central america
Central America, once home to the Mayan Civilization, offers a Wander-worthy mix of old and modern.
I Just Saved You $46,900 Excl. Taxes, or Have I Actually?
Someday soon, you will be arriving at an airport in Central America. Your 9-5 job has exhausted you and an escape began to form in your mind. Months or years of saving has left a hefty sum in your pocket and now is the time to splurge on the one thing on your mind: your feet digging in soft, pearly-white sand. An ocean breeze blows your hair back and just as you exhale and think of how grateful you are to simply be alive... a handsome man in a uniform brings you a colorful, fruity cocktail. Alternatively, a cute woman with the prettiest eyes and most intoxicating smile arrives with a stack of neatly-folded towels. A towel is handed to you as she says "Buenos días," in an accent oh-so-sweet, you imagine crossing paths later that day, only to propel yourself in a holiday-fling with her. Bottom-line: you feel acknowledged. "This is bliss."
By Thomas Rivet9 years ago in Wander
Chasing Roatan Island Pirate Treasure
Rob and I stepped off the plane at the airport in Coxon Hole on to the shores of Roatan Island, one of the Bay Islands in the Gulf of Honduras. We were assaulted by taxi drivers all wanting to take us to the West End, a place which we were told in broken Spanish is the place where all gringos are supposed to go.
By Daryl Friesen9 years ago in Wander
Stay Safe with Defenselessness
As so many people and/or nations gear up for battle, denounce “others” as the enemy, and contract with fear, we need to take a deep breath and reflect on our situations from a very different, and much more helpful, point of view. We cannot hear too many times that defensiveness does not make us safe; quite the contrary. Many disciplines remind us that only when we are open and accepting, rather than closed and suspicious, are we truly safe. Long ago my husband and I had an opportunity to put this philosophy to the test, one I will never forget. We were touring several South American countries, including Ecuador. As we had planned our trip (pre-internet), I remembered reading in National Geographic about a tribe of indians that lived only in a small area of Ecuador and nowhere else in the world. Dubbed the Colorado Indians, they were so named because they painted themselves up with red berry juice (Colorado in common usage means “colored red” in Spanish), and since we were from Colorado, it seemed like a great idea to find these name-sake Colorado indians and have a look for ourselves.
By Carol Howe9 years ago in Wander
Finding Wisdom in The Bamboo Clusters of Cascata del Bosco
If you look up the reviews for Cascata del Bosco in San Vito, Costa Rica, you will find glowing remarks from very satisfied guests - all well deserved. With some places you get the sense reviews were paid for - not so here, these are people who were so moved by their experience they had to tell others. I found myself here as a result of a recommendation from my "Facebook family." I asked my group of fellow travelers to recommend a place close to the Costa Rican/Panama border, and several came back with "Go to Cascata del Bosco". So, after a little research, we reached out to the owner George and booked our stay.
By Suki Tranqille9 years ago in Wander
Crossing the Panamanian Border - Part 3
So the journey continues...by now you know from reading Journey to San Vito Part 1 and Part 2, that very little went according to plan. At this point we are on a bus from Rio Sereno to Paso Canoas, an unexpected detour after being turned away at the Rio Sereno border. This part 3 concludes our journey.
By Suki Tranqille9 years ago in Wander
Crossing the Panamanian Border - Part 1
In all of my posts, my goal is to leave you with a lot of information you can use for as a reference later—some of that information does involve costs. I do want to point out, however, that prices seem to do only one thing—rise. The costs related to this trip are accurate as of March 2017. The more time passes, the more expensive the trip will be for you. Case in point, I read on someone's blog that they paid $25 for a taxi from the Costa Rica border at Paso Canoas to San Vito, Costa Rico. Today, we paid $50 (we haggled, originally the cab driver wanted to charge us $60). The blog post I was reading was written in 2010 so in about seven years, the cost more than doubled. I digress—let's start at the beginning.
By Suki Tranqille9 years ago in Wander
Places You Can Visit for Under $25 a Day
Vacations can be incredibly expensive; it may seem impossible to find a place to visit where you won't need to spend any more than $25. The image one conjures when you think of cheap vacations is usually one of dilapidation, crime, and roaches.
By Larry Romulus9 years ago in Wander
