travel


Traveller cash emergency, my Vonage saved the day

Talking with a friend about calling technology, I was reminded of a calling lesson I hadn’t thought to share here. In early December, I was hanging out in the sitting area of Bambu Hostel in David, a fellow traveller approached me and asked if he might borrow my iPhone. He was having problems with his bank card and his bank needed to call his bank as soon as possible. Happily, I was able to help. I had three calling options installed: Skype Vonage Mobile app MagicJack Vonage Mobile was the instrument that saved me when I needed to call my own banks. It even lets me call the US for free (for now).I knew MagicJack could call the US as well. However, this guy needed to call Europe. I don’t recall where he was from. Maybe Sweden, Denmark or Germany. The issue was simply that I had never used these […]


Travel between Panama and Colombia

I share this because every backpacker that has time, has the interest to travel between Panama and Colombia. I have not made this trip and will not be doing so, but I watched a lot of travelers research and book passage. The flights are around $500 as are the commercial sailing boats. The sailing experience be excellent or, like some travellers tell me, your captain can fail to being enough food and water or can be high or drunk on the voyage. Every hostel in Panama City, and Captain Jack’s in Portobelo (and maybe hostels in Bocas del Toro) can provide information about several of the approximately 30 boats that now make this trip. Jeff at Captian Jack’s is a sailor and told me that several years ago there were only 10. This voyage is a popular thing for people with boats to do in order to make money. Jeff […]


My bed in San Jose, Costa Rica

I think some of my friends will get a kick out of this, This is the bed I had in a small home hostel in San Jose, Costa Rica. There were three bunk beds in the room. Most of the time I had this room to myself. A few nights there would be another woman in the room. This room would have been a children’s bedroom before the house became a hostel, but the room has no closets. As is typical, bunk beds in hostels double as closets for clothing in use. Notice the flower. Flowers were a gift from my friend Kidron. Having a flower in my room was a unique travel experience. It isn’t too often that I sleep in a bunk bed, but at least when I do I typically get the bottom bunk!


Granola in Costa Rica

When able to shop and have a clean bowl and spoon, I have been buying Granola for breakfast. At times that granola has been lunch or dinner instead or as well. This is today’s breakfast granola. I selected this brand — alin: Alimentos Naturales — because it is made in Costa Rica. The 250 gram (8.8 ounce) bag sells for 710 colones ($1.42). One of the fruits and something else (a nut?) in it are hard and a bit of a shock to the teeth, but it is a good mix anyway. I bought this same one once last week and it was a great late night smack eaten out of the bag slowly. This is the first time in all of my Central America travels that I have purchased milk in a “regular,” not the new box style container. This Costa Rican-made Coronado brand 1 liter milk was 505 […]


Photos of a top hostel – Cumbres del Volcan, San Salvador

I have stayed in several hostels a I travelled this past year (2012) and have been lucky enough to find three charms – 3 hostels I absolutely recommend. Cumbres del Volcan is certainly in my top three hostel recommendations. Here are some photos that I took during my stay. (The Cumbres del Volcan Facebook page) These photos are not edited. I did not special cleaning before taking them. The only difficult thing was to wait until there were not people in my shots. Note: This was actually composed at the close of 2012 but I am dating it to coincide with my travel timeline. ; ;


Mattresses are HARD in Central America

One thing I have noticed so far in Mexico’s Yucatan and Quinta Roo, in Honduras, in Guatemala, and in El Salvador is that bed mattresses have been quite hard. Of course, this is from the perspective of an American that longed for a memory foam or latex mattress, so bear that in mind. I love a mattresses that, although it gives me support, I can relax into and melt to sleep. So, if you are like me, just be prepared for different sleep. When a hammock is available to try, opt for it and give it a try. If you have room in your bag consider a foam pad. (I sure wish I had that kind of room.) There may be exceptions, of course. High end hotels that cater to Americans, perhaps. But I have not seen anything I call pillow top or soft. Some hostel or low end beds […]


Matador FlatPak with a new 135g bar of Dove soap vs a used bar of Dove.

I miss(ed) Dove soap

If you haven’t used Dove, you simply won’t understand this post. But someday you might… Dove has been my body and face soap of choice since I was 16 and the dermatologist who treated my (second-degree) burned face and hands recommended it. I’m not one to recommend you pack a year’s worth of your favorite soap. I had two bars of Dove left when I packed so, happily, I was able to fit them into my backpack/suitcase. After that, I knew I would simply use what I can find. I’d done that before, each time I’d traveled. The thing is, despite claims, no other soap in the US or elsewhere, is a creamy, soft, and residue-less as Dove. So when I ran out I missed Dove. I found some in Walmart in San Salvador. They were the smaller sized bars, but the price wasn’t too horrible. However, they didn’t last […]


First great shirt down – not yet!

