I felt uncomfortable that my time in Guatemala, though wonderful, was influenced by a recent rise in robberies and attacks on tourists. Perhaps I ran a fine line between exercising caution and hindering my experience. During the two months I spent in Guatemala, I heard stories from other backpackers of armed robberies on buses, aggressive…
I was desperate to fall for Costa Rica. To feel the admiration for it that others held. To swoon about its nature, its people and its Puravida. However, as time went on I felt a niggling sense of disappointment. Following my first visit to the country’s carribean coast in December 2017, I made excuses for this…
When I first started travelling I gave little thought to whether I was following everyone else or not. I went somewhere simply because it was interesting to me. Sometimes, that would be because I’d read, heard or learnt about it, but on other occasions, it was just a new place to explore. Somewhere I’d never…
Occasionally, necessity drives our decisions. That’s how southern Mexico became a last minute stop on my journey through Central America. After a long stint in the C-A4 block – made up of a political agreement between Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua – I needed to leave to renew my tourist visa. It’s a well…
In Central America there’s a well established ‘Gringo’ trail for good reason. The Maya ruins, colonial cities and tropical coastline that make up the isthmus draw backpackers, holiday makers and expats from around the world. For the most part, I’m an advocate of staying on or around the beaten path. Not just because there’s usually…
“I’ve been coming up here with my father since I was ten.” Lionel told me. “Of course, there was no one else up here then”. Lionel and his dad used to climb the slopes of Volcán Acatenango to gather hard grass for roofing materials. These days, the villages around the volcano’s base use mostly steel…
“Maybe we should go to Salama?”. I put the question to my travel buddy despite knowing it was a big ask. Salama was a two day trip off our planned route but that’s how extreme my quetzal obsession had become. Quite the reputation In the UK I spend my work life juggling multiple priorities and…
