Win a Flip HD Video Camera!

The contest is now over! Congratulations and Merry Christmas to Kristina from Croatia! She is the proud owner of a brand new Flip HD Mino!

I owe my readers a lot. You guys rock! Now it’s time to give a little something back.

This brand new 8 GB Flip Mino HD video camera can easily be yours. It’s a perfect tool for travel. Small, lightweight, powerful, and easy to use.

How to Win:

Step #1: If you haven’t done so already, either “like” my Facebook Page here, OR sign up for my bi-monthly travel newsletter here. Of course feel free to do both if you really want to!

Step #2: Leave a comment on this post, telling me what you will do with the camera when you win it!

That’s it. Pretty simple, no?

Right now I’m exploring the Republic of South Africa for the next couple of weeks with some fellow travel bloggers.

Check out the #VisitSouthAfrica tag to see what we’re up to on Twitter!

Once I return from my adventures here in South Africa, one of you will be named the proud new owner of this awesome HD video camera that easily fits in your pocket.

It doesn’t matter where you live, I’ll ship it out to you in Antarctica if I need to!

A lucky winner will be chosen at random from the comment section below using Random.org.

May the Force be with you!

Costa Rica Travel Report

Overview

Everywhere I traveled in Central America, I kept hearing the same thing. “Skip Costa Rica” they said. “It’s expensive and touristy”. But one lesson I’ve learned during my travels is that you shouldn’t always believe everything you hear from others.

Costa Rica surprised me in a good way. Sure, there were many expensive tourist-friendly types of activities that other backpacker’s warned me about. For example: I’ve never seen so many advertisements for zip-lining!

But I soon found out there are a variety of ways to experience the best of the country even on a backpacker’s budget. You just need to dig below the surface a bit.

Costa Rica has plenty of less-traveled rural towns and National Parks that offer travelers numerous adrenaline-fueled & nature-loving activities – and they won’t break the bank either.

Costa Rica Travel Costs:

This is a breakdown of how much money I spent during my 1 month in Costa Rica:

• Food & Drink: $477 US (groceries, restaurants, water, alcohol)
• Accommodation: $315 US (hostels, hotels, camping fees)
• Transportation: $149 US (buses, taxis, boats)
• Activities: $124 US (entrance fees, rentals, classes, tours, etc.)
• Other: $33 US (laundry, internet, phone, toiletries, souvenirs, etc.)

TOTAL DAYS = 34

TOTAL SPENT = $1,099 US

DAILY AVERAGE = $32 US

NOTES: For some reason I actually never get sick of eating rice & beans! This helped me save on food. You can buy a hearty plate of beef, pinto, & fried plantains for about $3 at small local establishments.

Highlights

- Trekking into Corcovado National Park
- Hitchhiking down a volcano with a ball of cheese
- Whitewater rafting on a wild jungle river
- Hammock camping in a cloud forest near Rio Celeste Waterfall

Lowlights

- Manuel Antonio National Park sucked monkey balls
- Repeatedly attempted taxi scams in San Jose

Surprises

- The country is more mountainous than I expected
- Rainy season wasn’t all that bad

Photo Gallery from Costa Rica

View My Photo Slideshow from Costa Rica

Blog Posts from Costa Rica

Read About My Adventures in Costa Rica

Final Thoughts

Costa Rica has a well deserved reputation for it’s eco-tourism, but it’s most popular National Parks are not it’s best in my opinion. You can certainly experience the country on a little budget if you take the time to investigate low-cost sleeping options like camping & local guest houses. Visiting Costa Rica in the rainy season (May to November) is also a great way to have the nature reserves all to yourself – if you don’t mind some occasional wet hiking conditions.

Spend a few weeks exploring the diverse biology, mountains, beaches, and rain-forests of Costa Rica and you won’t be disappointed!

Super Comfortable Boots

I travel with a pair of hiking boots. Many people don’t though. The decision to travel with hiking boots should be based on what kind of adventures you plan on getting yourself into.

