The Long Way South- A Pan American Adventure

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Deleted member 12023

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by Sarah
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Crossing the border into Guatemala has been the easiest yet. After “checking out” of Belize, we had our first experiment with a border money exchanger. I found a man who was more than happy to have my business- a few clicks of the calculator and I had a wad of quetzales in my hand!
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We continued on past Belize customs and into Guatemala. After passing through the ginormous fumigation station, we were flagged over to the side of the road where we parked the truck to go figure out all of the paperwork. No truck insurance or documentation for the dog needed. All we did was pay for fumigation and the vehicle import permit and less than an hour later, we were on our way to Tikal!
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We stopped for some fruits, veggies and other odds and ends that we would need for the next couple of days. Isabel was making us a traditional Honduran meal for dinner that night and we needed a few special ingredients!
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When we pulled into the Tikal Park, we parked the cars and went up to the booth to pay for our tickets. The man told us that if we waited until 3:30 we would be able to use that ticket to visit the ruins tomorrow as well. Rather than paying twice (it was $19 to get in per person!!) we decided to wait the 45 minutes. There just happened to be a booth that sold beer by the bottle right at the entrance. What better way to wait it out than to drink a beer in the parking lot while looking at the map?!
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Once 3:30 hit, we were on our way. There is a campground right at the entrance of the ruins so we set up shop. It was a bit rainy that day so Mat and Isabel pitched their tent under a canopy and we backed the truck right up to it. Home sweet home!
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After eating our delicious dinner, we headed to bed pretty early. The game plan was to wake up at 5:30 so we could get to the park right when it opens and be the only people there! Mission accomplished! We walked in bright and early ready to explore. The first sight you see is a ginormous ceiba tree. Not quite as large as the sequoias we saw in California, but interesting nonetheless. It shot straight up into the air with it’s white trunk and these odd little sprouts of branches that laid flat out on the top.
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Using Mat’s trusty map of the park, we were able to find our way to the main area where the infamous 64 meter tall Temple IV ruin is.
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We spent the majority of the morning walking around from ruin to ruin, getting lost in the surreal jungle listening to howler monkey’s claim their territory. We still had a bit of a drive that day so we packed up and hit the road, headed for Coban. We knew that it was a bit of a stretch to attempt a drive almost halfway down Guatemala in one day but when you are traveling with other people, it is easy to get a bit overconfident and take on tasks that you otherwise wouldn’t have done alone.

Our GPS was giving us a bit of trouble when trying to calculate how long it would take to get from Tikal to Coban. It said that it would take nine hours or so and Mat’s google map said it would take about four. We obviously ignored our GPS and later found out the reason why was because there was a ferry that had to take us across a river in Sayaxche!
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It took us about a total of 6 or 7 hours to get to Coban. We had coordinates for a campground in the city and felt pretty confident. It was past dark when we pulled up to the gate only to find that it was locked. We peered in between the bars, our weary eyes trying to see if this was in fact a campground and how the hell we were going to get in. It had been too long since any of us had eaten. Mat and Isabel had bought a couple of tamales on the side of the road a little ways back so we all chowed down sitting on the curbside trying to figure out what we were going to do. I had written down several coordinates for camping places but none of them were close to where we were. We looked in Mat’s Church’s book- no luck. We looked in our Lonely Planet book- no camping. As we were exhausting all of our resources and watching men stumble out of the nearby bar, we quickly decided to ask some people how to get into town to find a hotel. Driving around a city on a Saturday night in the dark is not our idea of fun but we needed to find a place to stay. We pulled over and sent Nate and Isabel to find us a hotel with secure parking while Mat and I kept guard of the vehicles. Nate and Isabel came back about ten minutes later and had found us a beautiful hotel that had secure parking and would allow dogs! Perfect!

The next day was Mat’s birthday and Nate and I wanted to do something special for him. There is an ongoing joke about how Mat could introduce himself to other’s… We made him a personalized hat that had his name on it. It was one of the classiest presents we have ever given someone and Mat was damn proud to wear it
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The drive from Coban to Antigua was interesting to say the least. Having driven our fair share of dirt roads thus far on the trip, we were not surprised when the road suddenly went from nice pavement to dirt. The road was littered with obstacles such as potholes, branches and cows! The cows are stubborn, too. Even though the farmer is chasing after them, yelling and whipping them to get out of the road, they continue to mosey along down the center of the road. Once they are on the side, you still cannot trust them. They will naively turn hard to the left or right and jet out directly in front of your vehicle without a care in the world!
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As with almost every dirt road that we have traveled on, the views make it worth the slow, dusty travel. We can cruise along at about 50 or 60 miles an hour on these roads but for Mat and Isabel, it is a different story. This is where we “win” when traveling with them! Most of the time they can blow us out of the water doing 90 mph on the paved roads but on the dirt ones they have to go much slower as they don’t have as much clearance as we do.
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Yet again, we pulled into Antigua in the dark. Having the coordinates for the Tourist Police station, where we planned to camp for free the next couple of nights, was extremely helpful. We pulled up on the side of the road and Isabel and I checked it out. We made our way through the dimly lit streets to the entrance. The Tourist Police station is nestled in the remains of an old hospital that was ruined in an earthquake years back. We went back to get the boys to show them where to park and set up camp.
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The next two days we toured around Antigua and got a good feel for the city. Nate’s mom is coming to town in a few weeks so we will be able to show her around and do some more exploring as this is a very large city and there is so much to do and see! Although not the same street structure, Antigua’s colorful buildings and historical landmarks reminded me very much of Guanajuato. Antigua is much easier to drive and walk around though because the streets are all parallel with each other, there are no tunnels and you won’t find houses and buildings stuck into the side of hills and mountains here. What you will find is excellent food, beautiful textiles and lots of students attending spanish school.
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The last day in Anitgua we parted ways with Mat and Isabel and planned on meeting them in San Pedro La Laguna for one last hoorah! Nate and I took off towards the town where we would attend spanish classes for the next month. It was a mere 4 hour drive and we were ready to settle down and get our ‘learn’ on! The road down to the lake is one of the most steep, switch backy roads we have ever driven on. It was like Truck was now a rollercoaster dodging the potholes, making almost impossible turns and flying nearly straight down the mountain. When plummeting down the road, all you can picture is a large chicken bus coming straight at you and shoving you off the side of the mountain into the depths below.
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Once we pulled into town, we attempted to find our school. Multiple u-turns and just a few times around the congested market streets and we found it! We were greeted by a couple of very nice people who worked at the school and got a tour. After telling them all about our trip, we were given a test to let them know what level we were at. We both haven’t been in school for almost five years now, so this should be interesting! Well, here goes nothing!
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chevyz71

