Category Pages For: Journeys

Information about getting from A to B

San Carlos - Canons
DECEMBER 2017: Read our Retirement Reviews to find good places to retire on a budget. OVERVIEW: I spent 1 week on Ometepe Island. I stayed at the Hostal Tecali near Santa Cruz. I wanted to get from Ometepe across the lake to San Carlos to spend a few days going down the Rio San Juan to Greytown. Alas, the ferry that used to go from Ometepe to San Carlos no longer operates … I was told that I needed to go back to Managua (a 1.5 hour ferry from Ometepe to San Jorge followed by 3-4 hours on busses from there […]

Ometepe – Nicaragua – via Costa Rica ...

OCTOBER 2017: Read our Retirement Reviews to find good places to retire on a budget. THE CA4 COUNTRIES: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua are known as the CA4 (Central American 4) countries. As I describe in my Roatan to San Pedro post, I ‘struck lucky’ coming back through the Honduras-Guatemala border … Guatemala Immigration gave me a new 90 Day Visa (which they are not meant to do). This new visa got me into Guatemala and helped me avoid the need for a boat trip to Belize … I had no problems getting into E Salvador with it … […]

El Esteron – El Salvador – To ...

OCTOBER 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I had spent 1 week in Santa Ana and another week in El Tunco: two of the top rated tourist destinations in El Salvador. I was not impressed by either. It was time to try something completely different … it was time for 1 week in El Cuco (or, El Esteron … to be exact) … EL TUNCO TO EL CUCO / EL ESTERON: Gekko Shuttles have an office in El Tunco (on the Main Road) that advertises a shuttle to El Cuco. However, in October, their office was closed. I contacted them […]

El Esteron – El Salvador – Information

OCTOBER 2017: Why not read our Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: El Tunco was meant to be my ‘first port of call’ in El Salvador, but as I made my way from San Pedro La Laguna (Guatemala) to El Salvador on Chicken Busses, I ran out of time and had to divert to Santa Ana. I was planning to spend 3-4 weeks in El Salvador on the way to Nicaragua. After 1 week in Santa Ana … it was time for 1 week in El Tunco … SANTA ANA TO EL TUNCO: I made my own way from Santa Ana to El Tunco by […]

El Tunco – El Salvador – Information

OCTOBER 2017: Read our Retirement Reviews to find good places to retire on a budget. BACKDROP: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua are known as the CA4 (Central American 4) countries. In June 2017, I left Palenque (Mexico) and cut across northern Guatemala to the Honduran Bay Islands. I stayed nearly 3 months in Utila and Roatan before needing to get out of the CA-4 (again) to renew my visa. I bought a Shuttle / Boat Ticket from Roatan to Punta Gorda, Belize. As I describe in my Roatan to San Pedro post, I ‘struck lucky’ at the Honduras-Guatemala border […]

San Pedro LL – Guatemala – To ...

SEPTEMBER 2017: Click here to read our Guatemala Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua are known as the CA4 (Central American 4) countries. They have agreed to share a single Tourist Visa of up to 90 days. As you cross the borders within these CA4 countries you do not get a new 90 day visa … instead, they deduct how many days you have been in other CA4 countries from those 90 days and give you the remainder. This means that you have to do a Visa Run out of the CA4 every 90 days. ENTERING THE CA4: I started […]

Roatan – Honduras – Visa Run – ...

JUNE 2017: Click here to read our Guatemala Retirement Reviews. Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: We started in El Panchan, Mexico which is a small settlement on the edge of the Palenque Ruins. From El Panchan, we made our own way by public transport to Flores, Guatemala. We stayed in Flores 2 nights. From Flores, we made our own way by public transport to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. We stayed in San Pedro Sula 2 nights. From San Pedro Sula, we made our own way by public transport to La Ceiba, Honduras. We stayed in La Ceiba 3 nights. From La Ceiba, we […]

Palenque – Flores – San Pedro Sula ...

MAY 2017: Click here to read our Guatemala Retirement Reviews. Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I started in San Pedro La Laguna on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala and made my way to Antigua, Guatemala. From Antigua, I caught a ‘direct’ shuttle to San Cristobal de las Casas, Mexico. Read this post for a detailed break-down of costs in San Pedro LL. Read this post for a detailed break-down of costs in Antigua. SAN PEDRO LA LAGUNA: I stayed in San Pedro La Laguna for nearly 2 months in March / April. I, then, spent 6 weeks in Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico. On my return to San Pedro in late […]

Antigua – Guatemala – to – San ...

APRIL 2017: Click here to read our Guatemala Retirement Reviews. Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I stayed in Zipolite, Oaxaca, Mexico for 6 weeks … I initially planned to stay only 3 weeks … but, it was such a nice ‘vibe’ that I decided to stay longer. Read this post for a detailed break-down of costs in Zipolite. In Zipolite, I stayed at the Brisa Marina; this hotel is not listed in BOOKING.COM nor AGODA.COM. I paid MXP150 / night (US$8.25) for a Double Room with Cold Water Private Bathroom (no Breakfast included). This was a very good price … many locals told me that I was […]

Tapachula – Mexico – to – Lake ...

MARCH 2017: Click here to read our Guatemala Retirement Reviews. Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I stayed in San Pedro La Laguna on Lake Atitlan for nearly 2 months … I went for 3 weeks to do Spanish Classes … but, it was such a nice ‘vibe’ that it was very hard to leave! I made many good friends there. Thanks guys … hopefully, I will see you all again soon. Read this post for a detailed break-down of costs in San Pedro LL. In San Pedro LL, I ended up staying at the Hotel Jarachi’k. I paid GTQ100 / night (US$13.50). For […]

Lake Atitlan – Guatemala – to – ...

SEPTEMBER 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from San Miguel de Allende to Queretaro. I stayed for 7 nights. Accommodation in the Queretaro Historical Centre is a problem … On ANY hotel search engine (including my favourites: AGODA.COM and BOOKING.COM), you will struggle to find a nice Double Room in a Hotel with Ensuite for less than MXP600 / night (60% of our daily GRANDPAcking Budget!). So, as with Ajijic and Guanajuato, I booked a Vacation Rental through TRIPADVISOR: the Departamento Estander. I paid MXP434 / night. As pure accommodation, I thought that the Estander was good value for money. The problem with it, however, […]

Queretaro – Mexico – To Isla Mujeres

AUGUST 2016: Click here to read our Mexico Retirement Reviews. OVERVIEW: I made my way from Guanajuato to San Miguel de Allende. I stayed for 7 nights. Accommodation in San Miguel is a problem … on ANY hotel search engine (including my favourites: AGODA.COM and BOOKING.COM), you will struggle to find a nice Double Room in a Hotel with Ensuite for less than MXP650 / night (65% of our daily GRANDPAcking Budget!). So, as with Ajijic and Guanajuato, I tried to book a Vacation Rental through TRIPADVISOR. There was only 1 in our price range … and, that 1 was booked out … so, an Hostel was my only option … I […]

San Miguel de Allende – Mexico – ...