F ÜR me it was actually a round trip to Daniel rather a 5-nation tour. And, if one considers that it started for him at Frankfurt airport and with many, many intermediate stations ended there again, you can speak well of a round trip. So exactly here but I will not restrict why is my 3rd Review just a travelogue:) For me it was
the morning of 19 December on a tourist shuttle to Guatemala. Before that I had informed me, and it turned out that this "out" travel arrangements, are often even cheaper. Often - but what is true in all cases is that they are much more comfortable and unanstrengender, but are not always as adventurous, such as public buses. I would like still like to discuss later in Nicaragua. For my first
Crossing the border from Mexico out here so I was glad that most of it was taken care of. I simply had to the Mexican border for an exit stamp To get across a few meters walk the line and let me add an entry stamp in Guatemala. The few meters walk, however, promptly put me into another world. The faces, in which I looked at were those of the Mexican population is still very similar, but the hustle and bustle and the many, many Guatemalans, at the border everything - from cooking pots, to shoes, from mobile phones - wanted dirt cheap to bring the man was me that Guatemala still sometimes a bit poorer, is simply different than Mexico. On the whole 11h bus ride to Antigua, I watched with great joy especially the colorful "chicken bus" - from old school buses the U.S., which are used here as public transport. This kind of buses do not exist in Mexico. I thought it was awesome, how does a pace luggage and people switched to buses, sometimes without the bus had even thought to be slower. When it was dark, had the full "beauty" recognize the buses. Here flickering blue light, there were light yellow strip down the rear window of the bus and almost every bus adorned any skull or "gangster tattoos. Maybe you understand now why I had a few lines above beauty in quotes J
at 7 clock in the evening we reached our destination Antigua - a very nice, medium-sized town about 1 hour west of Guatemala City. On the shuttle ride I had made some acquaintances, and so it was that I looked around me with a Canadian together for accommodation. Most hostels were already full and so at least I invited only from my luggage to connect with Julien first to eat a little something and then enjoy the nightlife of Antigua. After just a few short conversations with people I found that here sometimes quite different words are used. "Chido" Meaning, in San Cristóbal as much as cool as they did here at all, or "chamarra" (a warmer sweatshirt) in Antigua is quite inspired by the English language "sweater".
After these first impressions from my first Destination picked me up at 2:30 in the morning, another shuttle that would take me to the airport in Guatemala City. Once there was still everything to me to wait 45 minutes it said. Kindly offered me a young couple to wait with them in the warm car. This offer I accepted gladly, and so I got that night but even a few minutes my eyes.
With my flight to San José, everything went smooth and at night just before I entered Costa Rican soil - my 2nd Travel destination. Daniel was a night arrived earlier and so I took the morning but the bus into the center of San José and ran from the bus stop a little way to his hostel. Behind some slices of bread, jam, butter, orange juice and coffee, I saw him and we were first in the long arms. The joy of reunion was great and the huge anticipation to our upcoming adventure. So we did not want to waste a lot of time and directly participated by 11 bus to La Fortuna. The trip took about 4 hours and showed us how green this beautiful country after all. The city was situated in a rainforest pool - there was of course the fact that we were greeted with a heavy rain! After a few more or less beautiful rooms that we looked at for the night we decided we also not a very nice room J The crucial Point was the hospitality of this old couple and their daughter - we wanted to stay here. We stayed with them almost in the house and that evening we sat together in their living room. Without having asked for our hungry bellies, it was us "gallo pinto" (rice with beans - a typical meal for Costa Rica and Nicaragua) is served and we talked together about possible excursions we could make the coming days here. Daniel and I decided on a volcano tour first thing tomorrow and a "Horse Canopy Tour" for the day. The volcano tour was finally truly one of our highlights of the whole trip! In the afternoon off we went, about an hour to climb the volcano's foot, waiting on a super vantage point to break the darkness and with luck see the volcano ... and we were lucky it was a beautiful spectacle!
