Panama City Day 1 What do you do when you have an organic chemistry exam in 13 days? Obviously spend the next 10 in Panama. The only good thing about an awful flight delay was catching up on sleep with a row to myself. They kept having us board and unboard the plane. I talked… Read More
Backpack Guatemala The lakes are better, the volcanoes are better. Despite corrupt politicians and the prominence of gangs in certain areas, there’s plenty of good vibes and natural beauty in this favorite Central American country. BUDGET BREAKDOWN: Duration- 5 Days Drive to airport- 5 hours, one way Airfare- 217 Airport parking- 12 Gas to airport-… Read More
Antigua Antigua: Day Three Sunshine and Indian Nose greeted us as we left the ecolodge on this fine election day. The lancha back to Pana was 25Q. I waved down chicken busses until we found ourselves back in my favorite crazy market. But before we get to the cuteness of colonial and UNESCO Antigua, the… Read More
Lake Atitlán: San Juan–Santiago The Lake: Day Two (Cont.) The cyanobacteria ruining the lake (too much village sewage) was immediately evident. The air was instantly more polluted and the houses less polished. Definitely Atitlan’s older, more developed side. But I’m being spoiled so let’s make it clear that it was still gorgeous. We started up the steep hill asking… Read More
Best of Busses No chicken bus experience beats what Guatemala will get you. I’ve never seen the back door of a school bus used so much. It’s often slamming simultaneously with the front door. The money collector would hang out of the vehicle holding onto the ladder in the back as we tore through mountain highways. In the rain.… Read More
Lake Atitlán: San Marcos–Santa Cruz Growing up with the lakes of the Southeast United States, Atitlán proved to be its own league of beauty. The whole area is gringo-infested, but that’s just what happens when you’ve got something this good. It took less than 24 hours for me to tell my parents to put it at the top of their list. The air… Read More