I made it!

I’m alive! I didn’t die of loneliness, shark attack or fall off Machu Picchu!

A year ago I couldn’t fathom how far I would come in just one year. It’s been incredible.

It also occurred to me that most people have only been reading for the last six months. This is actually great because the site was awful the first six months, I’m lucky that I didn’t lose my own mother during some boring posts.

So thank you for not reading.

While I can’t rewrite history, I can retell my story by sharing the links and the real story along the way.

I took this photo the day I arrived, not the best but shows my excitement.

Mexico

It was an eventful Day 1 with the airline losing my backpack and me realizing there wasn’t as much English in Cancun as I had expected.

The first ten days were incredibly tough and I flip-flopped between being lonely and excited. I was traveling at lightening speed and felt foolish for not knowing Spanish.

I ate street food because it was the easiest to order and I downloaded a bunch of Spanish podcasts started practicing on the buses.

Is Cancun the real Mexico

Where did I sleep last night?

A bowl of awesomeness: sopa de lima

How do I get to Chichen Itza before the tourists?

Must-try street food in the Yucatan

Belize

Truth is I came here to chase a boy but it was lame and so was my impression of the country. I fantasized about a Latin experience and everyone spoke English here so I left after a week.

Do not go to Belize City

Have you met Bryan?

Guatemala

It’s unfair to travel here after Mexico. Mexican food is just too amazing and Guatemalan is just ‘meh’ so I followed my stomach and headed back to Mexico.

When you should get a tour guide

Mexico – Again

I had such high hopes for Oaxaca and planned to stay a whopping week, but the food was so good I stayed ten days.

In hindsight I needed a month. I was so lonely here. There was no one in my hostel and my Spanish was so weak I could not connect with locals.

Lovely but lonely Oaxaca

Have you met Whatsherface

Guatemala – Again

This was the first time I met up with a group of girls my age. It was fun and finally I was not alone. I slowly started to let people in and became more outgoing.

Only the lonely

Climbing Pacaya Volcano

The long road to Lanquin

Getting to nirvana before it’s gone

Honduras

One of my least favourite countries.

My ex came to visit and I was disappointed it was so dangerous and wished I could have shared the friendliness of Mexico or the beauty of Honduras.

He was impressed with how much Spanish I had picked up in seven weeks. I had no idea I had learned so much.

Reunited and it feels so good

How to choose a dive shop in Utila

Four things you must eat in Honduras

Photography burnout in Honduras

Nicaragua

Although the ex visiting was great it was two worlds colliding and I struggled on which one to be in.

I was slowly turning into an experienced traveler. I knew how the chicken buses worked and could get around on more Spanish.

I stayed with the Balmacedas while staying in Leon and they became my family.  Each night we watched Donde Esta Elisa? with them and was drawn to the stability.

I cried when I left Nicaragua.

The difference ten years makes

Should I have gone to a cock fight?

A tale of two cities: Granada vs. Leon

Five foods not to miss in Nicaragua

Getting robbed in San Juan del Sur

Panama

I had to rush through Panama as my family had booked tickets to visit me in Ecuador. I didn’t mind as the country seemed fulled of retirees.

When I look back I have fond memories and I’m worried foreigners will ruin it.

Will it rain in the rain forest during rainy season

When a coffee grower decides to go organic

Why I didn’t see the Panama Canal

Moving on up to Avenida Central

Colombia

After a leisurely sail from Panama to Colombia I arrived in Cartagena and took a series of buses over 72 hours to get to Ecuador. I would never do this again, especially as I learned later it is less expensive to fly.

Ecuador

South America was a new beast and I had four days to get comfortable in Ecuador before my mother and sister arrived.

It broke my heart when my sister was robbed her first day. I wanted them to have a great time and I had to withhold my own fear so I wouldn’t worry them. It was incredible to have them participate in the journey.

Guinea pig also tastes like chicken

Welcome to the jungle

The Otavalo artisan market

Getting steamed in Banos

Colombia – Again

After the ex leaving in Honduras I knew to be prepared for the emotional low of my family leaving. I sought solace in Colombia, a country everyone raves about.

