For my journey to Mexico City i decided to take the cheap bus overnight for 15 hrs to remind of the fun and tough times on buses i have had for the last year...this one was particularly authentic as a beep went off every 3 seconds disturbing what sleep I could get and the toilet broke so the last 3 hrs i had a urine smell a foot away!! Leaving all that that behind now as only a plane to London left.

It was great to get back to a big city as i feel this is where my heart is...love the vibrancy, culture, diversity and for Mexico City the volume of people...c.20m at my last count! This is in contrast to where i have been for the last 2 months...probably Medellin, Colombia mid July. The other odd thing with Mexico (and a good thing) is that there are no guns...at least those i can see. Coffee shops, restaurants and bus stations are all gun free...there is an abundance of police around protecting you to make up for this. Feels safer but then in a city you can never let your guard down! Other amusing thing being in a city is the coffee shop routine...they always ask for my name for the cup...Graham doesnt come naturally...Gram is a little easier...Juan is my Spanish name except sometimes have to fight for the coffee with the many Juan's around!!

The bonus for me has been the city being painted in green, white and red to celebrte independence day the previous week.

The city is vast and so much to see both in the centre and within an hour or two by bus. Being here for 6 days has meant I have ticked a lot off and soaked up the cool city vibe and atmosphere.

First big stop was Teotihuacan a pyramid city built in 200BC so before the Mayan's. Its the first urban settlement in Mesoamerica. Their culture fell between 700-750 AD. The structures and pyramids are really neat and big...Pyramid of the Sun is largest pre-Hispanic building of its times. Great contrast to the Mayan ruins plus nice to see people working on the site to uncover new treasures.

I also took another day away from Mexico DF to the delightful colonial town of Puebla. My logic for going on Monday was that DF museums are closed...brain has definately turned to mush as Puebla museums are also closed on Monday's!

Puebla is another colonial town so managed to cover most parts in a day but didnt do the outlying areas...for next time! Nice churches but highlight was the modern art museum...had some awesome pieces along with a great roof terrace.

Also managed to become a local celebrity...photo with the police and an interview with some students. The police also gave me a lift to the bank but unfortunately without the blue sirens...had an issue with my entry tax payment that they/immigration helped with...they wanted a publicity photo after!!

Significant finds:

- Cafes - old school coffee houses like Cafe de Taguca and Sanborns at Casa de los Azulejos. All the waitresses dress like they are in old school nurses outfits. Can imagine life here 100 years ago when they opened. Also many pastry shops like La Palestina and Pasteleria Ideal evoke life from yesteryear!

- Salon Espana - First night i found this neat little bar called Salon Espana near my hostel. After work bar as had people through various stages of drunkenness...particularly amusing was their out of sync impromptu U2 "One Love" rendition. Given there were 140 tequilas to choose from i reckon they were on double figures. Like all dishes in Mexico it comes with tortillas so decided to invent the 'chip tortilla butty' and start to reminisce about home!

- Lucha Libre - as a fan of the original WWF (not the animal fund...its now all about saving Rhinos) and characters like Legion of Doom, Million Dollar Man and Ultimate Warrior (RIP brother!) it was with much excitement that i went to its Mexican brother. What a show and spectacle with more acrobatics than i was expecting...plus your usual characters of good vs evil. It was also an opportunity to practice my Spanish cuss words like "Puta Madre" and "Punta Cabron" as wrestlers expect to be shouted out (reminds me of the Deuce Bigalow movie!). It was also entertainment when the wrestlers brought in their midget sidekicks dressed as yoda and turtles...they also took a beating!!

- Football (soccer to my yank friends) - Having hosted 2 World Cup's i knew i was in good company for the Cruz Azul vs Leon match on a sunny Saturday afternoon. With football loving Ozzie's for company we set down in out top priced seats at $7! Like the wrestling the locals look after their guests...stewards show you to your seat...food vendors wonder past every minute...and most importantly the beer seller keeps you topped up...all without leaving your seat! The entertainment is top class even if the football is average. The band and flags from the hard core did not stop for longer than the 90 minutes. With only 15,000 fans it was still great atmosphere...imagine over 100k for Club America!! Only cause for concern were the number of riot police...They even rushed to protect players taking corners!!

