Central America

Ramblings Of Nervous Energy

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I have been sat the past five weeks locked down in Spain unable to leave the house. I’m not unhappy about this, the opposite is true, I’m quite fortunate in fact.  Things have been sedate but peaceful. The weather one expects when in Spain has been absent and instead I have had been subject to days of mist and downpour which has given me time to collect my thoughts.  What thoughts you ask? Well, sit down with a cup of tea like the good chap or Lassie I know you will be and let me dispense these thoughts.
Part uno.  Most people I know of are growing up and taking steady jobs, along with a mortgage and paying attention to what will happen in 40 years when they retire. This old cockle of life has told them that this is indeed the plateau life comes to. The main and only hinging of their life to which all energies should be focused. Sensible, inevitable and pointless to refute.
Part Dos. A good many of the Stars, idols or what ever we like to call them in life, or specifically with reference to my life and interests, have gone. The life span of mountaineers and adventurers is often snuffed out too soon, the people in their prime leading the way. It raises the ethics of what is this pursuit worth when balanced against life. I know when I tell people what I like to spend my time doing they don’t see a rational man in front of them but an idiot, who hasn’t weighed up their future final years or immediate years that could be. A great folly.
 I was reading a conclusion to an interesting study today. One by the American Cancer Society. 127,000 Healthy people (no underlying conditions at the time of signing up) were questioned for the study over a course of over 21 years. After 48,784 of them had passed away, a connection was made between sitting average of six or more hours per day and a 19 percent increased risk of dying from any of the mentioned -cancer, coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, liver disease, peptic ulcer, digestive diseases, parkinsons, alzheimers,nervous disorder and musculoskeletal disorder. While the study notes this is not the cause of death, and it is wide open to interpretation, I think it does show whether you believe in god or evolution, our bodies are not designed or evolved to be desk jockeys. We are not meant for a corporate machine sitting still like a good boy monotonously processing data only stopping to eat or sleep.  The risk to life increases with the hours sat. Sat at a desk hoping for a pain free retirement but failing to reach it, thus never really living their life.
I have spent a good while not working and travelling or just doing the things I enjoy. When I do work, I work hard, or as hard as I can. I don’t hold much in the way of possessions, I never have a fancy car, usually an old banger of a van, but I have experiences I wouldn’t change for the world. After the 2008 financial crisis and carpentry dried up, I spent a long while on a road bicycle cycling, it brought me joy the whole summer, I wore out bearings and components, replaced them, and wore them out again. I worked at an outdoor centre part time for a while and spent every spare minute I had hiking, running, climbing or kayaking,  then after a while working again I went to Australia and spent a good deal of time on beaches and going around national parks. After a year when it was over and I came home, I had a good part of the following summer off work going to festivals and camping and just being me. The following year I tried the Royal Marines for a few weeks, and after leaving, decided a few months later to hike a trail I read about as a kid in a book called ‘The worlds greatest adventure treks’. I hiked 2400 miles of the CDT at a blistering pace and had never been more content in life. It wasn’t the aim, but it is what I did. A couple of years later a cycled roughly along the same route but climbing peaks I could only dream about as a child. I then met Karli and kept going. We drove down through Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, onto Colombia. We hung around there a while having a blast with friends before shipping the car back to the states, Spending spring and summer in Colorado then heading off again to Colombia to cycle tour North to South. The plans have rarely gone perfect, but the freedom of adventure has not stopped. We jumped across the pond and have skipped back and forth between Britain and Europe climbing and hiking at every opportunity. This has taken ten years to cram in this fun, and only skims the surface.  The point is my life hasn’t fit into a regular life standard for most people, but when my joints are worn out in another 40 years. When arthritis has set in and the cartilage has gone. When I am forced to retire like the rest and I am down to a state pension alone,  I can finally sit down. I can sit and write a book about the life of retirement from age 18. I can write about 60 years of adventures if I am so lucky to get so many. I can write of the hardships, I can write of the lows, the Highs not experienced in the ‘common hours’. I can write of the beautiful people I met along the way.
I don’t want to live normally, I don’t want to be enslaved to a car payment, I don’t want your insanity, I don’t want your two weeks out of each year to make it worth it. I don’t want the lie that is sold every day.  Have you ever read the book and been inspired by the man who took a steady job in an office, saved for retirement, then retired? That will not be my book when it comes to the curtain call.
Naranjo De Bulnes, such a cool peak
waking to coffee
tea on the Cornwall Coast
where on earth looks like this, taken in Colombia south of Bogota
My feet after 900miles on the CDT
in the heat of the climb
karli and henning chillin out at an anchor

