Best Part, Worst Part, Plus Some Tips

It’s been about two weeks since we finished the big drive. Bosco is still hesitant to get in the Jeep. I can’t say I blame him.

As we settle into new life here (more posts about that to come!), Nikk and I can’t help but reflect on the drive. Some memories are full of joy – like the day we spent at the beach in Puerto Vallerta, the amazing town of Puerto Escondido, finding fun gas station snacks, discovering the cool park in San Cristóbal de las Casas, and even the tasty Pizza Hut dinner in Nicaragua.

A few memories are not as joyful – like being stuck in protests or long, challenging border-crossings. But overall, we look back fondly on the two week journey.

I asked Nikk what he thought was the best part and the worst part. His favorite part of the journey was seeing the landscapes change – from desert to farmland, from mountain to beach, coming around a bend and seeing ocean waves crashing. The worst part for him, was having to rush and only being able to spend one night in each place. He says he wishes we could have taken three months instead of 13 days.

Beautiful landscapes with clear blue skies in Mexico.

I don’t know about three months, but I definitely wish we had a little more flexibility. It would have been nice to stay in Puerto Escondido for a couple of days when we discovered what a cool town it was. It would have been much less stressful during the protests in Guatemala if we had been able to just turn around, go back to Guatemala City and try again the next day, without having to worry about it derailing the rest of the trip. It would have been fun to take a day trip to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua, but come back to our cute little AirBnB in Managua.

As for my best part and worst part? I’d have to say the best was the food. I love seafood and I think we had seafood every night except one. I loved eating nearly every dinner by the beach. I loved discovering Curracanes. I loved eating the biggest plate of lobster and shrimp I’ve ever seen while watching the sunset. The worst part for me was the constant changing of plans – having to change hotels, having to change cities, and never knowing what the day would hold. The unknown is my least favorite thing in the world, but I am proud of how I spent two full weeks directly OUT of my comfort zone (and didn’t even freak out on anyone!).

Curricanes – my new favorite food! Tuna wrapped around crab and avocado, topped with an Asian soy-based sauce.

We’ve met a few people here in town, and when we tell them we drove, there are mixed reactions, but almost always there is shock. Most people think we are crazy for having tried it. They’re probably not wrong. It takes a little bit of crazy, a good deal of planning, and a whole truck-ton of patience to do this trip.

There’s one question I keep coming back to: would I do this trip again if we had the opportunity? I can honestly say I’m not sure. The exhaustion I felt on day 13, the uncertainty and unease I felt when we were stopped in the middle of protests, and the frustration with hours spent at border crossings – are all still fresh in my memory. But, the memories I have with my best friend – the excitement of experiencing new things together, the comfort in knowing we took on everything together, laughing for hours every day in the Jeep – those are all still fresh in my memory, too. Maybe. Maybe not. The one thing I’m certain of, though, is that I’m so glad we did it. I don’t regret a single thing. Don’t let the people telling you you’re crazy keep you from your adventures. Go out and do your thing.

If you’re thinking about making a similar trip, we’ve compiled a list below of things that we think helped our journey go as smooth as possible.

