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The rest of the Loose Chickens that had stayed behind to finish the brake work arrived at the RV park in la Ceiba
around noon and decided to stay there one night before going to Roatan. Seven of us went ahead and took a taxi
to the afternoon ferry to Roatan.
The ferry was very large and had lots of theater-style seating inside below and bench seating on the top deck
under a sun roof. There were probably about 75 passengers on board. This had to have been the worst boat ride
I have ever taken. The seas were enormous coming at us from the starboard quarter and the wind was howling.
We knew we were in trouble when an attendant started handing out plastic bags and paper towels before we even
left the dock. I felt pretty sick and was really glad when we arrived two hours later, but Marilyn, our friend from
Albuquerque, was a definite casualty of the lurching and pitching.
We arrived on Roatan and arranged for two taxis to take us to West End, the area of the island that has most of
the restaurants and tourist accommodations. We were looking for a place that was reasonably priced and had
enough rooms for us and the rest of the group when it arrived the next day. The taxi drivers were very helpful and
it took us more than an hour to find Burke’s where rooms for two were $22 per night. We were very happy with our
selection as it was off the main beach road and was therefore pretty quiet other than the exuberant birds that get
up really early in the tropics.
Speaking of getting up early, since we are so close to the equator days are always about 12 hours long and the
sun comes up around 5:30 and sets around 5:30 no matter the time of the year. For those of us who hate early
mornings that means that it is pretty hot and the day is pretty far along by the time 8:00 rolls around. All the locals
get up at dawn and work in the cool part of the day. Then, around noon, a lot of businesses close down for 2
hours. The evenings are lovely and cool and quite delightful once it is completely dark and the mosquitoes or
sand flies settle down. After dark the fireflies hover around the bushes and grass, the birds are finally quiet and
the night noises start. Depending on the area those noises are howler monkeys, crickets, really loud frogs,
barking dogs, loud music with a gut thumping bass, and around 3:00 am the roosters start crowing. Ear plugs are
an indispensable part of travel equipment in Central America.
Colleen and I had been to Utila twice before and were glad that the group wanted to go to Roatan instead so we
could see a new area. Roatan is much larger than Utila so offered more of everything such as restaurants and
accommodations, but, in general, the snorkeling opportunities were no better and everything was somewhat more
expensive. There are three main towns on Roatan and lots of areas to explore while Utila has only one town.
Another difference was the lush undeveloped tropical jungle on Roatan that seemed more expansive…that
perception may be more related to the size of the island than anything else. Colleen and I really enjoyed Roatan
and could see ourselves coming back there to spend several months renting a place.
While on Roatan we snorkeled at a couple of different spots, enjoyed eating out at various places, played cards,
rented motor scooters and toured around the island and just enjoyed ourselves in general. We celebrated Marilyn’
s 60th birthday with a dinner out and a wonderful chocolate cake. Margarita and Roy, Larry and Joyce and
Colleen and I rented scooters or motorcycles and separately spent an entire day getting to know the island. We
visited an iguana farm, the other towns, a couple of resorts, and just got to know the island. In the late evening
Margarita and Roy returned in a pickup truck because Roy had lost control of the scooter and they crashed just
as they were getting close to the hotel. Both of them now have lots of healing road rash but no serious injuries –
thank goodness.
We returned to La Ceiba in two groups and Marilyn flew home to Albuquerque. From La Ceiba we continued east
to Trujillo which is about as far east as one can travel by vehicle in Honduras. There we stayed at Campamento
(N 15:54 W 85:59), an RV park with cabanas and a restaurant right on the beach west of town about 5 miles. We
stayed five nights there and enjoyed getting to know Trujillo and swimming at the beach in front of where we were
parked. The owners of Campamento, Orleis and Arturo Ramos were very friendly and welcoming. Getting in to
their place was a slow process lifting electrical wires in town, fording a couple of rivers flowing over the main road
and Larry, Colleen and the Ramos’ nephew riding on top of our rig with machetes and saws to remove all the
excess tree limbs so we could get down their access lane.
