Pan-American Journey

An American odissey... A journey for the soul... Or an attempt to cross overland from southern Argentina to Halifax (Canada) in 10 month... Whatever you call it, this journey remains an adventure for a lifetime... Read more

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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Medellin
March 16, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C
Medellin... We never thought we would ever arrive here, especially in our own van, in this city so infamous just two decades ago. In the 90s and early 2000s, this city of four million inhabitants was considered one of the most dangerous places in the world, a battlefield for various guerrilla groups, paramilitary forces and drug traffickers. But many things have changed for the better... In February 2013, the Urban Land Institute chose Medellín as the most innovative city in the world due to its progress in politics, education and social development. This city is absolutely fascinating, an amalgam of modernity and historical relics, a young and dynamic city that is reinventing itself, a city still bearing the traumas and stigmata of the massive violence of twenty years ago.Read more
Florin Paun We wanted to visit this house museum but two things stopped me: 1) at the entrance an employee of the "private museum" that now belongs to his nephew started telling us how interesting this location is where "Mister Escobar" used to hide money and blah, blah... I asked her if Escobar was a good man. She says it's hard to give an opinion, but he did a lot of good things. Here I couldn't keep quiet and interrupted her by telling her that historically, thousands of people were killed on his orders... So he was a ferocious criminal. 2) The entrance fee of 30 USD/pers., wow, the nephew makes good money off his criminal uncle. Pass!
3/16/25Reply
Florin Paun Despite the atrocities committed, Pablo Escobar remains a controversial figure. When asking several people, from different social classes, what they think about Escobar, the answers are varied...
3/18/25Reply
Florin Paun Graffiti is one of the four pillars (along with rap, DJing and breakdancing) of Hip Hop culture. This graffiti is perhaps the most important in this neighborhood, a tribute to the locals who fell during "Operation Orion". In October 2002, President Álvaro Uribe ordered the army to carry out "Operation Orion", which took place in Comuna 13 and aimed to dismantle the urban militias. Unfortunately, the intervention of the armed forces and paramilitary forces that confronted the urban militias resulted in the deaths of a large number (certainly hundreds, the exact number is unknown) of civilians. Between 2003 and 2006, the demobilization of the remaining urban militias was completed, with over 3,000 former combatants laying down their arms.
3/18/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Beyond Medellin
March 20, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
After Tobias, who accompanied us for two weeks, left for Switzerland, we decided to stay three nights in a hotel in Medellin. And this is because the campsite in Medellin is far from the city and during the two days spent with Tobioas in Medellin we noticed that we had to waste too much time on the road. We chose the Hotel Bolivarianische Plaza, located in Laureales, a quiet and select neighborhood, with many restaurants frequented by locals. We left the caravan safely parked in the campsite Al Bosque, located about 25 km from the city center of Medellin.

In Medellin, as almost everywhere in places that are becoming popular with mass tourism, there are many "greenhorn tourist traps", that is, places that offer banal services but where you pay a more inflated bill than in Western Europe! One such area is the El Poblado neighborhood, a very trendy neighborhood especially for backpackers with money, where on the first day spent with Tobias in Medellin we paid for three Japanese soups (absolutely banal, no comparison to the soups in Tokyo) the equivalent of 50 USD. The price is absurd (even experts are wrong sometimes!), when you consider that on our first day in Colombia we only paid the equivalent of 8 USD for a rotisserie chicken with vegetables, french fries and a 1.5 L bottle of lemonade.

In Medellin we took part in a tour organized by a Spanish-speaking tour to the sights around the city. These tours in Spanish are much more authentic and cheaper than those in English. Plus you can practice your Spanish with tourists from all over Latin America... On March 19th we left Medellin and drove to the picturesque town of Santa Fe de Antioquia. There are few campsites or places where you can safely leave your camper in the area, but one such place is the Hotel with camping possibilities "Las Cabañas de Pino". Equipped with a swimming pool and all the necessary facilities, we spent two nights here visiting the sights in the surroundings.Read more
Florin Paun These entrees are filled with meat, vegetables or cheese. Very tasty. In general, this type of product is very popular in the northern part of South America.
3/20/25Reply
Florin Paun The hotel's spa area, which includes a sauna and a Turkish bath, can be booked free of charge for one hour per day. The hotel offers excellent value for money. After an intense day of exploring the city or the surrounding area...
3/20/25Reply
Florin Paun Many people think that life has to be glamorous to be good... What nonsense. Look, we went to a pastry shop, bought some local products and a bottle of Coke Diet, sat on a bench in front of the church watching this beautiful purple sunset. A fantastic dinner in an excellent setting!
3/20/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Caribbean Coast (1)
March 27, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
On March 21, after traveling over 16,000 km, crossing 7 countries (Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) in about 5 months, we arrived at the Caribbean Sea, in the small town of Necoclí. Seeing the Caribbean Sea, which, by the way, at least in this part has a color more of a greenish gray than the Caribbean blue that I often dreamed of when I planned this long journey, I felt an overwhelming emotion realizing that we had successfully crossed South America, from the now very distant Patagonia to the tropical landscapes with palm trees on endless beaches of the north of the continent. The Caribbean feeling is felt primarily not through the typical landscape, but through the dramatic change in climate. If until three weeks ago we actually used the heater for the last time at night, because we were still in the heights of the Andes, here, on the beaches of the Caribbean, the humid and overwhelming heat of the tropics is felt instantly, as soon as you open the door of the camper.

Driving relatively slowly along the Pacific coast from Necoclí to Cartagena, we spent the night several times in campsites or hotels located right on the beach. Once we arrived near Cartagena, we decided to take a break from the expedition and stayed three nights at the upmarket Aura Hotel Baru. After crossing the entire continent, three days of doing nothing is good!

As many of you probably know, although they have a land border, there is no road connection between Colombia and Panama. The Pan-American Highway is interrupted for about 80 km, unfortunately, this relatively modest distance requires complicated and financially expensive logistics with naval transport... The Ro/Ro ship from Cartagena (Colombia) to Colon (Panama) is scheduled for April 14 (the camper is sent by ship, we have to take the plane), we hope to go through all the customs formalities well and leave for Panama on time.

