Central America Life's Great Adventure

Last Updated on 22nd December 2020

I QUIT! It wasn’t that dramatic but when the bank I worked for were looking for volunteers to take redundancy, I ran to the front of the queue. I saw it as my opportunity to live my dreams; to do the things I set out to do as a teenager fresh from school. I had three post-redundancy goals:

To gain permanent residency in the UK
Work in the arts (yup, the one my career counsellor at school advised me against)
TRAVEL! TRAVEL! And TRAVEL!

To celebrate my freedom from the big bad bank, I decided to tick two trips off my wanderlust bucket list; Northern Lights and the Ice Hotel in Sweden; and six months backpacking around Central and South America.

I had it all planned out. I would submit my residency application in late November. The process usually takes 2-6 weeks so all going well, I would have a decision before Christmas or, at the latest, early January. With passport back in hand, I would book Sweden for late January/early February. Then late February I would travel to Mexico to celebrate my birthday before heading on a six month journey across the Americas. It was a fabulous well thought out plan. What actually happened was completely unexpected.

The UK Border Agency held onto my passport for eight months while it processed my residency application. That was eight months of not being able to work or travel. Eight months chipping away my redundancy money. Eight months of not knowing what next.

My travel aspirations kept me going. The moment my passport arrived back in my possession I would be ready to go, no matter the decision. If it was a no, I could easily do the Americas on my way back to New Zealand. During my eight month wait I took Spanish lessons and researched like mad. I surrounded myself with guide books, read travel articles and blogs, sought advice from those who had visited that part of the world for tips.

Friends took a keen interest in my travel plans, wondering if they also could embarked on such an adventure. Alas, six months backpacking around an distant land killed any chance of gaining a travel companion. They didn’t have to join me for the entire trip, if they only had a couple of weeks to spare we could meet up wherever they fancied. Had I considered a long weekend in Spain, six months in the other side of world was a bit dramatic, yes? It quickly became apparent that I had no option but to travel solo, something I had never done before.

Wait! I had done this before! I had the confidence to travel solo many years ago when I was a painfully shy young thing with big dreams. So what was different now? I was older, confident, and had much more life experience. I couldn’t understand why I had ‘the fear’. The difference was I technically didn’t travel alone, I travelled with a tour company. However, this time I wanted to travel independently.

My patience with UKBA was waning fast, time and money was running out. Asking for my passport back would result in my application being withdrawn which I didn’t want. I sought intervention from my local Member of Parliament. One month later I had my passport back along with my residency visa. Their excuse was my application had taken so long? I had been so thorough with my documentation, there was a lot go through.

My travel plans were back on track albeit a year later than planned. Sweden and the Ice Hotel was booked for early January. However, when it came to booking flights to Mexico in February for my birthday celebrations, it was peak season and the airfare was now beyond my budget. There was no way I was going to give up on my dream so I played around with dates until I found a flight I could afford, which was in May.

I booked that flight to Mexico in May, returning from Costa Rica … five weeks later. I no longer had the savings to fund a 6 month trip. Five weeks around Central America was affordable and more importantly left me with enough money to support myself once I returned. It would be fine, once I found work I would be able to save for a trip to South America.

I did find a job, a week before I was due to flight out. Phew! My new employers were a bit put out that I couldn’t start until another six weeks but they were happy to wait. Though they did harass me during my trip, asking if I had any plans to return early. Did they think I was insane!?!

The Itinerary

When it comes to travelling, I’m a planner. Everything had to be planned in advance to the minutest detail. Airport transfers, where I’m staying, public transport, activities, best coffee, best craft beer, best vegetarian restaurants, where to shop…. you get the picture. One day I would love to simply arrive in a country with no idea where I’m going or what I’m doing next. With my anxiety, the prospect of doing that sounds completely scary.

I sat with my Central America guide books, links to various travel websites, and list of recommendations. I created a spreadsheet to track my expenditure plus a detailed itinerary. I carefully calculated the amount of time I needed in order to gain a full experience of each country. Unfortunately Panama got the chop, with the plan of it being the start of my big South American trip. Soon the five week gap between the days I arrived in Mexico and left Costa Rica were adventure packed. I was ready to go!

Mexico

An introduction to eco-travel and iguanas

After a long flight and the potential of jet lag hitting hard, I decided to relax on a Mexican beach for a few days before heading off around Central America. When I asked friends for recommendations there was one place that always came up, Tulum. So my first destination was Tulum, Mexico for three glorious days soaking up the sun on glorious white sands and cooling off in the beautiful blue Caribbean sea.

Not quite a popular tourist destination, Tulum offers an alternative to the resorts of Cancun and Playa del Carmen. As relaxation was key to my time in Tulum, I decided to stay in one the many zen-like eco boutique hotels lining the Beach Road South, which proved to be ideally located for exploring the ruins and the Sian Ka’an reserve.

Highlights:

Saying hola¡ to the iguanas at Tulum Ruinas
Being at one with nature at Sian Ka’an biosphere reserve
Diving deep in cenotes
Waking up to the sunrise over the Caribbean

Belize

Monkeying around archaeological digs, forests and… with sharks!

Belize came highly recommended from a friend who had recently come back from backpacking around Central America. As matter of fact, he was so passionate about his time in Belize, I copied his exact itinerary and I’m glad I did. Belize has a lot to offer for such a small country; idyllic Caribbean islands, impressive Mayan ruins, rain forests, and beautiful barrier reefs.