- Food - before saying you have tried "Old El Paso" therefore you know Mexican food think again...most is influenced from the Tex-Mex genre of food. Everyone who comes to Mexico raves about the food and I join that long list of praisers. From street food to nice eateries to top restaurants all the food is tasty...plus if you throw in some decent picante it can also get spicy!! Unlike cities like London where "trendy" street food or cafes start charging ridiculous prices in Mexico City the street stalls or little shop fronts stick to their roots and keep prices down...probably to avoid local uproar. In a trendy area called La Condesa i had a great "taco de bistec" for $1 from the local market/hole in the hole and cooked in front on me. Then a short walk away in a restaurant the "Taco Parnita Casa" special were $2 each and equally good. Then upped the stakes at "El Cardenal" downtown at $3 a taco. All a great tastebud experience catering for different wallet sizes...or in my case credit card limits!!

- Bella Artes - after wrestling one night and football the next I balanced things out with a night at the grand theatre built in the art deco era...thought i would check out the local posh totty! Given i don't have smart garb with me I was definitely the outcast in my wife beater vest and thongs! The show was essentially "Riverdance" Mexican style so saw and heard all styles from Aztec drumming, lassoing and of course the Mariachi! The artistic director obviously didnt use Michael Flatley's stance of snipers in the gods as the timing was usually off. Nonetheless good to try something different.

- La Torre Latino - tallest G&T in Mexico...41st floor with amazing views across the city...appreciate just how big the city is plus avoids entry fee as well!!

- Diego Riviera (1886-1957) and Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) (married) - if you haven't heard of them before after leaving Mexico City you will know them inside and out; their favourite colour and favourite cerveza! My favourite spots being the murals in Secretaria De Education Publica and Museo Dolores Olmedo. There are at least 5 museums plus numerous places with murals around the city so you can always get your fix! Also a movie called "Frida" about her life...so pretty big around here!!

- Plaza Garibaldi - its like the job centre for Mariachi bands! They just mill about waiting for tourists in their spangly garb. If they aren't there then they buy a boat and ply their trade on the Xochimilco canals.

- Palacio Postal - has to be one of the spectacular looking post offices in the world...beats Santiago and Saigon in terms of grandeur.

- Organ Grinders - if you love organ grinders then you will walk the whole of Mexico City with a smile...if you dont like them then bring an axe as they are the only form of buskers downtown i found!

- Metro/Buses - you can get anything...vitamin C tablets, knock off viagra pills, nail clippers, chocolate and CD's (the dude had a speaker in his backpack) to name a few. Makes any journey interesting aside from just people watching. Having said that hawkers are everywhere on every street and on every corner...its an intense attack on your eyes and ears as well as tolerance to be polite!! People in general are friendly although stare a lot as not too many gingers in Mexico City...have to wear a cap to help de-gringo myself! Also get the occasional guitarist and singer jumping on/off the major routes.

Leaving Lago Atitlan i ventured to Xela where many Guatemalan's come to celebrate Independence Day from the Spanish (15th September). The journey out of San Pedro reinvigorated my travel desire and enthusiasm...i had two options:
1) pay $20 for direct on a shuttle transfer with gringos taking c.3 hours
2) pay $5 for various transport forms with locals taking 3.5 hours
Well with some Germans we took option 2. Started with standing in a pick up out of town with stunning views across the lake and being able to grab at coffee plants growing along the way. We got held in a village due to a parade so we had a birds eye view. Followed this by a local shuttle to the main PanAmericana Highway then two chicken buses to Xela. Why take the easy option when so much fun doing it the local way. Plus always funny seeing locals reaction to tall gringos with non-black hair...usually involves staring a lot!

Whats a chicken bus i hear you say...essentially a yellow US school bus converted to a bus with fancy graphics and lights and adults crammed in 3x3...particularly fun for a long legged gringo like myself! Also a nightmare if you need a pee as they stop for no one...I found myself peeing next to the front tyre by the door with the driver revving his engine and edging slightly forward...talk about a pressure piss! Whole bus probably thought i was a loco gringo!!

