(Day 905 on the road)Enter Panama, the last remaining country in Central America that I haven’t visited. It will also be the last new country for me during my travels. After Panama, all that remains of two and half years of travelling is ten days in Florida (where I have been previously many years ago) before it is time to go home at the end of October. Better not think about that right now. The crossing into Panama was rather eventful and memorable. First, there was this German girl that had mysteriously attached herself to us. I don't recall where she came from, but at one point she was there, and was simply tagging along. She didn't say a word, she was just there and following us; it was pretty surreal really. At the border, she ... read more

(Day 889 on the road)We had been a little apprehensive about Costa Rica, the Rich Coast as he name translates (named so for the gold found here during the Spanish occupation in the 16th century). All we knew was that the country was, in comparison to the other countries in Central America, overrun by tourists, most of them vacationers from the USA and Europe, who are attracted to the country by its (perceived) better security situation. And lured here by Costa Rica's relentless eco-tourism and nature ("Pura Vida" - pure life) advertisement I should add - the country is banking heavy on the responsible, sustainable nature card. At times it seems as if every idiot operating in the tourism sector has jumped onto the bandwagon and renamed his business Eco-Lodge-this or Eco-business-that. If even tour-bus companies ... read more

(Day 870 on the road)Even by Central American standards, it seems that Nicaragua has had to endure more than its fair share of misery in its troubled past. The country's history may sound familiar to anyone who has spent some time in the region, with a few noteworthy twists and turns: Dictators and elected presidents corrupt to the bone, lining their own coffers at the expense of the people. US military intervention for a couple of decades after 1912, installing and ousting presidents as it liked. A few internal coups, promises of a bright future, political turmoil. A ruthless dictator (Somoza) takes over in 1937, amassing huge personal wealth. The people have enough of foreign intervention, civil war breaks out in 1978. The Soviets are getting involved, the US not far behind. The war is over ... read more

(Day 858 on the road)One thing that you won't see in Honduras are other tourists. After the very touristy Bay Islands on the Caribbean north coast we were expecting tourists all over the rest of the country, but to our surprise there were almost none at all. During our whole final week in the country we met only a handful of other travellers (three German students and a US family at Lake Yojoa). Apart from them, it felt at times that all governments had issued stern travel warnings against Honduras and we had somehow missed it: Every hotel we stayed in: Absolutely empty, not a single other guest in sight. Every local bus we used: Only locals, no gringos or other tourists. Every attraction we visited: Dito, only us. Wonderful! When I look back at most ... read more

(Day 841 on the road)When a country doesn't have its own currency but uses the US dollar, you suspect that something is not right here. When you then realise that the country holds the sad fourth place in the category "highest murder rate in the world", this feeling gets stronger. Then your guide book tells you that 95% of the forest in the country has been cut down, you start to get even more worried. And when you then read that a whopping third of the population lives abroad, you know for sure that something fishy is going on. Welcome to El Salvador. However, after just having spent nine days in the country, all I can say that we have been extremely pleasantly surprised by El Salvador, and that we didn't have a single negative experience ... read more