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Martyman
Super Nomad
Posts: 1904
Registered: 9-10-2004
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Guatemala. When I crossed the border from Mexico to Guate, I got the same feeling of change that I get crossing from the US to Mexico. I need to go
back sometime.
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rob
Senior Nomad
Posts: 509
Registered: 10-19-2004
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
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Hi Lizardlips,
I was interested in your comment about Honduras. Have travelled to a number of Central american places, but not Honduras or El Salvador.
I researched El Salvador on the Web (it`s not a place that you hear about much) and the basic feeling I got was to be VERY VERY careful there . . .
now is that Giggling Marlin-type careful or Cuidad Juarez-type careful? Is Honduras somewhere in between?
rob
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bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
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Interesting responses. My 2006 Panama trip opened my mind to possibility of retirement in Latin America.
While Panama City is a beautiful, modern city, I prefer the wide open spaces of Chiriqui province. Love Chiriqui's lush mountains, empty beaches and
islands.
www.panamforum.com
Baja has been very good to me since moving here 30 months ago.
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wsdunc
Nomad
Posts: 179
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: So Cal
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Mood: Upbeat
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Bolivia... My wife is Bolivian, and I have had the opportunity to make 3 month long trips in the last few years. Bolivia has the worst economy in
South America. The last time I was there dinner for 5 in a simple restaurant was <$5, big party night out for 13 people at a nightclub $50. Even
though there is a lot of poverty, food is very cheap, and therefore you don't feel the desperation of other places where the very poor are starving
also. One good indicator is that the street dogs are well fed and healthy. They also don't slink away when ever a person is near.
The Bolivian people are the most gracious and friendly poeople I have ever met, and I have had a chance to visit >30 countries.
Minimal crime, (pickpockets, purse and chain snatchings) and no feeling of danger, from either bad guys or the police.
Food is great, and availability of frsh produce is great, including fruits you may well have never seen before.
Complete gamut of locations:
La Paz at ~11,000 ft, cold and windy, folks dress kind of formally like the east coast of the US.
Cochabamba the city with a name like a song, where we have our house. 6000 feet, but right at the equator, so the climate is a lot like So Cal.
People dress a lot like So Cal also, more causally, shorts and T-shirts.
Santa Cruz, near sea level, very green with rainforests and jungle nearby. Vibrant economy, bustling place. Beautiful blondes in short shorts and
halter tops.
Awy from the cities you have lots too, mountains over 20,000 ft, roaring jungle with monkeys and royal macaws and anacondas, not to mention wild
turkeys and pigs and deer. Rivers here have piranhas, and there issomething special about floating in a river knowing it is flowing info the amazon.
The Salar de Uyuni, a high altitude salt flat at 1300 ft. Big enough that it is the one landmark in South America that the astronauts were able to
see from the moon. There are 3 day landrover tours here which explore the salt flats and the mountains abobe them. The trips go as high as 16000 ft,
and you will see lakes that are colored by minerals: a green lake, a red lake (actually kind of pink) and a wine colored lake. Around the lake you
will see 3 species of flamingos. There are also boiling hot springs and geysers. All in all a avery cool trip.
Anyhow, if you get the feeling I love Bolivia you are right, if it had a Sea of Cortez it would be perfect.
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tjBill
Senior Nomad
Posts: 516
Registered: 10-6-2007
Location: Tijuana
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Colombia!!!
Never met a latin america lover who did not fall in love with the country.
The worst place i've been in Latin America is Caracas, Venezuela. The people were less friendly and every third traveler I met had been mugged.
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lizard lips
Super Nomad
Posts: 1469
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: EARTH
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rob
Hi Lizardlips,
I was interested in your comment about Honduras. Have travelled to a number of Central american places, but not Honduras or El Salvador.
I researched El Salvador on the Web (it`s not a place that you hear about much) and the basic feeling I got was to be VERY VERY careful there . . .
now is that Giggling Marlin-type careful or Cuidad Juarez-type careful? Is Honduras somewhere in between?
rob |
Rob, I have been to El Salvador many times and never had a problem. The people are very nice and the city is great by Central America standards.
