Guatemala is pretty cool.



Crossing the border here was very easy and not much harder than getting into Mexico. It actually took much less time than the Mexico crossing, but it would have been hard/intimidating if you don't speak spanish.

If you get a chance go check out Tikal... It's amazing!

I know you're doing a fishing trip, but it's well worth exploring!

Is this Lake Atitlan?

Yup, we just spent a few days in Atitlan. Gorgeous place. Went to the market in Chichicaltenango today and now am in Antigua, which is also gorgeous.

I am definitely planning on going to Tikal, Copan, and Lamanai ruins on our way back north. For now I am headed down the pacific side. Marlin fishing on the coast in Guatemala in a few days, and then cross over to El Salvador to go surfing.

Tarpon and Snook on the Atlantic side near Turtogero in Costa Rica is great. Not sure if you will be near there. Also ran into some Permit there as well. It was great fishing both in the river and outside of the inlet. Tons of Howler Monkeys all up and down the river along with Crocs.

This is great.
Keep us up on the wost hassles
and best surfing.

I'm in Apaneca El Salvador right now. The worst hassle was definitely crossing the border into El Salvador, but even that wasn't a big deal - it took almost 2 hours to fill out all the paperwork to bring the truck in, but it only cost $5.

The best surfing of the trip has hands down been El Salvador. The coast west of La Libertad is break after break of perfect waves. There are some crowds, but people are friendly and localism is confined to a few waves so it is manageable. It would be a wonderful week trip to fly to San Salvador, take a bus to Playa El Tunco, and surf your ass off. We also surfed Sipacate in Guatemala which was an ok beach break, but the place creeped us out. There was absolutely no one else there, and at night the "hotel" staff vanished and armed guards patrolled the area. We layed in bed staring at the ceiling during what sounded for all the world like a 2 hour gunfight, though in retrospect it was probably mostly firecrackers and a few people plinking away at cans on the beach.

By far the best day of the trip for me was in Iztapa Guatemala. We caught 6 sailfish on conventional tackle, and then I caught 2 more on a fly rod. Nothing has prepared me for what that would be like. Watching these huge beautiful fish launch out of the water like a rocket is amazing.

Volcano boarding in Nicaragua:


So I drove over the Bridge of the Americas over the Panama Canal into Panama City today. It feels really good to have made it all the way down here - I was never sure that I would be able to keep it together through all the hassles to get here.

The El Salvador/Honduras border crossing at El Amatillo was really bad - avoid it(everyone i've talked to has had a problem there, and i guess its considered the worst border crossing in central america). I got the big time third world intimidation/shake down experience there, but got through it for $160 and 3 hours. The Honduras/Nicaragua border at Guasale was also unpleasant on the Honduras side - that country has really screwed up immigration officials. Had to pay a small bribe here in Panama to keep my truck from being searched(which would have taken hours), but not such a big deal.

Best surf has definitely been El Salvador - the area west of La Libertad is incredible, and has some of everything. Nicaragua is great too and uncrowded. Wish I had more time to really explore all the breaks - you could spend a lifetime exploring beaches in Central America.

That looks like a blast. Way to go.

The Panama Canal is a must see site if you ever get the chance. Pretty amazing watching huge freighters navigate the locks and then head down a narrow channel into the jungle. This is the Miraflores locks control station with the masts of a large sailboat transiting the locks.