Weeks ago I lament the loss of use of the beautiful turquoise shirt I bought in Kohl’s with Marjie and Naomi in New York. I loved the color. I loved that it was thin so it dried quickly, it was bright, fun, friendly looking, and easy to wear. It was my best, most comfortable shirt. I wondered if I could convince people the stain going down half my breast is the shirt’s design. In Sandy Bay I used my bath soap, Zest with aloe, in the bathroom sink and didn’t do a thing. I looked up from my writing, saw it hanging over an empty bunk in this dorm, and was saddened by the stain that is so blatant. There is lots of bleach around the homes on Roatan…. Maybe soon, I thought to myself, you will see me wearing a thin, white or pale blue v-neck shirt that looks […]


Salsa at Pelicano’s restaurant in Guatemala City!

I am dressed in my nice new skinny jeans for the first time on this trip. Blue jeans, white shirt, makeup, the necklace my sister-in-law gave me for the trip, a bracelet I bought in San Marcos de Laguna, and as always, the bracelets my good friend Andrew gave me to wear and think of him. On my feet are the flat black bit-of-sparkle-on-the-strap Aerosoles that I bought in NYC for this trip. It is fun to be dressing up for a night out. I came to Guatemala City to meet Jewish Guatemala – and Motzie Shabbas found myself at Pelicano’s tropical style rooftop seafood restaurant having Margarita on the owner while my friends were the band to which everyone danced. On another weekend visit I actually danced. Salsa, me. Life never ceases to amaze me when I give myself the liberty to say “sure” or “I’d love to” or […]


6 a.m. thoughts

It is the middle of the night, the pre-dawn hour of 2 a.m. and Wednesday, June 6, 2012 is is its first hours. Crickets chirp outside under the full moon. The sky is clear. I love this time of day. In NYC it was always my favorite time; back in my 23rd or 24th years I would often be walking home at this hour and I loved the sky, the emptier (not empty) streets, the relative quiet of the city, and it’s maybe “new” energy at the 2-3 a.m. hours. In Los Angeles the air was often cooler at this hour and I would finally wind down from my day, feel I had had enough of my Mac, and would finally get outside for a cool, calm walk. Tonight, in the town of San Marcos on the shore of Lago De Atitlán in the Highlands of Guatemala, I am not […]


Computer Talk Radio with Hannah in La Ceiba

Tonight I was with a new travel friend, Hannah, in the supermarket at the upscale mall in Honduras’ third largest city, La Ceiba, when Benjamin Rockwell called me on Voxer to tell me the evening’s recording schedule. Hannah and I decided to stay at the mall and enjoy it a while longer, so I did my segment from an electronics store in the mall. Hannah has been on the road for a while, covering two hemispheres, so she did the 10 minute segment as my guest, sharing her travel technology experiences with our listeners. Hannah’s stories: 1) Her PC died in Tulume, Mexico. A local computer tech found the issue to be a damaged RAM. This is a common issue, he said, due to humidity. It took three days for her new RAM to arrive so three days later, For 400 pesos (US$33), she had new RAM and was happily […]


Excellent Medical clinic in Roatan

Here is a great clinic I want to share with not just backpackers and travelers who may come to Roatan, but with all people who like to see or support good deeds. Clinica Esperanza – an excellent project doing much good in Sandy Bay on Roatan. You can read all about it on their site, ClinicaEsperanza.com but first I must add my own personal kudos to them. I have been there and seem the excellent way they treat their patients. There is even a great play set to entertain the children as they wait as you can see in this photo of the clinic. Play things like this are not at all common for the people of Roatan. Here is a photo taken on the main road so you know what to look for. The clinic is a short way up the hill so you need to watch for the […]


Data cards for Internet in Honduas

If you have an unlocked iPhone or other smart phone, you can purchase and use data cards to get Internet as you travel. You can also use these sim cards in USB modems that connect to your computer. In Honduras I used data cards in an unlocked iPhone 3GS. Claro is the less expensive of the two Honduras cellular carriers. I was given the sim card free at the Claro store, a proper Claro shop, not local, small shop reseller. You can buy 1 day, 7 day, 15 day, or 30 day cards. I paid 290 Limpera for a 15 day period providing me with 5 Gb of data. For 490 you can have 1month and 7gb. An additional week will be 140 for another 7 days, 3gb. My first card was TIGO. I paid 45 Limpera for the sim card. I paid 150 Limpera for a 7 day card […]


Packing list: Dental floss

I highly recommend packing dental floss for your extended travels or backpacking. Get the largest roll in the smallest package that you can find — and like. (If you don’t like the feel and use of your floss you won’t use it.) Flossing removes the plaque from your teeth, keeping you and your teeth and gums healthier, but there’s more. You can use it to scrape your tongue. I know, some toothbrushes have a tongue scraper on them, but you should be taking a travel toothbrush or taking the smallest, lightest toothbrush you can find. Plus, the supply and style of toothbrushes vary between countries and you may travel longer than is good for one toothbrush. I have heard of people using floss in lieu of string as well. NOTE: I wrote this May 2012, before I knew about Cocofloss. Now, although I wish the Cocofloss container was smaller, I no […]