It didn’t work.

I hit my six month mark and was miserable. I wanted to go home.

Instead I wrote the 12 things I hate about travel. The comments and support from readers saved me. I realized I wasn’t alone and the blog took a dramatic shift. I started writing about how I felt instead of what I saw.

In Colombia I learned to dance and to love South America. I found new friends, Couchsurfed and the country started to feel like home.

The ethics of being robbed

Are the police always your friend

Why I broke my backpacking rule

How good is airport security in Colombia

Ecuador – Again

I planned to whiz through the country but arrived in Cuenca to the largest festival each year. I made amazing friends and ate so much pork.

Eleven authentic Ecuadorian eats

How to watch football like an Ecuadorian

Peru

I cried on the bus, wiping my tears and nose with my scarf and fell asleep from exhaustion. When I woke up I felt strong and independent.

Northern Peru was incredible but my heart was in Ecuador so I went back for Christmas.

My first love affair in Peru

How to make Peruvian ceviche

5 Reasons to visit Northern Peru

New Years Eve before we burned our effigies

Ecuador – The third time

I came back for Christmas and stayed a month. It felt like coming home and in the comfort and security of Cuenca I made the toughest decision of my life.

I only left because my visa expired.

Would you buy a $500 turkey. AKA Have you met Andres?

Parades are for suckers, unless you want to change the world

Yellow panties and effigies for New Year’s Eve

With the Hare Krishnas proving I could do manual labour if I really wanted to.

Peru – Again

This time I didn’t cry. I learned to hold on to the memories and be grateful for the experience.

I hung out with the Hare Krishnas, worked at a hostel finally realized I hated hiking and got pelted with green paint, likely because I said I hated the Irish.

I don’t know what kind of meat it is but I want to eat it

There’s no pouting at Machu Picchu

A smile saves a solo traveler

Chile

The landscape of Northern Chile has really touched me. Here I met Coca who showed me a side of Chile that most people don’t get to see and then I was able to spend my last few days in luxury with Tierra Atacama.

Embarrassed to be Canadian

Photography makes us crazy

The Chilean desert is fattening

When prosperity comes from passion not money

I’m excited what the new year has to bring.

It’s amazing that it has taken a year but I finally call myself a writer. Support from the traveling blogging community, emails from strangers, my financial advisor, and childhood friends keep me motivated to push on and do more.

Which is why to celebrate this year of change this week I am going to share the two most difficult posts I’ve ever written:

1) The year I walked away from love.

2) After a year of travel, am I happier?

Incredibly difficult to write but I know they will be rewarding to publish.

I hope you will stick with me for another year.

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Happy Anniversary to Me is a post from: Bacon is Magic

I’m sailing to Colombia and I’ve had a lot of time to the boat to reflect about everything I’ve learned in the last 4 months with travel in Central America (and Mexico).

Not every post can be a great piece of literary work but I have learned a few things through Central America travel in the last 4 months that I’d like to share, in no particular order:

1. Pigs and dog can be best friends.

2. Chacos are worth it; $5 flip flops on cobblestone streets are crippling.

3. I could eat beans every day.

4. Do not go to Belize City.

5. Getting out of your comfort zone to be friendly to another traveler always pays off (exception to the rule is Whatsherface).

6. I like pickled pigs feet.

7. Orange Crush/Fanta/Mirinda makes me feel like a kid again, in a good way, not in the devastated way like when I spilled it on my mother’s new couch when I was 8 and thought I was the worst daughter in the world.

8. Smiling at immigration officials makes border crossings much smoother.

9. Traveling has its extreme highs and lows. Traveling alone means sometimes you are lonely.

10. Traveling alone is liberating. You’re more approachable to both locals and other travelers.

11. There are so many ways to cook a pig. I do not like all of them, particularly chicharron.

12. The number of women traveling solo in Central America is outstanding.

13. Selling water in small baggies makes a lot of sense and rids the world of a little less plastic.

14. Parks are the hub of any city. Although these are developing nations, there is free wifi. Strange juxtaposition.

15. People have poor cell phone manners everywhere, is there a culture that understands you don’t need to shout into the phone?

