The Life of a Traveler: Central America

Waking up at unruly hours, you pack your bags and saunter over for the bus that you are probably about to miss. The sun has barely woken up. You pray that you’ll be able to snag a seat, and that the seat you get reclines. You consider the possibility of A/C, but then you get realistic. So then you get back to praying for a seat so you don’t have to stand….for hours.

You are an outsider to everyone, and they all recognize immediately that there are foreigners aboard. As soon as you board, you can feel their stares glaring right through you, knowing that they’re probably guessing what foreign land you come from. The heat of the day starts to sit in, and that familiar stick and sweat on your skin begins to form, a feeling you know quite well from countless hours in the same situation, but a different location. You have your pack (if you we’re able to bring it on board, otherwise its stuck below) resting between your legs, the only safe place where you know it won’t be in any danger.

You need your bag close by, because it’s the only thing you have. Traveling thousands of miles away from home, you only have one bag, and it has everything. What exactly does everything entail for a traveler? The absolute necessities: a few pairs of shorts, boardies, tees / tanks, underwear, maybe a long sleeve for those brisk 70 degree nights, but probably not. You’d have a first aid kit which lacks almost everything from previous uses, a multi-use tool, headphones! For sure, can’t leave home without those. Oh yeah, don’t forget where you put your passport. That’s important. Maybe a headlamp? Depending on how adventurous you planned to be. Or a sleeping bag. Some hiking shoes, sandals, a towel, hygienic items, etc. Anyways, you get the point… there’s a lot going on in there, and if you misplace it or someone steals it, you’re royally screwed for the rest of your travels. This means that at every bus stop, you’ll see a fleet of heads peaking out the window to make sure no one is stealing their bag that was stored below because it was too big to fit on board. Funny sight indeed, but a necessary tactic, especially when driving through unknown areas, in the dark, where there are plenty of people struggling their way through life, just looking for an easy target. You are just a walking dollar sign to them anyways, with all your gadgets and gear. Better safe than sorry.

You arrive at your location.. finally! You step off the bus, gather your belongings, and walk towards the hostel that you’ve either already booked, or the one that you don’t know about yet, and your just hoping there’s one around, and that it’s close. Once you find it, you check into a room, shared with a few other travelers that were just where you were, or they came from where you’re going. There’s got to be a hammock somewhere, preferably with an ocean view. Now it’s time to unwind with a beer, some new friends, discuss travel adventures and prospected destinations, and decide on some activities to partake in. You’re life is travel, so enjoy the journeys and the moments, because that’s the best part.