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I hope pictures do justice to the colors and shapes of this gorgeous South American city. We spent almost four days here, partly due to the paperwork related to our van and enjoyed every minute of it.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.682028941819280.1073741885.392545607434283&type=1
Having a great group of people sailing with us made the trip even more enjoyable. Those few days island hopping and snorkeling were unforgettable. I'd love to return one day and spend at least three weeks here.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.680699611952213.1073741883.392545607434283&type=1
From Portobelo we took a local minibus to an even smaller port town named Puerto Lindo, where we met our captain Gisbert from the catamaran Santana, who would take us from Panama to Cartagena. The next morning we impatiently waited in the r...ain for the dingy to take us to the boat that would be our home for the next 5 days. As we sailed onto the open sea the waves were choppy, the catamaran dived and climbed violently and all the 10 passengers except for Mark and I got sick. Some were vomiting. I sat all the way in the front of the boat with my legs hanging from each side of the pontoon and enjoyed the roller-coaster ride as with each dip I splashed into the sea. In the late afternoon the sea calmed down and we arrived at the first San Blas islands. These are a scattered group of about 300 islands, some inhabited by a semi-autonomous indigenous people, that spread from the coast of Panama all the way to Colombia. The islands have a prototypical "paradise island" character: perfect sand beaches, coconut trees, no modern real-estate and are lined by beautiful coral reefs. For three days we went island hopping and for the last two days we sailed the open sea to Cartagena. This was one of my favorite experiences of my journey to date. I always thought that real unspoiled island paradise existed only in movies. I will cherish this experience for the rest of my life.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.680496268639214.1073741882.392545607434283&type=1
After surviving the bureaucratic insanity of shipping my van from Panama to Colombia we drove to the Atlantic port of Colon aka Ghetto S*t Hole to place the van in the container. After giving up my keys with some hesitation, we boarded a lo...cal bus that took us to a magical colonial port (so old it was named by the Italians) of Portobelo. There is a visible expat population surviving on cheap beer and tasty bread. The small town sports two beautifully preserved XVIth century forts and medieval walls that proudly reminisce of the old glory days of the Spanish empire.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.678656498823191.1073741881.392545607434283&type=1
Ometepe island in the Lake Nicaragua.
Shipwreck in the San Blas Islands.
Upon arriving to the 10th largest lake in the world, Lago Nicaragua, we took a ferry to the Ometepe Island (which is composed of two volcanoes) where we spent a few days. This huge lake is known for sporting a population of sweet water sharks, the only such occurrence in the world.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.672049102817264.1073741878.392545607434283&type=1
Everyone warned us about the Honduran border, that it is a wasteland, a chaos but when we arrived we were pleasantly surprised by a simple, reasonable bureaucracy. It was the fastest crossing, on par with the one in Canada. The only strange... thing was the customs officer tried speaking with an English accent and kept calling me Mr. James Bond.
We passed through Honduras fairly quickly. One of the highlights would have to be an amazing fish soup/fried fish meal in one small town. It seems the poorer the country the kinder its inhabitants. Compared to Honduras we spent quite some time in Nicaragua visiting the two famous competing colonial cities of Leon and Granada. We found Granada cleaner and prettier, almost reminiscent of the Guatemalan Antigua.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.671619182860256.1073741877.392545607434283&type=1
El Salvador is a small Central American country less traveled than some of its neighbors but full of beautiful nature and kind people, when one cares to look for it.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.670920992930075.1073741876.392545607434283&type=1
Fisherman driving his boat onto the beach.
BLACK VOLCANIC BEACHES OF THE MONTERRICO LAGUNA
I heard of this amazing place from a local Guatemalan photographer while taking shelter in a small hut from a tropical downpour in Tikal. He said these black volcanic beaches are rare on the Pacific coast, the only ones in Guatemala and of course I had to go see them. He mentioned we'd have to take a ferry, but didn't say anything about a shabby barge not much bigger than my van. Driving onto the barge I thought there was a 50/50 chance it would sink along with my unfortunate vehicle. But surprisingly it held and after about an hours of transversing the lagoon we arrived at the beach that was dotted with small fishing villages. On the boat we befriended one fisherman who invited us to park in his backyard, which was facing the ocean. The waves were perfect for body surfing (which we attempted right that night- the moon was bright) and the water seemed to be warmer than the hot air.
See photos here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.667435686611939.1073741875.392545607434283&type=1&l=f0d886f99d
After saying good bye to our kind hosts in Guatemala City we drove to the Colonial Capital, Antigua. I thought I knew what to expect yet I was taken back by it's beauty. The ruins of its churches are worthy of Caspar David Friedrich's paintings. The atmosphere is that of a vibrant, fresh and living city, not a ruin of a capital that was abandoned for a more secure place.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.666336813388493.1073741874.392545607434283&type=1
Duct tape solves everything.
Macguyvering our little gas stove so we can make rice pudding for breakfast somewhere in Nicaragua. Tnx eFoods!
Cancun
We did a mandatory stop at Cancun, a tourist central, a place filled with concrete hotels, bellboys and taxis. Every sleeping accommodation seemed to be out of our price range so in the evening we drove to Playa del Carmen where our out-of-date Lonely Planet guide informed us there was a camp. We discovered there was none and under a heavy tropical rain we drove to a gas station where they let us park in the back and sleep for the night. The next day we drove to the small town of Tulum where after some asking around we found a local guy Max who owns a narrow strip of land with access to the beach. The place had a toilet, a rudimentary shower, something of a kitchen and a shack where he slept. More importantly, it looked like a paradise. There were no concrete hotels, the beach was clean, with few people and apart from Max we had it all to our selves.