From Trujillo we returned west to Tela by way of La Ceiba and a stop for groceries and some more brake repairs
for Elaine and Mary’s rig. Their brakes are still not right. In Tela we stayed at Lancetilla Botanical Gardens (N 15:
44 W 87:27) for two nights and enjoyed the area. In Tela Larry and I found a cacao wholesaler and bought
another 10 pounds of dry cacao beans with the intention of making more homemade chocolate. Ten pounds of
beans should make about 25 pounds of chocolate…enough to keep Colleen and other chocoholics happy for a
few weeks.
From Tela we went to Lago de Yojoa and stayed at Finca las Glorias, a resort and conference center on the lake.
We camped for free on the soccer field (N 14:56 W 88:00) for 3 nights and toured around the area seeing the
waterfall Pulhapanzak, some went hiking to Parque Nacional Azul Meambar, and we visited a microbrewery owned
by an Oregonian and his Honduran wife. We had a real American hamburger for lunch and enjoyed touring his
place and seeing all the orchids he is growing. This is the last place we were able to set up the satellite dish as we
are now out of the area of coverage. We are all going through withdrawal symptoms and starting to look for
cybernet cafes.
From Lago de Yojoa we started for Jesus de Otoro to see Colleen’s friend, Tracy, who is just starting her second
year in the Peace Corps. On the way down the mountain Elaine and Mary decided that their brakes were too iffy
and they turned around with some of the others. We expected to see them in Comayagua the next day, but
instead, we spent a couple of hours in Jesus de Otoro with Tracy and then she headed out with us back up the
mountain to Comayagua that same day. We found the others along the road at a truck stop (N 14:27 W 87:38)
called Tracasa. We tucked ourselves in there too and went in to the town to a small museum and for a look-see.
The next day we headed out for the border crossing into Nicaragua. This was an expensive crossing compared to
the others as they had several fees we had to pay for the people and the vehicles. It was a rainy and tedious 3
hours to get across the border. We continued on to Ocotal where we spent the night behind a gas station (N 13:
06 W 86:21). The next morning we went into the town to visit the central park which was quite lovely with lots of
plants and trees. We left there in the late morning to go to Esteli.
On the way we were delayed by a couple of hours when students protesting the lack of tuition subsidies for poor
students took over the Pan American Highway by barricading it with rocks and tree limbs. We were about 200
yards from where the students were congregating and talked to quite a few of them about why they were
demonstrating. They were very open about the reasons why and fairly well organized. Eventually they let groups
of vehicles through a little at a time. When it started raining they removed the roadblock and called it a day.
In Esteli we spent 2 nights at the fire department where we were made very welcome. Colleen, Tracy and I took
some of the officers out to eat twice. The fire chief arranged a tour of two cigar factories for us and most of us
went on the tour. The first factory we visited was small with thick smoke in the building where the employees were
hand rolling cigars. Several of the employees were smoking fat, stinky cigars supposedly to test for quality. All of
the employees involved in the hand rolling had dark stains on their hands from the tobacco and I can just imagine
how unhealthy that is. We were also shown the drying sheds and the packing operations. The second factory was
much larger (over 1000 employees) and the working conditions were much better. They used rolling machines
(hand operated) and the air quality was much better though several of us felt a bit woozy from the tobacco. We all
received several cigars that I suppose are very high quality though none of us could really appreciate them as
there are no smokers in the group.
From Esteli we continued south to Sebaco where we camped for 2 nights just off the main highway in front of a
large vegetable warehouse (N 12:51 W 86:06). We paid the night watchman 100 Cordobas for watching our rigs
as we spent the entire day traveling up to Matagalpa and Jinotega. We took a 4WD road and went to 3 small
homes where the women make very crude black pottery. The homes were very humble; some with dirt floors and
chickens in the living room others with cement floors. Just outside the front door were more chickens and the
family pig. It had been raining so the mud was pretty amazing. From there we went to Jinotega which is described
as a very rugged farming town with all kinds of feed, implement and saddle shops. We found a great comedor for
lunch - $3.00 for two lunches and a Pepsi – and wandered around the muddy streets. As we were wandering
around it started to pour rain, the dirt streets became muddy rivers and we got pretty soaked and a bit
discouraged with trying to shop. We got back in the truck and headed to Matagalpa, but because it was getting
late and still raining we only drove around a bit and then headed back to Sebaco arriving about dark.