The route from Popayan to Cartagena, you can see here: https://mapy.com/de/zakladni?planovani-trasy&am…Read more
Florin Paun On March 21, after driving over 16,000 km, crossing 7 countries (Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) in about 5 months, we arrived in the Caribbean Sea...
3/23/25Reply
Florin Paun Pablo Escobar used to buy houses all over the place... These ruins are the remains of a monumental villa on Rosario Island. In the sea, about 200 meters in front of the house, about 10 meters underwater, there is the wreckage of a small plane that allegedly belonged to the famous mobster and crashed accidentally (?) into the sea.
3/27/25Reply
Florin Paun On the hotel property we found a coconut that had just fallen from a palm tree. We asked the owner if we could eat it, she said of course, the gardener will prepare it for us tomorrow morning. The next day the gardener opened it, poured the coconut water into a glass and gave us one coconut more, seeing how delighted we were with the quality of the fruit.
3/27/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Caribbean Coast (2)
April 3, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 29 °C
For the second time during this fantastic Pan-American trip we are temporarily "blocked". The departure of the ship that was supposed to transport our camper from Colombia to Panama has been postponed for the third time, we are only scheduled for April 21st. In about three weeks... Unfortunately, the departure of the RoRo ship also coincides with the Easter holidays, this coincidence may delay the departure even more. Before departure, two checks must be carried out (at the port authorities and at the anti-drug police) which, although we have appointments, can theoretically be postponed again...

We left visiting Cartagena, one of the most beautiful cities in northern Colombia, for the period before leaving for Panama. We scheduled (although we wished we hadn't stayed so long in Cartagena) a whole week in Cartagena, in case we had to react quickly to the requirements of the port authorities and to any changes in the transport ship's schedule. At the moment we are staying on the Caribbean coast in various locations, the atmosphere is layed back, there are many small resorts, forgotten fishing villages... Despite the fact that we can't leave for Panama as soon as we had hoped, it should be clear that it's not the worst place to wait two or three weeks! :)Read more
Florin Paun Although it is called a "Panama hat", the origin of this hat is actually Ecuador. They are still a highly valued accessory in Ecuador.
3/30/25Reply
Florin Paun A typical situation that no one could explain to me: a rusty truck, which can reach a maximum of 50 km/h, uses the second lane of the highway. Everyone has to overtake it on the right. The truck driver would not change lanes for anything in the world. And sometimes there are even more traffic jams, because even those who drive on the right drive at a reduced speed... Not to mention the stinking emissions, at least the motorcyclists should wear gas masks!
4/3/25Reply
Florin Paun The workers charged the equivalent of $10 to wash the inside and outside. It took over two hours... By the end, Nemo was sparkling clean. The best car wash I've seen in South America. I left a well-deserved two-dollar tip at the end.
4/3/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Tayrona National Park
April 9, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C
Tayrona National Park is definitely in the top 5 attractions to see in Colombia. It is a mixed national park, both terrestrial and marine, with great biodiversity, as well as an undeniable Caribbean flair. Although the park is on the "must see" list of tourist groups that arrive here but also of locals coming from Bogota or Medellin, the location has numerous possibilities to escape from the well-known and frequently visited routes. Here you can walk for hours on deserted beaches or listen to the sounds of the jungle without seeing other people. We stayed in this wonderful national park for six days.

Unfortunately, I have to tell you some bad news. We are currently seriously "stuck" in Cartagena, northern Colombia. The ship that was supposed to transport our camper from Colombia to Panama and was scheduled to leave on April 21st was simply canceled. However, we have a reliable port agent and are looking for other options, the best would be to place Nemo on the next ship that will navigate the Cartagena-Panama route. Another option would be Colombia-Mexico (in the Yucatan province; however, it also has many inconveniences). I hope we will have good news soon!Read more
Florin Paun Leaving the beach, I climbed the rocks and was delighted by this view of unreal beauty and wilderness. In front of this magnificence of nature, I was speechless. I never imagined that one day I would be able to see all these wonders...
4/7/25Reply
TravelerCiao Florin which camera do you use? Can I guess Sony rx10 m4? I see long range zoom and wide angle as well...
4/12/25Reply
Florin PaunCiao Alessio. I still use my Canon 80 D and my Canon EOS 700. With lenses 18-135 mm and respectively 70-300 mm. I always try to come as close as possible. You remember what R. Capa said: "If your photo is not good enough, you are not close enough". :)
4/12/25Reply
TravelerI know!!! Exactly true...
4/14/25Reply
TravelerTrue
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Cartagena (1)
April 16, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 32 °C
Unfortunately, we don't have good news regarding the departure from Colombia to Panama. For about two months, there has been absolute chaos with the departures of RoRo ships from Cartagena, ships that used to leave regularly for Panama once every two weeks have been canceled... That's why we have to stay (at least for now) in Colombia. We have a reliable port agent, Ms. Rodriguez, we were hoping that she could help us leave Colombia by sea as soon as possible. But so far, all we could get is a reservation for the RoRo ship only on May 27th... That is, in about 6 weeks... and only if there are no unexpected cancellations... :( We will probably have to change our travel route, because as time goes by it seems unrealistic to reach Halifax in Canada by land in September. We will come back with details.

Of course, despite this logistical difficulty, we will try to make an alternative program while we wait for the sea departure from Colombia. As we suspected and wrote in the blog at the beginning of this overland journey, although we have made many preparations for this trip, it will remain an adventure! An adventure that probably few people have the privilege of experiencing at least once in their lives...

In anticipation of the Easter holidays, we rented an apartment in the center of Cartagena. The apartment has all the necessary amenities (including AC!) and also offers the possibility of safe parking, right in the old city center. Cartagena is a former colonial city, the meeting place of three types of cultures: the local natives, the conquistadors and colonialists from overseas as well as the Africans brought against their will during the colonial period. That is why Cartagena has a strong Afro-Colombian character.Read more
Florin Paun If you search Google for photos like "African heritage Cartagena" you will find a lot of photos of these ladies carrying baskets of fruits and vegetables on their heads through the center of Cartagena... It must be said that these ladies are not authentic, they try to make money from tourists to pose with them or have their pictures taken. Inauthentic!
4/13/25Reply
Florin Paun A lady with a basket of fruit on her head saw me with my Canon camera around my neck... Suddenly she blocked my path, started singing and when she saw that I wasn't taking a picture of her, she started insisting that she had to be photographed... I told her: "Ma'am, I take real photos, not on stage. Plus, I didn't pay anyone to take the photos." She left me alone...
4/13/25Reply
Florin Paun We're afraid that others might be more pompous than us! This type of limousine is unimaginable as a prop for a successful wedding.
4/14/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Cartagena (2)
April 21, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
We have been in Cartagena for ten days, unfortunately so far we have not found another possibility to leave Colombia a little earlier, the reserved date is May 27th... But we were hoping to find a way earlier, we also contacted other port agencies. Until 2015 there was a normal ferryboat line between Colombia and Panama, the crossing was efficient and fast, the transfer back then cost only about 10%(!) of what it costs now, but unfortunately this line was closed...