Simple day hikes can easily be done in a pair of sneakers – they are comfortable & lightweight. But if you plan on doing a lot of serious hiking & multi-day trekking while you travel, I believe a pair of strong, comfortable, lightweight boots is essential.

They provide greater support and protection while stumbling over volcanic boulder fields, sloshing through jungle mud, and maneuvering your way across a river.

I’m actually a big fan of the barefoot movement, and travel with a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. But trying to attempt a barefoot 4 day snake-infested jungle trek with 40 lb. of food, water, and camera gear on my back is not a realistic option for me.

Because I frequently do these kinds of trips, I need rugged footwear with good ankle support.

Strong, Comfortable, Lightweight

I’ve owned many pairs of hiking boots over the years. The Zamberlan Tundra GT hiking boots are definitely the most comfortable boots I’ve ever used.

The first time I tried on a pair of Zamberlans, I was hooked!

I’ve never used a more comfortable pair of boots right out of the box. These things require almost zero break-in time. They are made in Italy, a country with a well deserved reputation for quality footwear going back hundreds of years.

Zamberlans are waterproof and moisture wicking with a thin lining of Goretex. But even with the lining, the 198 Tundra GT model I use is still super comfortable to wear in summer heat.

Muddy Salt Marsh in Nicaragua

These Boots are Made for Walking

My hiking boots are about a year old, and still going strong. They’ve powered me up ancient Mayan ruins in Mexico, climbed onto exploding volcanoes in Guatemala, survived wild drug plane expeditions in the Honduran jungle, sloshed through muddy salt marshes in Nicaragua, and have withstood multiple river crossings deep inside the Costa Rican rainforest.

I’ve NEVER had a blister using these boots, and I’ve put a lot of hard miles on them.

By the looks of things, I think they’ll last me at least another year with the prolonged travel torture I put them through.

The only modifications I’ve made to them is to replace the laces with 550 parachute cord and replace the stock insoles with Premium Superfeet Greens (also highly recommended). They’re practically as comfortable as a pair of sneakers now!

While sneakers may be fine for some people, I know I can count on my trusty pair of boots to safely take me into some pretty remote locations on my travels. They work great on sidewalks too.

You can pick up a pair here.

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Mail & Package Forwarding for Travelers

Forwarding mail overseas has always been a thorny issue for long-term travelers.

Ordering products online and getting them shipped to whatever country you’re traveling in can also be a major pain in the ass. But I’ve found an easy solution to both these problems…

When I picked up and left the United States back in November 2010 to travel the world, I didn’t leave much behind. No apartment, no storage unit, nada. I sent a few things back home to my family and sold or gave away everything else. It was all very liberating.

But I didn’t want to burden friends & family with taking care of my mail. I own a small online based business, and still need the ability to receive checks and other important correspondence via snail-mail. I was worried about how I would manage it all from the road.

Online Mail Forwarding

I finally found the perfect solution.
It’s an online mail forwarding service called Earth Class Mail.

They act as my own personal mailroom. I receive an actual street address from a choice of several different major US cities. All my mail & packages are sent to this “address”, then forwarded to the company’s headquarters in New York.

Next the company scans the outside of my letters & packages. I receive an email update when new physical mail arrives, and can view the scanned images in my online account.

From there I can choose to do several things with my mail:

• Open and scan the contents to view online
• Forward mail or packages to another address
• Shred or recycle junk mail
• Deposit physical checks into my bank account
• Hold mail at the facility until further notice

The whole process is super slick and easy to use. It’s made my life much simpler while working as a digital nomad and living out of my backpack.

Screenshot of My Online Account

Shipping Stuff to Panama

For example, while I was traveling through Costa Rica I ordered some camera & camping equipment online from the US. Many online retailers now require you to ship to a physical street address.

That requirement was not a problem for me with my new virtual physical street address in Miami.