4x4 Z71
great report guys. Glad to see people from new England on this forum. not many really, over here. I been on maine many times, at saco river (canoe trips). Also camping and driving around dirt roads on MT Washington. Jefferson notch, old cherry road etc... A Mexican on love with New England !!!
 
D

Deleted member 12023

Guest
TUK TUK EXTRAORDINAIRE
by Sarah
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I saw my first tuk tuk in Guatemala, bombing down the road at about 30 miles per hour, just outside of Tikal. I’ve heard of these interesting contraptions before, but had never seen one in real life. I was snapping multiple pictures of one particular tuk tuk like I would never see another one again. Little did I know, I would soon become one with the tuk tuks.
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It all started the night we arrived in San Pedro La Laguna. After greeting the school and taking our exams, we set up camp in the parking area where we planned to stay for a week or two waiting for a cabana to open up. We decided to grab a bite to eat that night in “Gringolandia”- a network of tight alley ways packed with restaurants serving up food you would only find back in the states. We strolled along looking for a place to quench our undeniable thirst and fill our bellies. We found a restaurant that served up everything from burgers to salads to thai food. The best part? They sold our favorite type of beer by the bottle!! We entered into the dark, smokey restaurant and plopped down at the nearest table. We ordered our food and waited patiently.

After the waitress dropped the food off, Nate looked at me and told me that he didn’t feel ‘right’ but attempted to eat his meal anyway. He got about halfway through and glanced at me with a concerned look and said, “Sarah, I think we need to go back to the truck now. I really don’t feel that good.” While desperately looking for the waitress, I saw Nate go outside to get some fresh air. Once the bill was paid and the food packed up, I went outside to meet him but he was no where to be found. Having just arrived earlier that day, I did not know my way around town and did not know which direction he had gone. Panicked, I started sprint-walking back and forth in front of the restaurant saying his name. Nothing. Where did he go? Why would he go somewhere I couldn’t easily find him?

FInally, I spotted him down an alley, slumped over sitting on the ground. He had his sweatshirt in his hands and his head in between his knees. He was not making words and was completely drenched with sweat. I got him to stand up but he could not walk far. He pointed to an area near us that looked to be a garden of sorts and asked if he could lie down in there. I checked it out and it looked legit so I left him there while I went to find a taxi to bring us back to the school. I started jogging down the alley way, looking for a ride. A tuk tuk rounded the corner and was headed straight for me. I threw my hands up in the air and asked the man for a ride. He complied and waited for me while I went and dragged Nate out of the garden.

In my terrible Spanish, I told him that we needed to go to the Corazon Maya spanish school. He knew exactly where to go but first, had to back up down the alley to face to right direction. Then, he took off like a bat out of hell. It felt like we were in the Baja 1000 of tuk tuks. We were going up and over narrow cobblestone streets, weaving from side to side threading between people like a needle. Nate was slouched over beside me, his face pale green. I thought he was going fall out of the side of the tuk tuk a few times. When we finally arrived, I graciously gave the driver the ten quatzales he asked for and hurriedly opened the back of the truck so Nate could lie down. I gave him a pot in case he got sick and some water. After he was settled, I called my parents to ask what to do. This was the first time in my life with Nate, a total of almost eleven years, that I had seen him this sick. I didn’t know what to do. I was lost. My compadre was down and out for the count.