On April 23rd we planned to fly to San Andres Island, an island in the Caribbean Sea that belongs to Colombia, but is located near Nicaragua. We booked the flight in such a way that we could return to Cartagena in one day, if there is a new possibility to leave earlier. This island (along with Providencia, located 2 hours away by motorboat) are excellent destinations for scuba diving and snorkelling. In addition, they are recognized as true tropical paradises without being degraded by mass tourism. Unfortunately, having our camper in Colombia, we cannot temporarily leave Colombia without Nemo the Blue Bus (customs regulations), so unfortunately we cannot make an alternative program that goes beyond the Colombian borders.Read more
Florin Paun A perhaps insignificant detail, like these painted ceramic tiles, indicating the names of the streets of Cartagena, makes you think that there was a time when everything went much slower... Quo vadis?
4/19/25Reply
Florin Paun A very exclusive shopping center, worthy of Zurich's Bahnhofstrasse. This part is like a Roman amphitheater and can also be used for performances.
4/21/25Reply
Florin Paun Although it displays some absolutely sinister instruments of torture, this building, now a museum, remains an absolutely fascinating place. The palace was completed in 1770, although the institution of the Inquisition had been present in Cartagena since 1640. Cartagena was one of three locations of the Inquisition in South and Central America (another location operated in Mexico and another in Lima, Peru). The museum offers a lot of explanation, not only about the institution of the Inquisition, but also about the history of the city and the social movements that led to the independence of Colombia. It is interesting to note that the Inquisition was only abolished after Colombia proclaimed its independence from Spain (1810). An interesting aside, in 2015, when Pope Francis visited the museum, the instruments of torture were removed, only to be put back after the pontiff's visit.
4/21/25Reply
TravelerSincer sa fiu nu inteleg logica comportamentului de a ridica si apoi de a reexpune artefactele ?!
4/22/25ReplyTranslate
Florin PaunPai le-au ridicat ca sa nu-l sperie pe papa cu tot felul de ustensile de tortura sinistre! Parca ma ardeau degetele sa fi pus 1-2 poze cu aparatele de despicat teasta, dar am lasat-o asa... Le-au pus inapoi, ca sa fie siguri ca platesc turistii pretul de intrare... Ca daca se numea numai "Muzeu de Istorie" nu se vizita suficient. :))
4/22/25ReplyTranslate
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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San Andres Island
April 25, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
On April 23rd we flew to the island of San Andres... San Andrés is a coral island located in the Caribbean Sea, about 200 kilometers off the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua. Along with the nearby islands of Providencia and Santa Catalina, they are also known as the Raizal Islands. There are many small hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops on San Andreas, but no monstrous infrastructure has been created here to be a magnet for mass tourism. Most visitors who arrive here are from Colombia and other South American countries. The island retains an authentic Caribbean character. Although the island is relatively small (12.5 km long and only 3 km wide), it is large enough to find places where you can enjoy nice and uncrowded beaches. If you like tropical landscapes, without unnecessary glitz and ostentation, then San Andres is a tropical island that you should definitely visit. Despite some coral damage through global warming, the coral reefs adjacent to the island offer excellent opportunities for diving and snorkeling.

Good news regarding the departure to Panama. After an intensive search (which Rahel did on the internet!; the port agent did not know about this ship, she only offered us the variant of May 27th...), we found a Norwegian Ro/Ro ship that will depart for Panama on May 11th. The ship was originally announced for May 7th, but was postponed by a few days... The port agent is currently doing all the necessary formalities for the departure. I hope that this ship will not be postponed indefinitely or even canceled, because otherwise we will have to give up Central America, which would massively disrupt the schedule of this exceptional journey along the Pan-American Highway...Read more
Florin Paun This hotel is located in the "capital" of the island. I stayed here for two days before flying to Providencia Island. The atmosphere here as well as the rustically decorated room reminded me of the many hotels and guesthouses during our first great overland journey from Singapore to Hong Kong (4 months, 2004). O tempora!
4/28/25Reply
Florin Paun The southern part of the island is very rural. The so-called "developers" who create infrastructure for the masses of tourists who take advantage of cheap mobility have not arrived here. Locals offer rum and coconut drinks in these makeshift shops on the beach. They may also offer fried fish for sale. To be honest, these small shops seemed dubious to me. I did not order anything here...
4/29/25Reply
Traveler Simpatic desen 😘👍
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Providencia Island
April 29, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
Providencia Island... A volcanic island located less than 100 km from San Andres Island. To get here from Cartagena you absolutely have to fly to San Andres first and then take a plane to Providencia. Wow! A tropical island that really suits our taste. Quiet, wide beaches, sometimes deserted and not invaded by the type of tourist who consumes Latin pop and ethanol in excess. The traffic on the island is practically limited to scooters (we rented one too), if you go around the island by scooter (approx. 15 km) you will probably see no more than three cars coming from the opposite direction. The largest hotels have no more than 15 rooms. In addition, there is the possibility of diving at about a third of the prices in the Galapagos Islands! If anyone is still wondering why Providencia is so untouristy despite its exceptional Caribbean beauty, there are several aspects to consider: 1) to get here from Europe or the US you have to change at least three planes, complicated logistics. 2) there are no large, concrete bunker-type hotels. 3) there is no concept of beach partying/drinking until dawn. 4) the lack of infrastructure for the masses means the island is not on the radar of major tour operators.

Because we need to quickly return to Cartagena if necessary (Nemo's departure to Panama is currently scheduled for May 12th, but RoRo ships never have reliable schedules), we only stayed on Providencia Island for three nights. But this island is a fantastic place where you can spend two weeks without getting bored... The highlight of our stay in Providencia was diving with many reef sharks around us. A unique and absolutely incredible experience!Read more
Florin Paun Providencia Island offers good diving opportunities. The prices are reasonable compared to the highly advertised locations. We chose this scuba diving shop run by Sandra (a former nurse from Switzerland) with her Colombian husband.
5/1/25Reply
Florin Paun Propeller plane, ATR 42-500. It was very smoth and somehow romantic.
5/2/25Reply
Florin Paun Incredible dives! I was very happy, but also very proud to quietly film these incredible, elegant, yet fearsome creatures.
5/2/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Back to San Andres
May 2, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C
On April 30th we returned to San Andres, where we spent three nights before returning to Cartagena for good. As a conclusion to the ten days spent in these true Caribbean paradises (San Andres and Providencia Islands), I can say that if you want to see authentic Caribbean places off the beaten tourist trail, these places can be highly recommended.