Plan. Revise plans. Plan some more. Have back-up plans. I really think having a solid plan eliminated a good deal of the stress of the trip.
Don’t drive at night. This is one piece of advice that you might read and think, nah – I’ll be fine. We realized on day one why people say to not drive at night – there are NO street lights, there are animals – big ones, like cows and horses – that cross highways, there are people – walking, riding bikes, riding little scooters – crossing the highways, and there are topes. Topes (called túmulos south of Mexico) are speed bumps that are meant to slow drivers down. Usually they precede a town, but sometimes they are just in the middle of the highway. Sometimes they are marked with signage, sometimes they are not. Sometimes they are small, sometimes they are mini-mountains. Sometimes you go from 40 MPH to 10, sometimes you’re going 60 MPH and have to slam on your brakes. The point is, if you’re driving at night and you don’t see one, you are in trouble.
Learn from those that have gone before you. Nikk and I spent most evenings for the past year and a half reading about people who have made a similar journey. Between blogs, Facebook groups, and even good ol’ paperback books – we read a lot. A few of our favorite blog resources: The Dangerz (US to Costa Rica in a VW Bus), The Road Chose Me (PanAmerican drive in a Jeep), Expedition Earth (PanAmerican and then some in a Jeep), and DiscoverLife.Live (Texas to Costa Rica in a truck). A great book: Gringo’s Guide to Driving Through Mexico and Central America – published in 2011, but still pretty relevant and a quick read. Facebook groups like Overlanding the Americas, PanAmerican Travelers Association, and Driving Through Central America were also really helpful (just search the names in your Facebook search bar to find and join them).
Invest in a GoPro or some other kind of visible dash-mounted camera. This is one thing we credit with preventing a lot of “road blocks.” It is no secret that there is a lot of corruption through Mexico and some Central American countries. We drove through quite a few “police stops” or “military stops” – and were only waved down to stop one time. Maybe we were lucky? Maybe seeing a driver who is not a small guy helped? Maybe Bosco was intimidating-looking? No one can say for sure why we didn’t get stopped, but the camera didn’t hurt. Plus, we have some cool videos from the trip that we’ll post soon!
Learn Spanish! If there is one thing I wish we had done a better job of, it would be to learn more Spanish. The border crossings were extra-challenging because of our limited knowledge of the language. If possible, try asking someone who speaks Spanish to work with you so you can practice listening and discerning what is being said. I downloaded the Duolingo app and was working on learning Spanish for about 6 months before we left, but learning the translation for family members or clothing articles was NOT helpful at the borders.
Smile… sometimes. This is a tricky tightrope to walk. I’m of the belief that you get more flies with honey than with vinegar, and I also like to treat people like I want to be treated. When interacting with border crossing agents, hotel staff, or servers at a restaurant, a kind smile goes a long way. When the “helpers” at a border crossing are hounding you, or when the kids selling wares on the beach approach you, it is best to politely say “no gracias” and move along as quick as you can. Plus, smiling at strangers is a very American trait, and you don’t want to stand out as a tourist if you can help it.
Be aware that driving outside of America is different – very different. Passing happens a lot! You will get passed, you will pass people, and the passing happens when there is a solid line in the middle, when you’re going around a mountain, when there’s a truck coming the other way – just whenever! Speaking of passing, when a car in front of you puts on their left turn signal, that means you can pass them (so helpful!), not that they are turning left; and when you’re passing a semi-truck – beware – there are a ton of double-trailer semis, so make sure you have room. When driving through towns, be aware that busses, cars, and motorcycles will commonly come to a stop to pick up or drop off riders. You don’t get much warning, except sometimes they will put their hazards on. Construction zones will pop up out of nowhere, so always be prepared to shift lanes, slow down, or stop. Again, don’t drive at night and always stay on your toes!
Make multiple (at least one per border crossing) color copies of your drivers license, passport, car title, registration, and pet paperwork. We were often asked for copies of things, even though sometimes they didn’t take the copies. If we didn’t have copies ahead of time, we’d have to find another building and pay to have copies made. The few times we did need to make copies at border crossings, the prices weren’t outrageous, but we are definitely glad that we didn’t have to find the copy place at every crossing. Additionally, when we stayed at two Air BnB’s that were in private, gated communities, the guards asked for Nikk’s driver’s license to hold overnight. We were able to give them a color copy (which they both accepted just fine) and didn’t have to worry about that guard not being there the next morning when we were ready to leave. It’s also a good idea to leave a copy of each document with someone you trust back home; if something important gets lost or stolen, it’d be helpful to have a copy rather than nothing. (Thanks to my Mom for letting us make copies for free and for being the keeper of important things back in the states! Xoxo)
Know that everyone has a neighbor’s cousin whose coworker’s half-brother knew someone who made this trip and was kidnapped twice. (Seriously. I read this on a Facebook group post that someone “knew someone” who was kidnapped… twice. Kidnap me once shame on you, but kidnap me twice… ?!?!) All joking aside, stuff happens. Serious, bad stuff. As previously mentioned, corruption is a way of life. Police and military stops exist. Bribes are paid. Stay on your toes, keep your wits about you, and trust your gut. But don’t let fear of “what if’s” stop you from adventure. All this is to say: don’t believe everything you read, but don’t ignore that there are serious issues, either.
Take pictures of (and maybe blog about) your journey! I am so, so grateful for the many pictures we both have and the memories that we’ve chronicled in this blog. Stay in the moment as much as you can, but definitely capture the journey so you can look back on it often.