16. Even with the gringo tax Central America is cheap.

17. There are lots of traveling vegetarians in Central America and even a few vegans. They sadly miss out on delicious pork.

18. Americans get a bad rep. I’ve met a lot of nice ones, mostly Californians,  that could change people’s ugly perception if they were less intimidated about saying they were American.

19. Israelis seem to be overtaking the prize for the worst reputation. I’ve heard many negative comments about them being selfish, juvenile partiers. Seems to be only as a group as I’ve traveled with a couple and had no issues.

20. I did not need to buy expensive traveler clothes. Although I do love my zip off pants, which are so convenient for the cold buses.

21. I wish I had taken a smaller backpack; instead of 65L I could have easily managed with 45L.

22. Drinking water from a tap is a luxury.

23. Shorts are a western phenomenon. Local women dress “conservatively” to avoid catcalling. This means wearing jeans in hot weather paired with a tight-fitting, cleavage revealing tank top. Boobs are okay;  knees are not.

24. You need to know Spanish to travel in Central America.

25. I’m looking forward to what South America will teach me.

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25 things I learned from traveling in Central America is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Not knowing what to expect when I entered Nicaragua, I hoped for new additions to my Central American favorite food repertoire.

Immediately I noticed that refried beans were replaced with gallo pinto, and cabbage and yucca were much more prevalent.  With an obvious absence of American fast food chains I was able to easily find great Nicaraguan food:

Nacatamales

Excited to see the Nicaraguan take on tamales, I previously dedicated an entire post about them.

They are corn-based like Mexican tamales but they are not homogeneous as each bite may contain a number of ingredients from green peppers to olives, raisins and chiles.

Gallo Pinto

A mixture of rice and beans (appearing above in breakfast), most Nicaraguans eat this almost daily and it is considered a national symbol.

It’s delicious but I ate this so often that after a few weeks I asked if I could have my rice and beans “separado”  for some variety.

Vigorón

Originally from Granada, you can find this everywhere from street vendors to house parties. Traditionally a plate is covered with a part of a plantain tree leaf, then topped with yucca, pork, chicharrón (fried) and a cabbage and tomato salad.

Although I’m a pork lover and pork on pork sounds amazing, I have to admit I don’t really like chicharrón as it seems too salty and crunchy.

Hamburguesas

Hardly unique to Nicaragua, but they do make a mean hamburger and for a dollar its hard to pass one up on the streets of Leon.

Oscar insisted there was only one good place to eat them, which was actual steak as the ground beef ones are often mixed with filler; but whatever that filler is, it’s tasty.

Quesillo

Originally from León, it’s a simple dish but so tasty that restaurants are dedicated to selling only quesillos. They say that the best are found on the highway between Managua and Leon, but I had them and did not notice a difference from those sold on the street in Leon.

A piece of cheese (which is named quesillo) is placed on a tortilla. Pickled onions, cream and salt are added to the top. My advice would be to ask for “poco crema” as they are unnecessarily generous with the cream.

You can also get these rolled up and in a plastic bag, as we did for my 33rd birthday, a nice added touch was the chile sauce our vendor added which cut the excess cream flavour.

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Five foods not to miss in Nicaragua is a post from: Bacon is Magic

I was once robbed in Vietnam. I was in Saigon and fresh off the bus from Cambodia, a scooter with two guys passed me and cut off my purse taking $12, my DSLR camera, debit card, visa card and passport.

I was lucky as the Canadian Consulate gave me a new passport within days and I was traveling with someone who paid for everything for the remainder of the trip.

I do believe everything happens for a reason and I knew that robbery was preparing me for this trip. I knew I’d be robbed again. Perhaps more than once.

I didn’t think it would be in Nicaragua.

On a clear night, Andres and I went to the beach to sit and watch the waves. The tide was out and the water was calm. Suddenly, I noticed something over Andres shoulder. A guy grabbed my camera, with my change purse attached.

Looking up we saw two more guys demanding money. Everything happened pretty quickly and while they had a knife I wasn’t afraid. I knew they weren’t going to hurt us, they were just 3 guys from town trying to get a few bucks from tourists.