I began getting email notifications when my products arrived at the Earth Class Mail warehouse. The scanned images in my online account show me what has arrived.

When everything is accounted for, I then select all the packages I want to ship to Panama (so they are waiting for me when I arrive). The company groups the shipment into as few packages as possible, saving me money on shipping fees.

They even give you an estimate of shipping charges based on size, weight, and destination of your shipment. It’s super accurate.

Where to Send Your Packages?

The next problem is finding a place to ship it all to. I usually pick a major city that I plan to visit, and send it 2-4 weeks in advance (depending on the country). While it’s often possible to ship your things to a foreign city’s post office or a hotel, I prefer to do something different…

Post offices are large, confusing places. In the past I’ve had packages arrive only to get lost. One post office in the US told me they had received my package, but because I didn’t pick it up in time (no one told me about a deadline), it was sent back to Mexico!

I got a call a few days later saying that they made a mistake and it actually hadn’t been sent back, they just lost it.

While it was eventually found, that’s too much uncertainty & incompetence for me. That’s an example from an American post office. Foreign post offices can sometimes be much worse!

Shipping to a hotel is an option, but I rarely stay in hotels. Backpacking hostels will occasionally hold packages for you too, but in my experience you never really know how professional and competent a hostel is going to be until you see it for yourself.

Mailboxes ETC

This is my new favorite method. I’ve had good luck shipping to Mailboxes ETC. They have locations in major cities around the world. They’re a lot smaller than a major post office (and privately owned which is always a plus). Just find a location online and call in advance to let them know you’re sending something to get picked up.

FedEx, UPS, DHL

It’s also possible to send packages to the local office of these popular shipping companies, where you can then pick it up when you arrive. You’ll need to ship it via their particular service though. I’d call ahead to let them know what you want to do, and ask how long they’ll hold your package for you.

CouchSurfing

Another option is to find someone living in your destination city who is part of the Couchsurfing Community. I have nothing but great things to say about the people I’ve met via this website. You can try asking a few of them if they mind receiving & holding a package until you arrive in town.

Your success with this method may vary, but I’ve done it in the past with no problems. It certainly helps if you’re an active member of the community with many positive references to prove that you’re not an international drug/baby/exotic animal smuggler.

You can learn more about Earth Class Mail and the different accounts they offer here.

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Nicaragua Travel Report

Overview

I think I’m in love. The Central American country of Nicaragua was a big surprise. I quickly got sucked into it’s laid-back pace of life, incredibly friendly people, and low cost of living.

I wasn’t planning on spending much time here. That scenario soon changed once I got to know the place!

Do you want to travel back in time? It’s possible in Nicaragua.

Venture into any of the many small towns to experience rural farming communities where water is collected with buckets, horses are the only way to get around, and even basic electricity can be hard to find.

Living in Nicaragua for a while was a refreshing pause in my journey, and I became captivated by it’s magic.

Nicaragua Travel Costs:

This is a breakdown of how much money I spent during my 4 months in Nicaragua:

• Food & Drink: $1,444 US (groceries, restaurants, water, alcohol)
• Accommodation: $595 US (hostels, hotels, camping fees)
• Transportation: $92 US (buses, taxis, boats)
• Activities: $110 US (entrance fees, rentals, classes, tours, etc.)
• Other: $299 US (laundry, internet, phone, toiletries, souvenirs, etc.)

TOTAL DAYS = 121

TOTAL SPENT = $2,540 US

DAILY AVERAGE = $21 US

NOTES: I stayed almost 2 months at one hostel in Granada that charged only $4 a night.

Highlights

- Watching my first cock fight
- Volcano boarding down Cerro Negro
- Building ovens out of poop
- Hitchhiking to visit Alberto
- Chicken buses

Lowlights

- The heat of Leon
- Sleeping on the deck of a cargo boat
- Crashing a motorcycle
- Witnessing how people live at La Chureca
- Chicken buses

Surprises

- How cheap the country is
- How friendly the people are
- Chicken buses!

