to Palenques outstanding Maya architecture."

We spent the whole day waling around the ruins, jumping in and out of the jungle finding different, unexcavated ruins.

MILE 6,340 (Feb. 21st)

After a long 9 hr drive north covering over 500 miles of the Yucatan peninsula we arrived Chichenitza, the most famous and best restored of the Mayan sites in the Yucatan penninsulas.

"Chichenitza will awe even the most jaded visitor. Many mysteries of the Mayan astronomical calendar are made clear when one understands the design of the time temple, on the vernal equinox (march 20, 21) or autumnal equinox (sep. 21, 22) you can witness the light and shadow illusions of the serpent ascending or descending the side of the staircase of EL CASTILLO. Most archaeologists agree that Chichenitzas first major settlement, during the late classic period, was pure Mayan. In the 9th century, the city was largely abandoned for unknown reasons. Then, in the 10th century the city was resettled, and shortly after, invaded by the Toltecs who had moved down from their central highlands capital of Tula, north of Mexico City. Chichenitzas abandonment in the 14th century is a mystery, but the once great city remains the site of Mayan pilgrimages."

Our drive has become MORE comfortable in the last leg of the journey after crossing the Sierra-Madre mountain range (the roads are now straight and wide), yet also LESS comfortable as we approach the equator (humidity has increased dramatically, and, as a consequence, so has the quantity of mosquitoes).

MILE 6,589 (Feb. 22nd)

Knock on wood, no troubles with the van yet!
We arrived Cancun late in the afternoon after stopping for a swim break at an underground swimming hole, "Sammulas underground well," 2 hrs outside of Cancun. There, we met up with 2 other backpackers, 2 Canadians from Montreal- giving us a total of 9 passengers, a new record for the van.

Upon arriving Cancun we went straight for Isla Mujers, a 20 minute boat ride off the coast of Cancun, after hearing of Cancun's overpriced accommodations.
Isla Mujers is a small 1 by 5 mile island known for is beautiful beaches, backpacking style accommodations, and bars with live music on the beach. However, to our disappointment it had been raining for several days and was still overcast and drizzly (first rain we have seen in months!), so we took off the following day south to Playa del Carmen, just 5 hrs north of Belize!!

MILE 6,679 (Feb. 24th)

We arrived Playa del Carmen knowing it may be our last stop before crossing the boarder into Belize. We hear Belize, only 5 hrs south, is more expensive so we are leaving ourselves 5 days to do laundry, email and spend Mexican pesos, before going back to using dollars.

"Playa del Carmen is European populated, nested on a beautiful Caribbean coast with thick green brush overlooking the white sand and blue Caribbean water. Once a small fishing village, Playa del Carmen is a fast growing tourist town with everything Cancun has to offer, yet less expensive."

In a few days we will be in Belize, beginning our journey into Central America!!

ENTERING BELIZE

MILE 7,040 (March 1st)
We reached the Mexico-Belize boarder at 5pm two nights ago. Upon arrival, when our excitement about finally leaving Mexico had reached its peak, we were informed that no one in a foreign vehicle can cross after 4pm. This was because we had bought a ´´ permiso ´´ sticker (something required of all foreigners driving into Mexico), which prevents the selling of foreign vehicles by keeping a credit card account open with the blue book value of the vehicle (so, if it is not returned after 60 days, your credit card is charged). This being important, we waited until the next morning to close the account and return the "permiso" sticker. We camped outside the customs office and crossed the boarder, without problems, the next day. On the Belizean side they searched the van and sprayed it (outside) with bug spray to kill plagues.

´This English-speaking tropical country embraces a beguiling mixture of Caribbean and Latin cultures. The people are friendly and relaxed (maybe too relaxed, things seem to happen very slowly). Belize is a tiny country, its entire population is only about 250,000 and its 23,3000 sq-km area is only slightly larger than Wales or Massachusetts. Yet despite its small size, the country offers a variety of terrains and plenty of opportunity for adventure.

After spending 1.5 months in Mexico, crossing into Belize was shocking. After just 2 hrs of driving south--through small towns, sugar cane fields, and Caribbean beaches--we were in Belize City, the capital of 80,000. Belize City is colorful, yet very poor and surrounded by slums, alive with a Caribbean-style and Belizeans going about their everyday lives.

After spending no more than 5 minutes driving through the crowded streets of the over populated city, we drove directly to the Peace Corps office. Thinking that Peace Corps volunteers are often able to offer the best advice to budget travelers, we asked volunteers and spoke with the country director. We were told to check out the Cayes off the coast in northern Belize and to go inland to see the outdoor activities. Knowing the country was small and that we only had car insurance for 1 week (US$30.00, bought at the border), we got permission to leave our van at the PC office and quickly took a taxi to the ferry terminal and caught a ferry to San Pedro, the largest of Belize's Cays (2,000 residents). Founded as a fishing village, San Pedro is now Belize's prime tourist destination. We got there Friday afternoon, spent some time touring the small island and its picturesque Caribbean beaches. That evening we met some locals who took us out. Their 3-dialect language of English, Spanish and Creole perplexed us and kept us very entertained.

The next day, in an effort to see another island, we took an hour ride to CAE Caulker, a smaller more tranquil island of 800. There we spent more time on the beaches, meet more budget travelers like ourselves and, after running into 2 friendly girls from New York (Sarah Gray and Alison) that were heading in the same direction, we took off for the interior of the country. Tired of beaches and excited to see the jungle, we left the following morning.

MILE 7,128 (March 3rd)
Drove west into central Belize and towards the Guatemalan boarder with our 2 new traveling companions. Our destination, San Ignacio, a larger city of 8,000, was an excellent base from which to explore the natural beauties of the mountain pine ridge area.

ENTERING GUATEMALA

MILE 7,403 (March 9th)
Crossing the Belize-Guatemala boarder was the easiest so far. After getting fumigated for bugs and paying a small ´´departure tax," we were on our way into Guatemala. Dirt roads with huge potholes escorted us through small towns and countryside for several hours. Then we hit a paved road and within 2 hrs were in Santa Elena, & Flores.