This time I lost my point and shoot camera and 3 dollars. They also managed to get only one of my beloved Chacos as Andres had the other, which seems a shame as now no one can wear them.

Afterwards we just walked back to the hostel, oddly enough through the beach and joked if someone else tried to rob us how would we explain we had nothing. We went to bed and slept soundly. Neither of us were scared. Getting robbed in Nicaragua wasn’t so bad.

The next morning I found out that the girl in the bunk below me was also robbed the night before. Later I learned seven other people in the hostel individually had the same thing happen. Some on the beach, others near the beach on the street.

As San Juan del Sur is small and pretty inexpensive, no one has much money on them and no one fights over a few dollars. We’ve all just seen the knife and handed money over. I have insurance, things can be replaced, it won’t ruin my trip.

But just as Vietnam is one of my favorite countries, Nicaragua remains close to my heart.

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Getting robbed in San Juan del Sur is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Day 94: Ometepe, Nicaragua

Ometepe is a must-see tourist attraction in Nicaragua. Its name means two mountains due to it being twin volcanic islands in lake Nicaragua. Some say it’s overrated and others, overwhelmed with its beauty, stay much longer than they expected.

I’d love to tell a fantastic story about how I climbed the volcano, swam in the crater lake, struggled against all odds and realized my true potential.

But I did none of these things. I enjoyed the island by sitting on a hammock, enjoying great company. I didn’t kayak or hike or swim. I just relaxed.

All was not uneventful, on the way back from a fish dinner, I walked beneath an infinite sky along a road lined with fireflies. I had never seen fireflies before and I’ll always remember that night.

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Too Lazy for Ometepe is a post from: Bacon is Magic

I met Andres on the ferry from San Jorge to Ometepe. As he boarded the ferry, people immediately started talking about him. You see there is a hierarchy amongst travelers and the ones who choose the most difficult path are on the highest echelon.

So in the world of backpacking, Andres is the equivalent of a rock star.

Andres introduced himself and we were in awe as he explained he was cycling through Central America; we had been sitting on a bus for the last few hours, tired from the heat alone. He was seeing countries in a way we could never experience on the chicken bus.

In theory I think it would be amazing to cycle anywhere, but the reality is that it’s a lot of hard work, especially in the hot sun. I’m a complete novice at nature and have come to realize it just may not be my thing.

When I asked about the low points he said it’s times when riding uphill and questioning why he’s doing this. But this occurs for only a moment as he’s often met by a local or child, struggling to catch up so they can bike along with him.

It’s strange because in the real world everyone on the ferry had little in common but we were united by the need to travel. Andres works at Yosemite and is into climbing and the outdoors.  Dana, one of the girls on the ferry is 14 years younger than me.

In the real world we would have never met, yet on the road we all quickly became friends.

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Have you met Andres? is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Day 89: Leon, Nicaragua

While it’s true that I fell in love with Leon, the reason I chose to stay over three weeks instead of the 5 days originally planned was because of a very special family. After 3 months of traveling you really start to feel like a transient person with no real connection to anyone or anything. I was starting to feel travel fatigue and a sense of somewhat being lost.

Everyone raves about staying with a family while taking Spanish classes and I had no idea how much it would change my experience. I’m leaving this family feeling sad because I don’t know when I’ll see them again (fingers crossed their gay friend gets married in Toronto) but also reenergized. It was really great to be part of a family that is clearly so close and tightly knit. Each of them were so wonderful and I have so much to thank them for:

Lilliam
Who told me the first day that “mi casa es su casa” and welcomed me far more than a host mother was required to do. She taught me how to make fijoles fritas and watched Donde Esta Elisa? with me. She was so incredibly patient as I frequently told her that I didn’t know/understand most of what she was saying but managed to make sure I always ate dinner.

Douglas
Who invited me out for a car ride the first night with the family so I could see the city, he pointed out the major sites and then went to the rich neighborhood to look at the mansions. Douglas always spoke very slowly so we had a lot of nice conversations about the differences between Canada and Nicaragua. I learned a lot about the culture from him. The last night he gave me a hat he wore working in the mountains because when I climbed Cerro Negro I foolishly had a massive burn and he wanted me to have some kind of protection.