Upon arriving in Xela it meant the money saved from the transport could be used to buy more beers to watch the Independence Day parade with...always need to reward yourself! All local schools, clubs and societies marching through town to music for hours. Culminating in fireworks at midnight to see in Independence Day. Walking around the next day showed me how much booze and street food was consumed!! Also for Independence Day Xela hosts possibly the largest fair in Central America. Endless food stands and clothes shops as you walk in before the main event of the gypsy fair. Such classics from the funfair as the sliding money trays, hoop-la and my favourite the shooting range with an air rifle...got to love that Central America health and safety!! Given i don't go the fair on Clapham Common due to its safety record it was with some trepidation that i climbed aboard the "Air Raid" ride in the rain with a thunderstorm moments away...it looked the newest ride there hence a calculated risk!! The "Drive In" ride involved spinning and shaking without a safety belt so seeing people being thrown about the ride reminded me of why Thorpe Park is good fun but gypo fairs are a disaster waiting to happen!!

Next stop Semuc Champey essentially from far West Guatemala to East so a long 12hr journey. Decided on the local transport way again and saved Q270 ($35 about 4 nights dorm accommodation) and was rewarded with beautiful sceneries as I travelled through the Rio Chixoy valley and mountain range as i ate my peanuts bought through the window from a street vendor. Only downside was spending 3 hrs next to an old man who smelt like he had soiled himself...reminded me of being at home with the family!!

Semec Champey is a beautiful spot but only managed to stay for 2 nights. My hostel was on the river with hammocks to chill in so easily could of relaxed for longer. The main draw are the caves and river pools. The caves are 11km long but only venture in 1km by candlelight...yup candlelight and with water everywhere means darkness with bats around you a common occurrence. With our small group of Brits we ventured into the darkness; swam through rivers; jumped off ledges and slid through holes. All the time protecting our candle and thinking who the hell found out about this???

Next up was the swing in the river where i flew and flayed into the water and winding myself...following that some tubing and final adrenaline fix jumping off the bridge (I failed at the last hurdle after Fred winded himself!). Most nerve racking thing was crossing the bridge by truck as some idiot had stolen the slats!!

Following that the pools at Semec are stunning. From the mirador the site is huge but the real treat comes when swimming around and jumping into the deep pools. When chilaxing the fish start nibbling so get a bonus exfoliation!! Some pools even have mini caves where the only exit is by swimming under the rock face. Overall a fun day and a worthwhile stop through the Guatemalan countryside.

Final Guatemala leg was Tikal and nearby lake Flores. Tikal is the largest and most famous Mayan site of Guatemala. Built in c.200-900AD in the Mayan classic period it is famous for being surrounded by jungle and where the Ewok's lived in "Star Wars VI Return Of The Jedi". Tikal is a Mayan word for echo as showed by our guide in the main plaza as he awoke the forest! Went for the sunrise tour although being jungle the mist never cleared as the photos show. Although disappointing sitting on the tallest temple (No4) and hearing the howler monkeys wake up and birds start to tweet made up for the lack of sunshine. 80% of the 120sq km site of Tikal is still covered in forest thus what you see although impressive is just a small part of the huge city...having said that what you can see if stunning in terms of grandeur and forest location. It is bigger than Copan in Honduras but Copan has more detailed carvings and engravings thus a good contrast to see both.

I have taken a break from ancient culture for a few months as after a while it gets repetitive...temples in Thailand and Inca ruins in South America. Now in Central America it's the time of the Mayan's and their key archeological sites. First stop was Copan in Honduras. Neat settlement with some cool ornate carvings throughout the complex. Great to climb over the pyramids and examine the carved obelisks. Like all these sites the one thing that amazes me is that they were all lost for centuries until travellers find them or an earthquake reveals lost civilisations. The sad thing is that they have all been looted but with a bit of imagination you can understand what life was like in c.500 AD.

Key highlight for Copan is the German brewery...arguably the best beer in Honduras!! My Weissbier and Schwarzbier washed down with a Bratwurst was a welcome respite from the rice and beans throughout rest of South America!

To continue the volcano hunting season I crossed into Guatemala and Antigua being first stop. The colonial Spanish capital of Central America until 1773 when an earthquake damaged it. Today it is a bustling tourist city with many ruins but certainly a lot of character. Cobbled streets, old churches and surrounded by imposing volcanoes.

