Within minutes of arriving in a town I can usually tell if it’s for me and Copan in Honduras is one that immediately gave me a warm feeling. The cobble stone streets are clean with a pretty plaza where cowboys get their boots shinned, the friendly people never pass without a greeting and I felt safer here than any other place I have been.

The Mayan Ruins are the main event and it appears that people here do what they can to make sure tourists leave with a good impression. Luckily for me it is a slow time for tourism so last night the plaza was full with locals and I had the ruins to myself early this morning.

In my travels I met a girl who use to teach English here and she recommended that I stay at Casa Doña Elana. I am glad I took her advice because it is one of my best finds of the trip $25 for a great room and lovely setting. (I will have specific details when I get the Honduras Travel page up this week) It’s nicer than most of the more expensive places that I have stayed during the past few months.

Thankfully I decided to stop here even for my very brief visit. Copan Ruinas, the Mayan ruins are well kept and worth the $15 entrance fee. If you go in the morning you can see the Macaws feeding before they take flight into the surrounding trees of this peaceful place.

One day I will be back.

Another day has ended with another sunset that didn’t disappoint. The diving was also worth noting since I saw a seahorse, it’s only the second one I have ever seen and both were in Honduras.

I will likely be on a bus as the day ends tomorrow making my way to the Ruins in Copan. As much as I love the water I am looking forward to what will be a big change in scenery.

I am sad that my time in Central America is ending but I will be back. Plus it’s not over yet I have a party in Guatemala to attend where I will see dear friends. As you may know the Costa Rica page with tips, prices and places to see has posted. Tomorrow I hope to have the Honduras page up.

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend!

A 10 minute boat trip from Cayos Cochinos is the small island of Cayo Chachahuate the home to less than 100 Garifuna islanders. They make their living fishing but they could easily just rent the small island out as a Hollywood set, yes it is as pretty as the pictures suggest.

I’m hanging out on these islands for 3 days, which is a long time for me to be in such a remote place especially when it’s not like I need to de-stress. Although I must say backpacking can get tiresome. Ha! I have one more day here then I will make a mad dash through Copan, to see the ruins and on to Antigua to visit Los Tres Tiempos a new restaurant in Antigua. ( full disclosure, my friends happen to own it)

The end of my Central America trip is coming but I am a strong believer in not leaving a vacation before having another one in the pipeline. I happen to be not only jobless but lucky because my next trip, which starts in May, will take me around the world. As my Facebook page cover photo says, “Travel is the only thing you can buy that will make you richer.” I plan on a year of becoming Steve Forbes rich, just without his bank account.

My first day on the island of Cayos Cochinos in Honduras has come to an end. The island is only about an hour boat ride from La Ceiba but once here you can’t help but to feel as if you were transported a world away. It’s not necessarily the best place to be since I am traveling solo unless of course I decide to finish the great American novel that I have yet to start. But it is absolutely beautiful.

There’s only one hotel, the Turtle Bay Eco Resort, it’s a nice place with a healthy reef right off the beach. There’s also a hostel on the other side of the island it’s called Laru Beya Cabanas and Restaurante. The good thing about the hostel is that the money goes to the small community here.  When my Honduras page goes up I will add the website. The island is a perfect place to relax, I just wish I had some bug spray, the no-see-ums are getting fat off of me!

I was really impressed with the wall I dove today because it was covered with colorful coral. I would show you but my go-pro was lost months ago in the ocean while surfing. So the next few days you will have to appreciate the views above water like the amazing sunsets that I think,  taking an educated guess,  that they are a daily event around here.

I forgot about the new Honduran law that came into effect a few months ago, after the new President was sworn in.  (the word is the law was passed in hope to deter crime) No wonder the bar was empty when I entered it last night. I promptly left after being reminded that no liquor was allowed to be served Sunday 5pm until 7am Monday.  This goes for tourist towns too. It was fine with me it ensured a good night’s sleep.

I’m still in La Ceiba, there’s a beach but it is not a vacation type town. It’s a stopover on the way to the islands off of Honduras. Yet I have been here a few times before a few years ago to cover a hurricane and over a decade ago to do a homestay while studying Spanish. I wish I could find the home where I stayed but there’s no chance of that happening.

The highlight has been the full rainbow I saw last night just before sunset. It was incredible. I stood on the street corner in the rain just looking at the brilliant colors. I couldn’t take my eyes off this beautiful sight.

Tomorrow I head to Cayos Cochinos an island that only has 1 hotel. Being stuck in one hotel with no other options for meals is not something I would normally do. It’s a long story, which includes being impulsive, on how I booked this 3 day trip. It is definitely far from the backpackers trail and I will soon see for myself if the island and hotel is worth the price. I’ll keep you posted!!

