In Spanish, the word baño means literally bath, though it's often used to mean bathroom as well. So you really have to wonder what the intent was in naming that unfortunate town in California Los Baños. There was clearly no malice, however, in naming the resort town in Ecuador. Even though everyone just calls it … Continue reading Baños de Agua Santa, Ecuador – First Impressions
Our third volunteer position on our tour was tutoring English at the South American Language Center in Ambato, Ecuador, for 3 weeks. This consisted of spending 25 hours a week (each) having conversations with students, just so they would have a chance to practice English with a native speaker. We could talk about pretty much … Continue reading Life as a Volunteer: Teaching English in Ambato, Ecuador
Let's face it, we've often gotten an image of Latin American countries as dangerous places. Such impressions are rooted in long outdated events like civil wars, or in the Hollywood staple of the drug trade -- which does indeed exist, but rarely has a violent impact on ordinary citizens. In regards to Guatemala, the capital … Continue reading Guatemala City to Quito, Ecuador
All good things must end, which alas included our stay in San Pedro la Laguna. Finally the day came when we had to start making our way toward our next volunteer gig. And we couldn't stay with our new buddy Rene any longer, because he had a friend coming to town. So we said goodbye … Continue reading Detour to Antigua, Guatemala
Originally, we'd planned to spend 4 nights in San Pedro at the home of our rescuer Rene, which would get us through New Year's Day, and then we'd have more options about where to go until our next gig. But we soon developed such a fondness for San Pedro, Rene's home, and Rene himself, that … Continue reading Layover in San Pedro la Laguna, Guatemala
Let's be clear right up front: we've used Airbnb quite a few times, and have always been quite pleased with their service. And with one exception, we've never been unhappy with the hosts we booked with. (See our story about our stay near Naples, Italy.) But we've never encountered an outright fraud before. Until now. … Continue reading Getting Scammed (Twice) On Airbnb: How It Happened, How We Recovered, and How To Prevent It
Finally, the time came to report to our next volunteering position. While we've been enjoying our "down time" to play tourist, that's not really the purpose of this tour. We are volunteering our way around the world, and so we were glad to be able to get back to it. These girls are carrying cement … Continue reading Volunteering in Jaibalito, Guatemala
With a week to spend at an Airbnb in Santa Cruz la Laguna on Guatemala's Lake Atitlan, we had a chance to absorb the local color, which is a vibrant blend of trendy establishments catering to tourists and ex-pats, as well as a traditional native lifestyle, with a strong Mayan presence. And of course incredible … Continue reading A Weeklong Introduction to Lake Atitlan
We had an early morning flight from Cancun to Guatemala City; and from there, we had to get to the village of Santa Cruz la Laguna at Lake Atitlan in Guatemala. This was a long, rather complicated process with several hurdles to overcome. The first problem was just getting to the airport. As we've mentioned … Continue reading Getting From Cancun to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
So you have three days to spend in Cancun. What do you do with them? Most people who come here just head straight to the Hotel Zone, the tourist area along the beaches. But our AirBnB was more in the heart of the city; and while we certainly had an interest in seeing the beach … Continue reading Cooling Our Heels in Cancun
travel with a theatrical flair 