Local Charity Project

As always, thanks again for your generous donations! Together we raised $80 US for the local Nicaraguan charity Puedo Leer.

Photo Gallery from Nicaragua

View My Photo Slideshow from Nicaragua

Blog Posts from Nicaragua

Read About My Adventures in Nicaragua

Final Thoughts

Nicaragua has a little bit of everything. Beautiful beaches, great surfing, active volcanoes, nature preserves, freshwater lakes, jungle rivers, quaint colonial cities, and a good chunk of the country is not easy to access and off the beaten track (just the way I like it).

I know I’ll be back there again some day.

A Shemagh is Multi-Purpose

Definitely one of my favorite & most used pieces of gear. The Shemagh or Keffiyeh is an incredible multi-use travel essential.

The Shemagh (pronounced “shamay” or “shmaagh“) is a soft piece of woven cotton cloth, kind of like a giant heavyweight bandana. You can also think of it as a smaller (yet thicker) sarong.

Most people know of it as a traditional headscarf in many Arab nations. Unfortunately ignorance in the world runs rampant, and because of this the Shemagh often gets a bad rap.

Once you start using one though, you soon discover those Arabs sure knew what they were doing when they created these!

In my opinion it’s more useful than a bandana, more convenient & durable than a sarong. In fact I’d argue it has 101 different uses!

Having Fun with Stereotypes

What Can You Use a Shemagh For?

• Dust Protection. Cover your face on motorcycles, truck beds, and tops of chicken buses.
• Sun Protection. Great for when you’re stranded in mid-day heat without shade nearby.
• Towel. Small, lightweight, fast drying, but thick enough get the job done. Perfect for the beach.
• Warmth. Wrap it around your neck as a scarf on the top of a mountain.
• Bag. Lay it out, put stuff in middle, tie four corners together. Instant hobo sack.
• Sarong. While shorter than a normal one, it can still be wrapped around your waist.
• Sweat Rag. Great for hiking, running, or other sweat-inducing activities.
• Arm Sling. Sprain a wrist or break an arm? Perfect for temporary immobilization.
• Emergency Bandage. Help stop bleeding and protect the wound until you get to a hospital.
• Pillow. Thick & soft enough to ball up and sleep with on bus rides or camping trips.
• Weapon. Twist a big rock up in the middle, and you have an instant self-defense tool!
• Concealment. Often used to hide my Canon 7D camera when in questionable neighborhoods.
• Rope. Long enough to be rolled up to tie things together.
• Water Filter. Fold up multiple times and filter debris out of water before boiling.
• Keeping Cool. Soak in cold water and wrap around your neck.
• Signal Flag. Large enough to wave and get someone’s attention.
• Blanket. Good for covering your upper or lower body.
• Pot Holder. Take that boiling water you just filtered off the fire.
• Eye Mask. Sleep during the day or in a hostel when lights are on.

These are only a few of the Shemagh’s many uses.

This simple piece of cloth is so practical that the Australian, British, Irish, and even the US Special Forces all issue the Shemagh to their troops!

So if you don’t have one yet because you’re worried about what people will think, get over yourself and find out what you’ve been missing. If it makes you feel less like a terrorist, they have solid colors available some places too.

Shemagh’s come in many sizes, mine is a large 44″ x 44″ (112cm x 112cm) one. I find the large size more useful, because a regular bandana in my back pocket works almost just as well as a small one.

You can pick one up here.

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Petzl Headlamp

A headlamp of some kind is an essential piece of travel gear for backpackers. I use a Petzl Tactikka Headlamp. This is why I love it:

A good headlamp is 100x better than hand-held flashlights. The obvious reason: you can attach it to your head. This gives you hands-free access for reading a book in the dark, climbing into a cave, or searching through your backpack in the middle of the night. Plus if you really miss holding a flashlight, you can always put it in your hand if you really wanted to…

I’ve owned a few headlamps over the years, and the Tactikka is by far the best I’ve ever used.