From La Fortuna, we made our two days later on the way further north to spend a night on the beach of Playa Hermosa on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. From the area we were a little disappointed, but we had presented a white beach and clear water, in fact we expected, however, a relatively run-down "piece of sand." Once again, however, we landed a lucky shot, what the choice of the night As for. For Costa Rican relations cheap 10 dollars we got a bed in a small room that we shared with a Guatemalan and a breakfast. This was fine, but in the sense, no luck. The family that brought us to the contrary was the lucky hit! A couple and their approximately 16-year-old son, very friendly and helpful people, that we in the evening and the morning at breakfast nice and talked about their country, especially our next destination in Nicaragua. It was interesting that the very man from Nicaragua and the hospitality of the people swarmed there, representing his own country but rather modest. This morning we then took the woman even almost to the limit because they wanted to anyway in this direction by the weekend with her mother in the nearest city to spend. From there we took a bus so that we put down on the border and in Nicaragua, we would then simply take the next bus to Managua, it was said ... Simple is so well said, because such points of Costa Rica - Nicaragua simply "loco," was so crazy. So many people in one place - many did not find out, many tried to jump the queue in the meter-long queues, other distributed the entry forms that they wanted to move out but only for money. With a boy I have left it short to one another, I thought the forms had nothing (so I knew it already from the previous limit). Basically, I was right, but rankamen as we in the tumult of no "official" person, I pushed the boy in the end a couple of Cordoba in the hand - out among other things, the desire to escape at last from this "ant hill" to can. Outside the border, but it looked not better, the buses were packed to overflowing and stuffy air, and sweating bodies was not over you. Here I am, therefore, arrived at the point of beginning of the report: "public buses in Nicaragua - an adventure, but the nerves do not always the best of J ". A few hours we spent so on our route to the north, until we got out in Rivas and took a taxi to the port town of San Jorge. From there, it should continue to "Isla de Ometepe" go - our next destination. In the bus we had made acquaintance with an American couple, with whom we shared the taxi finally. Blessing in disguise to be called something like that, because when we went to the pay I could not find my small purse easily. And indeed, he appeared on the whole trip not again. Tine, who was always thought to take care of everything so well able to J was robbed! The person must also have employed sent I had all the time but my backpack in mind - I thought. Kindly, we paid the taxi and the couple gave us so much Cordoba, that we could pay for the ferry to the island. That evening we were really happy to fall into the big bed - and for a pittance, about 4 dollars for Daniel and me for one night. Yes, Nicaragua was yet again a difference to Costa Rica! Previously, we still enjoyed a delicious dinner with two Germans who settled in Nicaragua and working here now charitably, an Austrian who was on tour and the son of our hotel manager, who is on the island guide. With the latter, we planned for the following Day, a tour around the island in fast forward. In fast-forward for two reasons: first, because that day the 24th December, and this meant that after 4 clock in the afternoon and for the next three days to get away from the island was impossible. And secondly, because Daniel and I wore no more cash with us and we lived on the back burner. Fortunately, the hotel offered us son, we help out on the 1 1 / 2 days and put our money in front of the bus rides and eating. On the day of our departure, he accompanied us to the port city, where we gave him back all the money and to thank him for thanking his willingness to help. Later I again thought about how special it His help was - a Nicaraguan who helps out us Germans with a whole lot of money, without taking their own benefit. Really great! Granada
After the island was our next destination. A beautiful colonial city, in my opinion, San Cristóbal very similar. Here we spent Christmas Eve, and this - for me really but always very beautiful moment - for us this year turned out two completely. Completely finished by another bus in a crowded bus on streets of Nicaragua, we fell on the evening of the 24th already at half past eight to bed and slept until late the next day. Somehow I found it but also sometimes nice to see that Christmas can be quite simple and all this back and forth of gifts and much food is not always necessity perhaps? A little bit I missed my family, nevertheless, with which I previously that day every year (except during my exchange year in the U.S.) was together. Even the huge and very tacky Christmas tree on the plaza of Granada was the Christmas spirit at almost 30 ° C does not arise in me. Instead, we spent a very pleasant morning in the city center and took an afternoon boat tour of the "365 Isletas" - a total of 365 small islands in the coastal area of Lake Nicaragua, which had formed several hundred years ago by a volcanic eruption. On the Passing has clearly demonstrated the stark contrast and contradiction of the country. Thus came as a totally unkempt island with a corrugated iron hut and a poor 10-strong Nicaraguan family right next to another island to the fore, on a wealthy Nicaraguans a dream villa, including yacht built. Our guide on this tour, a 18-year-old boy, a former lived on one of these islands and we could explain so much about life and the states. At a break I got more into conversation with him and it became an interesting conversation, including on the situation of young girls already at such a young age by their mother and even here Men were often left on the political situation in Nicaragua and the large differences in the country between rich and poor. Later we made another stop at "island-extended family", which allowed us a glimpse into their very simple life.
