Ok ok ok! I’m not supposed to be planning. But that doesn’t mean I can’t stockpile a list of interesting things as potential plans, does it? I’m leaving Haiti on February 19th and then I’m off to Australia for a couple of weeks for a wedding and some crazy catchup parties. I will be back in Miami on March 9th with nothing set in stone but a vague interest in heading to Central America for a look around.
I’m not really interested in hitting major sites or sitting on a beach as I’ve sort of lost interest in travelling of late. I’m more interested in doing something like volunteering, studying Spanish, WWOOFing, going to major sporting events or festivals, working in a hostel or a bar, learning a new skill, or even puttering around the area on a bike and couchsurfing along the way. I don’t care where I start and don’t care where I end and I don’t really have a time limit at this stage.
So if anyone out there has something for me, anything at all, leave a comment with your suggestion and I’ll check it out. Thanks!!
I’ve made my own stockpile of ideas of what to do in Central America – and mine are more along the lines of hang out on beaches and that type of thing….I just have to mention though that I think if you get there before I do you should visit the San Blas (Kuna Yala) islands of Panama and report back to us on one of your sites.
Carnival somewhere in CA would probably be pretty good too.
We’re in the boat, having just decided to go next to Central and South America. I’ll be checking back here to see what other people recommend.
We’re planning to start our journey with intensive Spanish courses (living with a host family) in Quetzaltenango/Xela, Guatemala. There seems to be a million language schools to choose from there, but I’ve heard great reports from the people who went through them (compared with programs in Antigua). The one at the top of my list now is http://www.casaxelaju.com/ – Christine (Almost Famous) recommended it.
Good luck and enjoy the wedding in Australia!
a few amazing things you can do in south america:
- Dune buggying in genipabu park, brazil – not sure if you can still do that, couldnt find a website about that…
- Paragliding from the top of angel falls, venezuela
- jungle training in peru (www.jungletraining.com)
- go off-roading in chiles atacama desert
im sure this will keep you busy for a while and will get you awesome pictures
I was going to recommend San Blas (Kuna Yala) as well.
Easter in Antigua is great, but accomodation hard to find during Semana Santa. Avoid Costa Rica during the Easter week.
If you don’t care where you end, hitching a ride on a yacht from the Panama Canal to the Galapagos Islands and possibly on to French Polynesia or even NZ would be a cool option. Obviously this would mean some time offline.
The language schools in Guatemala are supposed to be great (and neutral in the regional-accent department).
Study the history/arts/politics of the region. There are plenty of museums/galleries/universities, and the region is very dynamic in all three!
There are quite a few organic farms in Costa Rica that seem to be looking for volunteers (the last time I looked…).
The surf is great there – but watch out! If you catch the surfing bug you may start looking for excuses to travel primarily to countries with good waves…
Bay Islands, Honduras has some of the cheapest scuba diving training in the world. All-levels.
San Ignacio, Belize has some superb caving. Actun Tunichil Muknal is an unreal experience.
If you want to study Spanish, better do it soon rather than later. Going to a language school is an option, but this could be expensive and often it’s really grammar-focused (and therefore pretty dull).
Instead, you could a short-intensive course where you’re pretty sure it won’t be totally grammar-focused, live with a host family and do some work with natives. Along with input in your spare time (audiobooks, music, movies, television) this could become good fun.
Hey Kirsty, I have a few central American schools listed on my site.
Become a licensed bounty hunter
http://www.google.is/search?hl=is&q=become+a+licensed+bounty+hunter+miami&btnG=Leita&lr=
I spent a week in Guatemala in January, I hiked up an active volcano (Volcan de Pacaya) and roasted marshmallows over lava. That was by far the highlight of my trip, if you go near an active volcano and haven’t been before, I’d highly recommend a hike up. It’s especially nice to do in countries where safety laws are lax, so you can get up close.
It’s a long shot but I was just wondering if Audrey ended up attending the Spanish immersion program? I’m thinking of heading to SA and an immersion program is the first thing on my list of TODOs.
Nathan, just to let you know, my husband and I are starting our Spanish immersion program on March 16 in Xela, Guatemala through Casa Xelaju. We plan to do two rounds of three weeks. Check my website for updates on how it goes or send me an email there.
Hi Kirsty,
Just came across your site and thought I’d say hi…We’re leading similar lives…:-) I’ve been out in Latin America for 5 months now, studying Spanish and travelling down to Ecuador from Guatemala where I am now. Before that I was in Sydney for 2 years and Northern Thailand for 3 years.
If you’re still heading this way, send me and email as it would be good to meet up….I’m currently studying Spanish in Cuenca, Southern Ecuador.
I’ve also been doing some podcasting as I’ve been travelling around which you can find on my blog – Earthoria.
Good luck!
Tom
Kristy,
Costa Rica can soak up a tremendous amount of time. We’ve made several trips there and some things that come to mind:
Tortuguero – northeast coast, accesible only by boat. Turtle nesting is in late summer and hatchlings make their run to the sea in November. Even if you go in the non-turtle seasons, the eco-touring of the area is worth the trip.
Arenal Volcano and Arenal Lake – fishing on the lake, trek to the top of the volocano, relaxing and hanging out at the hot springs.
Monteverde Cloud Forest – tremendously interesting ecology. If you drive there, make sure you get the four wheel drive vehicle – I think they keep the road bad on purpose to discourage traffic.
Dominical – south west coast. Supposed to be a great surfing desitination. We were there in the off season before the surfing season started. Not much going on, except for the San Miguel bar and grill, which made for the getaway I was looking for.
Poas Volcano – an easy day trip from San Jose, you can do it on the way to Sarchi. Check and make sure its open – there was damage to the area after an earthquake in January 2009.
Canopy tours and white water rafting are some great activities in the central interior.
GC