In the meantime, we are back in Cartagena, where we are staying in a rented apartment, and Nemo is safely parked in the courtyard of the building. The good news is that on May 15th we have the final confirmation for the Cartagena - Panama transport ship. I must say, however, that organizing this transport cost us a lot of time and nerves. In fact, Rahel did a better job than the port agent, finding with a lot of work on the internet, with 100 emails, 20 phone calls and endless patience a Norwegian company that has very regular connections with Panama and that the port agent did not even consider. There were some difficult moments when we even contemplated the possibility of returning to Uruguay or even to Europe, because finding a viable Cartagena - Panama ship seemed impossible... But ok, I hope to leave Colombia for good on May 15th, unfortunately at least 5 weeks later than we would have wanted and planned. At the moment we are busy with some absurd logistics, because the camper has to be sent almost empty (rules..., transport from Europe to Uruguay was allowed with clothes and many other personal items). Yes, truly an adventure! :)Read more
Florin Paun Coco Loco is a Mexican cocktail that can be enjoyed almost anywhere in the Caribbean, with each country having its own recipe, which always uses rum milk and coconut water. In the case of the island of San Andrés, Coco Loco is made with three equal parts vodka, tequila and white rum, lime juice and coconut cream. Yes, in San Andrés it is very “strong”. We shared one and we had enough alcoholic drinks for the whole evening. The green drink is one of my favorite soft drinks, the refreshing “Limonada de Herbabuena”.
5/5/25Reply
Florin Paun With a coral reef about 60 km long, the San Andres coral reef is the third largest in the world, after Australia (of course the "Great Barrier Reef") and Belize. Navigating these areas by boat is not exactly easy. However, the possibilities for quality diving and snorkeling are numerous...
5/9/25Reply
Florin Paun We rented a moped and used it extensively. With its help we were able to explore very local areas, which do not attract tourists. In the second part of the video, several ladies are seen taking selfies in a "scenic" area. Being very busy with selfies, they tend to block traffic...
5/10/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Bye bye Colombia!
May 14, 2025 in Colombia ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
Dear friends, after about ten weeks in Colombia and more than six months in South America, it is time to say goodbye to this fascinating continent. I have no words to describe the fantastic experiences and extraordinary moments we have had in the last six months. In total, we have drived our camper 17,638 km in South America, visited 7 countries and drove 376 hours (average speed 47 km/h). Our Pan-American journey continues with Central America...

Tomorrow, May 15, we will fly to Panama, and Nemo, the Blue Bus, will leave for Panama this evening on the vehicle transport ship Porgy. We are a little tired after the work and nerves spent in the last weeks; we have been intensively looking for a possibility to transport Nemo to Panama. Not only is it not easy to find a ship, but also to avoid the numerous traps... Well, now everything is fine.Read more
Florin Paun Mortars as effective short-range artillery were first used as early as 1453 by the Ottomans during the siege of Constantinople. This model was used mainly against ships. It is noted that the poor quality of the steel is compensated by the immense thickness of the firing barrel.
5/10/25Reply
Florin Paun Winter clothes (very useful during our time in the Andes, but absolutely useless in Central America) and a few other useless items were packed and sent home via DHL. It is worth mentioning that although we have very few possessions (our “house” has an area of less than 10 m2), we did not lack anything on this trip... What I have been observing for years is how absurd man is, collecting all kinds of things that he does not use. I believe that to be truly happy in life you need good health (especially mental!), free time (i.e. not being forced to “dance” only as the consumer society wants, as well as in some cases a not very intelligent family), a few tools (here I would include Nemo the Blue Bus) and a few resources that cost almost nothing, for example playing chess, drawing, playing a musical instrument, the love of knowing and understanding the world... The rest is just background noise...
5/11/25Reply
Florin Paun Colombians are very warm, communicative and curious people. While we were preparing the crate for transport, we started talking to other customers, as well as the salesperson at the counter. We briefly explained to them the journey we were making. They were very enthusiastic, and when we parted ways they shook our hands warmly. Including the salesperson at the counter! We have encountered this behavior very often in South America and in Colombia in particular. If we ask ourselves why Western society has become so depressed, false, rigid, suffocated by its own compulsions and on the verge of “burnout” induced by the very system we have created, the cure probably lies, at least in part, in reviewing the way we communicate with our fellow human beings.
5/11/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Panama City
May 19, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C
On May 15th we finally arrived in Panama. Only us, Nemo arrived two days later on a transport ship. He is now in the Port of Manzanillo from where it must be released through other bureaucratic formalities that consume not only time but also money... The sea transport of the vehicle is the most unpleasant and expensive part of this journey. We hope that in a few days we will release Nemo from the port authorities and continue our journey overland.

Panama City seems quite strange at first glance, a kind of hybrid between the US, the Gulf states and the Latin American world. The currency is USD, and many of the financial policies of the services are American, for example, the prices of restaurants in tourist areas are displayed without taxes and without mandatory tips. Of course, if you use local bodegas or fast food chains, these policies do not apply. The skyscrapers, the numerous malls and the highways of Panama City remind me of Kuwait and Qatar. The atmosphere of the streets is Latin American, although the people seem much less communicative and talkative than Colombians or Argentines. Outside the cities you are practically in the jungle. A land of contrasts between skyscraper skylines and dense tropical forests...Read more
Florin Paun While waiting for Nemo to arrive in Panama, we stayed at the Hotel Decapollis Panama City for four nights and rented a car to explore the surroundings. In this city, a car is absolutely necessary, especially since many attractions are far from each other and public transportation seems to be not very reliable.
5/17/25Reply
Florin Paun The monument was inaugurated in 2004. Police forces are very present in the city and on the roads of Panama, for example here on the left of the image.
5/19/25Reply
Florin Paun Panamá Viejo (English: "Old Panama") is the remaining part of the original Panama City, the first Spanish city founded on the Pacific coast in 1519 by the Spanish conquistador Pedro Arias Dávila. The city was the starting point for the expeditions that conquered the Inca Empire in Peru. It was a crossing point on one of the most important trade routes in the Americas, leading to the fairs of Nombre de Dios and Portobelo, through which most of the gold and silver that Spain extracted from the Americas passed. The city was destroyed in 1671 by perhaps the most famous "pirate" Henry Morgan after which it was practically abandoned. A new city was built in a more favorable defensive position nearby. It is interesting to note that although Panama Viejo had only about 10.000 permanent inhabitants, the city had no less than nine places of worship: churches, cathedrals or monasteries.
5/19/25Reply
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Pan-American Journey Florin Paun
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Colon & around
May 22, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
After visiting Panama City (located on the Pacific coast), while we were still waiting for the formalities to be completed for the pickup of the motorhome in the port of Manzanillo (near Colon, on the Caribbean Sea), we visited the excellently preserved Spanish colonial fortifications of Portobello and Castillo de San Lorenzo. Both fortifications are located near Colon.