Part B on the Way

 

Central America

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So….. Central America. A lot has happened since I last wrote in Honduras, we have been through Nicaragua where we hired motorcycles to zoom around Ometepe, this was very touristy but going to the far end of the island we found a small hostel among where the locals live where that was reasonable, we went kayak touring one morning and I was pee’d on by a monkey in the trees above I got too close to. Lots of wildlife, spiders, creepy crawlies. We did a few smaller hikes, up to waterfalls. A night visit to an active volcano and plenty of driving miles. We visited an old fort where gorillas were imprissoned (people, not the animals). The Nicaraguan police were corrupt as expected. I can’t blame them, i am told they earn $250dollar per month. On one day we had a policeman step out onto a carrige way to flag me down as he saw the foreign rich car approach, I drove around him and carried on. Later that day another police officer did manage to flag us down to inform us we performed an illegal manouver and would have to pay a fine. Fortunately for us he spoke no English and we played the dumb tourists for 15minutes till he waved us away. I think every overlander going through Nicaragua has had a similar experience.

Volcano in Nicaragua

I’ve heard of some officers that will play a waiting game for hours until their bluff is called asking for a senior officer to come at which point they say its no problem, carry on.  I found it novel going to a big market one day where all the produce was ‘locally made by family’ but was identical through out the rest of central america and had an authentic chinese look about it. After Nicaragua came Costa Rica, the price of everything went up driving over the border. National parks charging up to 32dollars to camp the night. Bare in mind the most expensive American National Park I visited, cost about 30dollars for a week, or less if you camp in the back country. I imagine the prices are so high because mainly tourists come for one week holidays and have come too far to say no.

The river picture is a hot spring, or rather there is an expensive touristy hot spring just up from this point for about 40dollars per visit, which heats the river to a nice warm bath right below for free, complimented by the cooling rain from above. A great place to chill for a few hours.  To the right is a free camp place by a lake, with me stringing out a tarp to collect rain water. Supermarkets seemed to charge a great deal for bottled clean water. Due to the cost of central, we made the decision to gun it for Colombia. Onto Panama.

We didn’t have too much time in Panama, just over a week before shipping the vehicle by container. We found some free camping and a bolted crag (cliff) local enthusiasts cleaned up. A nice couple of days falling repeatedly on routes. Just outside Panama City was a nice high camp that was cool enough to go running from in the morning.

loading Karli into the container, i tried to pay the shipping agent to lock her in there, reasoning she had food and water, they didn’t buy it
me running one humid morning up a hill near Panama City. A nice cool camp high up
flying panama to Colombia
climbing the basalt formations in panama
the container was shared with a couple of overlanders to reduce cost. this is the colombia end,.

Now we are in Colombia And the world has opened up again. Instead of paying to climb a volcano, its just a small park entrance fee. Instead of the compulsary guides, they are optional. There is free camping, decent stores, cheap food in restraunts and supermarkets. Im getting psyched. Near by there are big mountains over 5000m , snow,  cool temperatures, unlimited climbing and nights of sleep where i don’t have to sweat.

This week I was particularly psyched about a decathlon store for cheap clothing. I think Karli is getting sick of the same pair of shorts I have been wearing since we started the trip. They have gone from black to faded grey.

Next blog – trad climbing- it should be more interesting from here.

 

Are There Crocodiles In Honduras?

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So, being a little bored while we waited for quite a time to get my yellow fever travel cert thingy, we decided to go tubing on the local river. With tubing not really being a big sport in La Ceila, Honduras, we went to a car tire garage and requested with gestures and a little effort, a couple of big inner tubes. We took the tubes to the river and inflated them over lunch with the under powered compressor we were now greatful for.

