Medellin
16 Maret 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☁️ 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 wasBaca selengkapnya
Beyond Medellin
20 Maret 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☁️ 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 andBaca selengkapnya
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.
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...
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!
Caribbean Coast (1)
27 Maret 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☁️ 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 townBaca selengkapnya
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...
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.
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.
Caribbean Coast (2)
3 April 2025, Kolombia ⋅ 🌬 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 postponedBaca selengkapnya
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.
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!
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.
Tayrona National Park
9 April 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☁️ 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 CaribbeanBaca selengkapnya
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...
PelancongCiao Florin which camera do you use? Can I guess Sony rx10 m4? I see long range zoom and wide angle as well...
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". :)
Cartagena (1)
16 April 2025, Kolombia ⋅ 🌬 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 thatBaca selengkapnya
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!
Florin PaunA 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...
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.
Cartagena (2)
21 April 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☁️ 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 wayBaca selengkapnya
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?
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.
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.
PelancongSincer sa fiu nu inteleg logica comportamentului de a ridica si apoi de a reexpune artefactele ?!
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. :))
San Andres Island
25 April 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☁️ 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 islandsBaca selengkapnya
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!
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...
Providencia Island
29 April 2025, Kolombia ⋅ 🌬 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.Baca selengkapnya
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.
Florin Paun
Propeller plane, ATR 42-500. It was very smoth and somehow romantic.
Florin Paun
Incredible dives! I was very happy, but also very proud to quietly film these incredible, elegant, yet fearsome creatures.
Back to San Andres
2 Mei 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☀️ 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 andBaca selengkapnya
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”.
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...
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...
Bye bye Colombia!
14 Mei 2025, Kolombia ⋅ ☁️ 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 fantasticBaca selengkapnya
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.
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...
Florin PaunColombians 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.
Panama City
19 Mei 2025, 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 bureaucraticBaca selengkapnya
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.
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.
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.
Colon & around
22 Mei 2025, 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 theBaca selengkapnya
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.
Florin Paun
I spotted this insect while inspecting the cannons in the following photo. This specimen was no more than 2 cm long.
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.
Misty mountains, deserted beaches
28 Mei 2025, 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 inBaca selengkapnya
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.
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...
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.
Hiking & Nature in Boquete
2 Juni 2025, 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,Baca selengkapnya
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.
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.
Corcovado National Park
7 Juni 2025, Kosta Rika ⋅ ☁️ 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 firstBaca selengkapnya
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.
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. :)
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)...
Parque nacional Los Quetzales
11 Juni 2025, Kosta Rika ⋅ ☁️ 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 isBaca selengkapnya
Florin Paun
Although it doesn't seem very unstable, crossing these bridges, some of which have not been repaired for years, is something adventurous. :)
PelancongSi cine trece primul pe pod ? Sau care este testul pe care il faci atunci cand il traversezi?
Cartago & around
15–18 Jun 2025, Kosta Rika ⋅ 🌧 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 capturedBaca selengkapnya
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.
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).
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...
San Jose & around
18 Juni 2025, Kosta Rika ⋅ ☁️ 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. TheBaca selengkapnya
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!
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.
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.
Sloths Paradise
21 Juni 2025, Kosta Rika ⋅ 🌧 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, becauseBaca selengkapnya
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...
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.
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!
Vulcano Arenal & Monte Verde
24 Juni 2025, Kosta Rika ⋅ 🌧 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 organizedBaca selengkapnya
Florin Paun
This is a typical attraction for Costa Ricans. We rented a cabin here for one night.
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...
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.
Pacific beaches & departure
29 Juni 2025, Kosta Rika ⋅ ☁️ 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 andBaca selengkapnya
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!
Florin PaunAfter 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! :)
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).
Granada
1 Juli 2025, Nikaragua ⋅ ☁️ 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, aBaca selengkapnya
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.
Florin Paun
Those cables are terrible, stretched in all directions! But still, this is the best viewpoint...
Florin Paun
A visit to "Isletas", on Lake Nicaragua. Since we were the only tourists on this trip, we had a private trip.
Managua and Esteli
3 Juli 2025, Nikaragua ⋅ ☁️ 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 complicatedBaca selengkapnya
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.
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.
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.
Leon & crossing Honduras
8 Juli 2025, 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 conservativeBaca selengkapnya
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).
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.
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.
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!
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...
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.