Two important logistical details: 1) although we have a van in the Caribbean, it is difficult to sleep in the car. The humid heat at night is sometimes unbearable. Room wit AC is almost a must. We will spend many nights in motels and hotels, which are abundant and have absolutely reasonable prices. In the mountainous areas you can camp without any problems, you are not exposed to intense heat. 2) although we had planned to end our overland journey in Halifax, Canada, we will probably stay in Central America until September-October and send the car to Europe from Vera Cruz (Mexico). Although the USA and Canada are also interesting, we will leave them for a later trip, now traveling more slowly through the Latin American world. Of course, a lot can change in the coming months, but for now this is how we plan our trip.

Finally! Nemo passed all the customs formalities and we took him back on May 22nd. It's wonderful to have our own van, it's wonderful to drive through little-known worlds, we're living the most beautiful adventure we've ever imagined... Sometimes we feel like two teenagers running away from home on the Panamericana...Read more
Florin Paun In nature, most bromeliad species are found in rainforests, particularly in the tropical and subtropical regions of South and Central America, where they are native. In forests, some species grow terrestrially on the ground, but most grow epiphytically (they grow on other plants but do not feed on them; they are not parasitic) on trees.
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Florin Paun I spotted this insect while inspecting the cannons in the following photo. This specimen was no more than 2 cm long.
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Florin Paun The Chagres River flows into the Caribbean Sea. This point had to be well defended, as the Chagres River was one of the transportation routes for the riches collected by the Spanish crown from its vast empire.
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Misty mountains, deserted beaches
May 28, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
We spent the last week hiking through the abundant nature around the small town of Santa Fe and then exploring the beaches at Punta Duarte. In Santa Fe, the mountain climate makes it easy to sleep in the camper, so we camped here on the property of the hotel of the same name. In Punta Duarte, we found a great little hotel next to a deserted beach. This place, which can only be reached by a stretch of unpaved road, is a real gem, far from the masses of tourists who love summer activities. Although the hotel is fully booked in high season now, in the off-season it had only us as guests.

Unfortunately, we must mention the first losses recorded through theft. The caravan's tracker, which automatically records the position but also all the engine operating parameters and which can be accessed online from Switzerland, was most likely stolen during transport from Cartagena to Panama. I say probably because I don't have clear evidence, but the last data transmitted was from the port of Cartagena, exactly the night the caravan was moved by a dock worker from the port parking lot onto the Ro/Ro ship. I only noticed after more than a week that it was missing, it was well "hidden" under the cockpit... In addition, in Santa Fe a teenager probably stole my "Bolivian" baseball cap. After the rain I hung it on a wire to dry. Although it was just am old cap, for me it had sentimental value, being the gift a campsite owner gave me when we parted ways in La Paz. :)Read more
Florin Paun I asked the lady in the picture if she would agree to me taking her picture. She happily accepted. I really liked her attitude, smiling happily.
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Florin Paun The hotel owner, a German lady who has lived in Panama for over twenty years, greeted us with a big smile. It was off-season, so there weren't many tourists. We found this hotel by searching on "booking,com" and also watching a video on YouTube by a well-known blogger. Usually, in the off-season, when we have time, we don't book through "booking", but we stop by the hotel to ask if they have off-season deals. In this case, the owner doesn't pay commission and can therefore offer a good deal. In this case, the owner offered us the best room (normally 125 USD/day) for only 80 USD/day. We stayed here for two nights. The hotel is excellent, the view is fantastic. We were the only tourists, we had a huge beach just for ourselves...
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Florin Paun We tried to reach the top of Cerro Tute, not very high (1041 m elevation), from the starting point being an altitude difference of only a few hundred meters. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm turned us off the road when we were quite close to the summit.
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Hiking & Nature in Boquete
June 2, 2025 in Panama ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C
The mountain town of Boquete (altitude 1200 m) has a wonderful climate, where you can escape the sometimes oppressive heat of the coast and lowlands. The town has many attractions around: waterfalls, bird watching (including hummingbirds), coffee plantations and hiking trails through the mountains. During the four days spent in Bouquete, we took many walks on jungle-covered mountains and enjoyed the cool nights, meaning you can sleep without any problems in the camper.

On June 3, at the time of publishing this step, we had already left Panama and were in Costa Rica. The two weeks spent in Panama were very interesting, although it is not on the list of well-known tourist destinations, this country offers some fine historical attractions, but above all the possibility of contact with an incredibly varied nature and fantastic tropical jungles. The nature is amazing, in many places in Panama after leaving the city you are practically in the jungle. The atmosphere here is international, there are many expats attracted to these places thanks to the low prices and high standard of living.

The itinerary through Panama can be seen bellow:
https://mapy.com/en/zakladni?planovani-trasy&am…Read more
Florin Paun The caravans in the picture are just parked there, currently uninhabited. In total, there were a maximum of three campers in the entire campsite.
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Florin Paun Barú Volcano is an active stratovolcano and the highest mountain in Panama (3,475 m). On a clear day, both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea can be seen from the volcanic cone. Unfortunately, at this time of year, the cone is often covered in dense clouds. Although we were unable to reach the summit of the volcano due to poor weather, we enjoyed an excellent walk in the jungle at its base.
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Traveler Wonderful tree
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Corcovado National Park
June 7, 2025 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
On June 3rd we left Panama and here we are in Costa Rica. Crossing the border between the two countries is relatively quick and efficient, with the formalities taking about an hour. As our first destination in Costa Rica, we chose Corcovado National Park. This national park is located on the Pacific coast, about 150 km from the Panama border, and is recognized as a place of exceptional wilderness and beauty. We had planned to stay here for three days, but finding the opportunity to rent a small villa in the middle of the jungle at a price that in Europe you rent a room in a hotel with lots of noisy beer drinkers and poorly behaved children in the pool, we decided to stay here for no less than six nights. Being in the off-season, we were practically alone, with four of the six nights spent here being two other visitors in another villa. I have no words to describe how peaceful, beautiful and wild this national park is. Truly a dream place for nature lovers!

