http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Browntown/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Browntown en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:41:32 +0000 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:41:32 +0000 Just to update everyone... we made it back alive. While as you all know I only made it to Costa Rica Barton made it as far as Chile the original goal. So for all of you who doubted us and understandably many of you did here is another chance to jump on the bandwagon. The few months I have spent back in the good ole USA have involved painted bookshelves for a free trade market in Evanston IL http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Los-Angeles/Hollywood/blog-300800.html The trip continues to circle back on itself. My time at the ranch back in January was full of anxiety and fear about the trip to come. This time it was a place full of family and friends a time to reflect on times past and loved ones lost. The scenery was as mesmerizing as ever. Early Monday morning I waved goodbye to family and headed down US highway 84 south from Pagosa Springs to Santa Fe http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/New-Mexico/Santa-Fe/blog-273513.html Let me just say that although I grew to love the highways of central america what with their beautiful views potholes insane bus drivers roadside tamale and banana saleswomen and the occasional military checkpoint yes my car is a piece of shit thanks for reminding me AK47 wielding 19 year old it was damn good to be back on the most epic of highway systems the crazy scattered grid that http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Colorado/Durango/blog-272315.html As promised this prolific blogger is not quite done with his travels. I am awaiting departure in my new but old Subaru toward the fabled Twin Cities of Minnesota. I plan on catching a few Sox twins games riding the rollercoaster inside of mall of America and well I think thats really all there is to do there. For all you backpacker americans who have spent more time travelling abroad than a http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Minnesota/Minneapolis/blog-271251.html With the trip winding down for this mad road warrior this will be the second too last entry for this blog. Waving goodbye to our Canadian tree planter friends Durach and Luke me and Barton crossed the border into Costa Rica. It is a strange experience travelling through the poor but culturally rich countries of Belize Honduras and Nicaragua and ending up in COsta Rica. It almost looks like y http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/blog-268060.html It would be fair to intepret the relative lack of entries to a general slackening of adventure and pace on the trip. This is not entirely fair. Yes the high speed chase blackmarket car deal portion of the trip appears to be behind us. I will catch you up on our progress. After Granada and her majestic cockfights we hopped a bus and a boat to Isla de Ometepe a huge island in the shark filled http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/blog-266061.html Here it was a peaceful hot as hell sunday morning in Granada. We had spent the last few days wandering around the city checking out the lake and watching in horror as the Bruins continue to stake their claim as the Buffalo Bills of College Hoops. We had just walked over to the oldest fort in town nice but kind of boring. Barton realizing it was sunday asked a man about cockfights. Nex http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Granada/blog-264020.html First off it is hot as balls in this country. We stumbled into Leon early Monday morning after the episode at the border. After checking into a great hostel I agonized through 9 innings of White SOx baseball resulting in opening day depression i have another blog dedicated to my absurd obssession with the White SOx so Ill asve that. Leon is an extremely interesting city with cheap beer a N http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Leon/blog-262748.html Like many of the stories written in this blog what happened today is not recommended for the everyday traveler. We will get there though hold on. To catch everyone up me and Barton along with Luke and Ryan two treeplanters from Canada left Utila and drove to the HOnduran capitol of Tegucigalpa. There we found that bruins game at a british pub and watched a sold performance. The next mornin http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Tegucigalpa/blog-261438.html Nearly three months into a journey filled with high speed chases poser travel mates rough roads pretty girls and 75 cent rum shots nothing has been as intense and as strange as swimming 60 feet under water for 40 minutes. I fihished my basic open water scuba certification yesterday and this morning me and BArton did two dives off the northern coast of the island. Crazy stuff is all I can sa http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Bay-Islands/Utila/blog-260459.html We were excitedly to leave San Pedro slutty hippie girls and all behind and get to a new country and the carribean paradise of the Bay Islands. We drove roughshot over almost all of Guatemala before stopping at a highway town close to the border. As we drove into town a cop on a motorbike approached the window. I was sure we were in for out first trouble with the authorities of our trip. Tur http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Bay-Islands/Utila/blog-258941.html One of the places we heard most about during the first two months of our trip was this little lake town San Pedro. We heard it was full of drugs travellers and Spanish schools. All of this has turned out to be true and depending on what you are looking for in life a little trip down here wouldnt be a bad idea. The scenery is incredible set on a high lake surrounded by 4 or 5 volcanoes. The http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Lago-de-Atitlan/San-Pedro-La-Laguna/blog-256756.html When you plan and trip like this one that involves driving through crime filled third world countries you tell yourself a few things. We will only travel by day we will only travel on the main roads and we will stay away from places that are notorious for crime. Once your on the trip however you forget these things...but we will get to that.After a few wild days in Antigua involving open m http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Lago-de-Atitlan/San-Pedro-La-Laguna/blog-254885.html Sometimes its good to have a little something go wrong now and then. It reminds you that you are not invinceble. After leaving Tikal and Flores behind me and Barton took off for Coban on our way to the limestone and the caves at semuc Champey. A few miles down a very well paved highway the road appeared to end in a small lake. We noticed however that a small ferry took you across. AS we drov http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Coban/Semuc-Champey/blog-252752.html Despite wanting to stay longer in Belize and friendlt justice of the peace informed us that if we overstayed our car permit we may spend a few days in a cell. Hearing that news Barton and Brown waved goodbye to good new friends Kim Ruby and Arnold and took off for Guatemala. The border was painless and the road was very bumpy and dusty... but we happened to be driving a car that is fairly ba http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Flores-Tikal/blog-250823.html Its been a long time since you last heard from us. After our wild stay in San Cristobal we headed into the jungle in Pelanque. We actaully stayed in El Panchant an little backpackers haven right next to the Mayan ruins. Our first night there was spent drinking with our Norwegian friends from Zipolite who had completely forgiven us for kicking them out of our car due to weight restricitons. Th http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Belize-Barrier-Reef/Caye-Caulker/blog-250050.html The days have started to melt together in the beach paradise of Zipolite. Typical day starts early we are staying at A NICE PLACE ON THE BEACH. It costs us 3 bucks each a night. Spend the day jumping in and out of pristine warm water with huge waves huge surf and a crazy dangerous undertow. The town itself is about one block long and the beach is lined with cheap cabanas full of travelers f http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Zipolite/blog-246344.html No words to really describe where we are right now....Zipolite on the Oaxacan coast....just find it some time and dont plan on leaving when you expect to....until you hear otherwise we are here.... for a long time.....Browntown http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Zipolite/blog-244913.html With stinken hot sweaty drunken Veracruz finally behind us we had the Baru purring down the very scenic Mexico Highway 175. We past through tropical forrests then up into fog soaked mountains and finally into pine forrests. The mountains are famous for their mushrooms that grow right on the roadside only in the summer though unfortunately. I guess the Beatles Bob DYlan and the Dead all http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Oaxaca/Oaxaca/blog-244008.html Great fukken superbowl... the Mexico City Hooters was popping. I think it was full to capacity but a nice guy saw the sad looks on our faces when he wouldnt let us in and gave us a sweet table by the big flatscreen. I bet on the giants straight up at a 4 to 1 payout against Barton... he was pissed.... I was the real loser though as in an ironic twist I got the old Montezumas revenge bug about http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Mexico/Veracruz/blog-243199.html