What to do for Diarrhea when traveling

In my travels I became friends with an RN (Registered Nurse) who shared some advice with me to help me stay well. I am sharing some of that advice — about what to do for diarrhea — here. However, you must know that I am not a medical professional, this advice does not replace a doctor’s advice, and if you take this advice you may not hold me responsible for the outcome. If, as you are traveling, you develop diarrhea, but do not have blood involved: For the first day just take Pepto Bismal. If it helps keep taking it. On the second day if it is slowing down, just keep taking the Pepto Bismal. On the third day if still getting better, keep taking the Pepto Bismal. If you are not getting better by now and are not allergic to antibiotics, take Ciprofloxin 500mg 2x a day for 3 […]


Another Roatan day

Thursday, May 17, 2012 A rainy day. I wanted to go to Delia’s mom’s house to visit some of the kids as this was to be my last day in this part of Roatan. Hopefully I would see Delia too. I needed to get some work done first. The internet signal wasn’t great. The hard rain seemed to block it, preventing me from communicating but at the same time it also prevented the dorries for, running so going up to socialize was nixed too. With perfect timing, one of Delia’s sisters stopped by and offered me a ride. I happily stepped out the front door and into the motorboat. Another woman was on board — a very nice American woman We talked as we rode. En route we stopped at a waterfront home. Our hostess/driver got out and returned with a clear bottle of liquid and a plastic funnel. Gasoline […]


Still at Mango Creek Lodge

Although I LOVE it here, I cannot stay forever. I had planned to leave today, going to Dalia’s sister’s home (for a few days) when Dalia finished working. My clothes were clean, my backpack packed up nicely. But as it turns out, they felt water was too rough for me and my backpack to be comfortable and dry in Delia’s small boat, so I am back in my room up the hill, again enjoying the breeze from the fan above my head and the sounds of Roatan’s tropical jungle life and breezes outside my patio doors. Tonight’s dinner was a fabulous beef and shrimp kebab. It wasn’t quite Teriyaki. It is Dalia’s own concoction — a bit sweet and a bit spicy. Lucky for everyone who doesn’t get to eat Dalia’s cooking here, she is putting it in her recipe book.


Caye Caulker, Belize into Honduras: Boat, walk, boat, bus, bus, car…

One post, several adventures. This would be a very full travel day. From sunrise until after sunset I’d be on the road.

By 7am I was on the dock awaiting the day’s first Belize Express Water Taxi to carry me from Caye Caulker to Belize City. The boat was 10 minutes late (which gave me more than 10 minutes to worry that I would miss the boat to Honduras) but did a great job of making up for lost time if any time was actually lost. I was on land again by 8.

Backpack firmly on my hips, I received clear directions to the Radisson Hotel boat docks where I was to find the Pride of Belize, the ferry that would deliver me to the Honduras mainland. And upon arrival at that dock, learned the boat to Belize was departing from another dock this morning, so I hiked back the way I’d come.

The Pride of Belize, the boat to Honduras — a 5+ hour ride — was more utilitarian/cargo than passenger comfort but the crew was great. This was a little engine that could type of boat and crew.

And then there was the bus from Puerto Cortez, Honduras to San Pedro Sula — followed by the bus to my final destination of the night.

I would be traveling from my final night’s destination to Roatan.


Merida to Izamal

I write now as I wait in Merida’s second bus station, not ADO but for Noresta the 2:30 Occidente bus to leave from gate 4. The ticket was 23 pesos for the 1 1/2 hour ride. The outside of this nice looking plush-appearing bus promises air-conditioning. Getting to the bus was a challenge it should not have been. I easily followed Daniel’s directions from his home to the local bus 5 blocks away. The driver of the mini-van sized bus even stopped and asked me if I was going to Centro. When the bus emptied and a passenger got in front, I tried to ask if he happened to pass the bus station to drop me closer. Instead, the men discussed the terminal’s location and gave me directions to walk there. Only the 5 blocks straight ahead turned out to be 5 blocks too many as I found out after […]


Arrived in Merida

I arrived in Merida while it was still light. While on the bus I realized I had not written down Daniel’s address so I’d need Internet. That turned out to be a very pleasant surprise! In the bus station I asked a man for help asking for a McDonalds or such for Internet. The woman who worked there replied in excellent English that there is no need to Burger King or MD because the downtown was all Internet – gratis. And it was only 4 blocks down and 4 blocks to the left. I enjoyed the walk, buying a real Mexican ice cream pop (paleta) to eat as I walked. I got chocolate this time, but the fruit pops are the true prize in Mexico. (Good thing I had my bottle of water to wash my hand after. I was covered in drips on this dry hot and humid day.) […]