There are miles of trails around the resort, through the surrounding jungle. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on your adventurous spirit and physical abilities, the trails are very poorly maintained (the last maintenance dates back to before the coronavirus outbreak). On most of the trails you feel like Indiana Jones, and the risk of losing your bearings in the dense rainforest is extremely high. We used a Garmin Adventure GPS to navigate efficiently, this small waterproof device being an exceptional tool for serious hiking in areas with poor orientation. As usual when possible, we try to do our own activities and trails, without guides or organized groups. There are also organized group tours in the national park, but apart from the fact that they have exorbitant prices, I don't think they can show you more things in a few hours than our intense and long hikes.

The fauna we observed is unusually rich for a tropical rainforest. Although we weren't able to photograph them, we were able to observe rare species such as the jaguarundi (a species of wild cat), the kinkajou, the squirrel frog, and the giant cane toad.Read more
Florin Paun Geisha is a variety of Arabica that has gained worldwide recognition for Panama as the best and most expensive. It is considered the "Champagne of coffees". The coffee is organic, hand-selected and microwave roasted. A real delight! We bought it in Panama. In a discount store it costs 17 USD for 200 grams, quite expensive, but an incredible coffee.
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Florin Paun This butterfly has a different color on each side of its wings. When it sits on the ground it looks like a small dead leaf, but when it flies the posterior side of its wings is a bright light blue. Despite my efforts to photograph it in flight, I was unable to do so. :)
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Florin Paun The resort was very well designed. For example, the trees by the pool produce fruits that toucans like, and the groves are full of flowers that attract hummingbirds with their nectar. Fantastic! And in the distance, the Pacific (Golfo Dulce)...
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Parque nacional Los Quetzales
June 11, 2025 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C
Costa Rica is a dream destination for those who love nature, spectacular and wild landscapes, as well as adventurous jungle treks. Despite its relatively small size (about 50,000 km2), Costa Rica is one of the countries with the highest biodiversity in all of Latin America. Interestingly, since 1948, Costa Rica has abolished its army, and the money saved has been spent on education. Costa Rica is the first tropical country to stop and reverse deforestation. The country is very clean, incredibly clean compared to other Latin American countries. And another important detail: according to statistics, this country spends about 6.9% of its budget on education, compared to a global average of 4.4%. Yes, indeed, the fact that a lot is spent on education is evident when you travel through Costa Rica.

Los Quetzals National Park covers only 50 square kilometers and has limited facilities, a small ranger station and a single, extremely mountainous and narrow main road. It is one of the best places to see the magnificent quetzal bird, which lives in the mountain cloud forests. We spent three nights in this magnificent location, doing beautiful hiking despite the rain that disrupted our plans for several hours each day. We were lucky enough to even see four quetzals (two females, two males), but taking a picture of them was absolutely impossible. The greatest reward was the experience of hiking on mountain trails through the cloud forests, contact with absolutely fantastic nature, undisturbed by mass tourism.Read more
Florin Paun Although it doesn't seem very unstable, crossing these bridges, some of which have not been repaired for years, is something adventurous. :)
6/12/25Reply
TravelerSi cine trece primul pe pod ? Sau care este testul pe care il faci atunci cand il traversezi?
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Florin PaunAi credinta domnule!!! 😀
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Traveler🤣🤣🤣
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Cartago & around
Jun 15–18, 2025 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 22 °C
Costa Rica continues to delight us with spectacular natural landscapes, jungles of the most varied types and an exceptional biodiversity. But what I find truly fantastic and which cannot be captured in photography are the interactions with the people. There is a big difference between the restrained coldness of Western European human interactions and this authenticity, talkativeness and spontaneous warmth of the inhabitants here. Every country or region of the world has a slogan. Sometimes it's just an empty phrase or some kind of slogan that has no connection to reality. Costa Rica's slogan is "pura vida", meaning pure life. Wow! It's not a slogan, it's a way of life, a reality that can be observed in the people I met here. They intensely enjoy the generous nature around them, the simple and beautiful things in life, their family, the friends with whom they spend a lot of time outdoors. Of all the countries we've visited so far in Latin America, Costa Rica is the country where we would imagine retiring as expats when we retire...