Although Antigua is surrounded by volcanoes it was Volcan Fuego that caught my interest...most active volcano in Guatemala (maybe Central America) about an hour away from Antigua. It is also very dangerous hence could only find one operator who went there...trip called the "Double Whammy" as included the summit of Volcan Acatenango at 3976m. A 36hr trek covering 22km so was tough but very rewarding. Seeing Fuego explode, feeling the ground rumble and hearing the loud bangs was fantastic...a little unnerving was the fact that we trekked to within 600m of the explosions!! It erupts every 20mins of varying strength so always keeps you on your toes. As nightfall set in we retraced our steps to camp about 3km away that provided an awesome firework display of hot lava, rocks and ash. It obviously doesn't switch off when we went to sleep so was constantly awoken by ground rumblings and bangs. In terms of magnitude it is like a normal 5th November firework display but 10 times louder and 3 km away! 

Early morning start of 5am for sunrise (ish as our guide overslept) for Volcan Acatenango summit was a tough wake up call!! Steep scree to climb up with tired legs but the reward was breathtaking (literally!!) being above the clouds and vistas of the surrounding volcanoes. We were lucky with the weather as only rained whilst in our tents!! 

What it made me realise is that taking a year sabbatical was 110% the best decision I could of made...after a lot of exercise, exhaustion and tough conditions we made it back to base having thoroughly enjoyed it and the realisation that at aged 60+ and retired this might not of been possible.

Final stop on my volcano adventure was Lago De Atitlan. A 300m deep lake surrounded by numerous volcanoes. A lovely spot to chill out and relax...and scuba dive to see fault lines and sunken hotels. Diving at altitude changes all the maths and can be dangerous if you don't spend time post dive to recover...life can be so tough these days!! The cold water and poor visibility was in stark contrast to Utila the previous week. What was cool were the dives of swimming through sunken hotels and houses with the final spot of being 18.6m deep and cooking an egg!! Sticking your hand into hot silt was a bizarre experience but a great finale to my volcano chase.

The area around the lake is stunning with nunerous villages dotted along the way. I again sampled some German fare thanks to my new German travel buddies at San Marcos. A hippy village full of yoga retreats and meditation centres...i signed up for the 49 day silent meditation centre on the proviso i could play Playstation! This English old dude looking like an aged Neil from the Young Ones had this great philosphy of hating the west, thinking we should live in large greenhouses to be sustainable/self sufficient and that inventions led to war and were bad things...this is from someone from London who flew across the world by plane not raft to be in Guatemala so that he could tinker with his Apple Mac on the internet smoking Philip Morris cigarettes...talk about a hypocrite!! Reminds of a great song by one of my fav bands Primal Scream. Embrace technology and the new iphone 6 that i am definately getting!!

After paying my usual gringo tax to leave and arrive in any Central America country i hitchhiked for the first time (tick...just helicopter to go then all forms of transport ticked) The truck driver was doing the whole customs process with me and we chatted a little. Hence once through and saw no buses i waved him down and jumped on board for 15 mins to San Marcos. Upon arrival in town for the bus to the capital i had people offering help at every corner...first impressions are that Honduran's are friendly people and no danger anywhere. Read the guide books with a pinch of salt but still be aware of big cities is my advice. Oh and this being cowboy country i nearly left town with boots and stetson!! Yee-haa!!

The journey to Tegucigalpa (capital) is beautiful and hilly whereas the capital is boring and uninteresting. After a little wander I hit the mall for some western culture which bizarrely was watching people walk up an escalator for the first time...mucho amusing!! The city has one of the highest murder rates in the world hence the malls are safe! Even the Chinese restaurant had someone with a shotgun outside!

Utila is a backpacking haven asless resorty than nearby Roatan. The island is small with only one small town. The island even has its own song whose video sums up island life.

The island has a great Carribean flavour. The people, the food and the dominoes. My dive resort Altons had a great vibe and people. We had a booze cruise Saturday; Water Caye trip on Tuesday; and Dive Master graduation ceremony Snorkel challenge. Plus also worth noting every bar offers a T-Shirt challenge...I got one from La Cueva but no more!!

After a few nights in their hostel I upgraded to The Lighthouse to have a double bed, TV, aircon and a beloved throne that flushes properly!!

After chatting to a local it was great to hear about local life...the airport has no lights (terminal is a hut) and so if someone gets injured and taken to the mainland by plane at night all the locals in their motorbikes and golf carts light the runway so the plane can land. The island is also notorious for drug planes landing and refuelling hence no lights!! Although better these days...if police stop you from going to the airport then something is going down!