It wasn’t until after I got off the phone with my parents that I realized Mat and Isabel had arrived in San Pedro and were probably wondering where we were. I checked our emails. Mat had sent one asking us where we were and told us what hotel they were at. Nate assured me that he was fine so I took off looking for them, all by myself. I walked up to the gate of the school but it was locked. What was I going to do? I envisioned myself in an episode of ‘Cops’; on the run, hopping the fence to get away. Coming back to realization, knowing I’m not that ************, I strolled over to check it out. I peered over the fence- It wasn’t that far of a drop. I mustered up the courage and flung myself up and over the bamboo fence. However, in midair, I started realizing what I was doing and frantically clung to the sharp metal grating. I slowly scraped down the side of the bamboo, my body totally stiff with nervousness. Once I reached the ground, I brushed myself off and looked around to make sure no one saw my embarrassing attempt to be a ************. Only a few battle wounds later and I was back on my feet. I walked about three or four minutes before deciding to grab a tuk tuk because I had no idea where I was going. I turned around, standing on the side of the road, and waited for one to come my way. All of a sudden, I saw what looked like blue police lights blinking down the road. They were getting closer and closer. It was a tuk tuk! A red, three wheeled contraption flying down the road right in my direction. He pulled over and I hopped in. We blasted down the road, past all the street dogs and people, watching the lights whizz by.
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Once at the hotel, I thanked him for the ride and went on my way to find Mat and Isabel. I told them my heroic story of saving Nate from the sketchy alley, flagging down my first tuk tuk and jumping fences like a convict on the run. When it was time for me to leave, I confidently walked out into the street, flagged down the first tuk tuk I saw and hopped in.

Once back at the school, I realized that I hadn’t completely thought it through when I left earlier. Because I had to jump the fence to get out of the school, that would mean I would have to jump the fence to get back into the school. With a little more confidence this time around, I was able to gracefully hoist myself up and over the fence.

The next couple of days were spent at a hotel so Nate could recover. However, no hotels would allow dogs. The hotel Mat and Isabel were staying at allowed us to keep Brady on the roof of the hotel during the day but we had to bring him back to the truck at nighttime. This is where I became the master of all masters of the tuk tuk world. Not only was I confident in flagging down tuk tuks at any given time, but I was negotiating prices and even able to convince them to allow Brady to ride for free!

The reason for taking Brady in the tuk tuk is because of the perro bravos (aggressive dogs) in town. When walking the streets of San Pedro with a gringo dog, packs of street dogs aggressively chase you down, nipping at their heels. Although Brady is easily three times the size of any dog down here, he knows they have strength in numbers and won’t fight back. The only way to negotiate with these dogs is with tall boots and a pocket full of rocks. Since much of this traveling with Brady was done during the night hours, I decided to forgo my negotiations with the street dogs and hop in the safety of a tuk tuk.

Brady’s first tuk tuk ride was interesting. The tuk tuks around here are souped up with bright lights and mufflers louder than my ’83 Harley. Because of that, Brady was real skittish when in the tuk tuk. He hunkered down on the floor and tried to jump out a few times. The second and third times were better. He jumped right in and sat down next to me in the seat. He would stick his whole head out the side while we whizzed down the roads. He definitely got made fun of by the street dogs as we passed by. I also imagine it looked pretty funny to the locals to see a gringa with her bigheaded dog hanging out the side of the tuk tuk.

I got to know the streets of San Pedro pretty well in my tuk tuk time. It was not only a way to get from here to there for me, I was getting free spanish lessons and even got offered some quetzalteca (cane liquor), which I denied. In that week, I became a professional, a master of the tuk tuks, an extraordinaire.

**Unfortunately, no photos were taken during these events. You will have to use your creative imagination to picture Brady and I whizzing down the streets of San Pedro in the back of a souped up, three wheeled golf cart with neon lights and straight piped mufflers **
 
D

Deleted member 12023

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BACK TO SCHOOL
by Sarah
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After recovering from being sick and crazy tuk tuk rides, we started our first of twenty total days of Spanish classes. We met our teachers up at the office area. Nate and his teacher Juan headed down to their booth to start learning. Magdalena was my teacher and she meant business! The first day was mostly questions about our trip and learning about our teachers.

At break time, halfway through the first four hour class, Nate and I met near the office for some coffee and bread. We sat next to each other cross eyed, staring at our mugs of coffee like there wouldn’t be enough to get us through the rest of the day. It has been almost five years since we have been in school and our butts were getting kicked! We both got out at noon and were told that our cabaña was ready for us to move in- awesome! We packed up our things from the truck and moved right in. Home sweet home for the next month!
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Our new casa was great. We had a stove to cook with, brought in our fridge from the truck and had our own bathroom! The best part was that we could change standing up!! After moving in, we were ready for a nap. I don’t know if it was the sickness, the classes or the moving, but we were pooped! We crashed for three hours that day, barely waking up to eat dinner.

