2002-2005 (c) GetJealous.com, All rights reserved. http://www.getjealous.com/stuartcentralamerica/rss.xml http://www.getjealous.com/stuartcentralamerica http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2723487&go=stuartcentralamerica As our travels hurtled towards their end, we had a final few adventures to cement Central America's fond place in our hearts. Throughout the trip, we had enjoyed a streak of immeasurable good luck in not being kidnapped, mugged or otherwise fleeced by any taxi drivers. However, the last Central American taxi we were to take, from the bus terminal in San Jose to our hostel, almost broke our good r... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2723487&go=stuartcentralamerica Fri, 17 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2723023&go=stuartcentralamerica The journey to Costa Rica was longer than we'd hoped but finished in a nice hotel in San Jose, courtesy of the invalid's concerned father. The following day, feeling very well rested, we took two buses and a boat to reach Tortuguero, on the Caribbean coast. The last leg of the journey was enlivened with several crocodile sightings along the bank. That same night we booked onto a tour to visit the ... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2723023&go=stuartcentralamerica Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2722063&go=stuartcentralamerica Granada lies on the biggest lake in Central America - so big, in fact, that large carnivorous sharks thrive in its waters. We crossed this 'fresh-water sea' to reach the small island of Ometepe, formed by two volcanoes rising out of the water. When buying our ferry tickets, we were only allowed top-deck tourist rate tickets. Normally, we'd have been annoyed in a most self-righteous manner by the ... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2722063&go=stuartcentralamerica Wed, 8 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2721691&go=stuartcentralamerica Once we were back on the mainland, we caught a bus to Tegucigalpa, capital of Honduras, with plenty of time and thought that, for once, we might have cracked the stress-free border crossing. We weren't thrilled at the prospect of spending a night in another Central American capital - but, ranking at only number 11 in the list of the world's most dangerous places, it was a veritable safe-haven comp... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2721691&go=stuartcentralamerica Mon, 6 Aug 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2720275&go=stuartcentralamerica Given our previous border crossing tribulations, we set out from Livingston with a sense of looming peril. Our first set-back came even earlier than expected: as soon as we reached the dock, we discovered that we  had missed both early morning ferries to Puerto Barrios, the Guatemalan border town. Not wanting to wait until 11am for the next scheduled departure, we had no choice but to pay a horre... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2720275&go=stuartcentralamerica Sun, 29 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2719132&go=stuartcentralamerica For our final day on the lake, we rented kayaks and, against expectations, managed to avoid going round in endless circles. With blistered hands but remarkably dry bodies, we headed back to Pana and began a long bus journey to the Guatemalan Caribbean, eventually arriving into Rio Dulce at 2am. The next day we paid a man with a boat to take us around the area, visiting an old Spanish fort, ... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2719132&go=stuartcentralamerica Sun, 22 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2718145&go=stuartcentralamerica Arriving into Panajachel on Thursday evening, we were a little thrown by the brash neon lights, English menus and copious amounts of white flesh on display. We had definitely left Guatemala and entered a gringo's 'paradise', complete with a strip of bars and restaurants strangely reminiscent of Malia or Zante. By around 11pm, and after having made the most of the cheap rum, the vibe changed. It wa... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2718145&go=stuartcentralamerica Mon, 16 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2717667&go=stuartcentralamerica From a shaky start, our Guatemalan adventures are now well underway. Our first stop was Flores, a very small island in a lake in Northern Guatemala. Still feeling rather fragile after our border crossing the day before, we decided large-scale comfort eating would be the best remedy - pancakes for breakfast, grilled Guatemalan chicken for lunch and white fish from the lake for dinner. In between ga... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2717667&go=stuartcentralamerica Fri, 13 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2716699&go=stuartcentralamerica The guide books were not overly positive about the town of Palenque but we managed to find a cheap private room in a clean hotel on the edge of the jungle, complete with a hammock on our porch and parrots to keep us company.On our first full day here we took a private minibus to the beautiful waterfalls at Misol-Ha and Agua Azul, thinking this would be much more comfortable than trying to make the... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2716699&go=stuartcentralamerica Sun, 8 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2716378&go=stuartcentralamerica When we arrived in Tehuantepec, it was not the costal paradise we imagined. Instead, it was a dreary, sweltering town, just managing to keep the encroaching jungle at bay. Note for the future: look at a map before trying to reach Pacific beaches. Undeterred, we searched for the bustling market filled with rich indigenous culture. Unfortunately, since it was now election day, the market had been re... http://www.getjealous.com/blog.php?action=showdiaryentry&diary_id=2716378&go=stuartcentralamerica Fri, 6 Jul 2012 12:00:00 GMT