Central America

[broughtonblue]

Panama City is just really nice, compared to other Capitals in the area, it's big sprawling and modern but very safe, we even got lost once and this guy just gave us a lift to where we were going. It'll be a good way to ease you in...

With regards Spanish, I learnt the grammar and vocab from a book, but really struggled to understand anyone out there, so I could read things, conjugate those verbs, and ask questions, but was buggered if I could understand any replies.

Get some sort of listening practice in if you can, have a look for language meet-ups, http://spanish.meetup.com/cities/gb/h5/leicester/ unfortunately nothing in Leicester, but maybe you don't live there, if you live in London there are loads, mostly free or cheap and you can just go along and chat and practice your Spanish.you might be able to find someone on here, prferably a Latin American speaking as they have very different accents: http://www.conversationexchange.com/s_map/learn.php?language=Spanish and chat on skype.

This was the hammock hotel: http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g309265-d1217686-Reviews-Rocking_J_s-Puerto_Viejo_de_Talamanca_Province_of_Limon.html

Just over the border from Panama, on the East coast, not to everyone's taste but I loved it,

"With regards Spanish, I learnt the grammar and vocab from a book, but really struggled to understand anyone out there, so I could read things, conjugate those verbs, and ask questions, but was buggered if I could understand any replies."

Probably best not to understand things then!!

[ronnup]

Just added two weeks to Colombia to the itinerary. Fly in and out of Bogota. Anyone been ??

[ronnup]

Currently heading to San Jose from Puerto Viejo. Been brilliant so far and advice here has been useful.

Nicaragua coming up next after a few weeks on the Pacific coast

[MPH]

Currently heading to San Jose from Puerto Viejo. Been brilliant so far and advice here has been useful.

Nicaragua coming up next after a few weeks on the Pacific coast

 

 

be prepared to be harassed at every traffic light for money or even for people to sneak up at you and wash your windscreen without warning and expect money.... you'll have people watch your car for you at every restaurant you go whether you want them to or not and to  then expect  to be paid for it. but for the equivalent of about 30p, I don't suppose its that bad.

 

If you really do go to Managua then  stick to the touristy places. Sadly that's the safest option. Some great touristy markets and you'll always find someone who speaks really good English who will offer to translate for you and do most of the bartering although they will of course expect to be paid -$20-30 dollars for a couple of hours of them showing you around a huge market usually does the trick.

 

be prepared for the sob story and them showing you their shoes that  are falling to pieces only to be really embarrassed when their wife shows up impeccably dressed with a stunning hair-do

 

Its such a poor country that we are their career choice. there's people who make a career out of showing tourists around the markets

 

 

Ometepe island has been well spoken of and rightly too. Monkey lagoon ( or lago de apoyo as its properly known) be visited too if given a chance- great restaurant right on the waters edge ( the Monkey hut- its also a hotel and has beautiful cabins too). Literally swim in the lagoon and then order some right proper grub that will cost you less than the equivalent of a fiver. be careful of any salads or any water that isn't bottles spring water - umm.. our stomachs are not used to their water Order cokes if you want to spend less time in toilets than on roads. And even then they reuse the bottles a few hundred times - label looks well worn. They  poor it from a two litre bottle into those little ones.

[ronnup]

be prepared to be harassed at every traffic light for money or even for people to sneak up at you and wash your windscreen without warning and expect money.... you'll have people watch your car for you at every restaurant you go whether you want them to or not and to then expect to be paid for it. but for the equivalent of about 30p, I don't suppose its that bad.

If you really do go to Managua then stick to the touristy places. Sadly that's the safest option. Some great touristy markets and you'll always find someone who speaks really good English who will offer to translate for you and do most of the bartering although they will of course expect to be paid -$20-30 dollars for a couple of hours of them showing you around a huge market usually does the trick.

be prepared for the sob story and them showing you their shoes that are falling to pieces only to be really embarrassed when their wife shows up impeccably dressed with a stunning hair-do

Its such a poor country that we are their career choice. there's people who make a career out of showing tourists around the markets

Ometepe island has been well spoken of and rightly too. Monkey lagoon ( or lago de apoyo as its properly known) be visited too if given a chance- great restaurant right on the waters edge ( the Monkey hut- its also a hotel and has beautiful cabins too). Literally swim in the lagoon and then order some right proper grub that will cost you less than the equivalent of a fiver. be careful of any salads or any water that isn't bottles spring water - umm.. our stomachs are not used to their water Order cokes if you want to spend less time in toilets than on roads. And even then they reuse the bottles a few hundred times - label looks well worn. They poor it from a two litre bottle into those little ones.

Decent. Thanks a lot mate. Makes life a lot easier having wifi absolutely everywhere. Almost a shame in a way! Mystery lost somehow compared to travels I did 10-12 years a go.

Nicaragua is somewhere we know very little about currently so appreciate the help. We will be using public transport also so no car issues, but I imagine a world of others...

[MPH]

Decent. Thanks a lot mate. Makes life a lot easier having wifi absolutely everywhere. Almost a shame in a way! Mystery lost somehow compared to travels I did 10-12 years a go.

Nicaragua is somewhere we know very little about currently so appreciate the help. We will be using public transport also so no car issues, but I imagine a world of others...

 

 

Taxis will be pretty cheap i would imagine to take you somewhere that a bus wont reach...

 

 

 

 

If you want a different perspective on life visit a place on the edge of managua called la chureca ( sp!?) Its the local rubbish tip. You have probably heard of similar places around central and south america. We saw 13-14 year old girls prostituting themselves to the Rubbish lorry drivers. Not for money, but so that they can get first look through the rubbish they are bringing in.. Families literally living on the rubbish dump. We were told that when the 13-14 year old got pregnant it would make the parents very angry as now they would be ignored by the lorry drivers.

 

The government tried to do something about it and built these families these single room concrete huts a few miles away, but all the families all moved back because they were taken away from their only source of income.

 

 

There's a charity that runs a feeding program for the families. Been sending money back ever since.

 

 

If you are wanting a nice relaxing holiday then of course stay away. Its pretty horrific. We drove past a dead guy just laying there but we were told not to worry as the ambulance would be along some time today to get him.