Johana (far left)
My translator much of the time when I had no idea what the family was trying to ask me. Her love for all things Twilight makes me smile as I learned that even though our countries are so different, teenagers are the same everywhere.

Francis (second from right)
Who was home during the days healing from surgery to remove her appendix, I spent the first few days watching television with her and she shared what music was popular in Nicaragua. She has a great sense of humor, although a lot of the time I think she was making fun of me. She reminded me a lot of my younger sister when we were kids.

Esmerlada and Oscar
A young married couple, these two were really great friends to me. Before they moved into their home they stayed in my room and the second day I was there brought a fan for the room because they knew it was insanely hot.

Oscar taught me a lot of Spanish because he always corrected what I was saying, even if they were tenses I hadn’t learned yet. He also reminded me to speak Spanish even though both he and Esmerelda could speak English well. Talking to them each night reminded me of my friends at home. Esmerelda invited me out for my birthday, introduced me to her friends and endured a massive hangover the next day.

I still have so much more of Nicaragua to see but if anyone asked me my favorite country so far it would definitely be Nicaragua and it’s because of this family. Instead of being a foreigner, staying at hostels and looking in from the outside I felt like I was living there and was starting to understand.

But my mother and sister are meeting me in Ecuador in August so I must move on, and it’s probably for the best as I would have stayed in Leon as I didn’t have a reason to leave.

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Muchas Gracias Balmacedas is a post from: Bacon is Magic

The first half of my birthday was certainly memorable and to kick off the evening I did what any birthday girl would do – I ate a hamburger the size of my head from one of Leon’s delicious street vendors. Looking back I should have only eaten half of it; but it was my birthday so I ate until I was so full I wanted to vomit.

Fortunately fatigue followed and I napped through the massive meat digestion and awoke refreshed and ready for a night out. Unfortunately I also realized that although I was careful to wear sunscreen while volcano boarding I forgot to put it on my nose. When Esmerlada and Oscar arrived to take me out for the night they told me I looked like a shrimp, which apparently is the equivalent to saying I was red as a lobster and has no relevance to my height, or lack thereof.

We started the night at Barbaro with the national drink, the Macuá, which is a frozen blend of white rum and fruit juices. From there we drank like everyone else at the bar, ordering a bottle of Flor de Caña dark rum, water and coke. I also somehow negotiated with Oscar that I should be allowed to speak English for the night as he usually insists I practice Spanish.

Oscar and Esmerlada had friends at another bar with local music so we changed venues and switched to Toña beer. It was nice to hang out with people, especially as I was missing my friends from home.

As the nightlife started to slow down with the music ending and bar closing I was famished so I ended up dragging them for quesillos in Central Park and while this image is not the clearest, it appropriately reflects how clear I was seeing things toward the end of the night.

And that was my 33rd birthday.

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How I spent my 33rd birthday (Part 2 of 2) is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Cerro Negro is the youngest active volcano in Central America and its popularity stems from an activity just over a decade old. Arriving in Leon, you cannot help but notice that the city is plastered with signs offering volcano boarding.

The story is that when an Aussie hostel owner, who grew up sandboarding, saw the slopes of Cerro Negro he realized it had potential. Now hoards of backpackers flock to Leon to sit on a piece of plywood pimped with Formica to jet down the side of the volcano.

Although I had been in Leon three weeks I still hadn’t done it and I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my birthday than barreling down a mountain.

It’s an easy 45 minute hike to the top with, thankfully, many stops along the way. When I realized we had to carry own on boards I was a bit worried I’d feel like the slow piggy up the volcano as I had been while climbing Pacaya. But it seems that stubbornness always prevails as I was not the last up the mountain; I was actually the first girl. Mr. Bacon was very proud.

Our guide explained to us how to drive the board by placing our feet down lighting to steer or slow down and warned us not to instinctively put our hands down as they the rocks would shred our skin.