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.662567203765454.1073741870.392545607434283&type=1
Probably the largest most populous city on this planet.
When I got to Mexico City I picked up my new companions - Mira and my father Pavel Stauber- who will accompany me down to Buenos Aires. The first two days after their arrival we explored the center of the biggest city in the world.
See a photo gallery here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.660039320684909.1073741866.392545607434283&type=1&l=a92a3acfa6
One of the many colonial courtyards in Guadalajara.
In Ensenada we were told it would be faster to get to Guadalajara if we returned back to the U.S.A. and drove to Tucson. The highways are straighter, the desert cooler and the hills flatter. So instead of passing through Tijuana we took the "libre" (all the better roads are paid and safer to travel) to Tecate border crossing. The Americans confiscated our bag of oranges (it didn't help arguing with them that we bought the fruit in San Diego) and on we went to Tucson. Slept in the middle of nowhere in the desert and the next day without a problem entered Mexico through Nogales. Driving through Sonora was depressing- everywhere garbage and poverty. We hit a roadblock policed by rebels sporting long machetes. Thankfully they let us pass, although all the commercial traffic was indefinitely stopped. Spent the night in a sex motel in Sinaloa- we didn't feel safe just sleeping along the side of the road and the rates were cheap. The next day in the late afternoon we arrived in Guadalajara. We had an address for a contact person where we could sleep but it seems street numbers are not taken seriously and after driving across the city a few times we gave up on maps and gps and after asking plenty of people we finally arrived at our destination. Joe helped me do a mechanical check of the van and the next day I said goodbye to him at the airport as he flew to the Czech Republic. Guadalajara was my longest rest stop, I spent about a week there
Here is a link to a photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.659334150755426.1073741865.392545607434283&type=1&l=2f8fbf011c
San Diego was our first entry point to Mexico. We appreciate so much that our friend Eva Ngelina showed us around San Diego (we forgot to take our cameras with us so some of the photos are shot on iPhone), took us through the Mexican customs for the first time, helped us procure our vehicle entry permit, helped us get through Tijuana, treated us to lunch there and hosted us in Ensenada. We thank her for her selfless dedication to our well-being! :) Thank you Pamela Orozco Zuniga and her dad for housing me in Ensenada. We both had an amazing time there!
Photo album here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.659202700768571.1073741864.392545607434283&type=1
Somewhere in the middle of the Death Valley is a road junction featuring a dilapidated motel and an opera house. 400 people used to live there, now only 2 do. I found it curious that this nowhere place in the middle of the desert has an opera house. The story goes that in the 40's or 50's (I don't remember) a popular ballerina from New York named Martha Becket got a flat tire there and while waiting for its repair she walked into the building and saw an old theater and fell in love with it. She put a $1 down-payment and started painting it. It took her her whole life to paint the theater as well as the motel and all of its rooms. She still performs in the theater, although she cannot dance anymore. The service desk person at the motel lobby left for a moment and so I took the opportunity to walk through the empty building and into all the rooms that were open taking these photographs. The paint and stucco are slowly peeling and falling off. There is mold that the two caretakers hide in vain. The paint reflects the deterioration of the dancer's body. But I am sure when the old lady walks on stage she is transported to an older time when she was young and pretty and the world was at her feet.
Photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.657644024257772.1073741861.392545607434283&type=1
We were blown away by the raw beauty of the Mojave desert. The rich spectrum of warm off whites and pastel colors was a challenge to capture in photographs. I did my best and you can judge the results Las Vegas was a lot of bling and littl...e substance. The best thing about Vegas was that by chance we ran into Karl Bushby, one of the travelers that we admire the most. If there was a king of long distance travelers, it would be him.
Photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.657467930942048.1073741859.392545607434283&type=1
From San Francisco we took the beautiful coastal Highway 1 through Santa Barbara, Santa Monica and Malibu to L.A. where we visited the observatory that had a great view of the city and of the Hollywood sign, drove through Rodeo Drive (yeah just drove- we're two guys, remember) and walked around Hollywood Boulevard a bit. Then we took off for Las Vegas.
Photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.654836061205235.1073741857.392545607434283&type=1
Beautiful Lake Tahoe! We had enjoyed staying at our friend's Corrina and Aaron apartment while enjoying the beauty of this place and it's surroundings. For Whitesnake's fans also a home of David Coverdale!
Photo album: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.654118374610337.1073741856.392545607434283&type=1
Map of the route traveled to this point.
After traveling 14,063 miles (22.632,15 km) in 50 days spanning climate zones ranging from Arctic Tundra to Tropical deserts I say goodbye to Joe Bednarik who was an amazing travel partner- an adventurous spirit, great communicator, patient, generous and always ready to land a helping hand.
In a few days I will be joined by my father, Pavel Stauber and my friend Mira Siska, both who will join me on the following leg of the expedition from Mexico D.F. all the way to Buenos Aires.
ATTENTION: I am seeking a travel partner from Buenos Aires, Argentina to Chicago, USA. That leg of the Know No Borders expedition will start approximately January 1, 2014. Anyone who is interested please write me directly after which we can discuss the requirements/details of the trip.
James Stauber
Below are a few points of interest pertaining to the attached map:
A. Chicago
B. Fargo
C. Calgary
D. Whitehorse
E. Fairbanks
F. Prudhoe Bay
G. Anchorage
H. Seward
I. Tok
J. Dawson City
K. Whitehorse
L. Prince George
M. Vancouver
N. Yellowstone National Park
O. Salt Lake City
P. Lake Tahoe
Q. San Francisco
R. Los Angeles
S. Las Vegas
T. Grand Canyon
U. San Diego
V. Ensenada
W. Tucson
X. Guadalajara