The first week was rough. Learning all of this information in such a small period of time is challenging. Our days consisted of going to class in the morning, eating lunch, taking a nap, studying, eating dinner and going to bed. The second week was better, we were getting into the swing of things and were really starting to see a difference in our abilities to speak the language with people in the markets and tiendas. By the end of the second week, I had learned roughly 170 verbs and how to conjugate them in all tenses, among other vocabulary words and phrases. My head felt like it could explode!
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The third week, fellow overlanders, Tranquilo Adventures, had shown up and we were stoked to finally be able to hang out with them! Unfortunately, my body didn’t want to cooperate and I became extremely ill for about five days. While Nate, Jamie and Kellee were hanging out, I was rotting away in our cabaña trying to get better. I spent four full days in bed resting before I felt good enough to hang out.
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I recovered just in time for Nate’s mom to arrive in San Pedro for the week. We met Robin in Panajachel and took the boat ride back to San Pedro. It was so exciting seeing her step out of the shuttle after we haven’t seen her for five months! We toured downtown San Pedro and did some shopping.
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She was here for our last day of Spanish class and it was celebrated by making a typical meal with the school. For her last day in San Pedro we went horseback riding along the sides of the volcano/lake and saw some of the most beautiful views of Guatemala.
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Once we were all packed up and out of our cabaña, we headed for Antigua. The three of us and Brady packed into the truck and hit the road. We knew Robin would like Antigua because it is home to some of the greatest weavers in the world. After attempting to reserve a hotel with no luck, we decided to wing it like always. Once downtown, we spotted a place to park and left Nate’s mom and Brady with the truck while we ran around looking for a hotel. After finding the perfect one, we returned to find Brady barking and Nate’s mom signaling us to the other side of the truck. Not knowing what was over there, Nate cautiously walked around to find a drunk man leaning on the tire of the truck changing his pants. Sorry Robin!

We spent the next couple of days walking around the beautiful streets of Antigua shopping, eating out and spending some quality time together. Watching Robin look through all the different weavings was like watching a kid in a candy shop. Her eyes would light up at all the different patterns and colors. She would enthusiastically describe how the tapestries were made and how long each piece took.
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She would get bombarded in the street by women selling all types of weavings and she loved every minute of it. At one point, she had three women holding weavings up to her trying to win her over by putting down their competitors pieces and shoving their pieces right in front of her.
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Robin’s last morning in Guatemala, we made our way up to the roof of the hotel to see the most beautiful view of Antigua. We reflected on our time together in Guatemala and said our goodbyes.
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We spent the next couple of days in Antigua resting and waiting for Kellee and Jamie to catch up with us. All four of us enjoyed a nice Valentine’s Day dinner together and spent the night camping in the tourist police compound- how romantic The next morning we packed up early and headed south out of Guatemala. Next stop, El Salvador!!

Check out more pictures here
 
D

Deleted member 12023

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SIMPLICITY IN EL SALVADOR
by Sarah
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We have been taught many lessons thus far on the trip but the most important one is to simply slow down and enjoy life. It is far too easy to fall into the mundane everyday tasks and not take the time to truly appreciate what is around you.

Living the simple life is really working well for us. We are finding that we are taking the time to enjoy each moment of every day and are truly enjoying the simple things in life. We are learning more and more about ourselves and each other, while exploring newfound things around us. We are learning new ways to live by observing those around us. Things are done so differently down here. Their lifestyle is simple. Carefree.

After being inland for about two months, it was time to hit the coast. Having both grown up on the ocean, we needed to get back to our roots. We pointed the truck south towards El Salvador and took off, listening to our favorite tunes. The border crossing was pretty straight forward. Check yourself, your vehicle and your dog out of Guatemala and then into El Salvador. It would have only taken us about two hours but because the computers were “offline” (aka time for lunch), so it took us about four. No biggie, we have all the time in the world! We are learning to appreciate the slow pace people work at down here. Nothing ever happens in the time frame you think it will. It is a nice change from back home where everything feels so rushed. There is a much more relaxed vibe about, well, everything down here.
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Realizing we were shorter on time than desired, we decided to venture to Parque Nacional El Imposible, as it was only about an hour or two from the border. After stocking up on groceries, we turned onto the dusty, potholed road that lead to the park. Driving up the steep road, we passed by students who had just gotten out of school. They were all on their way home, climbing the same hill as us. It became clear that it is not a popular road for tourists to drive up. The kids were mesmerized by the big, loud truck coming up the hill. Once at the top, after gaining about 2500 feet in elevation, we were greeted by a man who showed us where we could park to camp. It was absolutely beautiful up there. We immediately parked the trucks and ran up to the lookout tower to watch the sunset at our new home for the night.
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The next day we packed our bags and went for a hike to Piedra Sellada, a swimming hole deep in the forest. Having been sick the past month, this was a more difficult task than it had intended to be. It was a three mile trek straight down a mountain to a swimming hole where we saw petroglyphs and lots of wildlife. While walking, we noticed a long, narrow trail about an inch wide all along the path. Upon further investigation, we saw that there were millions of leaf cutter ants walking in single file carrying small pieces of leaves. It was amazing the path they had made from all of their hard work. It went on for miles! Once taking a dip in the water, we turned around and went straight back up and out of the mountain range. The views along the way and crystal clear swimming hole was totally worth it. Upon our return, we kicked our shoes off and took a nap. Itching to get to the coast, we packed up the next morning and headed towards El Zonte.
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Pulling into the town, we decided to park the truck and walk around to see our options for camping. We were told that we could camp at “Don Raul’s” but didn’t know exactly what that meant. We rounded the corner, and stumbled upon a small El Salvadorian man swinging in his hammock wearing white shorts, no shirt and a grin the size of the Cheshire Cat. After finding out that he was the infamous Don Raul, we were given a tour. It was very simple, consisting of a small parking area with shade, a common area with tables, a bathroom and shower room with a bucket of water to rinse yourself of with.
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I taught myself to hand wash our laundry because there was no lavanderia in the town. It is much easier than I thought and I have been doing it ever since! Don Raul had everything we could possibly need and he was so happy to have us as guests. We spent a total of eight days there lounging in our hammocks, going for daily runs, getting some surfing in and cooking the best dinners with fresh fish from the next town over. A few of the nights we piled up some food on a plate and delivered it to Don Raul who would be sitting in his hammock in his room watching tv. Once gaining the ability to tear ourselves away from our favorite ‘home’ thus far on the trip, we headed to Las Flores in search of some more surf.
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Las Flores had exactly what we were looking for. Great surf, camping right on the beach under a palapa and fresh fish right off the boats. We were awoken each morning by the sound of waves crashing right outside of our windows and the turkeys gobbling, begging for more food. Then, each night, we were lulled to sleep by the sound of the tide going out and the picturesque view of the moon over the ocean.
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We knew we were onto something when we sold just about everything we own and set off on this adventure. You don’t need ‘things’ in life to make you happy. Sometimes the things you think will make your life easier, may actually complicate it even more. It is too easy to look past the beauty in every day things and take things for granted. Each day we have to ‘set up’ our lives instead of having everything ready to go. Instead of turning the coffee maker on, we set up our stove to percolate coffee each morning. Although we sleep in the same bed every night, we sleep in all different places including beaches, people’s houses, restaurants, campgrounds, parks, etc. It’s almost like Christmas each day we wake up. Pulling back the curtain and having something new to look at each morning is the greatest feeling. Instead of going grocery shopping in one large supermarket, we shop at several stands for the freshest produce, different tiendas for odds and ends and fishermen on the beach for our fresh fish. We started washing our clothes by hand in the bucket our kitchen stuff is organized in rather than bringing it to a laundromat. It is all very simple, yet nothing we have ever needed to think about before. The Latin American culture has taught us many things so far and we are taking it all in, one lesson at a time.
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RussellZ