More time should we not stay in this beautiful city, unfortunately, it went the next morning to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua with a stop in Masaya. Masaya itself has a little. If you eat in summer but in Dietzenbach happy with his girls on the "Masayaplatz" a sundae, you have to - if you're already so close - to take the opportunity, at least one foot in our Twin city to put up I think. Also, I can now say in hindsight that Masaya has to offer very well something that is a wonderful craft market where we spent a few hours (this way I have to yet again with my friend for my great "over-the-market -Strolling-preference "entschuldigenJ)
the capital Managua was not attractive and for this we still had the bad luck in a very dangerous neighborhood ended up to be, since this is where the bus station of the" Ticabus "(in all of Central America's most popular international bus company) was. So we advised the man with whom we had the night to the morning departure 4h booked a small room, after dark in any case more in the area on foot being away, and also during the day to use only certain roads to hide the money in the shoe and just Cordoba tangible to have in your pocket, if there would be a robbery. With such a warning had been there at all nor the inclination to leave the room? Daniel and I decided yes, because we did not know what else should we do with the afternoon. Really far, however, we dared not, and therefore only a few hours spent in a shopping center, which is 1 to 1 of an American mall and was like we got another for 2-3h in a completely different world, far away from all dangers. We planned, however, before the onset return of the dark. The
Ticabus brought us the next day completely relaxed on the border with Honduras, Tegucigalpa, the capital of our third Travel the country. Unlike Daniel, I was in before the border crossing a slightly queasy feeling margins, because I knew very little about the current situation and the people of Honduras. Once again, the bus turned into one from the most dangerous part of town and when we got out, this uncomfortable feeling was only reinforced. Everywhere one could see policemen and security guards armed with machine guns standing around, the houses looked very abandoned and broken, and the taxi in which we got did not seem to me very uneasy. I was glad to sit three hours later in a next bus that brought us out from the capital and another eight hours north to the coast to La Ceiba. Now we have had to be lucky and get a Caribbean paradise to face, how they imagine ... what we hoped, but once again we were disappointed. Instead of a beach who invited you to relax, we looked the next morning on a beach of trash crowded and always an armed guard in the back. We did not want to stay here!
we left pretty cranky after a total of just 12 hours La Ceiba this city again and took another two buses, which will take us to Copan, a city famous for its Mayan ruins, brought. The two bus trips I would just write something different and since it characterizes the country simply would not be able to! The 1 Bus was a normal suburban - not a very great quality, but cheap and practical. What Daniel and me to the approximately 5 hours in this bus but almost to overflowing claimed was the (as do we call it ..?) "Eating culture" of Honduras. It was just amazing how much people stuffed into it to greasy chips, fast food and prepared food in fast and how much this had already taken effect on everyday life. Thus, the public bus made for 30-minute break after 3 h, so that all could stock up on more food. Every 2nd Parking was on the bus driver as well, and seller is a rose, accompanied for about two stops the bus, then to have to try their luck far emptier baskets in the next bus. The 2nd Bus again, for the first a huge difference in terms of equipment and the purchase of the ticket price dar. us, this was not yet aware of, but now in hindsight I can easily say that this bus in approximately a first-class flight in a Lufthansa plane is to be compared. The seats were bigger than I would have used dual weight every, every passenger was given a cool drink and a snack next to the square served and during the journey there was a bus attendant, who was always on hand for questions. I honestly felt a little ridiculous in this bus, but I was also more important than anything to go as fast as possible towards the border to Guatemala. Our next destination was still Copán in Honduras, however, offered to us directly to a very different picture when we got out here. The small town located in the mountains I was instantly likeable and the 1st Time I felt since we arrived in Honduras to be able to breathe fully. Honduras
I did not like and I really felt very uncomfortable in the few days that we were there. Copán is one so for me not to Honduras, but even with Guatemala, which is only 8km from the ruins town.
Two relaxing days we spent in Copán. The first we used it to explore the ruins and learn a little more about the history of the Maya. For me it was the first ruins that I saw since my stay here in Mexico and I was impressed with the design and the fact that the Maya so many thousand years already so accomplished a feat. On the second day we visited a small village where 20 families lived, and had perhaps one single source of income, namely dolls produced them by hand from dyed corn leaves. I was thrilled from this small village and especially the children who were scattered all around us than we her little "factory" entered. While we demonstrated a woman as she made the dolls and I took some pictures of their work, the children were so fascinated by my camera and wanted each picture three times sehenJ Later, the children sang us a song, and Daniel and I bought the woman from the doll, which she had made when we were there. Is it to do something we did not with her, but at least we were able to support a little bit of this village.