´´From conquistadores and earthquakes to death squads and guerrilla cadres, Guatemala has been locked in a centuries-long struggle for tranquility and equality. The country´s history since independence in 1847 has been one of struggle between the forces of left and right. Unfortunately, both sides have bolstered the social and economic elite and done little for the people of the countryside, mostly Maya.
The heart of the Mayan world, Guatemala is a beautiful, mystical land. The highland Maya, living amid breathtaking mountain scenery, closely guard ancient customs and way of life. Splendid pageantry marks holidays and festivals, and weekly markets blaze with vividly colorful traditional customs. Traditional and modern values also clash when local farmers and ranchers clear the rain forest to provide for their families. Their method is the traditional slash-and-burn technique; however, with its tragic history and modern difficulties, Guatemala remains a fascinating land, its paradoxes fueling its air of inscrutability."

We stayed in Flores for the weekend and took boat rides on the lake with local fisherman. One hour outside of Flores is Tikal, the largest and most amazing of the Mayan ruins in Guatemala.

´´Towering pyramids rise above the jungle canopy to catch the sun. Howler monkeys swing through the branches of ancient trees as bright parrots and toucans dart from perch to perch. When the complex warbling song of some mysterious bird tapers off, the buzz of tree frogs provides background noise. Tikal´s most striking feature is its architecture. But Tikal is different from other great Mayan sites because it's nestled in a jungle. Its many plazas have been cleared of trees and vines, its temples uncovered and partially restored. But as you walk between buildings you pass beneath the rain forest canopy. Rich smells of earth and vegetation, peacefulness and animal noises contribute to an experience offered by not other readily accessible site.
Tikal is set o a low hill, which affords relief from the surrounding swampy ground and may be why the Maya settled here around 700 BC. Another reason was the abundance of flint, used by ancient to make clubs, spearheads arrowheads and knives. Flint could also be exported in exchange for other goods. Within 200 years, the Aya of Tikal had begun to build stone ceremonial structures, and by 200 BC a complex of building stood on the site of the North Acropolis."

MILE 7,482 (March 11th)

A 2 hr drive south led us to Poptun, just west of the Belize border. In Poptun we camped at La Finca, a 400 acre camping ground with monkeys, Tucans, waterfalls, and swiming holes. There matt and joe (I stayed behind in Flores for a couple days) took a tour through an underwater cave. Led by a guide, they climed in the dark with only flashlights into water holes, through caverns, and into large underwater lakes.

MILE 7,4591 (March 12th)

We drove 3 hrs south along the eastern border of Belize to Rio Dulce, an outlet of Lago de Izabal which runs into the caribbean ocean. Along the river are a pair of villages, which harbor a sizable population of foreign yachties and tour groups up the river into the caribbean. This is just a stopping ground for us and we´ll be off tomorrow.

MILE 7,805 (March 14th)

We drove west 5 hrs through Guatemala city to Antigua. Guatemala city, like many big cities we have seen, was nothing more than a road in route to another destination. We crossed a huge dried up river bed with tons of tin roofed shanty town houses covering the banks and outskirts of the city. Driving through the capital of 2 million spread across a flattened mountain range, was caotic. At stop lights beggers and vendors approach us, which was nothing new. However, we also ran into a starnge group of kids dressed in face masks (some very similar to KKK masks) carrying bats asking for money. It turns out they represented some group trying to make money (the masks were so the police wouldn´t recognize them), but they still scared us as we watched them weave in and out of the cars in front of us tapping on the windown with their bats asking for money. Some passengers tossed a few Quetzales out a barely cracked window, but by the time they reached us we had the doors securely locked, windows up, and bear sprey in hand. Within a few hrs we arrived our destination, Antigua.

¨Nestled between 3 volcanoes Antigua is among the oldest and most beautiful cities in the Americas. Its majestic setting, cobblestone streets, crumblin ruins and sprays of bougainvillea bursting from terra cotta roofs charms even the most worldly traveler. Antigua is one of Guatemala´s most friendly cities with a beautiful central park full of indiginous women and children selling colorful clothing and local kids playing ancient mayan tunes on flutes.¨

Here we spent 3 days hanging out in the park, meeting locals and hiking outside into the surrounding countryside of rolling hills and volcanos. Volcan Pacaya, an a ctive volcano 1 hr outside of the pueblo, took us 3 hrs to summit the 2,500m. At the top we were shocked to find rocks too hot to pick up, hot steam rising from all courners and from under every rock, and random spurts of sulfer clouds that, literally, dropped us to our knees grasping for air. We were able to look in the crator hear the roaring from inside and watch the smoke barrel out at high velocities.

MILE 8,033 (March 17th)

Our last night in Antigua the most unexpected, yet inevitable, sad, yet
funny thing happened to us and the owner of the hotel had the privilege of waking us up the next morning and spilling the news. ¨Mira su camioneta robada!¨(Look at your robbed van!) were the words that awoke us at 7am. Half asleep, we got out of bed to discover our van with a broken window with glass pieces covering the seat and sidewalk. Upon opening the sliding door, still rubbing sleep out of our eyes, our early morning, sleepy faces instantly sobered up after replacing images of our Astro van full of ¨stuff¨ to the present image of our astro van completely empty. Everything was stolen. Although we had a few bags inside the hotel with clothing, our guitars and toiletries, the majority of our stuff was stolen- all our camping gear, tent, 4 sleeping bags, machete, bear spray (never got to use
it!), cooler, 90% of Joes clothing, 3 backpacks with random stuff, mixed tapes, our 2 peace corps medical kits filled with medicine for almost anything, and more. The same morning we had a group of 6 travelers (3 from Oregon, 3 from California) who we had planed on taking to San Pedro, Lago de Atitlan, 4 hrs northwest of Antigua. Although disappointed and upset (and without a front passengers window), we were determined not let this ruin our trip. The
incident was reported to the police (pointless because without travelers insurance or a police staff that give a crap, we will never see our stuff again) and we were over it. Soon we were in a crowded van of 9, with a broken window, heading north toward Lago de Atitlan. That afternoon we arrived San Pedro, a small sleepy town nested on the lake with mountains and volcanoes overlooking it.