New member
We knew we were onto something when we sold just about everything we own and set off on this adventure. You don't need ‘things' in life to make you happy. Sometimes the things you think will make your life easier, may actually complicate it even more. It is too easy to look past the beauty in every day things and take things for granted. Each day we have to ‘set up' our lives instead of having everything ready to go. Instead of turning the coffee maker on, we set up our stove to percolate coffee each morning. Although we sleep in the same bed every night, we sleep in all different places including beaches, people's houses, restaurants, campgrounds, parks, etc. It's almost like Christmas each day we wake up. Pulling back the curtain and having something new to look at each morning is the greatest feeling. Instead of going grocery shopping in one large supermarket, we shop at several stands for the freshest produce, different tiendas for odds and ends and fishermen on the beach for our fresh fish. We started washing our clothes by hand in the bucket our kitchen stuff is organized in rather than bringing it to a laundromat. It is all very simple, yet nothing we have ever needed to think about before. The Latin American culture has taught us many things so far and we are taking it all in, one lesson at a time.

This right here is why I am getting serious about embarking on this same life-changing adventure within the next couple years... Our need for things and the resulting complication of our lives costs us so much that we have to spend most of our lives as a slave to our employers to pay for it. I have always felt like the North American dream of a big house with a white picket fence and a driveway filled with fancy new cars is so unfullfilling. The only time I feel alive is when I am away from it and out in the wild. I can't wait for the day when I sell everything, quit my job and hop into my truck and go exploring for a while!
 

Roundstock

New member
hi guys,steve the "camera guy" here,sounds like things are going great ! keep the pics coming, have fun...................steve
 
D

Deleted member 12023

Guest
Haha, Mat I still laugh everytime I see that picture! Great to see you on here!

Awesome hat, best birthday gift ever, I put it on when someone/something gets me feeling saucy. :cool:
Glad to hear you, Nate and "Ball Licker" Brady are still kicking ***.
Ahora, despues de dos meses de classes de espanol, estas sirviendo como interprete para otros viajeros?
(Don't know how to do accents and such on this keyboard so that's not written correctly)
Can Nate roll his tounge and bust out some pefect spanish rrrrrrr's? That **** will make panties drop.
Stay safe and keep the updates coming!
-Mat
 
D

Deleted member 12023

Guest
Thanks for the comments everyone! I apologize for the lack of updates...I guess I have been neglecting this page. But here are a few more:sombrero:
 
D

Deleted member 12023

Guest
TALES OF A TRAVELIN’ DOG
March 24, 2013 · by Sarah
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Looking back at our blog posts, I realized that we don’t talk a whole lot about our biggest form of entertainment; Brady. We fully knew we would be going on this great adventure some day and figured, what better life could a dog have?!