It has great battery life, three different output intensity settings, and a super-bright burst mode. It’s also weather sealed so you can use it in pouring rain if needed.

Sure there are others out there that are smaller, brighter, or have better batteries, but as far as I’m concerned this model is the best value. It’s above-average in all these categories, and still available at a reasonable price.

Spelunking in Guatemala

My favorite feature though is the sliding red filter. It’s great for when I need to get up early to take sunrise photos. The subdued red glow won’t wake up my hostel roommates.

This feature is also perfect for sneaking into ancient temples at 4am without guards seeing you, plus it helps to preserve your natural night vision.

I always find new uses for this headlamp. Want to light up a tent? Strap it around your backpack and aim it at the roof. How about painting the inside of a volcanic crater with light while taking a long-exposure photograph?

Bottom line: I love it.

You can pick one up here.

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Obtaining an International Driving Permit

Interested in picking up an International Driving Permit? This special license is recognized all over the world, allowing you to drive vehicles pretty much anywhere.

With the permit you can rent a car or motorcycle in places like Argentina, Egypt, Thailand, etc. Or maybe you decide to head out on a road trip with your new friends from Romania. You don’t want to skip- out on your share of the driving, do you?

With an International Driving Permit, you won’t get screwed when the local police decide to pull you over because you’re a foreigner. Without it, you could get hit with ridiculous fines or bribe payments.

Step 1

Remember when I showed you how to make your own passport photos? Take two of them down to your local neighborhood AAA Location, fill out a form, and pay $15.

Step 2

Actually, that was the only step.

Really. You don’t have to do anything else. You’ll walk out with your new International Drivers Permit 10 minutes later. No strange tests for how to drive on the opposite side of the road, nothing.

You are now licensed to operate a vehicle in virtually any country in the world.

The permit has pages which translate it into 10 different languages.

Do You Need an International Driver’s License?

That depends. Many countries are ok with just seeing your local drivers license (Mexico, Europe, etc.). But not all of them. So it depends on where you are going to travel to. If you think you may rent or drive a vehicle while traveling abroad, I’d pick up a copy just to be safe.

At the very least, you’ll now have an extra form of picture identification. You can never have enough of those in my opinion.

Orange Peeling Machine

After 3 weeks of backpacking through Honduras, this is a complete report about my experience. How much did it cost? Was it safe? What was my most memorable experience?

The Experience

Honduras has a reputation for being dangerous, and it can sometimes live up to that reputation. But that doesn’t necessarily make it dangerous for travelers. While I was there, shocking things did happen. The local news was full of uncensored video of chicken-bus drivers who had been shot for not paying protection money to local gangs, or drug related shootings at public soccer matches.

But just like in other countries (including the USA), these acts are related to gangs & drugs. Someone traveling through the country really has nothing to be afraid of (unless you happen to be involved in the drug smuggling business).

I met many friendly people in Honduras. In fact the only time I felt any hostility was in the big, dirty capital city of Tegucigalpa. The rest of the country was very welcoming. I highly recommend spending some time in central Honduras too. Many travelers skip it, which is a shame. I really loved the little town of Comayagua. It was quiet, peaceful, and not overrun with tourists.

I would have liked to spend even more time in the country, but needed to get to a volunteer project in Nicaragua that I was already late for.

Honduras Travel Costs:

Here is a breakdown of how much money I spent during my 3 weeks in Honduras:

• Food & Drink: $194 US (groceries, restaurants, water, alcohol)
• Accommodation: $362 US (hostels, hotels, camping fees)
• Transportation: $144 US (buses, taxis, boats)
• Activities: $246 US (entrance fees, rentals, classes, tours, etc.)
• Other: $29 US (laundry, internet, phone, toiletries, souvenirs, etc.)

DAYS = 22

TOTAL SPENT = $975 US

DAILY AVERAGE = $44.32 US

These figures include a 4 day Open Water SCUBA Diving Certification too!