The diving sites are numerous and the coral colourful and beautiful...some of the best I have seen. The sites did lack some of the fish species I was after and the other big draw the whale shark was not evident on my dives. Having said that I saw some very cool eagle rays, squid and some smaller rare species...but really all I wanted were sharks!!

For me the cool thing was getting my diving mojo back and really started to enjoy it again. Did a night dive for the first time which was eerie and cool seeing all these flash light beams everywhere. Also did my first wreck dive of a Halliburton cargo ship at 30m which I really enjoyed. Bring on more wreck dives is all I can say!!

It was refreshing to cross into Nicaragua. Buses are less than a dollar plus more unusual gringo tax pops up unexpectedly but given you need to cross borders you don't argue...nearly made that mistake crossing into Zimbabwe!

First stop has been Isla de Ometepe and duet of volcanoes within Lago Nicaragua. The larger volcano Concepcion is meant to be a perfect example of a cone volcano...would agree with half that statement as the top was always cloudy! Wanted to climb it but given the amount of cloud and rain decided against.

What i did do was jump on a motorbike for the day to explore the island and swallow the islands insect population! Was inspired by a British retired couple i met on the ferry who had travelled from Ushuaia, Chile on their GS650's...means you are never too late to explore the world...the wife only past her test 4 months before leaving! Riding on my Yumbo 200 was great fun and nice to have the wind through my hair! More than enough power given the road quality. Was great to ride through villages waving and smiling at the locals who responded positively...i was perfecting my royal wave! Highlights are seeing the volcanoes from numerous grey angles and the beautiful beaches on the lake...can see what a hot spot this is outside the rainy season! Given an off-roader i decided to take the bike on the beach for a little play in the sand and water. To end the ride I had a reminder of the downside to motorcycling...it rained cats and dogs and my jeans lapped it up...so to avoid more rain I flew through the countryside which meant rain slapping me in the face of my open visor...note to self get a closed visor for riding in London!

Arriving in Granada is like the Latin America I have seen before and loved. Bustling streets, market dwellers and old colonial architecture with no neon in sight!

First stop Cafe De Las Sonrisas where the staff are deaf and they also make beautiful hammocks...if only i could fit one into my bag! Next stop Doña Elba Cigars to roll my own fat cigar...although no elegant thighs to roll against just my own "oaks". Perfect smoking spot will be the beach next week in Utila. Then jumped into a taxi to Volcan Masaya for the afternoon/evening. The beauty of travelling...within a few hours you can see so many different and beautiful things!

Volcan Masaya was an amazing spectacle with all the sulphurous smoke billowing out. Believe to be the most active in Nicaragua...so was ready to run at any moment! The view across the valleys and lakes with the sun setting was remarkable. So nice to see a volcano without cloud! As a bonus we went to some solidified lava tunnels full of bats as it was getting dark...hmmm my favourite!

Like all hard working travellers you need rest days so i took a day out from my hectic schedule to sun bath (yup i am still working on it!) at Laguna De Apoyo. A volcanic lake with the clearest water in the country. So read, swam to bathing platform, read, swam about and read. Worth recharging the batteries as that night was carnival night with processions and marching bands all night!! Mini Notting Hill but without the Red Stripe. Love stumbling into local cultural events along the gringo trail!

Next stop Leon which was the scene of the recent revolution as well as the name for the original capital (about 30km away but covered in Volcanic Ash). Like Granada it is a nice colonial town but with not as good restoration and preservation as Granada and therefore less touristy.

Also my excitement for coming to Leon is my desire to see hot molten lava. Obviously not too close and this is what Volcan Telica offered...although not quite and good enough hence no photos. The climb up was in torrential rainfall and thunder showers that we had to turn back halfway. After a little respite we made it to the top. This ginormous crater had serious sulphur gas spewing out to the extent my throat and eyes were hurting...luckily decided not to stay too long. As the sun was setting the occasional glimpse of lava glowing could be seen...but my days of lava hunting are not over yet as Guatemala has decent active volcanoes to climb!