¨Lago de Atitlan is a Caldera (collapsed volcanic cone) filled with
shimmering waters 320m deep. The lake covers an area of 128 sq-km and is surrounded by colorful hills and 3 powerful volcanoes.¨

Here in San Pedro, overlooking the lake with enormous mountains behind us, we spent 4 days kayaking, walking through the town and indigenous Mayan villages, reading in hammocks, and eating in restaurants overlooking the view...avoiding the fact that we need to get to Guatemala city to fix our window before the rainy season.

MILE 8,077 (March 21st)

From San Pedro we drove 3 hrs (44 miles) on a road up the mountains to Chichicastenango. Chichicastenango, surrounded by valleys, with nearby mountains looming overhead seems isolated from the rest of Guatemala and is located close to the center of Guatemala. The 9 of us (Matt, Joe, Tobin, Wil, Amy, Jen, Carmen, Julie and I) planned our stay on Thursday due to the famous indigenous markets. Maya traders from outlying villages come to ¨Chichi¨ on Thursday and Sunday for Guatemala's largest indigenous markets. We spent the day walking around watching locals and tourists barter for hand woven clothing, blankets, cloths, hand made clay pottery, and used and recycled ¨stuff.¨ Although mainly interested in the indigenous arts and crafts, from time to time I caught myself giving the ¨stuff¨a second glance in a desperate hope of possibly finding OUR stolen ¨stuff.¨

MILE 8,185 (March 22nd)

Drove from Chichi northeast to, what seems, the exact geographic center of Guatemala, Coban. The drive took us up and through the ¨Cordillera de los Cuchumatanes¨(The Cuchumatanes Mt. Range) 8 hrs on dirt roads with huge pot holes curving up the mountain side. On the way up we passed numerous villages surrounded by agricultural fields. Everywhere farmers were seen walking to and from their farms carrying their machettes and following their mules and horses supplying transport for recently harvested crops and tools.

¨Coban was once a stronghold of the Radinal Maya. In the 19th century, German immigrants moved in, founded vast coffee and cardamom fincas (farms) and gave Coban the look and feel of a german mountain town. The era of German cultural and economic domination ended WW II, when the USA prevailed upon the Guatemalan government to deport the powerful finca owners, may of whom supported the Nazis.¨

From Coban, we drove 25 miles east to Lanquin. The 4 hr drive through a rough mountain road led us to the small village town of Lanquin, located in a small valley surrounded by green rolling hills and huge mountains. Here, we plan on spending a few days to take hikes, see Las Grutas (caves), walk around the small community of 400, and see Semuc Champey, a famous natural wonder; a great limestone bridge 300 meters long, on top of which is a stepped series of pools of refreshing flowing water. Lanquin is projected to be one of Guatemala's main tourist attractions in the future due to its surrounding natural wonders and outdoor activities; something that may help the economy, but definitely not the environment.

MILE 8,375

On the drive off the mountains from Coban, we blew a tire (a result of driving on poorly maintained dirt roads for the last week) and were able to use one of our two full size spare tires.

MILE 8,468 (March 26 through April 1st)

Drove south to Antigua for la Semana Santa (Easter week), where everyone goes for the week long national holiday. We are still traveling with the 6 others and have made good traveling companions- we even started a betting pool for the NCAA tourney!

Everyone comes to Antigua for Easter week, Guatemalans and tourists alike. Its funny, traveling around Guatemala for almost one month has allowed us to pick up many different people along the way, and here in Antigua we are running into every one of them...we are known as ¨the guys with the van¨.

This week we will fix the broken window, change the oil, check the brakes (having some problems), then head into El Salvador.

ENTERING EL SALVADOR

MILE 8,751 (April 3rd)
After celebrating la Semana Santa in the small town of Antigua, Guatemala with locals, tourists and indigenous people we drove south and entered El Salvador. Antigua, during this national holiday, put on processions that illustrated the events leading up to Jesus´s death. People came from all around for the largest attended event surrounding Easter in all of Central America. Thursday night, before Good Friday, local families spend all night painting the streets with colored sawdust creating elaborate designs and pictures of events shown in the processions. Then, early Friday the processions begin and participants marched around the town following the brightly ¨carpeted¨ streets.
A sad day came to the 3 original travelers (Joe, Matt, and Nate) as we had a parting moment. Before taking off for El Salvador Matt and I said goodbye to Joe who was going the opposite direction to fly out of Guatemala City and into LA to begin enrollment in the LAPD. The trip will continue with Matt and I (and whoever else we pick up) as far as we are able to go, however, a good friend and comical traveling companion will be missed!
(FROM MATT- ¨Joe, thanks for all the adventure, we had some great times....see you in LA!¨)

We crossed the El Salvadorian border at the San Cristobal frontera where we spent 3 hrs doing paper work (the most time spent at a border yet) and discovered something important. Before leaving the USA Joe had the van turned over into my name, knowing he was going to leave early and that we would need proof of ownership to cross borders. Until now, border crossings have been easy but today we realized that our ¨proof of ownership¨ is nothing more than Washington State's ¨transfer of title certificate¨ which clearly states in bold English letters on the back, ¨THIS DOCUMENT DOES NOT SHOW PROOF OF OWNERSHIP AND IS NOT OFFICIAL.¨ Dahl!!!

Well, we knew this and that the official title was sent to my Dad's house (also the creator and maintainer of this web page!) long after we crossed the Mexican border and began our trip. So, here we are in El Salvador without proof of ownership realizing any customs official who can read English will not let us cross the borders, nor will we be able to sell the van. However, after a little smooth talking Spanish at the border, we were allowed entry and soon in Santa Ana, south of the Guatemalan border, and the 2nd largest city in El Salvador.