At times we feel like time-travelers as we move through these countries. Here we are in a definitely 21st century
vehicle driving back roads to homes where they have ox carts with large solid wooden wheels and televisions. It
seems like the set designers on the world stage have purposely inserted anachronisms to confuse us. Ox carts,
televisions, smoky wood fires in indoor kitchens, plastic trash everywhere, Walgreen’s Christmas lights over the
shrines in homes, plows made from a large branch of a tree, saddles made from wood, Four wheel drive vehicles,
security guards with shotguns and boys with slingshots are all a part of what we see. It is not possible to make a
blanket statement about a country being 100 years behind the USA when there are televisions and plastic trash….
the picture isn’t that simple. I will watch for more of these inconsistencies.
Up to Sebaco we have driven 6,190 miles since leaving Arizona on January 2nd. We have averaged 44 miles per
day traveling overall. The caravan tour groups who do this trip do it in 75-90 days while we are taking 300 or more
days to do the entire trip to Panama and back. I am enjoying the leisurely pace.
We continued south to Masaya, a town that Colleen and I visited a couple of years ago and enjoyed quite a bit.
On the way we saw perhaps 2000 women, children and men camped alongside the highway in tents made of
plastic sheeting as they wait for the government in Managua to get around to agreeing to complete the transition
of some public lands to the impoverished campesinos. If the agreements are not consummated they will continue
on their march to the capital. In today’s paper I read that the process is moving forward so maybe the campesinos
can give up their muddy march and go home to additional opportunity.
Ascending the soapbox…..What ever happened to the activism from the 1960s in the USA that created
opportunity for some sweeping reforms and increased opportunities for women and blacks? What happened to
the altruism and sacrifice and sit-ins and demonstrations? Why aren’t we getting involved in protesting the current
administration’s policies and war-mongering? Are we too comfortable to be willing to huddle in the rain in a muddy
field to stand up for peace? What will it take for us to get involved again? Or are the proponents for peace that
are trying to make it happen one heart at a time on the right track? And will it be in time? Climbing down from the
soapbox.
We are camped in front of the police station along the malecon overlooking Laguna de Masaya. There is not too
much traffic but the discos are about a ½ block away and we are here on Friday through Sunday. There are lots
of kids who are very curious and friendly. Several older men have stopped by to ask us for eyeglasses…can’t
quite figure out what that is about, but oh well…
Today, May 22nd, Colleen and I are hanging out at the rig and getting caught up on paperwork and
housekeeping. It rained most of the night and we are ’lucky’ enough to have puddlefront property so that will limit
most outside chores. The rest of the group is off sightseeing for the day.
We will be in Nicaragua for about another week or so and then will head into Costa Rica with much anticipation.
On May 25th we left Masaya and continued 50 miles south to San Jorge which is a small town on Lake Nicaragua
from where we would go to Ometepe, a large island in the middle of the lake. We parked our rigs on the side of
the road next to beach and the Bar Restaurante Ena near the Restaurante El Navegante. The owner of the El
Navegante said that our rigs would be fine there while we were gone to the island. There were a couple of
teenage boys who agreed to watch our rigs for us.
Ometepe is two large volcanoes connected by an isthmus. One of the volcanoes is active and last erupted in
1957. Colleen and I immediately caught a ferry to the island on arrival with the intent of spending at least one
night there. The rest of the group would take a day trip to the island the next day. The ferry took about an hour
and we met Nora Gomez, the owner of the Hotel Ometepetl who also owns another smaller hotel on the isthmus
called the Istiam. We opted to go to the Istiam and were all set to take the 2 hour bus ride there when Nora
hooked us up with a van taking 3 others to her hotel. We rode over a terrible road for about 1 ½ hours with 2
Dutch and one German traveler who were delightful company. The room was pretty basic with one window and a
fan…the bathroom was down the hall for $10. The restaurant downstairs served great inexpensive meals.
