Change of plans!
Well, I am somewhat drastically altering my original plan to continue down to Panama and fly back from Panama City. I am actually catching a flight from Managua, Nicaragua back to Florida this afternoon, where I will spend a few days with my brother and his family before flying all the way back to Colorado on Thursday. But - lest those of you who wish me to remain gone longer despair - I am only coming back to Colorado for a day or two, pick up my car, and then taking the classic “All American Road Trip” to destinations as yet undetermined, ultimately putting me back in south Florida on June 19th to meet my brother, cousin and family friend for our annual golf weekend. Then I’ll drive all the BACK to Colorado and leave from there for Buenos Aires on July 1st with my friend John. A mindscramble, I know.
Bullet style A’s to expected Q’s:
* Mostly I decided that after my time on the beautiful Corn Islands, I was ready for a change of scenery - and my next few planned Central American destinations (Bocas del Toro and other places in coastal Panama) were actually very similar to the Corn Islands in terms of culture and attractions (the general sun and snorkel etc of a Caribbean island).
* Also, there’s a little bit of drama going on down here in Nicaragua in terms of transit - all the bus, shuttle, taxi drivers etc are on strike and there have been reports of entire buses being pulled over at road blocks and passengers left out to dry by the side of the road. And that doesnt sound like fun, so unless I was willing to sit at this Best Western by the airport in Managua and wait out the strike, this seemed like another good option.
* Yes, I know gas is $4/gallon back in the States. Oh well.
* I don’t know for sure where I am headed on this trip - but right now my most likely itinerary seems like heading from CO up to the northeast coast (maybe as far as Maine), and then down the coast ending up in Florida, with lots of stops to see friends and family along the way.
* Yes, its a bit sad leaving Central America already - but also, its really hot down here and I haven’t had a good deli sub in 3 months.
* Yeah its a bit of a crazy and unpredictable change, but somehow when I started thinking about the idea - it just seemed like the perfect way to end (well, not end really with Argentina looming but you know) my journey. And considering after this crazy trip I will be chained to whatever new job I can find for a few years in order to save up money again, it might be one of the last times for a few years that I can visit distant friends and family.
Hope everyone is well - and certainly if you are reading this from someplace in the US where there is a couch for me to sleep on during my road trip, let me know!
–Wil
p.s. last batch of Nica pics now posted:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24262488@N05/sets/72157604731113541/
1 comment May 13, 2008