Taking a saunter up the valley on foot and to the confusion of locals seeing two giant tubes with legs, we went to the location of a previous camp and put ourselves in. Moments later we realised this was a mistake. Around the first bend there was a thunderous roar. Hastily jumping out the overinflated tubes we went ashore and inspected. It was around 200m (210 yards) of class 3 rapids lead-in into a canyon. After some deliberating, we carried the tubes to the canyon and jumped in. The ride down below was probably the most enjoyable way to experience rainforest. The next hour in lukewarm water drifting. In awe of the canyon the locals had not managed to monopolized but for whitewater rafting company that knew nothing of our presence, we decided to go back the next day.

 

Today- we grabbed our climbing shoes and a towel, chucking them into a drybag. Trying to wade down from above I instantly lost a flip flop. This was a disappointing start, while it wasn’t expensive, I loved that flipflop, now I have only one flipflop. With me hobbling over stones, we retreated to plan A, the first plan we made in the morning and certainly the more logical. Driving down below the canyon I put on some trainers we we set off a second time. We did a combination of canyoneering up the craggy riverside and swimming across the smoothest points and rapids.

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This was enjoyable, but I did wonder what lurked in the murky eddies. Having Karli swimming behind me, I knew she would go down first if there were crocodiles so I pushed on regardless, telling myself all the while crocs don’t like rapids anyway.

when we arrived at the canyon it started raining. We knew time was limited as the heavy downpour would quickly raise the river level make descending riskier.

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But it was worth the effort and refreshing doing something outdoors and wild.

Below is a pic of me taunting the crocodiles and giant boa constrictors in the most Usain Bolt way possible. Im sure my and Karlis’ survival is down to the wildlife being dumbfounded by our boldness swimming right in front of them. For now I shall remain skeptical of their existence.

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On a more serious note the birds were seeing on a daily basis are the ones I used to see on a David Attenborough wildlife documentary. Its pretty special to see so many brightly coloured birds I know nothing about. Macaws, king fishers , yellow ones, bluey black ones, some small ones; to name but a few.

P.S. Te keyboard is still broken but im tryin.

To finish the pic below was driving down some forest lane inhabited by disgruntled horses late night during a lightning storm. Its blurry but so was our eyes sight after 12hours of driving so you see exactly what I did. Enjoy!

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Honduras

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Well, I feel awful, a combination of a week of Doxycycline, A yellow fever shot, and running a few miles in tropic heat. Its not all bad, although Karli is also feeling bad from the Doxy. I can’t wait to be out of here and living somewhere I dont wake to the feeling of wanting to pass out, but with heat beating down and humidity rising I am forced up.

We visited some Mayan ruins called ‘Copan’. The ruins were nice, but it was about 15 American dollars to enter, 7 to go into the tunnels, another 10 or so to enter the museum, where most the artifacts have been removed too, and a few more dollars to enter the culture museum. It felt a bit of a rip so we just entered the main site and left it at that. Central America has been pretty good at emptying the wallet at every opportunity. Walking around the carvings it soon became clear the big statues were all replicas except one they had not figured out how to replicate yet due to the intricacies of the carving. O well. It was a sunny day and there was also a good lawn to sit on. The ruins themselves are pretty impressive once you realise the scale of them after climbing the first pyramid.

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. Now, Honduras, Its hard for me to accept that to walk a footpath I have to pay 4 times the price the locals are asked to pay ($8), or pay anything at all for the mile or so path is to the waterfall we wanted to visit yesterday. At the cost of every attraction or bit of nature being high, I feel poor. Three nights ago we drove into the night checking prices of hotels along the way, 1200, 1100, 600 lempiras. Once again despite warnings not to drive at night we pushed though. Ending up at a rundown hotel for 500 lempiras, whIch we accepted, it was nice to have showers and a/c to sleep. The beaches are lined with properties and hotels willing to charge to be near the water, and most the national forest areas on the map seem to be mosquito infested with a second unidentified fly that has a bite similar. We drove  few lanes the other night and arrived at a beach area next to forest. After intruding on private land, the property owner, Winston, welcomed us to camp beside his house at no cost. It was nice to be welcomed somewhere. This gave a wonderful sunset and a few more mosi bites to remember it by. Last nights camp was on a river in its flood area, Stoney but flat. With it being near the end of the flood season we decided the sky probably wouldn’t rain and flood the camp so we pitched up. There were remarkably only on or two mosquitoes this night.