I’ve seen my first sunrise of the entire trip! As much as I love the  peacefulness of  early mornings I can’t seem to get up in time to enjoy them unless I have to.  Today I wanted to get across the Nicaragua – Honduras border before the crowds. ($3 to leave and $3 to enter)

I was lucky and found an empty van going to Tegucigalpa to pick up a group from Gap Tours.  The trip was about 8 hours but it was a beautiful ride. As we drove through Nicaragua just about every time I looked out the window I wanted to take a picture. It seemed there was always one of the country’s many volcanoes standing at attention over the landscape. Not to mention the livestock, carts and horses and other interesting transportation that share the road.

Next I head to the port city of La Ceiba, Honduras. I’ve been there before because it’s where you catch the ferry to the Bay Islands. I will be there two days until I catch a boat for the Marine Biological Reserve of Cayos Cochinos. Where there’s only one hotel on the island and the main draw is the diving. This is the  last beach of my 3 month Central America trip and I expect it to be a highlight.

The trip to Granada from the beach was easy. The bus to Rivas was comfortable, cheap & empty. I missed the next bus but so did a fellow traveler so we split a cab to the city.

I have met so many amazing people from all over the world, it really is a highlight of traveling. It’s as if people carrying backpacks (most anyway) are in the same club. There’s no secret handshake but an unwritten rule of watching out for and traveling with one another. The other day I started out alone until I got on the first bus with 2 Dutch girls heading the same way. By the time we crossed the border it was us plus a German girl and a Swiss guy. All 5 of us shared the economy sized cab to the beach.

Now I am back on my own (which never seems to last for long) but my time here is coming to an end so I’m not as flexible as I had been.

I’m only staying in Granada one day. I was here 7 years ago but came back to break up my trip north so I don’t feel a need to visit the nearby volcanoes again.  That said I really like this town. Yes it is full of tourists both national and international but it is a nice place to walk around. There’s enough to do, like hike a volcano or take a boat out of the lake, to keep  busy.

Tomorrow I head to Leon, Nicaragua where I will spend the day. Then it is another border run into Honduras. Just this morning I’ve made plans to go to Cayos Cochinos, a remote island off the coast. This will be my last beach stop before heading back to the states and I am really looking forward to it!

After 5 hours on a local bus, an unorganized and crazy border crossing

from Costa Rica,  (Click and read at the end of this page for details on the crossing) and squeezing 5 people in an economy size taxi I made it to the beach.  The beach of San Juan del Sur is nice but with so many boats off shore and the sewage it is not a place I wanted to swim.

Which is fine since there are many other

good beach options just minutes from town.  The first day things were nice and quiet around here. I went to Playa Hermosa to surf but when I returned to the city the construction of event tents and stages had begun.

It is a big holiday this week, it is Semana Santa.  Holy week the last week of  lent and the week before Easter Sunday. This quiet town has turned into a loud crowded street party.  The room rates have doubled and the alcohol and telephone companies  seem to think the event areas with the loudest music wins. It’s just a shame it’s not live music! 

I am heading out to the colonial town of Granada and by the weekend I plan on enjoying the Semana Santa festivities in Leon, Nicaragua.  I just hope the holiday doesn’t mess with my plans to surf down a volcano!

I finally spotted, not just one,  but 3 different species of toucans. Que magnifico! After this sighting I feel I can finally leave Costa Rica.

It has been weeks of seeing sloths, howler monkeys, white faced monkeys, beautiful birds and stunning blue butterflies so all I wanted to see before I moved on and out of Costa Rica was one toucan.

Tortuguero National Park did not disappoint. (only my camera did hence the  Toucan photo is from http://peterbeesley.blogspot.com)

The morning tour of the park delivered a tree full of white faced moneys and the most beautiful toucans sitting on a branch. Appreciating the birds in the park isn’t hard. There are so many unique shapes and colors. If you’re a birder this is the place for you.

The village is small and the beach is nice but the current is so strong it is advised to stay out of the water. There are many places to grab a chair on the river and watch the sunset. It’s a beautiful place with nice people and definitely worth the boat and bus trip to get here.

One more Costa Rica stop for me La Fortuna next is Nicargua as I travel toward my final Central American destination, Antigua Guatemala.

I needed to end my beach bum streak so after 10 nights I decided to

leave Puerto Viejo. I could have easily stayed another day or two or even ten but there are more places to see like Tortuguero where I am now.

It’s up north on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. The trip here was beautiful. It required a 3 plus hour boat ride up rivers and canals through the national park and into the village. It’s a beautiful trip one in which the captain points out turtles, birds, lizards, sloths and monkeys along the way.

Just as we arrived it rained and the village is muddy. I am guessing that’s normal especially when I saw the shop renting boots.  I wonder if my flip-flops will fit in them? 

Hopefully I will have something worthy to post tomorrow after my tour of the park  which starts at 545am, yes in the morning.

I am definitely not in PV anymore!