Eleven Weeks, six Countries, (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua), two hurricanes, many boat trips, numerous bus journeys, eye-watering natural beauty, some minor stomach upsets, lots of rice and beans and adventures. Central America is a region shaped by fire and still has several active volcanoes, it has been devastated by many earthquakes and is lashed by annual hurricanes and tropical storms. The tempestuous weather matches the turbulent history and political instability of the area and some say it mirrors the character of the people. We barely scratched the surface of this fascinating region whose reputation had us quaking in our boots before we arrived but we found only kindness and welcome….once we adjusted to the prevalence of guns😁 and we never met anyone visiting in any of the countries who had been robbed, attacked or intimidated in any way.

Central America is washed by the Pacific on one side and the Caribbean on the other. It is blessed with an abundant fertility where even the boundary posts at the side of the road sprout leaves and become trees. Plants that only grow as cosseted houseplants in Ireland thrive here by the roadside. Most regions can harvest three crops of maize a year and there were lots of small holdings of mixed crops on mountain slopes (coffee and avocado grow well together) and farmers with machetes were common…a bit intimidating until they greeted us with a nod. We saw the region at its greenest, arriving in late September and leaving in mid December. The wet season runs for half the year roughly from May /June to October/November and the dry season for the remainder of the year. But regardless of the time of year unless you are at high altitudes, cold will never be an issue. Our days were around 30C and the nights dipped to about 23C, warm tropical velvety nights. No need to burn wood for heat, the beaches were strewn with driftwood and everywhere we went – even the dingiest hostels – had gorgeous hard-carved wooden furniture.

On this trip we rediscovered backpacking and the freedom of travelling lightly without the weight of luggage or the pressure of time. We meandered around with only small backpacks, deciding where we were going on a whim and booking our accommodation as we went along, crossing borders between countries on foot or arriving by small boat. Time is elastic in Central America, meals are served when they are ready, buses arrive when they come – best not to be in a hurry. Weather and landslides can derail plans so a flexible approach avoids frustration. But this is not a bad approach to life in general. You might think that backpacking is just for the young but it can can also be a rite of passage for the newly-retired🤣

We flew back from a warm San Jose in Costa Rica into an Arctic winter in mid December. The sub zero temperatures in Dublin Airport were a shock to the system. Between the freezing temperatures, the jet-lag and the tiredness, I don’t think I have ever felt so cold. But we quickly adjusted to being able to flush toilet paper…a big no-no almost everywhere in Central America and enjoyed the luxury of hot-water showers which were a rarity during much of our travels.

Its very difficult to pick the best bits from a region that has Mayan ruins, volcanoes to climb, lakes to jump into, historic cities, enchanting Nature Parks where the trees seem to whisper, hummingbirds as common as sparrows and flowers blooming at the side of the road like a florists shop. But here’s a few brief highlights from each of the countries

Costa Rica Highlights

Costa Rica marked the beginning and end of our trip as we flew in and out of San Jose, the capital city. We spent eight days here at the beginning and a week at the end when we hired a car (at all other times, we relied on public transport to get around). Costa Rica has the reputation of being the safest of the Central America countries….and also the most expensive….and is well set-up for visitors. Almost one third of the country is protected , making it a wildlife wonderland with bountiful biodiversity. Pura Vida is its motto which translates to ‘the pure life’ but really means something like Take it easy, life IS good. (We fully agree)

Monteverde Cloud Forest – where there’s more biodiversity than anywhere else on the planet, where we could almost feel the forest breathing and growing around us, a cloud forest shrouded in shifting, swirling mists. We caught a glimpse of the rare Quetzal bird with its scarlet, green and turquoise feathers. This was the place where we were charmed by the dozens of hummingbirds flitting around the giftshop, whirring past our ears and dazzling us with their gorgeous looks and ceaseless activity.

Staying in Cecropia Ecolodge, a simple eco- lodge in the La Fortuna region of Costa Rica, run by a young Costa Rican couple.  Our little rented car shuddered up the unpaved road and came to a stop outside a cabin surrounded by an exotic wilderness of flowers, with bird feeders, binoculars and telephoto lens aimed at the rainforest. We knew that we were somewhere special.. We slept in a comfortable cabin with leaves tapping our windows, we ate great food grown locally and hiked at night in the dark. There were bats, slithering snakes, frogs devouring each other, hunting lizards. mating moths, colonies of leaf-cutter ants working hard and a sleeping hummingbird in the trees.. All this under clear starry skies without any light pollution. Magic.