Today was my first run in a few weeks. It was hot and not all that pleasant, the first half all uphill. I would like to say it revived me but it didn’t. The swim in the river after however was pretty decent. Something that felt alive brushed my leg and made me question what might lurk beneath.

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The city a mile from camp is prettier comfortable, good coffee from  nice shop about $1-1.50. Other exciting news- I have a new pair of sunglasses, its the first time in month I have worn them without having to look at scratches. Bad news- the horrible box of wine we bought back at the very start of the trip is down to its last litre. Soon it will be no more. It tastes bad now.

Im kinda bored of writing now so will finish/edit this later 😉

 

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Getting A Yellow fever Vaccination On The Road In Central America

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So, 6weeks ago I decided to join Karli on a drive to Argentina climbing along the way. For this I decided it might be worth getting anti-malaria tablets and a yellow fever vaccination since its likely I would be going to a few melting pot areas for all the nasty infections and diseases.

Now, big pharma in the states is known for charging a lot for prescription drugs and I do put a limit of the cost of my good health, so, proceed through the states without buying any. The plan was mexico for both. A week before entering Mexico I decided to try to get a price for the goods. I managed to find out that several Walgreens and walmarts with pharmacies could give a yellow fever vac at around 120-150dollars. And it is possible to get Doxcyiline, but the costs are kinda high and a consultation at extra cost is required, an eXtra 40dollars. My poor life isn’t valued that high, I’m a cost cutter. So against the usual kind of advice from wealthy practitioners saying don’t trust lower cost care, I achieved lower costs.

Now, in Mexico any pharmacy will sell you prescription drugs without a prescription. Which is great. In a small town I went into a pharmacy and paid about 20dollars for a 70 day supply of doxyciline. Which was the easy part.

Yellow Fever Vaccination proved a different beast. The pharmacies sent me to the hospitals, the hospitals sent me to the general public hospitals and on and on it went in every town and city along the way. After about 10 hospitals we found ourselves waiting to talk to a doctor. When he arrived speaking good concise English he slowly explained that the vaccination wasn’t normally available in Mexico, only an after care as it wasn’t genrally a problem in Mexico. He told us to wait till we are in El Salvador, Honduras or Nicaragua as it would be widely available there. He also wrote a note to pass to the next hospital to make it easier. “vacun fiebre amarilla”.

In Le Ciela, Honduras, we started looking for a hospital, the daily mosquito bites were a driving force. Into the firs hospital, they pointed us to the second. The second was rundown and looked closed, so we went to the third. In the third hospital. The ‘medico’ we were directed up a staircase. Up the staircase we were directed to a door. Inside the door was a receptionist and a waiting room. We asked for ‘vacu fiebre amarilla’, she invited us to take a seat. This seemed positive so we complied.

The receptionist informed Karli, who is now speaking pretty reasonable Spanish, that the doctor was on lunch break but would be back soon. An hour wen by and the doctor arrived. Again, like the last, the doctor speaks slowly and concisely in English. He informs us he can give the injection there and then, but for the vaccination passport/cert we would have to take a note to a different building Monday morning. After receiving the shot I proceeded down the stairs to pay. The shot cost approx 100dollars. Still cheaper that the states. All in so far its cost 100 for the yellow vac and about 20dollars for 70days of doxcyiline. Total $120.

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getting yellow fever vaccine

I feel this is a saving of about 120 to 150 dollars. roughly based on

130 for yellow, 70dollars for 70days of doxy, and a consultation at 40dollars. total $270. Win.  Now I feel fully prepared to strip naked and run through jungle laughing at the mosquitoes biting me in awkward places without the worry of half the tropic bacteria, fevers and nasties.

I will also add that while each of the many hospitals we entered were a little worn, they were very clean, being actively cleaned and mopped and the staff all very professional. All in the same as any trip to a western hospital.

 

Volcanoes On Guatemala and They Put Up A Concrete Block

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So, It was a week or so in Guatemala, Im not gonna lie, Its been bad. My keyboard is broken and I no longer ave te G or H keys, or backspace.  Hence the Typos you are about to be subject to. There is a virtual keyboard which is just getting me by but its painfully slow. On top my laptop is under warranty but i need a permnant shipping address for 10days at least to ave it fixed.