¨El Salvador isn't as geared to backpacking tourism as neighboring countries, but crossing borders, and entering a different world, rewards the experience of watching a country redefine itself. Currently, the smallest country in Central American is changing from its old currency of Colonies, to US Dollars making it hard to buy things because both are used and have completely different value. It's not unlikely when purchasing something to receive change in both Dollars and Colones!¨

¨The population, as of 2000 is 6,123,515. Of that 90% are Mestizo (a mixture of Spanish and indigenous blood), 1% indigenous and 9% of European ancestry. At the current estimated growth rate of 1.9%, El Salvador's numbers will swell almost half again by 2025. With the highest level of environmental damage in the Americas, El Salvador runs the risk of losing its beauty. 6% of the country is forest or woodland, only 2% of that original growth. High population density remains the principal obstacle to the regenerations of ecosystems.¨

¨When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, the country was dominated by the Pipil, descendants of Nahuatl-speaking Toltecs and Aztecs, both Mexican tribes. The Pipil probably came to central El Salvador in the 11th century, just after the Maya dynasty collapsed. They called the land Cuscatlan, which means Land of Jewels, and made what is now Antiguo Cuscatlan, outside San Salvador, the capital. Their culture was similar to that of the Aztec, with heavy Maya influences and a maize-based agricultural economy that supported several cities and a complex culture including hieroglyphic writing, astronomy and mathematics.¨

¨El Salvador gained independence from Spain on Sep. 15th, 1821. The same wealthy families held tight to their land and continued to push locals off. Anastasio Aquino led an unsuccessful indigenous rebellion in 1833, setting down his own laws and annulling all debts; he is still a national hero. In 1841, following the dissolution of Central American Federation, El Salvador adopted a constitution as a sovereign independent nation.¨

Today El Salvador is left in turmoil. USA intervention in the 1980´s supported fighting against guerrilla warfare and rebel groups in an effort to prevent an uprising of communism, or dictated power. After pulling out, the country was left in poor, in despaire, and with one of the highest rates of guns per capita in all of Central America.

MILE 8,871 (April 5th)
From Santa Ana we drove south with Tobin, Will (who will stay with us until Costa Rica), and Jen to Lago de Llopango, El Salvador's largest lake formed from a volcano (a good thing to see in the middle of their dry, HOT season). After jumping in for a swim we continued south to Cerro Verde National Park where we hiked 4 hrs to the top of Volcan Izalco, one of El Salvador's 25 volcanoes. At the top we were disappointed to find out that Izalco is not active and has no lava (although, at the top smoke vents were everywhere and rocks too hot to touch!)...our second volcano and still no lava! From there we continued south to the pacific coast of Playa el Zonte, a popular surfing town. Matt and I rented surfboards, but got destroyed by the far-from-perfect conditions.
A dramatic difference in climate was noticed driving south through the mountains to the coast- much hotter and humid than Guatemala. We are here in the dead of the dry season and cannot imagine the humidity during the wet season.

MILE 8,940 (April 8th)
Drove north to San Salvador, the capital of 500,000, found the Peace Corps hostel, and stayed for the weekend. We were told not to enter El Salvador, had understood it was a rough country, and had falsely envisioned (through reading tour books and via word of mouth) a country in despair and anger. Quite opposite to what we first thought, Salvadoreños are the nicest and most beautiful people we have found in all of Central America. From street vendors, to beggars, to restaurant owners- we never felt overwhelmed by the presence of people ¨in our faces¨ trying to get something out of us (to enter their restaurant, to give them spare change, etc), as we have felt in other countries. I believe it's because other neighboring countries are attractive to tourists and are always catering to them. El Salvador, on the other hand, has little tourism and no one knows about it. WE soon realized this and that we were the only tourists around, locals weren't used to our presence, or of what we can offer with our foreign currency. El Salvador is a beautiful country and despite US intervention Los Salvadoreños still like North Americans.

MILE 9,060 (April 9th)
Drove north to the northern border crossing of El Poy into Honduras. Here at the border we spent 5 hrs truly understanding the meaning of unorganization. First, we were told (after stamping our passports at the El Salvador customs office, and thus terminating our 30 day visa in El Salvador) that they ran out of permit papers for tourists traveling in vehicles, due to the Semana Santa the week before. We were told by customs officials with straight faces, ¨you will need to stay here at the border for 8 days until we can find more papers!¨ Although they had fax machines, phones and internet, they had no idea how to find the papers and were insistent that we would have to wait a week. However, after a little motivation from Matt and I to key custom officials, they found someone to bring the appropriate papers from the Honduras side. Then, after 3 more hrs of paper work, paying transit fees, and trying to find answers to questions that related to us crossing the border, we eventually crossed into Honduras.

¨The second largest of the Central American countries, Honduras has a cool, mountainous interior (around 65% to 80% of the total land area is composed of rugged mountains ranging from 300m to 2,850m high, with many highland valleys) and a long, warm Caribbean coastline. The remnants of one of the earliest examples of civilization in Honduras can be seen at the ruins of Copan in western Honduras, near the border with Guatemala. The ruins indicate settlement there beginning at least around 1200 BC. At its highest glory, during the classical period from around AD 250 to 900, Copan was the most southeasterly of the great Mayan city-states that extended from present-day western Honduras and El Salvador throughout Guatemala and Belize and well up into Mexico.¨

¨The population of Honduras is around 6,250,000 and is experiencing the most rapid urbanization in all of Central America. About 90% of the population is mestizo, and another 7% are pure Indians living on pockets around the country, each group with its own language and culture. Honduras is a poor country with one of the lowest Gross National Products in all of Latin America; only Haiti and Nicaragua are poorer. It's estimated that 50% of the population lives below the poverty level, and close to 30% of the workforce is unemployed or underemployed.¨

