I reached the Mexican border by the grace of two Guatemalan truckers. The first was an outgoing family man, talkative, at the end of his shift, who dropped me at strategic intersection of comedors and rumbling trucks heading towards the Mexican border about 20 km distant. There I was picked up by the second trucker.... Continue Reading →
Todo norte 8. El Salvador to Antigua Guatemala
Props to the guy who took this photo for me. Wow. El Salvador was the easiest, by far, country to hitchhike in that one could imagine. I was hitching north along the Pacific coast, which is reminiscent of California's famous Pacific Coast Highway, when suddenly, a trucker stopped, played me some sweet Salvadoreño Christian... Continue Reading →
From Nicaragua to El Salvador in a day: canyoning, a truck ride, and a “soft mugging” (Todo Norte 7!)
Distance covered: Somoto, Nicaragua to El Amatillo, El Salvador I awoke in Somoto, Nicaragua and caught the 6:45am bus to Somoto Canyon, where I entered the park barefoot with my drybag containing my rock climbing shoes, helmet, and not much more. I reached the river, crossed and smoked the last of my marijuana and hash,... Continue Reading →
Todo Norte resumes! San Jorge to Nindiri, Nicaragua (todo norte 5)
Note: I just hitchhiked on mescaline all day from Nindiri up to Somoto, Nicaragua. First time hitchhiking on psychedelics. Hitchhikeadelic is now... real. And shit got real. That post will be tomorrow. But this is part 5 of my hitchhiking trip from Panama City, Panama to... todo norte! Actually I have a wedding to attend... Continue Reading →
Full brain transplant – 7 weeks with no phone
I’ve been without a phone for 7 weeks now. It’s been, in a word, transformative. At first I was uncomfortable not being able to take out the phone at any moment. I used to take it out at least 20 times a day. You sit down in a social area, a restaurant, a bar, chances... Continue Reading →
¡Todo norte – Hitching Panama to Alaska! Part 4: now I’m a yoga teacher
I've said it before: things are getting WEIRD ever since I went phoneless. The first few days were hectic. This was a month ago. I left Boquete to find my friends in the jungle of Limones, and, because I rely on my phone for everything, I was unable to find them for a full 24... Continue Reading →
¡Todo norte – Hitching Panama to Alaska! Part 3: Peñas Blancas, Nicaragua to Ometepe
A note on photos... my phone is broken, so I have no photos of Nicaragua, but I will acquire them when possible. Still, an article needs a featured photo. Gotta draw people in. So for now, please accept this sexy photo of me and a cool dog admiring the balsamic rock of Boquete, Panama. And... Continue Reading →
¡Todo norte – Hitching Panama to Alaska! Part 2: Panama City to Tamarindo, Costa Rica
This is Part 2 of a series, ¡TODO NORTE!. You might want to read the brief Part 1 about hitching out of Panama City. Ok, now I am in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua, and I can properly describe the events of the last few days. As I was saying in the last post before... Continue Reading →
¡Todo norte – Hitching Panama to Alaska! Part 1: Panama City to Tamarindo, Costa Rica
¡Todo norte! Or... California, at least. I just hitched from Panama City to Tamarindo, Costa Rica for three days. My hitching partner, a Canadian named Cat who just quit her job to travel Central America, likes to tell people with a wicked smile that we are going all the way to Alaska. And we might!... Continue Reading →
Hitchhiking a yacht down the Panama Canal
We were eating lunch at anchor when someone spotted the crocodile (or cayman) swimming slowly by. I gawked at it with the rest of my crew. That's a bit scary - I thought - I was swimming in this water earlier this morning! Even scarier, perhaps, is the fact that minutes earlier I had been... Continue Reading →