Highlights

Scaling ancient Lamanai ruins while being heckled by monkeys
Cruising down New River with a rum punch in hand
Eating fresh from the oven banana bread which was so delicious it made you forget that you were on a dusty chicken bus
Visiting the crystal princess in her Actun Tunichil Muknal palace
Snorkelling and swimming with the sharks at the Cayes

Guatemala

Culture, colour, coffee, chocolate, courtesy, curiosity … all the c’s!

I was truly excited about visiting Guatemala. Everything I read about this country made my curiosity grow even further, there just seemed to be something magical about this destination. It didn’t disappoint, I instantly fell in love with Guatemala, especially Antigua which proved to be an absolute gem with its colonial history, colourful culture, awesome architecture, and out of this world chocolate and coffee. There was an incident in Flores but I won’t go into that, yet, but what I will say is that I couldn’t have survived without the generosity of the Guatemalans. When I cried for help they all came running and made sure the rest of my journey went by smoothly. I left with a biggest smile on my face.

Highlights

Feeling like you’re an extra in an Indiana Jones movie at Tikal (plus mistaking the howler monkeys for lions)
Never wanting to leave Antigua after experiencing its wonderful Mayan culture and hospitality
Practicing my Spanish with my guide while hiking up the Pacaya volcano
Chaotic and colourful shopping at Chichicastenango market

Honduras

Experiencing sheer bliss in the most underrated tourist destination in Latin America

What can I say about Honduras? I returned home with fond memories of my time in Honduras and to this day, Roatán and Copán Ruinas stay with me. Honduras offers everything Central America has within one border; archaeological delights, culture, eco-tourism, and beautiful coastline plus Caribbean islands. There is something for everyone!

As a solo female traveller I received many cautions about travelling to Honduras, initially from those who had never been then sadly from locals. However, the advice from the locals was more specific i.e. don’t travel to the big cities and stick to the tourist destinations. Which was also the same advice given by the New Zealand and British governments. Therefore my advice is to check the travel advice of your government before you travel to Honduras. Honduras is a beautiful country and its residents are friendly and welcoming. I experienced very little problems in Honduras, perhaps because I was over cautious but also because I followed the advice given to me by fellow travellers and the Hondurans. There were moments when my anxiety got the better of me but that was all in my own head.

Highlights

Eating the best food in Copán Ruinas
Participating in the hunt for coolest spot in the Copán ruins (the heat was unbearable that day)
Experiencing absolute bliss on Roatán

El Salvador

The one that got away!

I had fully planned to visit El Salvador. I booked hotel rooms, transport, and my activities. However, while waiting for my flight to Roatán in San Pedro Sula airport, two lovely ladies convinced me that I should extend my stay at Roatán so I could relax, more on that later.

My highlights would have been:

Black sands of El Tunco, La Libertad
Arts, culture, and history of Suchitoto
City tour of San Salvador – I wasn’t too keen on visiting San Salvador. I found nothing positive about the city during my research. Most travellers seem to use it as a transport hub and quickly leave.

Nicaragua

A tale of two oceans and a gastronomic journey through colonial architecture

The rainy season caught up with me by the time I reached Nicaragua, but it certainly did not mar the experience for me. It simply meant that there were rainy moments and some of the tourist attractions had started to close down for the season. It also wonderfully meant that everything was a little less crowded. The idea of Nicaragua sounded so idyllic; the vibrancy of Granada, poetic Leon, the laid back Pacific coast, and the colourful port towns and beautiful islands of the Caribbean.

Nicaragua is were I met the Americans; a rag tag group made up of Syd (the mischievous semi-retiree), Donna (the adventurous tv executive), and their fearless leader Amanda (the courageous soon-to-be mum). Together we took Nicaragua by storm, pooling together our resources and energy to tick off our Nicaraguan bucket lists.

Highlights

Good drinking, good food, and awesome Spanish architecture in Granada
Kayaking the still waters that interweave the Islets of Granada
Standing on a beautiful Nicaraguan beach gazing in awe at the towering Volcan Concepción in the distance
Road tripping to San Juan Del Sur then getting stuck in Nacascolo Bay after a glorious day of swimming in the Pacific
A choppy panga ride to Little Corn and island life during the rainy season (which included a lot of Nicaraguan beer and cocktails)

Costa Rica

Flora and fauna under the gaze of an angry volcano.

Beautiful and peaceful Costa Rica. My stay in Costa Rica would be all about nature; a couple of days in the shadow of any angry volcano and another couple of days lost deep in the rain forest. Looking at my guide book now I had so many destinations in Costa Rica marked; Nicoya Peninsula, Monteverde Cloud Reserve, Manual Antonio National Park, Corcovado National Park, to name a few. I can’t remember how I came up with my final choices; the volcano was a no brainer, I love volcanos. Staying in Chachaguara Forest Hotel had the allure of the being in the middle of nowhere. I did actually visit the Cloud Reserve, the driver who took me kicking and screaming to the airport made a special excursion so I could see the sunrise over the forest. It was truly a beautiful experience but I’ve lost my photos so I can’t show you.

Highlights

Living in the shadow of Arenal volcano
Zipping through the rain forest on a zip liner while strapped to a nice man (too chicken to do it on my own)
Exploring the rain forest during the day and night
Watching the sun rise over the Cloud Forest

So there you have it! Next, panic at the airport, plus sunrises and iguanas in a tropical paradise.

Happy & safe travels

L x👣