We swam in the lake and walked a couple of miles of the road through some small villages. We frequently stopped
to talk to people we met and discovered that many of the homes we saw were owned by American and European
expats. There is a lot of building going on in the area and if the road construction ever gets finished it will be a
lovely place to live. The lake itself is huge…100 miles long and 40 miles wide…and has sizable waves when the
wind blows. The water was warm and had a very dingy green color to it that wasn’t very enticing. We stayed one
night and then took the ferry back to the rig with the rest of the Loose Chickens in the late afternoon.
From San Jorge we traveled 120 miles south to a trailer park just north of Liberia called Delfin Trailer Park where
we paid $3/night to boondock. This was just an overnight stop for us and then headed to Las Juntas, a jumping
off point for Monteverde. We found a place to park the rigs at the Balneario Cayuco where we were assured that
they would be fine while we went off to other areas. We tipped the manager $16US when we got back for all six
rigs for 3 nights in his parking lot.
Colleen and I have been to Monteverde more than once so we opted to go instead to Playa Junquillal, Colleen’s
favorite Costa Rican beach. We took a bus from Las Juntas to La Irma, a bus stop on the Pan American Highway,
then took another bus through Liberia to Santa Cruz. While waiting under a bus shelter at Santa Cruz for the last
bus to the beach it started to pour rain. We finally arrived at Playa Junquillal after 8 hours though it can be done
in 2 ½ hours if you make all the bus connections (which we did when we returned to Las Juntas 2 days later).
We were last at Playa Junquillal at the Guacamaya Lodge 3 ½ years ago and it was just as lovely and welcoming
as the last time we were there. The Swiss sister and brother and their families were glad to see us return and we
had a wonderful time eating deliciously prepared meals with linen tablecloths under an open-air teak rancho that
is breathtakingly beautiful. It is the off-season so the room was only $40/night instead of $55. We walked on the
beach to a wonderful piece of land on a bluff with a 180 degree view of the coast we found the last time we were
here. It is still for sale, but we know that it is not practical for us to consider building there as it is too remote. We
swam in the sparkling pool and read in the shade and just enjoyed ourselves on our mini-vacation at just about
the halfway point in the trip.
We returned to Las Juntas in short order and arrived about 1 hour after the rest of the group coming from
Monteverde. We spent a noisy night in the parking lot and then took off for the San Jose area.
We are staying at the Belen Trailer Park owned and operated by an American woman and her Costa Rican
husband. It is in San Antonio de Belen and is not easy to find and has somewhat difficult access. There are
several spaces in the park and there are full hookups for $14/night and boondock spots for $12. We are
boondocking and the rest are using the hookups as it is pretty shady and the solar isn’t able to keep up with
usage. Laurie and her husband, Juan Manuel, both work other fulltime jobs and have their home in the park with a
large extended family of multiple generations. They are both very helpful with assisting us to find dentists,
mechanics, internet access and shopping opportunities. There is a washing machine available for 700 colones
per load and we all are taking advantage of it and have long lines of clothes hanging up to dry. The current
exchange rate is 430 colones/US$.
Yesterday, June 1st was the end of the first half of the proposed trip. We have yet to see most of Costa Rica and
all of Panama, but the return trip should be faster as we will have seen most of the areas as we return north in the
fall.
Today Colleen and I will take care of the internet, continue with dental appointments, and take care of business.
Tomorrow we will probably go into San Jose to a concert and shopping and then we will be ready to head toward
the Lake Arenal area depending on the dentist appointments.
It is good to hear from friends and family who read this newsletter…I am sorry that we are not able to respond as
quickly as before when we had satellite internet access.
I recently received an email from my friend Jim Marquardt who tells me that his father has bought maps and is
putting pins in it to track our trip as we go. Hearing that made my efforts at chronicling this trip even more
worthwhile…so, Mark, this episode is dedicated to you.
Copyright - All Rights Reserved
2005
2005
May 2004
Around the World with Kathe and Colleen