¨During the 1980´s, Honduras was surrounded by the turmoil of Central American political developments. In July 1979, the revolutionary Sandinista movement in Nicaragua overthrew the Somoza dictatorship, and Somoza´s national guardsmen fled into Honduras. Civil war broke out in El Salvador in 1080 and continued in Guatemala. Though Honduras experienced some unrest, Honduran politics were far more conservative. This can be attributed largely to the strong US influence, which helped direct the course of Honduran politics and created a strong Honduran military capable of crushing any armed insurrection. Honduran government land reforms between 1962 and 1980 also showed that reform was possible through established channels. With revolutions erupting on every side, and especially with the success of the Nicuraguan revolution in 1979, Honduras became the focus of US policy and strategic operations in the region. The USA pressured the government to hold elections after 17 years of military rule. A civilian, Dr Robert Suazo Cordova, was elected president, but real power rested with the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, General Gustavo Alvarez, who supported an increasing US military presence in Central America. With Ronald Reagan's ascendance to the presidency of the USA in January in 1981, US military involvement in C. America increased dramatically. The USA funneled huge sums of money and thousands of US troops into Honduras as it conducted provocative maneuvers clearly designed to threaten Nicaragua. Nicaraguan refugees camps in Honduras were used as bases for a US-sponsored undeclared covert war against the Nicaraguan Sandinista government, which became known as the Contra war. At the same time the USA was training the Salvadoran military at Salvadoran refugee camps inside Honduras, near the border with El Salvador. Public alarm and opposition to the US militarization of Honduras increased in the country during 1983, creating problems for the Honduran government. In March 1984, General Alvarez was toppled in a bloodless coup by his fellow officers. General Walter Lopez Reyes was appointed his successor, and before long it was announced that Honduras was planning to reexamine its role as the USA´s military base in the region. In August, the Honduran government suspended US training of Salvadoran military within its borders. The 1985 presidential election, beset by serious irregularities, was won by the Liberal Party candidate Jose Simeon Azcona del Hoyo, who had obtained only 27% of the votes. Fagael Callejas Romero of the National Party, who had obtained 42% of the votes, lost. Despite growing disquiet in Washington after the revelations of the Iran-Contra Affair in 1986, the Contra was escalated. In 1988 around 12,000 Contras operated from Honduras. Public anger in Honduras increased forcing the Honduran government to declare a state of emergency. Finally, in Nov. 1988, the Honduran government refused to sign a new military agreement with the USA, and President Azcona said the Contras would have to leave Honduras. With the election of Violeta Chamorro as president of Nicaragua in 1990, the Contra Was ended and the Contras were finally out of Honduras.¨

MILE 9,180 (April 10th)
We crossed the border and drove north to Copan Ruinas, also called Copan, about 1 km from the famous Mayan ruins. It is a beautiful little village with cobblestone streets, white adobe buildings with red-tiled roofs and colonial churches. This valley was inhabited by the Maya for around 2 thousand years and is now a world heritage site and the farthest south in Central America Mayan ruins can be found.

MILE 9,278 (April 13th)
Drove north through the Montañas de Comayagua, a densely green mountains range (although deforested) that leads you to the north Caribbean coast. We passed San Pedro Sula, the second largest city in Honduras, and continued north to Tela.

¨Tela is many travelers´ favorite Honduran Caribbean beach town; it's small and quiet, with superb seafood, several good places to stay and some fine while-sand beaches. This is a great place for relaxing on the beach and enjoying the simple life.¨

MILE 9,334 (April 15th)
Drove east along the Caribbean coastline to La Cieba, a outlet town used to get to the 3 Bay Islands, Roatan, Utila and Guanaja.

¨The Bay Islands are prime attractions for visitors, who come from around the world to dive and snorkel on the extensive reefs teeming with colorful fishes, corals, sponges, lobsters and lots of other marine life. These reefs, a continuation of the Belize reefs, are the second-largest barrier reefs in the world after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. The population of the Bay Islands is very diverse. Most Isleñas are black whose heritage includes African and Caribbean Indian, European and other groups. English is the dominant spoken language, and Spanish is the second.¨

MILE 9,598 (April 18th)
We took a 2 hour boat ride from the port town of La Ceiba to Roatan and were greeted to the warm, blue Caribbean ocean by a group of dolphins that showed off their ability to maneuver effortlessly through the water. The ride was spent in awe looking over the bow of the ferry watching the dolphins jump out of the water and race beside us at high speeds.
On Roatan we found a cabin on the beach with a kitchen and private bath (Thanks Berna and Teddy!) where we stayed for the week. Matt and Will took a 4 day PADI certification course and I did a series of 5 dives, several of which were by far and large the most amazing dives I have seen- spectacular coral reefs, diverse marine life, wonderful visibility and exciting swims. One dive we submerged to 130 feet (pushing the limits of my PADI open water qualifications), still with great visibility, and found colorful tropical fish and an abundance of marine life along the coral reef wall. At one point we looked down into a blue abyss from the top of a cliff, later I was told that this drop off goes down 2,000 feet! Some divers saw reef sharks and whale sharks (up to 25 feet long!), but I had no luck.
After a sad departure, we drove 5 hours southwest to Lago de Yojoa, Honduras´ largest and most beautiful lake. Lago de Yojoa is surrounded by green hills and holds over 375 different species of birds. Here we spent the night en route to the capital, Tegucigalpa. At the lake we stopped by Pulhapanzak, a magnificent 400-foot waterfall with our two new traveling companions, Liam and Kela, a friendly couple from a small community of 60 in central Scotland who are traveling Central America.
MILE 9,704 (April 21st)
Drove east to the capital, Tegucigalpa and stayed for the weekend to get caught up on things I once took for granted back home- doing laundry, spending hours on email (its cheap in the capital), and going to a MALL (where we can develop film, go to movies, eat at Burger King, something I NEVER did in the States).
Tegucigalpa is a busy, noisy city of 1 million nestled in a bowl-shaped valley surrounded by a ring of mountains at an altitude of 975m and has a much cooler climate than the coast. From here we will drive 4 hrs south to cross into Nicaragua, our 6th country.

