The Perpetual Tourist

By now it’s impossible to avoid all the news stories about the flailing US economy. Even if the latest woes haven’t affected you anywhere else in your life, they’re almost certainly affecting your travel agenda. With gas prices hitting new record highs each day and the value of the dollar plunging against other world currencies, travel plans you made a year ago are now a lot more expensive than you’d budgeted (unless you’re Canadian or European, of course).

Unless you’ve got money to burn, a European vacation probably isn’t in the cards for you this summer, but if you’re still hoping to get a stamp in your passport, there are some places where the US dollar can still buy a nice vacation. Why not consider a trip to Central America this summer? With exchange rates as they are, you’ll find you can stay in comfortable hotels for about $10 per night, and some Central American luxury hotels won’t cost you more than $50 for one night’s stay. Some places are more expensive, sure, but you don’t have to travel too far off the beaten path for great deals, and no matter where you go, the bill won’t be nearly as high as a European vacation.

History buffs will love visiting the ruins of ancient civilizations. You’ll find spectacular Mayan pyramid temples at Chichen Itza in Mexico and Tikal, Guatemala, among other sites.

Central America is also a nature lover’s paradise, with rich rain forests full of diverse wildlife, gorgeous rivers and beaches, and towering mountains.

Many of the mountains in Central America are actually volcanoes. The most strenuous thing I’ve ever done to date was when I hiked Volcan Pacaya in Guatemala when I was seventeen years old. The three-mile hike took almost all day, as the active volcano was covered in fresh ash, meaning that for every step two feet up the mountain, we slid down about a foot and three quarters through the ash. The struggle was worth it for the breathtaking views of both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans at the top of the volcano. Then sliding down the ashy mountain on our way back took all of fifteen minutes for what had taken hours in the other direction.

Most of Central America is Spanish-speaking, but don’t worry if you don’t know the language. There are many Spanish schools for tourists throughout the area, and you’ll be surprised at how much you can learn from a few days of classes. If you do sign up for a school, be sure to choose one that takes frequent field trips. Most of the classes aren’t really classes at all, but controlled immersion. It’s loads more fun than regular school.

Most will agree that the best beaches are in Costa Rica. After all, the country’s name translates to “Rich Coast.” So if climbing pyramids and volcanoes isn’t really your thing, you’ll find plenty of ways to relax, too.

I’ll leave you with one warning about Central American travel. Don’t think the Spanish that you learned in school will get you very far. You probably learned Spain Spanish, and you may find out the hard/funny way that a lot of those words don’t mean the same thing in Latin America. On my first day in Guatemala, I asked about a dozen shopkeepers where I could find maxi pads for my brother (really he needed to buy a towel) and where we would go if we wanted to have sex with (catch) the bus.