As many of you know, Nate and I got Brady about three years ago from a rescue agency. He was found with about 100 other dogs- some dead, some alive, with no food, water or shelter from the sun. Brady’s life as a three month old pup was not looking so good. A rescue agency found these dogs and were able to save about 30 of them. They were all trucked up north to New England where they were separated and put in foster homes. We saw Brady’s sad little face on Craigslist one day and decided to go meet him. We knew the first time we saw him that he would be perfect for us. Little did we know how much energy he really had.
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We got him home and proceeded to attempt to train him into being a dog that would be a perfect travel companion. We taught him basic commands, house trained him and even brought him everywhere with us to get him used to car rides. One of the first times we left him in the car, we planned to grab a bite to eat for lunch. We were gone for less than an hour when we returned to find the headliner to the truck torn down in sheets from the ceiling with a puppy in the back, all smiles.
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We decided to enroll him in doggy training classes thinking this was a no fail way to train our wreckless pup. Well, needless to say, we were wrong. Teaching him to sit, lay down, etc. was very easy and he excelled in that part of class. However, at the end of each class they had what was called “playtime.” Brady apparently missed the memo that this was supposed to be a fun and playful time for all of the dogs. As soon as we would unleash him, he would bolt through the gate and lunge at the first dog he could find, grab their neck and pin them to the ground.
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The other dog owners were mortified and our instructor did not approve so we were separated into another play area, where there was a full size German Shepherd waiting to play with Brady. Again, we let him off his leash and he darted right for the German Shepherd, grabbed his neck and started playing tug of war. We stood there, speechless, wondering what we got ourselves into.

Several months of hardcore training later, Brady was learning how to play with other dogs and was listening to us a little better. We still brought him everywhere with us; grocery shopping, running, hiking, to friend’s and family’s houses, etc. He greeted everybody with a full body wiggle and was so excited every time we brought him to a new place. He learned to become adaptable to any situation and didn’t seem to be bothered by much. We moved five times in the first two and a half years of his life and it didn’t seem to phase him one bit. We knew he was going to be perfect for this trip.
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The day we left for the trip, we asked him if he wanted to go for a ride. Little did he know that this would be the longest ride of his life! He jumped in the backseat, ready for the next adventure.
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Brady has done extremely well on the trip so far. Every time we pull into a new place, he jumps out of the truck, ready to explore. His nose often takes him farther than it should but he always finds his way back to his new home; the truck. He has become very protective of Truck. Learning to become comfortable tying him up outside of it while we walk around a town was difficult. It gets too hot in the truck for him to stay in there and he is more than happy to be outside where he can keep guard of his home. He doesn’t let anybody that he doesn’t know get too close.
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We both sleep extremely well in the back of the truck knowing that Brady keeps guard all night. If he senses anything suspicious, he barks to wake us up. He sleeps in the front on his bench seat and we keep the middle window between the cab and the back open. It works out perfectly. We get our space, he gets his but we still feel like we are in the same area.
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Dogs are perceived a little differently down here; they are not to be trusted. This works out well for me when I go running. I almost always bring Brady with me because he makes me feel protected. It is a little more difficult, however, because we get chased down by stray dogs sometimes and they bite at the back of Brady’s legs.

On the beach, he keeps us occupied by attempting to eat every single dead fish he can get his paws on. It becomes a game for him. He will find the most rotten looking one and start to eat it while peering at us out of the corner of his eye. As soon as he sees us start to walk towards him telling him to ‘drop it’, he takes off with it in his mouth, whipping it from side to side. Once he is far enough away, he stops and looks at us until we get a little closer and he takes off again, swallowing the fish whole.
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Brady has made many friends on this trip from stray dogs to domesticated dogs and from other travelers to the locals. The locals are amazed at all the tricks he can do. Their jaws drop in awe whenever we show them how smart Brady really is. When we conclude with the “bang, bang” trick, their hands immediately go into an applause. It seems that Brady draws a lot of dogs in, too. Whenever he is tied up to the truck, other dogs that see him will come over and lay with him under the truck. This has happened on several occasions. Everyone seems to fall in love with Brady. It’s hard not to!
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Without Brady, we would not be having nearly as much fun as we do. He is ready to play at any given moment throughout the day and keeps us on our toes. Whenever we are down, he knows how to make us smile. Although it was a long road to get where we are now, it is one that was totally worth it. He is our family, our protector, our best friend; and we wouldn’t have it any other way!
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Deleted member 12023

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ENERGÍA DEL SOL
April 6, 2013 · by Sarah
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After much thought and contemplation, we decided to skip traveling throughout Honduras for two reasons. One: our CA-4 visas were going to run up in about one month and still had all of Nicaragua to travel through and two: if we continued through to Nicaragua we would be able to complete the double border crossing with our friends Tranquilo Adventures.
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In order to get from El Salvador to Nicaragua, you have to travel through a very small section of Honduras equalling about one and a half hours of driving. There really isn’t anything to do or see in that small section so most people do the double border crossing in one day. Waking ourselves up at 3:30 am was a task all in itself. Our day then proceeded to be filled with multiple tasks including a ton of paperwork! We had about 6 hours of driving time to complete along with crossing two borders. It seemed almost impossible.
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Checking out of El Salvador was pretty straight forward. It was when we were crossing into Honduras that things got a bit interesting. The Honduras border crossing is not the most organized border we have ever been to. There are several different offices scattered about and you have to visit them in a certain order because you need copies of different documents you receive along the way for the next office. I must have visited the copy shop at least five separate times! Three hours later, we were cruising along in Honduras. We were warned of the police checkpoints along the way and were prepared with our safety triangles, fire extinguisher, and reflective tape to boot. In the end, we passed through about ten checkpoints, only being stopped at three of them. They only asked for proper documentation of the vehicle and the driver’s license each time. No sweat!
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Once we made it to the Nicaraguan border, we were already exhausted. This one was a little more organized, with all offices in one building. The hard part came when we tried to check the dog into Nicaragua. We asked what the standard procedure was and the man behind the counter made a few phone calls and chatted with his colleagues. He then handed us a piece of paper with an account number scribbled on it. He told us to walk down to the bank to deposit money into the account and then we would receive the forms for our dog. The three of us, Kellee, Jamie and I, were in disbelief and not willing to hand money over without seeing documentation. Dogs loaded up and Kellee and Jamie in their car heading south, Nate picked up on a guard who was on his cell phone calling the police. I flagged Kellee and Jamie down while Nate level-headedly went inside to smooth talk the man into seeing the forms first. He assured Nate that this was the proper procedure so we went ahead and deposited money into the anonymous account. When we returned with the deposit slip, he filled out the form with all of Brady’s information and sent us on our way. A situation with four fugitive gringos and two illegal dogs avoided! Bam! (Thanks Nate!!)