We tried to do a lot of tings out here. But the Guatemalan people were onto us. Everywhere we go there are tolls. For entering towns, for using roads, if they could charge, they did. We stopped a few days at lake Atitlan. We haggled a little for the 40q hotel room. The local volcano National Park entrance cost 100 Quetzales (about 10quid), so we didn’t enter the park. This is the most expensive entrance fee for one day in a park I have come across in the world. The problem is Guatemala has realized tourists have money, and charge accordingly.

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Atitlan Used to be described as the most beautiful lake in the world. I couldn’t help but see a concrete high rise hotel race, a work of tourism. Instead of fishing, locals now drive tuktuks. I have also read there is a big problem with blue green algae which causes a odour problem, didn’t experience it though while there

 

The first volcano charge wasn’t too off-putting, as there are several active on our list to visit. We ditched out of Atitlan and drove for Fuego, which ajoins onto Acatenango. It provides a 5000ft climb through rain forest over black rock. We arrived the evening before the climb to smoke rising out the top and had a quick scout of the way up, a maze of twisting trails through the crops on the fertile slopes. In the morning we would set off at 3am for the sunrise from the summit. The forecast showed a clear window from 5am till 10am. We camped outside a guides house and in the darkest hour rose, picked up our prepacked bags, drank a caffine shot each and departed. The rain started 1000ft up. I didn’t know the tropics could reproduce weather similar to Scotland on a wet winter day. On went warm layers and waterproofs. But still painfully numb hands. By half way the rainfall was going up hill. We told ourselves it was definately going to clear despite the deterioration in visibility. The summit was a beautiful windswept mars like surface, but blackish.

We ran down the mountain to warmer weather, and by that I mean rain. The descent route went down deep narrow chutes washed out by the rain. It was great from running down, Karli fell over several times. At the entrance to the park attendants informed us we have to pay more money, another 50 each. We were up early enough to miss them, but they always catch you in the end.

In Antigua the situation worsened. It was like being in a western city. Nothing but hotels and hostels in every building, beautiful as they were. A hideous one way system tried to thwart our departure but after a hour or two we were out. The last volcano on the list was Pacaya. On arriving guides ran up to our vehicle stating we had to pay 100Q per person to climb up to a col, but an extra hundred was needed to go to the active rim. It wasnt allowed to climb without a guide. This was the final straw. We left and headed for the cost. Driving into the night and seeing motorcycles with no lights,dogs and people appear out the dark like ghosts and disappear as quickly. Bumping over every pothole, Karli telling me it will be a mile away, then two, then ten, we rolled up to a hostel late. It was owned by westerners charging 380Q for the last double room in the hostel. More than most western cities. This isn’t what we came her for. The hostel owner did however point us across the road to a restaurant that might let us camp the night. We crossed the road and found Soul Food Kitchen, with the owner Gary, a south African man who said we could camp for 40Q. That’s more like it. He also made brilliant curries for 45Q. We stopped a couple of nights relaxing. Finally someone not trying to extort us for trying to breathe. Even the local were eating there. Outside there was a lovely pool and we were welcomed to use the showers and wash clothes at no extra cost. He also allowed us to pick coconuts, with my feeble body hanging off one trying to pull it down. Then Karli wildly swinging a machete to try and open it. The local restraunt girl eventually helping.

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Yesterday we crossed into El Salvador. After a few hours back and forwards at the border crossing not understanding a lot of what was happening we were in. Its much the same here. They have even embraced  the american dollar, you cant get to a lakeside without paying for at least drink in a hotel. The lakeside road is lined by 8foot concrete with barbed wire and gates. The national park only has hotels, not even a car park, well, so far at least. C’mon central, what are you playing at. We should have known at the entrance to El Sal, as we were passed a Disney style map showing hotels, attractions, board hire etc.

Im not saying its all bad, it is beautiful. But I hate the feeling of being an ant trapped between concrete walls were even a forest cost money to be in.