My daily average was a bit higher in Honduras than in previous Central American countries, but this was mainly because of the SCUBA diving course.

Subtracting the SCUBA course, my daily average comes to: $33.48 US

Honduars Travel Photo Gallery

View My Full Photo Slideshow from Honduras

Blog Posts from Honduras

Read About My Adventures in Honduras

What I’ve Learned

Yet again I’m learning that places are not as dangerous as people make them out to be. The rumor that a particular country or city is overly dangerous gets passed on from traveler to traveler, without many facts or first hand experience to back it up.

For example, there was a mugging that happened in the Honduran city of La Ceiba while I was there. This sensational piece of news quickly spread throughout the backpacking community. It made the city seem unsafe. But of course, if you think about it logically, there are muggings every day in New York City. But that doesn’t stop schoolbus loads of American children from going there for field trips!

Unreasonable fear is a common problem for people traveling in countries that are not their own.

Little Girl Running in Santiago de Atitlan

After 2 months of backpacking through Guatemala, this is a complete report about my experience. How much did it cost? Was it safe? What was my most memorable experience?

The Experience

The first thing I want to say is that Guatemala is a very eclectic country. One moment you can be high up in cold mountains, and in the other you can be on a hot Caribbean beach. It is a beautiful country, and a dirty country. You can find pristine jungle forests as well as rivers filled with trash. Guatemala’s people speak over 23 different languages too!

I was planning on only spending a month here, but Guatemala’s magic sucked me in and I stayed for two. I’m not the only one to experience this magnetic attraction either, I heard from many travelers who had done similar things. Some people never even left…

People in Guatemala are a friendly bunch, but you have to make an effort to woo them. Initially you might recieve an unfriendly stare, but as soon as you beam a warm smile and say “buenas!” their eyes will light up and you’re bound to make a new friend.

Safety in Guatemala was never much of an issue for me. The only time I felt on edge a bit was in the capital of Guatemala City. But even then, I spent 5 days in the city driving around with friends and even walking the streets after dark. Knowledge is power. Knowing where it is safe, and where it isn’t, is all you need to have a great time. I highly recommend meeting with locals via Couchsurfing to learn more than you ever could on your own.

Guatemala Travel Costs:

Here is a breakdown of how much money I spent during my 2 months in Guatemala:

• Food & Drink: $575 US (groceries, restaurants, water, alcohol)
• Accommodation: $406 US (hostels, hotels, camping fees)
• Transportation: $126 US (buses, taxis, boats)
• Activities: $379 US (entrance fees, rentals, classes, tours, etc.)
• Other: $120 US (laundry, internet, phone, toiletries, souvenirs, etc.)

DAYS = 62

TOTAL SPENT = $1606 US

DAILY AVERAGE = $25.90 US

These figures include 3 weeks of Spanish language school too!

How did I spend so little? Staying in dorms at backpacking hostels and traveling by chicken bus and collectivos saved me a lot of money. So did cooking a majority of my own meals. I did make sure to eat out at least once a day at either restaurants or street vendors. I never felt like I was missing out on something important because I was spending less money, in fact I actually felt like I was receiving a more worthwhile experience by eating and getting around like a local would.

Guatemala Travel Photo Gallery

View My Full Photo Slideshow from Guatemala

Blog Posts from Guatemala

Read About My Adventures in Guatemala

What I’ve Learned

Traveling solo is teaching me to solve all kinds of problems on the fly, with little to no help from others. For example: How to retrive my backpack from the top of a chicken bus while it’s still moving, so I can jump off before the driver speeds off again.

My patience is growing. A 10 hour bus ride is no big deal anymore. Either is a bone-rattling & wet water taxi trip, or getting crammed in the back of a small van with 25 other people. Sure these things are inconvenient, but not on the level they would have been if I was still living by US standards.

Guatemala will always hold a special place in my heart, and I will definitely be back to visit in the future!