The drive from Grecia took me past some really amazing scenery and through lots of little towns around Volcán Poás where they apparently grow nothing but strawberries. There were big signs in the shape of strawberries everywhere and strawberry vendors all over the sides of the road. It was also still holy week, so there was quite a bit of traffic going through those towns and through every tourist attraction along the way. I did finally make it through to…
My “easy” travel day from Granada to Isla Ometepe turned out to be quite the adventure. I found the bus easy enough, but since they don’t leave until full, I ended up waiting for an hour and a half. And by full, I mean we were stuffed in there like sardines. By now I’m already pretty sweaty and gross. The bus only goes to Rivas, so next I had to find a taxi to the San Jorge boat dock. I…
My flight from San Salvador to Managua, the capitol of Nicaragua, was quick and easy. And the driver of the shuttle I booked was waiting for me to whisk me away to my next official stop in Granada. The first thing I notice about Granada is how insanely hot and humid it is. This has to be in the top three hottest and most humid places I’ve ever been on earth. I don’t know if I can do this. I…
I’m learning that getting around Central America is pretty darn easy. There are lots of cheap shuttle options that usually pick you up right at your hotel, and when there’s not, there’s an easy bus going right where you want. Just two blocks from my hotel in Guatemala city was where the bus left for my next destination, Santa Ana in El Salvador, and the next country on my list. The border crossing was easy and quick, and in just…
Just a short minivan trip west from Antigua and down into a massive caldera surrounded by volcanoes is the beautiful Lago Atitlán. All the towns around the lake are named after saints and my base for this stop is in San Pedro la Laguna, which is probably the most popular one with the most hotels, restaurants, etc. The lake is considerably bigger than it appears on the map! My hotel is right on the shore of the lake and holy…
My flight from Flores was so quick, it felt like it was over before it began. Less than an hour after take off I was on the ground in Guatemala City. After a quick lunch at the airport I was in a car on my way to my next stop, Antigua. Despite Guatemala City being the capitol and the most populous city in Guatemala, Antigua is the epicenter of the country, at least as far as tourism goes. With it’s…
It really doesn’t seem that far on the map, but it took nearly five hours on the train to get from Agrigento to Catania, on Sicily’s east coast. Catania, like most of Sicily’s cities was originally a Greek city, going all the way back to the 8th century BC. The first thing I noticed while walking to my hotel, however, was the remains of the 2nd century Roman theatre. Most of it is buried underneath the modern buildings, but this…
Strap in everyone, this is gonna be a long one. I left Spoleto in the wee dark hours of the morning and made my way down the narrow streets to the train station. Once the train started I promptly fell asleep and didn’t wake up until everyone had almost disembarked at Rome’s main terminal. I guess I was tired. I quickly got up and figured out where my connecting train was and about two hours later, I arrived in Naples…
From Orkhon Valley I backtracked up to Kharkhorin for some gas, then drove northwest until I reached Tsetserleg. Tsetserleg is a logical stopping point on my way further west, but it’s also known for the beautiful mountains bordering the north end of town. So I thought it was worth a day to get some more hiking in. I checked into Fairfield Guesthouse, run by a really nice Aussie dude named Murray, and took a much needed shower and did some…
I left Choibalsan early for another loooong day of driving south. Not much happened along the drive. Just the usual herds of cattle, goats, and horses occasionally blocking the road. I made a quick stop about half way in dusty Baruun-urt for gas. I did see a fox late in the afternoon that was a bit too quick to get a picture of. I also saw a huge herd of gazelle shortly after that. I managed to get a long…