Podcast #5: The Northern Part of Central America

In this podcast, we cover about 7 weeks of travel, from the time we left Granada, Nicaragua, early in December, through today, January 18.

Download the travel podcast MP3 here
We cover our travels through places and experiences like:

Parading Mary through the streets of Granada, and fireworks
Nicaragua to El Salvador through Honduras – didn’t get off the bus at all, no stamps in our passports
Staying at Hotel Novo Apart
Climbing Puerto del Diablo
Pupusas
Walking through the Calle Ruben Diario Market in San Salvador
Ticabus to Guatemala at 5:00 AM
Jerk taxi driver in Guatemala City
Dai Nonni hotel (great shower and packed us lunch)
Eating at Friends (oh joy) where we had a salad w/hearts of palm, avocado, pesto (tomato and red onion)
National monument of Guatemala
Walking through Guatemala City at 4AM to be picked up to go to Copan, Honduras
Arriving in Copan at 10:30 AM felt like 3 PM
Seeing Copan ruins (and meeting the Dutch people)
Napping in Copan
Beers in Honduras (not so good)
Breakfast with no power and artisan market
Shuttle to Antigua
Hotel in Antigua didn’t have our reservation – stayed at Casa Luna (kind of like a hostel, but only $17) instead
Booked Pacaya – went to Pacaya Volcano (lava roasted marshmallows -riding horses – Getting separated from Carrie taking other trail)
Pizza w/Robin from Belgium
Macadamia tour near Antigua
Mexican food at Fridas, and eating street food in Antigua (yummy!)
Left for Panajachel/Atitlan (tubas early in morning) crazy driver – suicidal driving + crazy loud music
Atitlan boat tour (3 cities)
Hotel Utz Jay (finally got some sleep on uncomfortable beds, but hot showers)
Chichicastenango (colorful city for sure – lady+daughter with sour Atol who asked us to take her daughter with us)
All day at chichi (trip back to Antigua took 45 minutes longer than trip there)
3 hours in Antigua
Antigua to Guatemala City
FDN Bus company in Guatemala City to Flores bus station – waiting 1 hour 15 minutes in Flores
Jorge showed up.
Waiting 2 hours at airport
Pick up Nixon (Tikal tour guide) and head to Tikal
No park entry paid for (even though we paid for it)
Touring Tikal
Dinner and staying overnight at Hotel Jungle Lodge (good sleep)
Trying to figure out how to get tickets for next day with no cash… asked 7 people
Touring Tikal day 2
Going back to Santa Elena – spent the afternoon on the Internet from a backpacker’s hotel in Santa Elena
Arriving in Guatemala City at 5:30 am
Asking to be taken to Westin Camino Real because it’s all we knew
Trying to “hide” from WCR people so we could stay there until something opened.
And Cafe
Breakfast
Taxi back to Tica Bus
TB is 2.5 hours late
Arrival in El Salvador, stay at TicaBus hotel
Leave early in the morning (TB is 30 min late)
Arrival in Managua, getting back to Granada
Dinner at Mexican restaurant, meet Tom (from the states, who bought a house in Granada)
Day at Hotel Terrasol
Dinner at hotel Terrasol
Massages
Market
Dinner w/ martin and Tom (Don Luca Pizza)
Seeing Tom’s house
Breakfast at hotel
Tica bus station in Granada
Bus is 1 hour late
Crazy traffic, and long time at border
Arrive at San Jose, Costa Rica
Hotel Adventure Inn in San Jose
The great breakfast at the Hotel Adventure Inn
Returning to Colorado for Christmas
Returning to San Jose, Costa Rica
Heading to and touring David, Panama
Arriving and house-sitting for a couple of weeks in Boquete, Panama
Things we forgot to talk about were in Nicaragua.
These included:
Street food in Granada (Yummy)
Mombacho cigars (fun tour)
Cemetery (Huge monuments like those in Buenos Aires’ Recoletta Cemetery)
Scheduling TicaBus (Where to find TicaBus in Granada)
Hope you enjoy listening as much as we enjoyed talking about our travels!
Listen to the podcast or download it below.
(If you use the player, after you click the play button, it may take a moment, so please be patient or click the download link.)

Download the travel podcast MP3 here
The call was produced using Skype. it was edited using Sony Vegas.

Jesse says:

January 26, 2010 at 11:22 am

Wow, I read through all those line items.
I wish I would have documented all the stuff I did and experienced in Guadalajara!!! I need to learn from you guys…
Anyways, I will be updating you soon on my Mexico trip!
Jesse

Reply
Jonathan (in Boquete) says:

January 26, 2010 at 12:43 pm

Hey Man!
Super excited to hear about everything you did in Mexico…
And the best time to document all of it is to start where you are right now and say, “before that, I…” and go all the way back to the day you left for Mexico…
Just jot down everything shorthand, as you can always come back and fill in the details later.
But yes, documentation is the best way to remember…
The faintest ink is better than the best memory, right?
Jonathan

Reply
Adam says:

January 26, 2010 at 1:13 pm

Unless the ink is too faint to read.
Personal preference…I like the blogs better than podcast. I can read or skim through the blog depending on my time…the podcast there is a good chance I just won’t get to… but maybe that is just me.
Hope you guys are doing well! I’ll get those audios up for you soon.

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