Caribbean Coast – My first-ever sight of the Caribbean with its warm turquoise waters, coconut freckled beaches fringed by forests, trembling with monkeys.  We cycled bicycles with no gears to Playa Uva, a beautiful isolated beach with crystal clear sea and sheltered under trees during the impressive thunderstorms.

Guatemala Highlights-

Guatemala is an amazingly diverse country with Mayan sights, volcanoes and rainforests – it is about one and a half times the size of Ireland but its interior is very mountainous with corkscrew roads.

Tikal Ruins – a lost Mayan city of temples and pyramids, abandoned more than a thousands years ago and swallowed by the jungle until it was ‘discovered’ in the 1840’s. We clambered to the top of some of the towering ancient temples that smelt of age, dust, damp stone and… mystery. No-one knows why for sure this vast complex was abandoned but that adds to its mystique of the place

Antigua and hiking Pacaya Volcano – Even the ruins in charming Antigua are picturesque. The city is a testament to resilience, a place that has been destroyed by floods and earthquake, abandoned numerous times but still has managed to resurrect itself as the number one tourist destination in Guatemala. Volcano Pacaya, an active volcano, was the closest of the many volcanoes that ringed the city. Horses followed us on the lower slopes on a windy Sunday when the remnants of Hurricane Julia screamed around us and we ate marshmallows, toasted on the glowing embers of red-hot lava coals.

Lake Atitlan –a lake in a huge volcanic crater ringed by steep tree-lined volcanoes and picturesque villages in southern Guatemala. Small boats ferried locals and visitors around the lake but it was the interplay of light and cloud on the lake water that made it so special… it’d said that the lake never looks the same twice. We spent six days in a cabin near the village of San Marcos and never got tired of ‘staring at lakes’.

Belize Highlights,

Belize is an English speaking country, an anomaly among its Spanish speaking neighbours. It is small – less than a third the size of Ireland – but it has jungle, Mayan ruins and the second largest barrier reef in the world after Australia. It also has an incredibly ethnically diverse population that seem to get on well together. It is considered the second most expensive country to travel in (after Costa Rica) and the southern part is a very popular holiday destination for Americans.

Caye Caulker – a small paradise island off the coast of Belize where people walk or cycle – there’s no motorised traffic apart from golf buggies. We went snorkelling and saw multi-coloured tropical fish, swam with nurse sharks and mantarays and really got up and close and personal with the wildlife in the area…..including the huge ghostly crabs that clattered across the roads at night.

Kayaking in the Mangroves – this was our first introduction to kayaking among the mangroves, dim and shaded with white egrets, birdsong and the interplay of light and reflection on the trees and the water surface. It was like being under a magic spell of tranquillity and beauty.

Running from a Hurricane,..it should have been a lowlight but it was exciting and we it showed us how people live with the threat of hurricanes. We were advised to leave the island of Caye Caulker and go inland. We moved about 2 hours inland to a cabin in San Ignacio and then moved again to an upper-floor hotel room because of the danger of river flooding. The schools were closed, the shops and restaurants were all shut. All public transport was suspended. The streets were deserted. The whole of Belize was in a state of anticipation ….and trepidation….waiting for Hurricane Lisa.

Honduras Highlights.

Honduras has the reputation of being the ‘bad boy’ of the region, topping the charts for murders, violence and political corruption. It is often avoided by tourists for this reason. But the mayhem seems to be confined to drug gangs and we found it a peaceful place. The country is about one and a half times the size of Ireland. Infrastructure, especially in the north, is poor so getting around can be challenging. We only spent a weekend here but regretted not spending more time, especially not visiting the Bay Islands, Caribbean islands renowned for snorkelling and scuba diving…….maybe next time.

Copan Ruins– atmospheric Mayan Ruins with complex hieroglyphics, hidden temples, impressive stellae and colourful macaws. Some of the history of the site has been pieced together by the deciphering of the hieroglyphics but like all good mysteries, the reasons for the abandonment of the site are still conjecture. Deforestation, consequent soil erosion, severe flooding and crop failure were the likely reasons. Worryingly, this is not very different to what is happening now and the Mayans, who were a very advanced people, believe that life is cyclical and that history repeats itself😮.