Next to the park where the ruins of the Church of Ujarras are located, there is a parking lot guarded at night by a security service. If you wish, you can stay overnight in a caravan, there are no restrictions here. We spent two nights here. In the morning we woke up to the sound of birds singing. A phenomenal place, far from the daily hustle and bustle of earning money to pay taxes and rent... There are also a few houses around the parking lot, a few residents who saw us waved and smiled at us, An elderly gentleman with a bicycle asked us where we came from and how our trip was so far. He wished us a good trip, it was obvious that our presence did not bother him, on the contrary. Wow! In Switzerland (and not only!) if you stop at a so-called "private" parking lot, a restaurant for example, a stupid owner immediately appears, he either wants money or wants to throw you out immediately. In its ignorance, the Western world believes that if you own properties you are rich and happy...Read more
Florin Paun I have to admit the attraction I have to visiting abandoned places, ghost towns or rusty industrial facilities as the decades pass. This TB sanatorium built at the end of the 19th century operated until 1973. It is now converted into a museum.
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Florin Paun This large room was where the nurses stayed. As you can see, the walls were covered in graffiti when the building was abandoned. Today, the walls can no longer be covered in new graffiti, as the ruins of the building have been turned into a museum (admission 8 USD /person).
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Florin Paun The ruins of this cathedral are located in a wonderful park, full of special trees and flowers of the most varied. The cathedral was abandoned at the end of the 18th century, because the area where it was located was a swampy depression infested with malaria. In the meantime, many things have changed...
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San Jose & around
June 18, 2025 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C
On June 18th we visited San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. While it is by no means my favorite city in Latin America, it is not a place where you will be bored if you have a day or two to spare. The city is clean, has a neat appearance, and is clearly more upscale than other cities in this part of the world. Before visiting the capital of Costa Rica, we spent a day in Tapanti National Park. Although we did not see any spectacular animals in this national park (a tapir on the side of the road while driving to the park), we did take a challenging hike and saw many beautiful birds, insects, and plants.Read more
Florin Paun Not only what you see, but also meeting and interacting with special people makes this overland trip fantastic! On the way to San Jose, the last stop was at the "finca de los maestros", where we stayed for two nights and met Mireya, the owner of the place. Mireya, a very talkative and nice person, is also the cook of the restaurant (especially on days when there are not many customers, being the only employee), but also a writer. She wrote a book about the Costa Rican concept of "pura vida", her book has also been translated into English and can be purchased on Amazon,com. Since the campsite only had cold showers, we asked Mireya if we could take a hot shower. She offered us her own bathroom. There are numerous diplomas on the walls, most of them from courses she has completed. A special person!
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Florin Paun According to the explanations on the explanatory board, to be complete this work of art must have a man sitting in front of the wings.
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Florin Paun The gate is narrow (car width plus 10 cm), you have to close the rearview mirrors and it's best to enter backwards. But when parking in narrow spaces you can see the true driving master, on the highway anyone can! We spent hier two nights.
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Sloths Paradise
June 21, 2025 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 24 °C
In the department of Limon, located on the Caribbean Sea, we found a fantastic place with extraordinary people. This place is not on the list of the big tour operators or in Lonely Planet, because then it would probably collapse due to mass tourism... It is a private natural park with a house, a large terrace that also serves as a bird observatory and a parking space that can accommodate three campers. It is a fantastic location, which certainly earns a place in the top 10 locations that we liked most so far along the entire length that weˋve traveled... In the private rainforest, large enough to get lost, you can walk as much as you want. The garden of the house has a lot of flowers, fruits, avocados, a beehive and many fruit trees. Since many of the trees here are the favorite food source of sloths, these slow and fascinating animals can be frequently seen around. Additionally, in the garden with tropical plants and ponds we saw and photographed numerous species of tropical frogs. The photos & videos speak for themselves!Read more
Florin Paun I will always say it, it is not the animals you saw and the places you visited that make the experience memorable, but first of all meeting and interacting with special people. The so-called "hospitality industry" is (almost) always just a business without hospitality, an industry designed to make money off stupid consumers. Luis and Jose, without charging us an extra fee, offered us coffee, fried bananas and homemade cakes daily. Free! Expect this in a European or American hotel...
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Florin Paun For a modest price (20 USD / Person, obviously much cheaper than the price charged in places where the "sheep-type" tourist rushes to make reservations for so-called "activities") Jose offers 2.5 hour tours in his own forest. The tour was excellent, not only what he could show you was interesting, but also the explanations about the plants and animals.
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Florin Paun Before the Corona epidemic, Jose worked as a driver for a tour operator. During the epidemic, losing his job, he decided to transform his forested property into a fantastic natural park where sloths can roam freely, where you can see many species of birds as well as the famous beautifully colored Central American frogs. Indeed, he succeeded!
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Vulcano Arenal & Monte Verde
June 24, 2025 in Costa Rica ⋅ 🌧 22 °C
Leaving San Jose and heading towards the Nicaraguan border, we passed Arenal Volcano and Monte Verde, two places heavily promoted by travel agencies and very popular with backpackers and organized tours. La Fortuna, a town that lives only from tourism, so much so that the locals complain that you can't get a coffee cheaper than three dollars in a local bar, didn't make a good impression on me. Everywhere there were local travel agencies that do nothing but gather clients for tours that they don't organize themselves, of course for a commission. This is Costa Rica of the "get your guide" type, not the "discover yourself" type. We admired the surroundings a bit and moved on...

The points of interest on this stage were the Hermosa hot springs (a favorite place for Costa Ricans, especially on weekends), a visit to a Swiss cow farm near Lake Arenal, and a hike in a “cloud forest” near Monte Verde. Unfortunately (we have bad luck with volcanoes!) the weather did not allow us to climb Arenal Volcano. Of course, if the weather had been favorable, we would have climbed it with Garmin GPS alone (it is not a very difficult climb), not with groups of 15 selfie-taking snapshooters.Read more
Florin Paun This is a typical attraction for Costa Ricans. We rented a cabin here for one night.
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Florin Paun This city is one of the most touristy places in Costa Rica, the town seems flooded with tourists coming for so-called "activities" with gringo prices. The restaurants are full, but no locals. It is definitely not an authentic place where you can learn something from the "pura vida" philosophy. We took a tour of the city, about 30 minutes, then continued on our way...
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Florin Paun In Costa Rica, if you go to places frequented by tourists, the prices could be exorbitant! For example, a beer imported from Germany (Franciskaner, 500 ml) costs no less than 9 USD! We refrained from drinking beer, we only bought 2 pastries.
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Pacific beaches & departure
June 29, 2025 in Costa Rica ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C
The last area visited in Costa Rica were the Pacific beaches on the western side of the Nicoya Peninsula. Without a doubt, very beautiful places, vast beaches, which despite the numerous resorts and promoted water sports maintain an authentic character. The area is very quiet and very safe, you can camp near the beach without any problem (camping on the beach is strictly prohibited in Costa Rica). It should be noted that there are numerous expat communities, especially from the USA. In some supermarkets (Walmart for example) over 50% of the buyers seem to be expats.

The last stop in Costa Rica was at Camping Cañas Castillo, where we spent two nights before crossing the border into Nicaragua. Although we had heard a lot of stories about how difficult it is to cross the border with your own car in Nicaragua, we cannot confirm them. In 2 hours and a quarter we finished the formalities, the border officers were as professional and polite as possible. A worker applying the entrance fee even charged us less (5 instead of 15 USD), saying that "the truck fee is 15 dollars, but your truck is small, so we only charge 5 dollars, like for a pick up truck". At the time of publishing this step, we are already in Granada, Nicaragua. Without a doubt, a very interesting city, in a country that, although devastated for decades by civil war, has made exceptional progress in terms of safety and tourist infrastructure. Two years ago we would not have thought that we would be visiting Nicaragua with our own expedition vehicle.Read more
Florin Paun This type of "activity" has become popular in the last twenty years. Unfortunately, many licenses are also given to greenhorns who have no idea about diving, obviously without talent, but they pay whatever they are told... On the other hand, you have to be careful when choosing a shop. Because this industry can produce a lot of cash, many scammers open their own diving shops!
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Florin Paun After entering the shop and chatting for a few minutes, I asked the guy on the right how much a dive costs. He gave me an inflated price. I replied: "Listen, we're not parrot tourists who come for activities, but experienced overlanders. If you offer a normal price, I'll go diving...". The price offered was 40% lower than the original one! :)
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Florin Paun We did two dives of 45 minutes each (unfortunately you can't do an hour - that's the rule here... On the first dive I had 50% air left in my tank) near the rocks at the beginning of the video. Visibility wasn't great, but the mantas, as you can see towards the end of the video, usually only appear when the plankton concentration is high (synonymous with poor visibility).
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TravelerWow, a great place to dive. So many different fishes!
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TravelerWas it s black tip reef shark at beginning of the video?
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Florin PaunYes, I think so.
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Granada
July 1, 2025 in Nicaragua ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
Dear friends, here we are in Nicaragua, the tenth country visited on our Pan-American trip! The first city we visited in Nicaragua was Granada, a colonial city with lots of interesting buildings, a lovely market and a pedestrian area with numerous restaurants and bars, it clearly exceeded our expectations.