On the same day we headed towards the border were still on and in our 4th Destination - Guatemala - in. About two weeks ago was I am here because my flight was before, however, about 200km south-west in Antigua. Nevertheless, I was sure that it is me again fell in the eastern part very well.
was our goal for this day only Rio Dulce, from there we wanted to continue the next day by boat to Livingston. Livingston is the only town in Guatemala, which still belongs to the majority of the population the "Garifuna". The Garifuna are a people who had settled only on the Caribbean coast (especially in the parts of Honduras) and their own language, culture, music and lifestyle - the Jamaicans are very similar - has. That was above all I stretched our time there. New Year, we also wanted in this city, which is accessible only by water, spend. On the boat trip there I realized once again how small the world is gone ... So two very good friends and Mitfreiwillige my project to us in the boat, as they have also planned to visit on New Year's Livingston. But we had rather than twice as six times (why 6? Hihi, this is a nice job for all who love mathematics and stochastics as ichJ) toast as the clock on 31 January 12 plays beat. Otherwise, I have this New Year's night, however, in not so good memory. Everyone who knows me knows that I'm already a little anxious before all floors and in Livingston, it was indeed the case that all the cannon chains (and chains were not small - they had more the size of fire hoses!) were set on fire and then crashed about 3 minutes at a time. For a while after the smoke still pulled through the streets.
If this night was not quite met my expectations, the next day very nice and gave me a good impression on the life of the Garifuna. They are a very happy people, plays the song and rhythm is very important. By chance I walked past a parade and saw some kind of disguised characters that are sent to various moving drum rhythms. In the background accompanied by three older women, the drum sounds in a kind of gospel choir. What I find these positive impressions is also noticed, however, that the inhabitants of Livingston can be really angry if they were not there, what they want. If the tip such as a music deposit turned out not high enough or if you wanted to buy them no marijuana (which there are a dime a dozen), they often respond very soggy and the initial friendliness was gone. This fact called me in part, produced a great discomfort. So I took my leave of this city with a laughing and a crying eye, and we pulled four more to Antigua. Hey, here I was ever from just under 2 WochenJ
We moved into a really nice hostel, ran down the handicraft market of the city and were delicious meal. Daniel and I broke even on the next morning, while the other two still remained one more day to climb a volcano in the area.
From Antigua we took a chicken bus to Chichikastenango, one still remained faithful to its culture and typical Guatemalan mountain village. I liked it very personally there and we spent a whole hour only to us to sit on the steps of a church and to follow the colorful market life with our eyes. Now and then passed by a small child who asked us for a Quetzal, others wanted to brush our shoes, resell other sweets. We bought nothing, but in return we gave each child approached us a little jelly or a spray candy and let them sit with us. From
Chichikastenango, we were once a chicken-bus, took us to Panajachel. This was our final destination and the last two days on the beautiful "Lake Atitlan" served our pure relaxation and (at least for me) to recharge your batteries for the work began again.
On 5 January, we took a shuttle out of Panajachel, which we put down after 11 hours in San Cristóbal, our goal.
here is to end my report, because for at least San Cristóbal me not "travel", but now really home for me. I introduced Daniel around a bit, showed him my favorite places in the city and we spent two beautiful here two weeks together before he again had to go back to get back home. The parting was very difficult for us and today - three weeks later - I think on some days still, that he might still sit in our cozy apartment, and after work waiting for me. This is obviously not the case and for me again, the full daily life has returned. The work takes up a huge part, as the 5th Birthday Sueniños very imminent and prepared very much be. But I enjoy a lot of time with the children, even if it often takes a lot of strength and effort. Otherwise, I'll go back to my dancing, and we meet twice a week with friends to play volleyball, we often go for a coffee or an evening drink wine when, for the many jobs but there is still some time, I sat down with a good book in the garden and look forward because I'm here!
I thank all those who have still not forgotten me, I write from Germany, provide me with news and me here in Mexico emotionally distant (and some even physically soon - Michael, Esther, Sophie, I'm looking forward to euchJ) . support
feel depressed you, your Tine