Leon is where you can do the world famous ash boarding...essentially sliding on a sledge down a 45' angle on Cerro Negro volcano using your feet as brakes (A French dude managed a world record 172km/h on a bike...ok on you tube it's a German Red Bull guy...you get the gist). The top is scorchio and the craters sulphurous with heat permeating through the top crust. Peering over the edge to the moon like landscape was nerve racking enough but turns to excitement as you fly down the volcano...as you can see i have half the ash on my face!! Still sneezing and finding black stuff!!

To break up the journey to Honduras I took 3 bus journeys northwards through the mountains to Somoto and its canyon. Why do people selling food on buses have to be sooo fat? They can barely squeeze past and yet have to do the whole bus in seconds?!? Although they do bake some delicious treats at cheap cheap prices!! Bonus of these chicken buses are the classic 80's/90's music...my fave "No Limit" by 2 Unlimited.

The canyon is nice although water was a little low. Had a nice lazy river with a few jumps...chicken Palmer managed 6m drop whereas my guide 15m. Whilst crapping myself looking at muddy water below I kept asking myself "how do you know how deep it is???" Not only heights also had to contend with spiders on the rocks where my hands went for support!! What was meant to be relaxing was a little nerve racking!!

Upon leaving Panama and into Costa Rica you have to walk across an old railway bridge where you can see the river flowing beneath you...one of my more interesting border crossings!

Costa Rica itself is much like Panama except probably more yanks and more expensive...getting to London prices in some cases! I had to improve my South African accent as didn't want the locals to know I was English and thus take The piss about the footy!

The plan was to stick to the Caribbean coast where the water is warmer and better snorkelling plus although rainy season the sun god was beaming down on me...Pacific is good for surfing which is not in my sporting repertoire as i found out in Peru.

The coastline didn't disappoint and first stop was Manzanillo. A remote village with 2 restaurants, 3 supermarkets and endless palm tree lined beaches. The surrounding area is owned by Mr Del Monte and Mr Chiquita so not only are people in linen suits and Panama hats but also the fruit juices or jugos around here are awesome.

One of the beautiful things about travel are the unexpected things you see...i came here for beaches yet saw numerous howler monkeys eating fruit whilst walking through the jungle. One cheeky chappy threw his fruit stone at me landing 1m away hence i wondered what damage a falling pip could do...did you know 150 die per year from coconut falling...later that afternoon a coconut fell 5m away! After the monkeys came red frogs, baby crabs with one large claw and obviously ginormous spiders! This was all in one afternoon on an intrepid jungle trek in my (now dead) Havaianes.

The people around here are mainly of Caribbean descent so they speak english with a great accent known as "Caribbean English" (see what they did there!) and serve some delicious food...mostly freshly caught seafood. At Andy's restaurant whilst eating my whole red snapper i thought i was in the Matrix as i saw a white rabbit cross the road...after double taking was told i am not Keanu Reeves and that belongs to the neighbour! Not what you expect to see by the beach!

Travel in CR is easy and painless as distances are little compared to South America. One surprise were the manners of the local people who offered seats to the old and pregnant...perhaps a few Londoners could take tips from the locals here!!

Our bus and then boat landed us in Tortuquero National Park for the green sea turtles. An opportunity at night to see these large animals crawl up the beach, dig a hole and then in a trance like state lay 100+ eggs. After 1-2 hours head back to the sea and in 60 odd days baby turtles come out. The kind weather and nearly full moon meant a truly memorable moment seeing all this happen. (Sorry no photos as banned) I saw some nunchucks by the beach so assume Michelangelo was the father!!

After this we headed away from the beach west inland to see the volcanoes and cloud forests. Due to the cloud and rain it meant the vistas were not buena but still nice to see. The cloud forest of Monteverde although touristy does have a neat trick up its sleeve...the longest zip wire in Latin America at 1,590m. So with my superman harness on (that felt like i was falling out of) i flew over the cloud forest at great speed. Given that i didn't have enough adrenaline in my system i finished with a Tarzan swing where i had to throw myself off a ledge...lets just say words beginning with F and S were used a lot...a right potty mouth!!

The night walk was a great end to the cloud forest to see venomous spiders and snakes, numerous bugs of various descriptions and a raccoon type animal high in the trees. The trees and cloud makes it look enchanted and you can see where the inspiration comes from the likes Avatar etc.

