carrielise

Belize http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73006&l=ba201&id=609417068 Honduras http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73008&l=da330&id=609417068 Panama http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=73010&l=b9f5d&id=609417068 Ecuador http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77467&l=835c5&id=609417068 Lobitos, Peru http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77471&l=4da19&id=609417068 ... read more

Bocas del Toro We arrived in Panama City and got a collectivo to the domestic airport. We had a couple of hours to spare, and the guy recommended we go to the mall instead of waiting in the teensy airport with the army boys. The mall was big and American. There were oversized, massive animal statues everywhere. If it wasnt for all the polyester fluorescent clothes and lack of any cotton, you may have been disorientated. We went on another search for almohadas de viaje (travel pillows). We have been severely putting hate on anyone we see on buses with travel pillows. Sleeping on a bus is just not enjoyable waking up every 5 minutes or so because your head is snapping forward or to the side. We found a luggage store that had them...but they ... read more

El Tunco On the bus from Santa Rosa to San Salvador, a skinny old lady got on, with something wrapped up in her hands, and I saw a flash of claws. She had put a chicken in a plastic bag, pretty much folded it in half and was going to hold it on her lap the 4 hours. I dont know if it was her next meal or just her little mate. And this was not a chicken bus, it had AC, nice reclining seats and didnt have any funky smell. She sat right across from us and I had visions of it going mental and scratching someone´s eyes out, but the conductor came around to collect for tickets, and he was having none of the chicken. He grabbed it from her, went into the front ... read more

Honduras After school, I never thought I´d spend 7 hours on a school bus. But that is how we got from Belize City to Punta Gorda. They squish as many people as they can on the buses and thru the aisles and make stops wherever someone wants to be picked up. You rotate from knees on the seat in front of you squashed down a bit to head on the seat in front of you to sitting up straight...every 10 minutes or so. It seemed extra hot that day. We finally arrived in Punta Gorda just before sunset, slept there and got to watch some Olympics and find out Brett Favre´s really playing for the Jets, and woke up to get on the ferry. The ferry takes you across to Guatemala again, where you go thru ... read more

Belize The next morning we got back on the bus to cross over to Belize. We got off at the crossing to go to immigration, then had to walk over the bridge to Belize and go thru customs. We got thru customs and thought our bus had left, but a guy helped us spot it 400m down the road. Belize is on the Caribbean and we were back in English speaking territory. Most of them speak Creole, and even if you try real hard, you cant understand what they are saying. We took the ferry to Caye Caulker, and as soon as we got off, a local guy Paul wanted to takeus around to find some accommodation. He broke my backpack strap, but for the first time, he wasnt someone trying to hassle us for ... read more

We finally got an internet connection that didnt refuse our mass of photos in El Salvador...so here you go. Barra de la Cruz - Part uno http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=65716&l=e656f&id=609417068 Barra de la Cruz - Part dos http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=69801&l=92739&id=609417068 San Cristobal and Palenque http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=69972&l=5fab5&id=609417068 ... read more

Border crossing We got picked up early to start our way over to Guatemala, bit of a bus ride then we stopped for breakfast and made our way to the river and immigration. While we were waiting for we dont know what, this older, pot bellied, grimy, loud gringo made his way over with his suitcase. For some reason, the guy in charge decided to give him our four tickets putting him in charge. Once he realized this guy didnt even have a ticket and was a bit off his rocker, he took them back. We expected the 25 minute ride across the river to Guatemala to be on a boat but it was a skinny little fiberglass 'boat'. We slipped and squished thru the mud down the hill with our gear, almost losing our thongs ... read more

San Cristobal de las Casas I tell you what these long bus trips are becoming a bit old. We thought we had it all worked out choosing the first row so we wouldnt have to spend the whole trip with our shirts over our noses because the toilet reeeeeeeked so bad. Not so. There is nothing worse when you have to listen to 10hrs of LOUD traditonal mexican mariachai and freezing to death by AC. I would not wish it upon my worst enemy. When we finally made it to San Cristobal we thought we were still frozen from the AC, but it was just cold and foggy. Seeing we were only going to be there for 2 nights we wanted to make the most of it, so we thought it would be a good idea ... read more

Puerto Escondido We arrived in Puerto a bit shabby after the bus ride and cruised around trying to find a hotel. We ended up picking one with 50 stairs up to our room...the office was all the way to the top. Dont know what we were thinking. Puerto is on the way to becoming the next Kuta. Theres heaps of photographers and dads shooting on the beach and a constant crowd in the water. Puerto Escondido means ´hidden port´but its not so hidden anymore. Should really translate to ´glorified close out´. After chilling in Nexpa, Puerto seemed a bit hectic, but at least we could eat some sushi and party for Michael´s birthday. We stayed on Zicatela beach, but there´s also La Punta on the north end. Zicatela is full of too cool for school kids. ... read more

Try these links for photos...thanks Tiff. Pascuales and La Ticla http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59706&l=60610&id=609417068 Nexpa http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=62625&l=67e78&id=609417068 ... read more