ENTERING NICARAGUA

¨THE CONTRA WAR: After Ronald Regan became US president in Jan 1981, relations between Nicaragua and the USA took a turn for the worse. Regan suspended all aid to Nicaragua and began funding the counter revolutionary military groups known as Contras, operating out of Honduras and eventually out of Costa Rica as well. Most of the original Contras were ex-soldiers of Somoza´s Guardia Nacional, but as time passed, their ranks filled with disaffected local people.
The Contra war escalated throughout the 80´s and as US money flowed to the Contras, their numbers grew to over 15,000 fighters. Honduras was heavily militarized, with large-scale US-Honduran maneuvers giving the impression of preparations for an invasion of Nicaragua. The Sandinistas responded by instituting conscription and building an army that eventually numbered 95,000. Soviet and Cuban military and economic aid poured in, reaching US$700 million in 87. A CIA scheme to mine Nicaragua's harbors was revealed in 84 and resulted in a judgment against the USA by the International Court of Justice.
Nicaraguan elections in Nov 84 were boycotted by leading non-Sandinistas, who complained of sweeping FSLN control of the nation's media. (In fact, the Chamorro family's LA Prensa, acknowledged to have been funded by the CIA to publish antigovernment views, had been allowed to operate freely by the revolutionary government, though as the Contra was escalated, a state of emergency was declared and censorship was implemented.) Daniel Ortega was elected president with 63% of the vote, and the FSLN won 61 of the 96 seats in the new National Assembly.
In May 85, the US initiated an embargo on trade with Nicaragua and pressured other countries to do the same. The embargo lasted for the next five years and helped to strangle Nicaragua's economy. After the US congress rejected new military aid for the Contras in 85, the Regan administration secretly continued the funding through a scheme in which the CIA illegally sold weapons to Iran at inflated prices and used the money to fund the Contras. When the details leaked out, the infamous Iran-Contra Affair blew up.
Various peace plans were proposed by other countries throughout the years of conflict, but no agreement could be reached. The Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias Sanchez, finally came up with a peace plan that was signed in Aug 87 by the presidents of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and Honduras. Through hailed as a great stride forward, it proved difficult to implement, as participating nations failed to follow through on their commitments wile the USA took measures that seemed intentionally aimed at undermining the peace process.¨

Quotes from
Lonely Planets Central America on a Shoestring. 4th edition, June 2001. Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd, Victoria 3011, Australia

MILE 9,880 (April 23rd)
We crossed the Honduras border at Las Manos into Nicaragua today. We crossed in a record time of 1 hour, and were not hassled for not having our original car title or proof of ownership, for being gringos, or for having an Astro van full of bags, from the 7 passengers we were carrying, and passengers. At the border we picked up another traveler and drove through the dry, treeless mountains of northwest Nicaragua south to the pacific costal town of Leon. Our first impression of Nicaraguans toward north Americans was very positive despite our not-so-distant past of US intervention and control.

MILE 10,000 (April 25th)
On our 10,000 mile we arrived Leon, a town of 150,000 close to the pacific coast which was once the nations capital during colonial times. Here we spent several days with our new group of 8 travelers. One day we escorted them all to the coast to see the beach (first time since El Salvador, over 1 month, seeing the Pacific Ocean). Upon arriving, I had the brilliant idea of driving the Astro van down the deserted Nicaraguan beach line. However, after reaching only 10 feet off the paved road I stopped to reconsider. That was as far as we got, our van was stuck in the sand and with every effort to back up, the rear wheels dug deeper and deeper into the hot sand. Before we knew it the rear wheels where 1/2 foot in sand and the van tilted at a 20% angle. After hours of digging, collecting wood to put under the tires for traction, and stressing as the tide rose, we only found ourselves in a worse situation. However, the good karma of the van prevailed and a huge Coke freight truck, unaware of what was going on, pulled up to a local store near the beach to deliver coke products. Only with their help were we able to pull ourselves out of a potentially dangerous situation.

MILE 10,098 (April 28th)
Drove south along the pacific coast to Granada. We passed through the capital of Managua thinking that the original proof of ownership and title MAY possibly be there waiting for us, but continued south to Granada for the weekend planning a return trip to Managua on Monday. My dad sent the original copy of the title of vehicle to the US Embassy in Managua, Nicaragua knowing its presence while crossing the border into Costa Rica, and then selling the van in Panama, is crucial.
The city of Granada lies on the west side of Lago de Nicaragua between the pacific coast. Lago de Nicaragua is Latin Americas 3rd largest lake covering almost 1/12 of the area of the country. The lake is home to many freshwater aquatic species, including freshwater sawfish, tarpons, some 20 varieties of cicadas, and the worlds only population of freshwater sharks (not a distinct species but rather migrates from the Caribbean via Rio San Juan who are believed to have adapting from salt water buoyancy control to fresh water buoyancy control by evolving a less dense liver).
Granada, Nicaragua´s oldest city, is today a quiet town that retains its colonial character. The streets are lined with adobe walls and large wooded doors opening into cool interior patios. Here we stayed at ¨the bearded monkey¨ a travelers hostel with a restaurant, internet access, cable TV (watched an upsetting last game of playoff game as the LA Lakers sweep the Portland Trailblazers in 3 straight games!), and a friendly patio area surrounded by hammocks tied to pillars. Without knowing it, we arrive Granada at a perfect time. This weekend locals are celebrating an annual FOOD FESTIVAL, and the park is lined with food vendors selling all types of local and indigenous foods.
Upon entering Nicaragua, we noticed an unbearable change in climate and are now in the middle of a very hot and humid climate and unable to stop sweating (FYI).

MILE 10,130 (April 30)
We drove back north to Managua, just Matt and I, leaving our 6 other traveling friends (first time in months we have had to drive alone!). WE ARE NOW OFFICIAL OWNERS OF THE VAN! After a short wait in the US Consulate, we received the original title of ownership and may spend a few days here in the capital to celebrate.

MILE 10,215 (May 5th)

Drove south to Granada for the weekend as proud owners of the van.