Granada, the third largest city in Nicaragua, is located about 50 km south of the country's capital, Managua, on the western shore of Lake Nicaragua. The city is built in colonial style and has a fascinating history. It was founded in 1524 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. During the colonial period, Granada was one of the most important ports in Central America, with trade links to Cartagena, Guatemala, San Salvador, Panama and Peru. Transport routes for this growing trade crossed Lake Nicaragua and further along the Río San Juan to the Caribbean. Several attacks by pirates, including the famous Henry Morgan, also left their mark on the city...Read more
Florin Paun You can't understand a country by taking stupid selfies instead of interacting with the locals. Unfortunately, the stupid consumers take 1000 selfies and book tours in advance, motivated by the fear of missing out.
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Florin Paun Those cables are terrible, stretched in all directions! But still, this is the best viewpoint...
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Florin Paun A visit to "Isletas", on Lake Nicaragua. Since we were the only tourists on this trip, we had a private trip.
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Managua and Esteli
July 3, 2025 in Nicaragua ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C
Nicaragua, the tenth country we visited during our Pan-American trip, surprised us both very pleasantly. Very good roads, two very interesting cities with colonial architecture and a complicated historical past (Granada and Leon), very good food and beer at absolutely moderate prices, plus we met many welcoming people who were curious to interact with tourists.

From Granada, on July 1st, we took an organized day trip to Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. We chose to take a tour rather than go on our own, because the attractions in Managua are very spread out and it is difficult to park a van. Since we were the only tourists registered for this trip, it was, so to speak, a private trip. The guide, Freder, is a very knowledgeable guy, who explained to us in detail the history of the city and the revolution that ended the Somoza regime. Returning to Granada, we took a short city tour with Freder the next day (it was a bonus he offered). Heading towards Leon, we chose the mountain route that passes through Esteli, a town very famous for its cigar industry. Here we visited a cigar factory, not with an organized tour, but simply by asking at the entrance of a factory if they could give us a short tour. The tour was free and I can say that it was an interesting experience.Read more
Florin Paun Esteli is famous for its many cigar factories. We stopped in front of a gate and asked the porters if we could visit the factory. They in turn asked a boss... She said yes and with a companion we took a 20 minute tour of the factory. When we left we asked if we could buy 2 cigars. The boss offered us two cigars for free.
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Florin Paun The National Palace of Culture, commisioned in 1935 is one of the oldest buildings in Managua, the capital city of Nicaragua. For more than 50 years, the National Palace housed the National Congress of Nicaragua. Today, it houses the National Library, as well as the National Museum. The National Palace was one of the few buildings that survived the 1972 earthquake.
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Florin Paun The film is a summary of our trip to Managua. The new cathedral, built after the 1972 earthquake and present at the beginning of the video, looks more like a concrete bunker than a cathedral.
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Leon & crossing Honduras
July 8, 2025 in Honduras ⋅ ☁️ 32 °C
Leon, a city with imposing colonial architecture and also the capital of the Sandinista revolution, has been Granada's great rival throughout history. Granada is considered to have had a conservative policy, while Leon had a liberal one. We stayed in Leon for three nights, with our caravan in a parking lot with water and toilets. We really liked the city, as did Nicaragua, which we considered a surprise that exceeded our expectations. Going from Leon to the Pacific coast, which is only twenty kilometers away, we spent our last night in this country in a cozy hotel on Las Penitas beach.

On July 7th, right after breakfast we left the picturesque Las Penitas and headed for the Honduran border, located about 80 kilometers away. It was a busy day, at the Honduran border... We arrived around 12:00 and we only crossed into Honduras at 17:00. We were not scanned suplimentary (a scanner search can lead to at least two if not three hours of additional delay) but it was a busy day, among other things a group with many people belonging to the "traveler to the land of dreams USA" type clearly slowed down the flow of travelers through customs. First impressions of Honduras are rather unpleasant. There is quite a lot of garbage and plastic deposited along the roads. This reminded me of Peru, yes Peru without tourists, in Cuzco and Machu Pichu everything is cleaned. We stayed overnight in a hotel in the city of Choluteca, 40 kilometers from the border we had just crossed.

The only major tourist attraction we wanted to visit in Honduras was the excellent Mayan site of Copan. But realizing after research that the 500+ kilometers to Copan for various reasons could not be done in less than 3 days, we decided to cross the border with El Salvador after only one night in Honduras, and possibly see Copan as an excursion from Guademala, near whose border it is located. So on July 8th we left for the border with El Salvador which we crossed in only 75 minutes. Here we met the most efficient and polite border officers so far. So, I can say that our experience in Honduras is limited to one night in a hotel and a distance of about 130 km between the Nicaraguan border and El Salvador. Maybe we will return from the north so we can visit Copan.Read more
Florin Paun The cathedral's construction lasted from 1747 to 1814, maintaining its status as the largest cathedral in Central America and one of the most famous in the Americas due to its distinctive architecture and great cultural importance. It expresses the transition from baroque to neoclassical architecture and its style can be considered eclectic. The cathedral is the third largest in Latin America, after those in Guadalupe (Mexico) and Lima (Peru).
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Florin Paun I can say that the visit was very interesting, and the guide was extremely knowledgeable and skilled. He told a lot about the revolutionary heroes, the Somoza regime, and the civil war, without saying anything about the current leadership of the country. Of course, we asked a few questions, we talked about the relations between the Cuban and Nicaraguan leaders, but we did not open up the topic of current politics.
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Florin Paun We spent one night here, the only one in Honduras. Here I must mention that the comrade at the counter reminded me of the communist workers from my childhood. Not very interested in serving customers. The only difference between her and the former comrades would be the intensive use of her mobile phone.
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