Copan was my intoduction to the world of the maya. And a good one! With a little bit of everything it is certainly a good place to start exploring maya ruins. Some ruins are covered in jungle, some are fully excavated and rebuild. There are steep steps, a pyramid, a place for the maya ball game with the stone ring, nice stone carvings and several stelae. Colorful parrots fly around the ruins. Though it is touristically quite developed, the nearby mountain village with the same name has kept its charming atmosphere. Most of the accomodation is build into the traditional houses. In the narrow cobblestone streets many artisans offer their work and in small restaurants I could taste the local food. In the evening the central plaza filled with people to the sounds of a marimba ... read more

With is historical significance Leon is a place to get interested in Nicaraguas political past and present. The long oppression from the Samoza regime and their collaborators from the US and the revolutionary movement of the Sadinistas is an everpresent issue. Many buildings, museums, murals, and of course the people are connected to this not so far away history. In Leon I also met Freja and Mai, two girls from Denmark again. Freja had been living in Leon as a part of a social project she was doing in Nicaragua and knew the city very well.... read more

When you chose the right place (and have the right passport) things can work out to develop rather fast. In the internet I found '2 days' on a list of waiting times for visa applications behind the capital of Nicaragua, Managua. Something that let me ignore all warnings about this dangerous city. So I had to find out for myself. When I came there and first wanted to walk a few blockes for a dinner place a local family stoped me right away to tell me that I was certainly going to be robbed if I would continue to walk down the street. After some discoussion about taxi and other restaurants the family was so kind to escort me to my place in order to prevent my being robbed. How kind of them! And looking down ... read more

After about five hours of 'sleep' on the rock-bottom hard floor of the airport I woke up with a pattern on my cheek that strangely resembled the floor tiling...and now in daylight dared to take the city bus downtown to Panama City. My first feeling of Central America was rather nice. Didn't seem to dangerous, friendly and helpful people. I stayed at a 'testigos de jehova' youth hostel. For the planed ship passage from the US back to Germany I was hunting for a US Visa. So I gave the US Consulate near the Canal a go. What a fortress. Situated on a hill, surounded by barbed wire and build like a prison! And no help available. Information via phone: pay money first. Appointment to clarify the visa issue or to apply: pay money first. Waiting ... read more

After more than nine month of travelling and three quarters of my journey done I came to Sao Paulo to visit my friend Holger. I was really happy to see him again! I stayed with him and his family for about a month and soon felt almost like at home. Since Holger lives in Sao Paulo permanently now I especially enjoyed having the chance to share everyday life. It was also a time for me to recover from the stresses and strains of continuous travel. For that opportunity I am really thankfull towards him and his family. During my time in Sao Paulo I also did some photographic work, wrote some parts of this travelblog, and started to organize the final part of my trip, the return to Germany. I planed to go back to Europe ... read more