MILE 10,300 (May 7th)

We drove south along the Pacific Coast, en route to Costa Rica, and stopped 20 miles north of the border at a small fishing town called San Juan del Sur. Although San Juan del Sur is primarily a fishing village most of the year, during holidays it is a Nicaraguan party center, and a recently discovered surfing hole by tourists. We arrived just in time to see the annual international surf competition and, although didn't compete, were able to do some surfing ourselves.

Upon arriving we discovered an Australian run resort 40 minutes outside of San Juan del Sur, at the end of a dirt road. Reccomened as a good place to stay, we drove through the country side and were welcomed at the end of the road by a small resort (with a bar/resturant, cabins on the beach and camping grounds) nested in a bay called Bahia Majagual. Bahia Majagual has a beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean where guests playe volleyball on the beach, surf the beach break, and drink from the bar as the sun sets through the plam trees connected by hand woven hammocks. Here we spent 6 days on the beach literally doing nothing but relaxing and making friends with other travelers (the local transport truck broke down so we made some money with a shuttle service to and from town). As our second weekend as guests approached, we decided it was time to go. On Sunday we were waved off by the friendly Australian owners and other travelers as we packed 11 people and their bags in the van to take into town (6 remained with us for the drive into Costa Rica).

ENTERING COSTA RICA

MILE 10,392 (May 13th)

We crossed into Costa Rica at the Penas Blancas border crossing.

"Costa Rica is famous for its enlightened approach to conservation. About 27% of the country is protected in one form or another, and more than 13% is within the national park system. The variety and density of wildlife in the preserved areas attracts people whose dream is to see monkeys, sloths, caymans, sea turtles, and exotic birds in their natural habitat. The adventurous traveler will find the opportunity in Costa Rica to hike through rain forest, peer into the smoking craters of active volcanoes, snorkel on tropical reefs and surf the best waves in Central America.

Costa Rica has had democratic elections since the 19th century and is now one of the most peaceful nations in the world. Armed forces were abolished after the 1948 civil war, and Costa Rica has avoided the dictatorships, frequent military coups, terrorism and internal strife that has worn other countries in the region. Costa Rica is also the safest country to visit in Latin America."

MILE 10,532

Drove south along the pacific coastline through the peninsula de Nicoya where we ended up at Playa Tamarindo. This beach town is a popular surf spot so Matt and I looked around and found a resonably priced surf board which we plan to use throughout Costa Rica and Panama and selling before leaving in July. Our trip will have to end in Panama after selling the van. Due to lack of money and weddings at home we will end our trip seeing just about all of Central America and will save South America for another time.

In May we are just beginning Costa Rica's winter, however, the 85 degree and high humidity doesn't make it feel anything like "winter." Costa Rican's, or Ticos, are all getting anxious for the World Cup to beging. Excitement is in the air, as they were placed in an easy group and are expected to advance to the next round. They play their first game on June 4th, and everyone is anxiously awaiting.

MILE 10,678 (May 18)

We drove southeast to the capital, San Jose to pick up our favorite Dominican gal, Laura, and continued southwest to Playa Dominical. In the capital we spent a very important US$ 70.00 on new front brakes (On our drive to the capital from Playa Tamarindo we had NO break pads left, and turned up the music full blast to avoid the jaw-clinching sound of metal on metal trying to stop a 2 ton van). Here, Matt and I bought a surf board to share for the next month and a half of traveling through Costa Rica and Panama.
Matt, Laura, and Steve (the crazy Canadian we have been traveling with) continued north along the pacific coast, and I stopped in Quepos, a small pueblo where I lived for a month with my brother almost 3 years ago. I have been kinda tired of constantly packing up and moving on to the next place, so Quepos has been just what I wanted. Just a 10 minute bus ride outside of Quepos is Manuel Antonio, one of Costa Rica's largest national park and home to some of CR's most beautiful beaches. I have been spending my time on the beach, surfing a little, and trying to avoid the ¨gringo¨ crowd in an effort to ¨refresh¨ my Spanish (something I haven't been able to do for the last 4 months!).

MILE 10,882 (June 2nd)
I took public transportation, for the second time in our 5 months traveling, to the capital, San Jose, to meet up with Matt and Laura. The following day we drove Laura at the airport and said our goodbye (at least until NYC!). We stuck around the capital long enough to see the Costa Rican national soccer team beat China in the world cup tourney and spent the afternoon with crazy Costa Rican fans preparing for the game in a bar in San Pedro. Televised live from China, it started at 12:30am and went until 3:00am. Costa Rica dominated the whole game and 100´s of fans kept the bar from being quiet for the entire game. After they won, the place erupted with pride and 1,000´s of fans (from all the surrounding bar, and houses) paraded through the streets, yelling with excitement and partying until the next morning. I have never seen anything like it!

ENTERING PANAMA

We crossed the border at the Paso Canoas crossing after driving all day from San Jose and spending the night in the van on the Costa Rican side of the border. Eager to sell the van, we asked at the border about import taxes, possible buyers and where to get the highest value. We were pleasantly surprised to find import taxes extremely lower that in Costa Rica, and a lot of interest from potential buyers.
¨Panama offers some of the finest natural scenery and eco-tourism possibilities in Central America, yet most foreigners only know the country for its canal and the1989 US invasion to depose General Manuel Noriega.
Panama is a crossroads not only of animals but of people as well. The country is an interesting combination of Spanish, Latin American, North American, Caribbean and indigenous cultural influences, with immigrants from Asia, Europe, the Middle East and other places that spice up the mix. Indian tribes are scattered across the country, and many have successfully maintained some of their traditional culture. The Kuma, in the San Blas Archipelago, are the most independent and politically organized of any native population in Central America. The Peninsula de Azuero in central Panama is like a slice of Spain dropped into the Americas, with traditional Spanish festivals celebrated often and with great gusto.
Historically, Panama is a story of riches--of Peruvian gold carried by Spaniards across the isthmus, huge forts bui9lt to deter marauders and attacks by pirates. More recently, the US- built Panama Canal, one of the world´s engineering wonders, has dominated political affairs since its construction. The 20th century began with Panama´s independence from Columbia in 1903 and the triumphal completion of the canal in 1914, and it ended with another triumph: delivery of the canal from US to Panamanian control on December 31, 1999.
Panama has the highest per-capita income of the Central American countries, but still 37% of the population lives below the poverty level, and 21% live in ¨extreme¨ poverty. Unemployment hovers around 20%. Panama City, with its tall skyscrapers and international banking and trade, is a modern metropolis; but like other modern cities, it also has slums, crime and unemployment.¨
MILE 11,531 (June 6th through 12th)
We drove directly to Panama city where we plan on investigating where and how to sell the van. We have talked to used car dealerships, put ads in newspapers, and posted advertisements around the city. Our plan is to stay here in the capital until we sell the van, and in the meantime go sightseeing.
Panama City, similar to Miami (huge skyscrapers along the water), has a lot to see. We have already been to some of the beaches, saw the Panama Canal, and historic ¨panama viejo.¨