El Salvador Highlights,

El Salvador is the most densely populated but smallest of the countries in the region – less than a third the size of Ireland. It has had its share of political upheaval and bad press over the years but we received our warmest welcome here – old men shook our hands and thanked us for visiting their country. A street stallholder refused to take any money for some bananas, giving them to us as a welcome gift. Apart from the surf beaches on the Pacific coast, visitor numbers to this beautiful country are low, English is not widely spoken or understood and most of the cheaper accommodation was not available on Booking.com or AirBnB making it difficult to find affordable accommodation outside the main cities.

Church of the Rosary, El Salvador – one of the most unusual and stunning churches we have ever visited. From the outside, it looked like a utilitarian concrete building in need of maintenance but inside the interplay of light from the coloured stained glass in the domed concrete walls was sublime.  It sent a rainbow of colour across the floor. The light gave the illusion of steps up the walls and has been called a staircase to the heavens. Unique, understated and awe inspiring creativity.

Santa Ana Volcano....we got a local bus to the National Park Cerro Verde to climb the Santa Ana Volcano. This was a gorgeous hike through forests up to the top of the volcano. When we peered over the rim, there was a lake of the most exquisite turquoise and views over the countryside and I kept thinking that El Salvador was a beautiful country with such a bruised and battered past.

L’Espirit de Montana – a trip to Volcan Conchagua in the back of an old army truck up -a bit surreal when you consider the stories that such a vehicle might tell. The views over the Gulf of Fonseca and all the islands scattered in it were breath-taking and the air was cool and fragrant with pine. The area was called the L’Espirit de Montana, the spirit of the mountain and some university students told us that if you had belief, the spirit might reveal herself to you as a white butterfly or maybe an eagle.

Nicaragua Highlights,

Nicaragua is the largest of the countries -about twice the size of Ireland. It has colonial towns, stunning beaches, forests, volcanoes and lakes. The people are renowned for their revolutionary spirit and poetic souls. Daniel Ortega, the president is a complicated man who had gone from revolutionary figure with cult status in the 1980s to someone who wants (allegedly) to hold onto power at all costs. And the costs are high….ruthless crackdown on rivals and reduced freedoms of the press. People told us that crime was low in Nicaragua with no big organised drug gangs, unlike their neighbours. There was a belief that everyone was watching everyone else. But for us, it was the easiest country to travel around with a wonderful standard of accommodation, great food and interesting people. It was also the cheapest country that we visited.

Ometepe Island and our Bamboo House…the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua is a tropical island with twin volcanoes, lush jungle and lots of monkeys.  We rented a bamboo cabin by the lake, made entirely of wood and bamboo by an almost blind Argentine man called Che (believe it or not)…even the shower and sinks  were made of wood in a very rustic jungle setting. The cabin had no glass in the windows, was open to let the breeze through – but also insects and possums and the occasional monkey so all food had to be kept in sealed containers. It was lovely lying under a mosquito net, lulled to sleep by the night sounds outside, the rustlings and creepings of foliage and critters. Definitely, the most unique accommodation we stayed in

Leon – a gorgeous energetic city with plazas, good restaurants, museums and the most fabulous art gallery. The gallery was housed in a beautiful colonial house with courtyards, turtles swimming in tranquil pools, fabulous art- even a few Picasso’s. The city isn’t far from beaches either and is surrounded by mountains,

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San Juan del Sur Sunsets – The sunsets were spectacular in San Juan, a little town on the Pacific Coast where the locals played volleyball on the beach as the sun went down and La Gigantona, a huge doll, danced on the streets accompanied by drums, noise and laughter. The enormous statue of Christ on the hill make it feel as if we were in Rio de Janeiro…and it was a carnival time.

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As we close out the old year and enter the new, its time to look back. 2022 has been our first full year of retirement and retirement has been great. The freedom to travel (on a budget), to experience new people, places and things in this beautiful world. The year started with three months island-hopping around the Canaries, lots of camping and campervanning trips around Ireland during the summer and ended with our Central American trip. We realize how lucky we are and mostly can’t believe our luck.

To quote Bilbo Baggins Not all those who wander are lost 😋(T.R Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)

Wishing you all peace, prosperity and above all, health in 2023. Thanks for reading- we enjoyed your company on our travels.

Why do you stay in prison when the door is wide open? Quote by RUMI