Honduras on the other hand is a little rough. The capitol city, Tegucigalpa is very dangerous. I was almost robbed there a few years ago. I had two
guys follow me around and when they decided to try and jack me I stepped into a restaurant and had the employees call the police who came immediately.
They caught the two guys who apparently have done this before and took them away. I travel alone most of the time so it leaves me at a disadvantage. I
had a few other bad experiences in Honduras with money exchange. The people there are very street smart and prey on tourists. Never had a problem in
San Pedro Sula in fact I had a great time. I suggest stay away from the capitol.
[Edited on 03/08/2009 by lizard lips]
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Heather
Nomad
Posts: 370
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: National City, CA
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Speaking of Honduras...I lived and worked in Tegucigalpa for a couple of years in the early 90's. With all the machine-gun toting private security
guards, I generally felt pretty safe. I was only robbed once, walking through a pretty good neighborhood in broad daylight. It was a big, poor,
dirty, city, and I wouldn't go back, but...Honduras has the Bay Islands which are wonderful!
There is a very Baja feeling, although the music is reggae, not rancheros!
Needless to say, I spent all my vacations in Roatan, unless we traveled to Guatemala or CR.
The Bay Islands are beautiful, great snorkeling and great people. The only problem are the sand flies, which can put a damper on the holiday!
Saludos, Heather
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Three faves come to mind. In Mexico, I really recommend Isla Mujeres. And not for a day trip from Cancun. Stay on Isla Mujeres. Only a 25 minute ferry
ride from Cancun, but it may as well be on another planet. The vibe is a combination of Key West, Havana, and, of course Mexico. No high rises,
minimal traffic. And the lee side of the island has some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable. Travel around the island is primarily by golf cart.
Rio at Carnival time is overwhelming good fun. Brazilians are not just separated from the rest of Latin America by language. There is a wholly
different vibe to their culture.
And while technically a part of the united States, Puerto Rico is awesome. San Juan combines the modernity of most big cities, with an immensely
appealing colonial atmosphere. And once outside the city, rain forests and beautiful beaches abound.
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8088
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wsdunc
Anyhow, if you get the feeling I love Bolivia you are right, if it had a Sea of Cortez it would be perfect.
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Lake Titicaca comes close.
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Bajagypsy
Super Nomad
Posts: 1416
Registered: 8-31-2006
Location: BahÃa Asuncion BCS
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Mood: Living the dream
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Three faves come to mind. In Mexico, I really recommend Isla Mujeres. And not for a day trip from Cancun. Stay on Isla Mujeres. Only a 25 minute ferry
ride from Cancun, but it may as well be on another planet. The vibe is a combination of Key West, Havana, and, of course Mexico. No high rises,
minimal traffic. And the lee side of the island has some of the most beautiful beaches imaginable. Travel around the island is primarily by golf cart.
Rio at Carnival time is overwhelming good fun. Brazilians are not just separated from the rest of Latin America by language. There is a wholly
different vibe to their culture.
And while technically a part of the united States, Puerto Rico is awesome. San Juan combines the modernity of most big cities, with an immensely
appealing colonial atmosphere. And once outside the city, rain forests and beautiful beaches abound. |
I was able to spend my sweet 16 birthday in Isla Mujeres, I went back 10 years later, and it was a different place. When I first went there, it was
a vacation hot spot for mexican's american's and canadian's had not found it yet.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Funny. But I was there in 1998, and again last year. Of course, it's more crowded. But to me, except for the Mayan ruins, it would be the only reason
I would fly to Cancun. Unfortunately, one of the most amazing locations on the island is occupied by an ugly mid-rise known as Avalon Reef. God, what
I could dream of doing with that piece of property, after knocking Avalon reef down.
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Festus
Junior Nomad
Posts: 52
Registered: 2-22-2008
Location: San Francisco
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Mood: Inquisitive
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Based on my personal travels:
Most rustic (what latin america was like before Americanization) = highlands of Guatemala.