THE PANAMA CANAL: ¨The canal is one of the world´s most significant waterways, truly an engineering marvel, stretching 80 km from Panama City on the Pacific side to Colon on the Atlantic side, cutting right through the Continental Divide. Nearly 14,000 ships pass through the canal each year (with the average fee around US $30,000). Ships worldwide are built with the dimensions of the Panama Canal´s locks in mind: 305m long and 33.5m wide.
The canal has a three set of double locks: Miraflores and Pedro Miguel Locks on the Pacific side and Gatun Locks on the Atlantic side. Between the locks, ships pass through a huge artificial lake, Lago Gatun, created by the Gatun Dam across the Rio Charges (when created they were the largest dam and largest artificial lake on Earth), and the Gaillard Cut, a 14km cut through the rock and shale of the isthmian mountains. A staggering 52 million gallons of freshwater is released to the ocean with the passage of each ship. Construction was an extreme challenge: In the wet climate the loose soil was subject to horrendous landslides even after the canal opened, dealing with tropical diseases (Yellow Fever and malaria), and engineering feats all created to these challenges.
The idea of a canal across the isthmus was first broached in 1524, when King Charles V of Spain ordered a survey to determine the feasibility of constructing such a waterway. In 1878, the Colombian government awarded a contract to build a canal to Lucien NB Wyse. He sold the concession to the French diplomat Ferdinand de Lesseps, who was then basking in his success as the contractor builder of Suez Canal.
Lessep´ Compagnie Universelle du Canal Interoceanique began work in 1881. Lesseps was determined to build a sea-level canal alongside the inter-oceanic railway, but the project proved more difficult that anyone had expected. Yellow fever and malaria killed 22,000 workers. Insurmountable construction problems and financial mismanagement drove the company bankrupt by 1889.
One of Lesseps´ chief engineers, Philippe Banua-Varilla, formed a new canal company, but at the same time the USA was seriously considering putting its own canal somewhere through Central America, possibly Nicaragua. The French, unable to complete the canal, agreed to sell the concession to the USA. In 1903, Bunau-Varilla asked for the Colombian government's permission to conclude this sale. Colombia refused.
However, after Panama´s independence from Colombia, construction began on the canal in 1904 under USA control and took 10 years and more than 75,000 workers. This project remains one of the greatest engineering achievements of the 20th century, completed despite disease, landslides and many other difficulties. The first ship sailed through the canal on August 15, 1914. The Canal Zone-- the area surrounding the waterway-- became a populous American military colony, with its own English language school, homes and businesses. However on Dec 31, 1999 USA gave up ownership to the Panama government, and the majority of the North Americans left.¨

MILE 12,215 (June 24th)
After spending over a month in Costa Rica and Panama figuring out how to sell the van, receiving embarrassingly low offers from car dealerships and individuals, and anxiously waiting phone calls from prospective buyers with higher offers from our hotel room (for almost 3 weeks!) we finally found a buyer with what seemed to be the highest possible bid. Over the process we learned that we would not get what we had expected because 1) the economy is down, due to Sept. 11th, and nobody is buying or selling; 2) there are very few America made vehicles in Central America, and thus a small market for sellers; 3) it is not the tourist season and, as a result, there is not much circulation of money in the economy.
Our new friends and future owners of a ´93 Astro van are a friendly old couple who live 30 minutes outside of the capital who wanted to replace their 20 year old car with a newer one, one that, ¨we can use to carry our 3 dogs around in¨. Ulysses, a physical education teacher in a local high school, and his wife, a retired elementary school teacher, read about our advertisement in the paper.
A week ago we began the paper work. In an effort to buy Ulysses and his wife more time to pay the importation taxes (US$ 1,345.00), we had a lawyer notarize a document stating the taxes would be paid in full within 15 days and that I would ¨be allowed to depart the country¨ without problems. However, like every other country we have entered, I was given a stamp in my passport upon crossing the border stating that I entered the country with a ´93 Astro van and that I would have to leave the country with it too (this is done by the government to prevent foreign cars from being left in the country to rust on the side of the road and to avoid an increase of 10 year old + vehicles entering the country). I thought nothing of it and assumed customs would take care of it.
So, the day before my scheduled flight I calmly walked into the customs office with Matt, the new owners of a beautiful Astro van, our ¨notarized¨ document and my passport with the presumption that receiving a stamp in my passport to cancel my previous agreement and obligations with the van would be easy to get. However, the calmness of the situation quickly ended when were told the taxes would have to be paid my ME and that I would not be allowed to leave the country without having done so. Hmmm, the situation looked bad. But it wasn't ironic that our trip with the van ended smoothly by simply pulling $25.00 out of my pocket and confidently asking, ¨what can we do about this situation.¨ Our ultimate lesson from the trip- money talks. We had to bribe the customs office in order for me to legally depart the country.
Our 12,000 mile trip has come to an end for me. Matt will continue back to Costa Rica to surf for month, after which he will head home. Well, at least we did a good part of North America and all of Central America. South America will have to be have to be written about in part II.

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