Finally in Nicaragua, our first stop was Las Penitas. We pulled into the dusty, sleepy town and asked a pizza joint if we could camp. After pulling into our spot for the night, we all four headed to the restaurant for a much deserved beer and some homemade pizza!
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We had been having some trouble with our auxiliary battery system. The battery seemed to be dying at a much quicker pace than we had remembered, therefor the fridge was not keeping cool and we were not keeping cool because we could not have a fan at night. After many talks, we decided to start looking for a solar panel to help out. Driving through Chenandega a few days later, Kellee and Jamie both pointed their fingers out their car at a solar store and quickly pulled off to the side of the road. Nate and Jamie went to check it out and came back with big smiles on their faces. They had found a solar panel that would work perfectly for our system and at a good price too! Welcome to The Long Way South, solar panel, you are in for one long ride!
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A few days later, we bumped down the coast of Nicaragua looking for some good waves and a nice camp spot. The solar panel was doing great, however our battery was not holding a charge. Letting it completely die too many times shortened it’s life. This meant that we would have to start looking for another deep cycle battery to replace the one we have in order to keep the fridge, fan and computers going. We knew we would be driving through Managua soon so we did some research and found a store that would have what we needed. The store itself did not have the battery in stock but told us that if we paid there, we could go pick one up at their warehouse. After paying for a battery we had not seen yet and with the worst directions ever given to me, we headed towards the warehouse. Pulling down a dirt road, we were sure we were lost. Then we saw the faded, crooked sign for the store’s warehouse up in a tree. There was a man with a gun standing at the gate and no one else in sight. After giving the guard our receipt, he opened the gate and told us to back in. They plopped the ginormous battery in the back with the bed, and we were off!
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Rendezvous back at McDonald’s, where we left Brady tied to a tree, Nate casually swapped batteries while the security guard wielding a sawed off shotgun hovered over him. Any battery called ‘The Intimidator’ has to be good!! We pointed the trucks West and headed back to the coast to find our perfect camp spot, with the perfect waves. And that we did!
 
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Deleted member 12023

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POPOYO, APOYO, AND PET RACCOONS
April 9, 2013 · by Sarah
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With our new battery and solar panel installed, we moved along towards Popoyo, a well known surf break that Nate and Jamie had been itching to get to. After our day filled with running around Managua to get the battery, it was getting late but we pushed on, in hopes to make it to the beach before dark. When that didn’t happen, we succumbed to our ‘go-to’ method of asking a restaurant if we could camp in their parking lot for the night. We ended up in Rivas, one of the larger cities in southern Nicaragua, where we spotted a restaurant that looked like it had secure parking. We pulled in, asked the man if it would be okay, and set up camp. Deciding it was too late to make our own dinner, we grabbed a bite to eat at the restaurant. It was fairly dead with disco lights beaming around the room and techno music blaring in the back. Thinking nothing of it, we ate our meals and hit the hay, with the thumping of the music lulling us to sleep.

Every now and then, I would wake up and look out the window to find the music still thumping, women hanging out outside of our trucks and an unusual amount of traffic coming and going. The flashing blue lights peered through the doorway of the dance floor, where I would make my way to go to the bathroom. Something seemed a little fishy about this place. The next morning, we all compared our observations and came to the conclusion that we may or may not have camped at a brothel that night. No one will ever know. But the name of the restaurant displayed as “Rest…” and the obscure signs will only make our imaginations ponder.
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From Rivas, we made a left hand turn down a bumpy dirt road which would lead us to one of our most favorite stops in Nicaragua. Ten miles later, we reached the end of the road. We made it to the next town over from Popoyo and asked a local restaurant owner, Jeff, if we could camp at his place for a few nights. Jeff owns “Da Surf Spot” near Rancho Santana and serves up the best fish tacos we have had since Baja. He let us stay with him for a few days while we explored the area. Driving more miles on dirt than on pavement in Nicaragua didn’t stop the boys from wanting more. They spotted a dirt path that wove along the beach and lead to a great place to hang out during the day.
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The surfing was fantastic and we had the whole beach to ourselves. We spent quite a few days hanging out at Jeff’s and driving through the sand to our desolate beach. It was what we had been looking for and we were loving every minute of it. We even made a side trip to Playa Gigante where several overlanding friends were hanging out. We lazed around by the pool at Jeff and Monica’s new pad and made a delicious dinner, all while sharing lots of stories and laughs.
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Isla de Ometepe was next on our list so we headed to San Jorge where we caught a ferry to the island. We camped at Finca Magdalena, an organic coffee farm where the trailhead to the smaller of the two volcanoes started. We pulled in at nighttime and one of the owners told us where we could park. He kept warning us that they had a ‘mascota’ (pet) and that it would be best to keep our dogs tied up so they didn’t get bit. When we asked to see the pet because we couldn’t understand what type it was, he motioned his hand to follow him and beemed his flashlight towards a tree where there was a raccoon tied to it. A raccoon!!! Puzzled, we agreed to keep our dogs tied up and went to bed.