My training routine has been interrupted by the cost of going anywhere that isn’t either 100 quetzal a time or guards with pump action shotguns telling us its too dangerous for us to be there. Seriously, every delivery wagon, even milk wagons come with their own armed shotgun guard! its one extreme or the other. O well, maybe something fun and free will present itself.

that’s all for now folks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mexico Into Guatamala

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After leaving Orizaba behind we reached the beach 10hours from the Guatamalan Border. Beautiful, empty, no tourists, dollar beers and waves. A local business owner said we are free to camp anywhere on the beach we would like, nobody cares. This is a stark contrast to the States near businesses and homes, where many would take offence. She said her business is normally booming on the weekends, but had gone quiet after the earthquakes so she was just relaxing. Four of her dogs kept us entertained most the time and one wild but very tame dog also.

 

We planned on staying there a few days. After the second day we realised the insurance had already expired for Mexico so hastily packed up and sped off. The drive to the border was dull. We aimed once again at a green patch on the map, a national forest. It rained the whole way. We were encouraged by signs indicating beaches. When we arrived at the end of the road it was rainforest and mangroves. With a small concrete dock and small wooden boats lined up to ferry people back and forward. We enquired with a local bar owner while enjoying 10 pesos beers and he told us the only way in is boat, and there are houses to rent on the beaches. He offered to look after the car for a few pesos if we decided to go. He also warned us it was not a safe place to camp on the main land around there due to some locals. We accepted his advice and drove for a motel. A shabby place, which offered prices by the hour. But $8 USD per night couldn’t be turned down. The place was empty and quiet. A nice break from a roof tent with space to swing a cat and covered parking with a fabric door to hide the car.

The next day we drove to the border. I started calm and I grew more furious with every local getting in the way and trying to tell us how hard the process of crossing the border is, but for a few pesos can assist. Every step of the way people trying to charge us for an endless list of services, parking, moving forward while parking, fumigation for mosquitoes, security, paying the officers to look after the car, offers of a dollar from guards to get our stamp for Guatamala and skip the Que. Trying to extort 3000 Quetzales (Guatamalan money) for a vehicle permit and saying they can sort the permit if we pass them the money (about 10 times the cost of the actual permit). It sickened me off, constantly telling them to go. The officials didn’t seem to care about the scamming business, but then again, the guards were in on it too. It felt like a descent into madness. Don’t get me started on the money exchange men walking around and at desks trying to offer half the value currency in exchange. Parasites. After getting across the border into the first town things returned to normal.

We drove for a few hours before stopping the night once again in a motel. The next day driving to Lake Atitlan. In San Pedro on the shore of the lake we found ourselves being told there is no camping. But at an advantage of being there in the rainy season, with few tourists and plenty of competition. Its very touristy. Every shop front dedicated to selling tours, coffee, beers or trinkets. Not my kind of place, but we have got hold of a room in the centre for two of us costing a total of £12 for three nights. £2 per person per night. I’ll be honest, the room is not brilliant, but at less than half the cost of the hostel per person for a dorm room; its a win. The hot shower we were sold to get our business is cold, and a shard of glass hangs from the bathroom window ready to either swing in while showering and slice me, or, drop to the street below and decapitate someone.

Today (the 3rd oct) we decided to go to a coffee plantation to see how my favourite thing is made. Seriously my world would end without it. We went to the tourist adventure desks which populate half the town and after getting prices decided we could do better. The two companies we approached quoted 150 and 120 Quetzales respectively. We went around the coffee shops in the town asking and managed to get a horseback ride for about 3-4hours upto a plantation for 150. I consider that a win. I said to Karli she could pick which horse she wanted. One was big, one was small. She jumped to the big one straight away. I was then was stuck with my tiny stead I feared would die on the climb. After all the hiking I have done and hatred towards horses for the muck and foul stench they leave on trails, it was interesting to be on the other end of things. But I still don’t quite get it, it just seems to be a lazier slower way to get in and out of places than walking and leaves you with a sore backside and an extra mouth to feed. I can understand using them as pack animals to haul greater amounts of gear than can be carried, but I just don’t get it. Maybe one day.

The local volcano costs about £10 to climb. A permit for entry. I think that makes this the most expensive national park I have come across. And the entrances are closely guarded by police and national park staff. Also there are small charges per vehicle to each town/ area around the lake (negligible but still have to make sure you carry cash at all times).  Not entirely sure what to make of Guatemala yet; but I’m sure there will be free parks and camping elsewhere.