Heading West towards the Nicaraguan border decided to hire a 4x4 for 2 days...the words "Road Trip" always gets me pumped sometimes also dreaming how this trip could have an enormous road trip!!.This enabled us to have one day exploring the volcano of Rincon De La Vieja NP where we saw mud pools bubbling from the ground with a strong smell of sulphur...meant i could fart like crazy without blushing!! To end the day we chilled by the hot springs and covered ourselves in mud to take at least 5 years off my age! Which in traveller talk means i am now 23...going around saying i am 34 isn't a great chat up line so i always downsize to 28...makes we look less like a sad old git that i really am!! Next day we dipped our toes in the Pacific which was warmer than expected. Issue being the area Playa Coco and surrounding beaches are very touristy with Hilton etc having resorts there plus the usual drag of rubbish restaurants and tie-dye souvenir trinkets.

My friend has left back to the shores of London so travelling solo now for the last 6 weeks...can you believe it is nearly over!!

Having stepped off the boat from the San Blas islands and the indigenous Kuna people I was finally on mainland Central America with a heavy emphasis on America. With the Golden Arches and TGI Fridays on every corner arriving into Panama City felt like I was stepping into the USA. This was not helped by the Police, who's motto is "Proteger y Servir", motor vehicles being Ford and Camaro's. Given it used to be a sovereign state to the USA like Gibralter is to UK it is not surprising that people, language and lifestyle is heavily American influenced. Malls are 1km long. Even the beds had a "don't fall out" warning...never saw anything like that in South America!

Panama City also brings another guest on PalmerTours...a friend from my past life working at GE. Panama City is a nice city. Staying in the old town meant the buildings and plaza's had loads of character and a good night life scene. The nearby fish market offering great cerviche. The new town is mainly high rise buildings with little character so only viewed this part from afar.

Obviously the main pull for the city is the nearby canal which is celebrating its centenary this year...missed it by 2 weeks! Took the Panama Canal train up to Colon to look at the Gatun Locks. The train journey was neat with its observation carriage through the jungle and canal...only an hour so shows that Panama is not that tall! Being 3m away from these tankers as they pass through the locks was pretty cool. They are creating bigger locks to triple capacity...the gates were huge!! As a reference a large tanker went through and it cost c.$350k and they on average currently have 40 boats daily!

First stop was Boquete sitting in the valley of Volcano Baru...a cloud forest town experiencing a boom thanks to its popularity on the gringo retirement trail...it's easy for yanks to get citizenship in Panama. They own the coffee farms as retirement investments. It's again like walking into a mini US town as everyone speaks with an American twang...plus have restaurants like Big Daddy! We did a short trail to spot the famous Quetzal bird...famous in Mayan culture. Then finished with an interesting coffee plantation tour where we roasted our own coffee...got to take home a bag on my own roasted coffee!!

Final stop being Bocas Del Toro. Didn't know what to expect and although some lovely beaches and scenery it felt like the Costa Del Sol but for yanks...like a beach town where the likes of Barry and Liz serve English food with the big draw being they serve it with HP sauce!! The island has its own English paper and girls hand out "coupons" (yank accent for full effect) for cheap drinks! Something that I have not seen for ages on the trail...a place full of American tourists.

Now although this feels like a yank bashing session I would like to clarify that I love the big ol US of A and the American people. Would happily live there if it wasn't for their stupid 2 week a year holiday culture!! My issue is that I come to Central America and all I hear are American accents from all angles. I am sure the Costa Del Sol is exactly the same with the Brits and that is why I don't go there!

Aside from this Bocas has some great qualities...we did a nice boat trip to the islands and cays. Started with seeing "Flipper" and his buddies mating with the local bottle nosed female dolphins...must of seen 30 all together. Next stop Cayos Zapatillas sand island with decent reef around it although the visibility wasn't amazing. Post lunch was Cayos Coral which had some of the most colourful coral I have seen in the world. Have to admit although Bocas is good the San Blas is much better in terms of scenery, people, snorkelling and experience.

So planning to head from South America to Central America for 2 months (Aug-Sep) before heading home...but like all the best adventurers should of planned better as I hadn't realised the weather would be terrible and the roads get washed away... have you seen the landslide in Mexico... anyway going ahead but any tips will be welcome.

Life is tough!!