As I sat on the board I looked up at the guide and told him I was afraid, when he asked me ‘of what’ I realized I didn’t have an answer and set off down the hill. Slightly reminiscent of tobogganing, it was fast and furious and somehow I made it down without wiping out like the guys before me.

I think it may have been because my body, gripped with fear, remained so rigid that I went down completely straight. Toward the bottom I slowed down a bit but still managed to clock 27 miles/hour, far off from the record of 82 but still the fastest time for the girls.

It took me less than a minute to go down but the memories remained as I spit out little pieces of rock from my mouth and pulled pebbles out of my hair for days.

At the bottom I took this video of our guide coming down at 75 miles/hour.

Evening birthday celebrations to be continued in the next post…

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How I spent my 33rd birthday (part 1 of 2) is a post from: Bacon is Magic

Ten years ago I heard my 30s would be so much better than my 20s. I was skeptical; how could older be better? Yet lately I’ve been comparing this trip to one ten years ago when I moved to South East Asia. I knew that trip would define my life. It’s fitting that a decade later, on another life changing adventure,  I’ve started evaluating my past choices and wondering what my 23-year old self would think of me now:

Love
Prior to leaving for the Philippines I had broken up with the (then) love of my life because I knew he would follow me anywhere in the world and I didn’t want someone who would simply follow me. I wanted someone with their own dreams. I thought about him every day.

Ten years later I ended the most significant relationship since because he wouldn’t follow me even though I really wanted him to. I think about him every day.

Children
Ten years ago I wasn’t sure if I wanted kids. I still have no idea.

Passion
Ten years ago I didn’t think about food or photography. Today they monopolize my thoughts.

Ambition
I moved to the Philippines after university for an international internship. I hadn’t had a real job yet but had dreams of returning to Canada and making it big. I was ready with a boat load of drive and a closet full of second-hand suits waiting for me in Canada so I could make my great debut in the business world.

Ten years later my younger self would be impressed with what I have achieved. Once I ‘made it’ I started to wonder if I got caught up in the ambition and forgot what I realiy wanted. Now I just want to work somewhere with nice people and earn a pay cheque that pays for my lifestyle.

Fear
I had no fear when I was younger. I jumped right into things. I’m not sure if I was brave or just naive. Now I imagine all the ways I could injur myself. Only 4 years ago I went to New Zealand and bungee jumped along with many other crazy things but somehow the last 48 months have left me fearful of things. In Mexico I was petrified riding on a horse, positive that I was about to fall off, until someone reminded me I was supposed to be enjoying it. On this trip I’m trying to regain some of that, letting go of my fear and embracing the unknown.

Traveling
I didn’t plan. Sometimes it worked out and sometimes it didn’t. I’m not exactly sure why I didn’t have a guidebook as the Internet existed but certainly didn’t have the proliferation of information that it does now about travel.

I lived with another Canadian, Samantha, and we just jumped on buses and found accommodation when we arrived. I didn’t have anxiety about how to get there, or where I would stay.

It wasn’t all rainbows and roses. I remember once going to the “Traveler’s Hotel” and the guy at reception told me I didn’t want a room even though I insisted on looking at one. That’s because I didn’t notice the room full of girls with vacant eyes swaying to soft rock music. When the nice man took me down the amber-lit hallway to a room with a dirty mattress on the floor I realized it was a ‘by the hour’ kind of hotel. At least he was kind enough to warn me.

But those are the badges of traveling and I earned many of them. I loved meeting other foreigners and hung out with the handful that lived in Cebu, I didn’t extend myself enough to locals; I didn’t know the value.

Now older, a bit wiser, I’ve learned my lesson and am taking Spanish lessons. Living with a family in Leon has changed me. Their kindess has been overwhelming. I would have never known that Nicaraguans don’t eat dessert after dinner or how to cook fried beans. My Spanish teacher, Karin, taught me so much more than the language, she helped me understand what it was to be a Nicaraguan, explaining the struggle that I don’t see, answering questions that don’t have easy answers.

The changes have been gradual but profound, I’m the same person but much better and much of it due to traveling.  I don’t know who I’d be if I hadn’t experienced all of this.

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The difference ten years makes is a post from: Bacon is Magic