Excited to partake in the famous Nicaraguan surf scene, we researched the usual suspects and were very disappointed to learn that the winds were very high - too high to surf - at most places.  We read that the north was a bit more protected from the wind and decided to head to a very... Continue Reading →

Day 1 of 2:  Blasting through the rest of Honduras was a bit more adventuresome than we wanted or expected.  The mountains after the Copán Ruinas are for real, and the roads are in terrible shape.  Our rate of progress was even slower than we’d expected, and we’d already judged the Google maps estimate heavily.... Continue Reading →

We were all excited to get to the Copan Ruinas, because it was purportedly a particularly cool ancient Mayan city, but also because Nina’s former nanny, Maria, was going to meet us there.  Maria is originally from Honduras, near Tegulcigalpa, and just happened to be visiting Honduras at the same time we were there. Honduras... Continue Reading →

We needed a place to stay one last time before we entered Honduras.  Dmitri had Googled about our transmission temperature light coming on during the long hog up the mountain pass between Semuc Champey and Rio Dulce.  The forums recommended changing the transmission fluid, so we planned a day for him to deal with that... Continue Reading →

The next stop was a region and river known as Rio Dulce, a safe haven for the yachting crowd during hurricane season, and generally beautiful jungle region that attracts a lot of local and international tourists.  The drive to the town of Rio Dulce would take us 3 hours per GreenGo’s proprietor who recommended taking... Continue Reading →

Things I miss: Charmin Privacy Potable tap water Sidewalks High speed internet My bikes Freeways Heaters My own bed HBO Now, Netflix, programming in English Amazon Prime Budget to date: We did an accounting of our travel spending vs. our plan and we’re over-budget by 20% so far.  Making up the excess is our unplanned... Continue Reading →

We thought it might be helpful to some considering a similar trip to see what we have loved the most and the least of the gear we brought, most of which we invested in shortly before takeoff. FAVORITE GEAR Ted's Coolaroo bed.   Fits in truck bed over the top of the gear with long... Continue Reading →

A good, lightly-touristy town to stop at before Semuc Champey is Cobán.  There are several pleasant hotel options for less than $50/night, and at our Norwegian friend’s suggestion we selected Hotel Monja Blanca which is very nice and gardeney. We were delighted to find the dining to be spectacular.  We had a succulent French dinner... Continue Reading →

Nebaj was our (somewhat hastily selected based on the malaria map) stop between Lake Atitlan and Cobán.  And that one night stopover just happened to be on New Year's Eve. The drive to Nebaj was super gorgeous - winding mountain roads through quaint Mayan villages.  Enroute, we were certain we'd made the right choice in... Continue Reading →

There was one reason and one reason only for going to Antigua - to climb the volcano.   The plan was to climb the dormant Volcán Acatenago, which is right next door to Volcán Fuego, an active volcano.  From Acatenago you can often see eruptions and lava flows on Fuego from a safe distance.  But... Continue Reading →