Most Romantic = Cartagena, Colombia
Single Most Beautiful Location = tie between Lake Atitlan (Guatemala), Machu Pichu (Peru) and Tulum (Yucatan).
Most Under-rated = Vina Del Mar (Chile)
The place I haven't been to yet...but most want to go = CUBA
Friendship... is not something you learn in school. But if you haven\'t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven\'t learned
anything.
Muhammad Ali
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rpleger
Super Nomad
Posts: 1087
Registered: 3-12-2005
Location: H. Mulegé, BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Was good.
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Costa Rica....
Went there twice, once in 1975 for three months and fell in love with it....
Again in 1990 and it had changed so much that when I think about going back there again....I think not....
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5814
Registered: 9-7-2004
Location: Newport, Mulege B.C.S.
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Roger, shame on you posting something nonBaja. Why I remember a time....... 
Now to get out my 10,000 Latin photos album!
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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Festus- while I do believe that the current administration will open access to Cuba by the end of its first term, the dirty little secret is that you
can fly from Mexico to Cuba right now. The Cuban immigratation will not stamp your passport. The only downside is that if you get into any kind of
trouble while in Cuba, whether it be health issues or alleged crime, you'll be in mucho trouble once you get back home.
There are actually hotels in the Cancun area that market junkets to Cuba when you stay with them. And the nice thing is that the flight from Cancun to
Havana is little more than 1/2 hour.
And no. I'm not saying......
[Edited on 3-18-2009 by Bajahowodd]
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lizard lips
Super Nomad
Posts: 1469
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: EARTH
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Festus, You are right about Cartagena. The old "Walled City" is very special with great restaurants!
[Edited on 03/08/2009 by lizard lips]
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nancyinpdx
Nomad
Posts: 233
Registered: 1-16-2009
Member Is Offline
Mood: muy eccentrica
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Cuba from Cancun
I've known this for a long time, but so far have been too scared to risk the U.S. finding out! 
nancy
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
Festus- while I do believe that the current administration will open access to Cuba by the end of its first term, the dirty little secret is that you
can fly from Mexico to Cuba right now. The Cuban immigratation will not stamp your passport. The only downside is that if you get into any kind of
trouble while in Cuba, whether it be health issues or alleged crime, you'll be in mucho trouble once you get back home.
There are actually hotels in the Cancun area that market junkets to Cuba when you stay with them. And the nice thing is that the flight from Cancun to
Havana is little more than 1/2 hour.
And no. I'm not saying......
[Edited on 3-18-2009 by Bajahowodd] |
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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After basically half a century, it's time to grow up. When Fidel triumphed, it was our government that was caught asleep at the wheel. Fidel's
populist movement against a brutal dictator was to give power and support to the people. At the time, Washington was way too myopic, and refused to
support any sort of regime that did not exactly mirror our democracy, thereby pushing Fidel toward the next best option, which in the days of the cold
war, was the Soviets, who were more than happy to oblige. Really have to wonder that if our government was not so fixated on the red menace, how Cuba
would have turned out. It's basically ancient history now. Let's open the door to relations with Cuba. We've got a huge Cuban- American population,
Cuba is 90 miles from Key West.
[Edited on 3-19-2009 by Bajahowodd]
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8088
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Most beautiful city in Latin America: Antigua, Guatemala.
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
Registered: 11-7-2002
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I really liked Placencia, Belize, but I have heard it has changed big time (common story everywhere it seems). I was at Isla Holbox a little over two
years back, and I would be very happy to return. It seemed like what Isla Mujeres must have been like 30 years ago. There are no paved roads on
Holbox, and golf carts are the made mode of transportation. No police and no crime. The beaches aren't as good as Tulum though, but the weather was
nicer. I liked Yelapa near PV. I'd like to spend a week there again to see if it is anything like I remember. To tell the truth, I'd like to go
anywhere if I could afford it.
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