The next morning, we all observed the poor raccoon as it paced back and forth, clueless as to what was going on. One of the workers walked up and fed it some food out of his hand and held the rope while Nate filled its water jug and placed it near him. He seemed so happy to have water. He reached in, cupping the water with his paws to drink it and even tried forcing his whole body into the jug to take a bath and cool off.

Later that day, I was watching him pace back and forth. He would stop sometimes, flop on the ground, try to fall asleep then get back up and start pacing again. He was very calm for a nocturnal animal and I felt genuinely bad for him. When I realized that he had spilled his water, I grabbed his jug and filled it back up. Being very cautious, I slowly pushed the jug in his direction. He came over to the jug and I stood up and backed away. Because I hadn’t pushed the jug close enough to him, he couldn’t reach it. So, I bent down, waited for him to walk away, and slowly pushed it a little closer into his ‘circle’. Out of nowhere, he lunged at me, clamping his teeth down on the palm of my hand. I immediately stood up, screaming, and shook my hand all around but he was attached. I had to take my other hand and shove him off as I ran away yelling Nate’s name. We immediately cleaned it with soap and water and Kellee grabbed their hydrogen peroxide.
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After cleaning it, my mind started racing. When I think of raccoons, I think ‘roadkill’ and ‘rabies.’ ****, what if I get rabies?! I opted out of those shots when we were at the travel clinic thinking, “Ha! I don’t need to spend $450 on a rabies shot, how stupid could I be to get bit by a wild animal!”

A man with a machete came up to us and started to make conversation. We told him how beautiful the farm was and asked him about the raccoon. He told us that the policia at the border captured it and brought it to their farm for them to keep as a pet. Raccoons are not native to Nicaragua and it wouldn’t stay alive in the wild. Since they have had it, it has bitten seven different people, me being the eighth. The man with the machete told me that I didn’t need to go see a doctor because everyone else was fine and the raccoon has a rabies vaccine. He said to keep it clean and I would be okay. He made me feel a little better but I still had my doubts. In order to get to a doctor, I would have to leave the island. We just got there so I really didn’t want to do that. I read in our book, Where There is No Doctor, to capture the animal and watch it for 7-10 days. If it’s behavior stayed the same and it didn’t die in that period, it didn’t have rabies. Perfect! We stayed for five days and the raccoon showed no signs of change. I told Nate to watch for me to start foaming at the mouth and snarling at him. I actually just recently emailed the owner to ask how the raccoon was doing and he said that they still had it and it was doing fine. I can now check “Get bit by a raccoon and not get rabies” off my bucket list!
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We hiked Volcan Madera while we were there and I am convinced that it was the muddiest hike I have ever been on! At the top, the crater of the volcano made a lake. When we got there, you could hardly see anything at all. I wanted to rinse off my hands and was told to be careful because the mud was like quicksand. Of course, I didn’t listen. I waltzed towards the water and my right leg sunk right into the mud. Kellee came running over to help, but not before taking advantage of a quick photo op!
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While eating some snacks, the clouds quickly parted and you could see all the way to the other side of the lake. It was amazing!
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Our last couple of nights on the island were spent free beach camping at Santo Domingo. We found a perfect tree to park under and made ourselves at home. We also made a day trip to Ojo de Agua to experience the mineral infused waters of the swimming hole.

Taking the ferry back to the mainland, we decided to go visit Parque Nacional Volcan Masaya to see some lava and do some night hikes through the caves. It sounded like so much fun! Our dreams were crushed when we pulled up to the booth and the woman pointed at Brady and said “no mascotas.” There haven’t been many times that we have been completely turned down from having Brady with us, but this was one of them. Oh well, onto plan B, Laguna de Apoyo!
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The elusive access road to the lake is a series of steep switchbacks and rocky dirt roads. We arrived at the campground Pajaro Azul, right on the lake. We jumped out of the cars and headed straight for the beautiful, crystal clear water. We have never seen anything like this place before. It is absolutely magical! We had the whole campground to ourselves and the view was spectacular.
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Jamie and Kellee let us use their paddleboards and now Nate has a newfound hobby. Our days were spent swimming in the lake, paddleboarding, lounging in the hammocks, making delicious meals on the fire and watching the monkeys swing from tree branch to tree branch above us.
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It was a very relaxing, peaceful place that we could have stayed at for days, maybe even weeks! But our vehicle import permit for Nicaragua was expiring soon and we wanted to hit up Popoyo one last time before saying goodbye and heading to Costa Rica!
 

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