Megan Lyles's Blog
Posted by Megan Lyles
Central and South America each offer unique attractions and both offer the chance to learn and practice Spanish. South America has more famous sites (Machu Picchu, Nazca Lines, Salar de Uyuni) but a visit can make you feel like a tourist cog in a money-making machine.
Central America has great attractions too: Tikal, for ruins, the Panama Canal for marvelous feats of engineering, Antigua for Colonial towns, the Corn Islands for beaches, Costa Rica in general to be astounded by nature.
The difference is, in Central America, you're far more likely to experience your destination outside the tourist whirl. You’ll often be the only foreigner on the bus or strolling around town. This won’t be the case in Antigua, Guatemala, or Roatan, Honduras, but if you visit, say, Tegucigalpa or Panama City, you can wander the streets feeling a real sense of the city without being pestered to buy finger puppets or tour guide services.
And because Central America is much smaller than South America, you can spread your trip around two or three countries and still get a good taste of each. If you want a less touristy experience but still want to stay on the beaten path, try Guatemala or Costa Rica. If you want to check out places that have not quite hit the tipping point on foreigners’ radar, Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua all offer unique experiences.
Of course it's all a matter of personal taste, and you certainly won't go wrong visiting South America. And as Feature Writer for Latin American and Caribbean Travel, I’m clearly biased. But having traveled extensively in both Central and South America, I’d definitely pick Central America to go back to.
Posted by Megan Lyles
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article called Sailing from Panama to Colombia about… well, sailing from Panama to Colombia. (Let me take a moment to pat myself on the back for such an accurate and descriptive title.)
Anyway, I described the trip and discussed how one would go about finding a sailboat, but I did not mention any of the drawbacks. While this is an amazing experience and the San Blas Islands are of course fantastic – I wish I was in San Blas right now – this is a sailboat trip! Nature is in charge. You may experience discomfort or seasickness.
In my own travelogue, I have a more detailed account of the trip as I personally experienced it, from the meanie at Voyager Hostel in Panama City to the initial mixed feelings about making the trip with our captain (we later grew to love him), to the fact that we hit a reef or something and feared for our lives, and then the long day of seasickness en route to Colombia. It’s not all fun and games, kids.
BUT. Would I do it again? Oh, yes I would, without a doubt. That sailboat trip from Portobelo to Cartagena was one of the highlights of my life, seasickness and all. And your boat probably will not hit a reef. (There have been plane, train, and car crashes, but that wouldn’t stop you from getting into a plane, train, or car ever again, right?)
So I thought I’d just point out that there might be some less than perfect aspects of sailing the Caribbean. But if you bring your anti-seasickness pills and find out where the life-jackets are ahead of time, you’ll no doubt have as amazing a time as I did.
Posted by Megan Lyles
I chose to address this question in a blog post rather than an article because Suite requires that writers keep articles objective and I just can’t be objective on the PacSafe issue. The PacSafe Security Web is like a little flexible chain-link fence for your backpack, designed to prevent thieves from slashing the material and helping themselves to your possessions. Oh, dear. I am not at all a fan!
Here’s why I don’t like PacSafes. Their bizarre appearance draws attention to your pack and thus to you when you’re wearing your pack and sends out two simultaneous messages.
- My bag is full of valuables.
- I think you are all bunch of thieves.
Number 1 is not what you want to advertise when you’re surrounded by thieves. Number 2 is not what you want to advertise when you are not surrounded by thieves.
Sometimes you simply must carry valuable items. I traveled through Mexico, Central, and South America by bus with a laptop. My travel partner carried several expensive cameras and lenses. But there are better ways of keeping your belongings safe than a PacSafe – number one being simply keeping your eyes and hands on your backpack in public.
The PacSafe company makes several bags with the wire mesh hidden away inside the bag, which is another story entirely. This gets you that extra protection against bag slashing without advertising that you need it. PacSafe also makes reinforced waist belts and money pouches, and small, discreet locks, which can be very useful. But the Security Web? I recommend avoiding this.
See this article on keeping your valuables safe on the bus in Central America (or anywhere else).
Posted by Megan Lyles
Mexico City’s metro system is notorious. In a city of twenty million people, I guess it would have to be. But aside from an attempted pickpocketing on my first morning in town, I found the metro quite pleasant. Trains were frequent and clean. Stations were easy to navigate. For tourists, easy navigation is key; you don’t want to wander about like a rube.
As a New Yorker, I'm proud of New York’s subway system. It's not the cleanest, but it’s certainly, um… the most famous. So whenever I travel to a city with a subway or metro system – London, Paris, Calcutta (yes, Calcutta has a subway!) - I can’t help but compare. Mexico City was no different.
Here’s the thing I didn’t like about the metro in Mexico City. Those doors close waaay too fast! As a result, when one crowd wants to exit and another wants to enter, sheer mayhem ensues, with each side trying to attain their goal before being stranded on train or platform. Obviously, physics-wise, they’re working at cross-purposes.
On one occasion, some old folks called my travel partner and me burros for trying to struggle past them to leave a subway car. Me! But I’m so nice and considerate! I just didn’t want to get stuck on the train, that’s all. Ouch. And what do you call old folks who violently push their way into a subway car before letting anyone off? I guess in Mexico City, just… normal.
If you’re traveling to Mexico City, don’t be afraid to ride the metro, do keep an eye on your valuables (as in any big city) and watch for those closing doors, they’re brutal.
Posted by Megan Lyles
John F. Wasik’s column on Bloomberg.com yesterday is all about retiring to Costa Rica. I have to say, the first time someone told me they were considering retiring to a developing country (in that case, Honduras) I thought, what? Why?
And then I started traveling and actually visited Central America and thought, ah… I see. All the comforts of home plus gorgeous weather and low cost of living. And I can’t pretend that being a worldly expat wouldn’t be pretty cool. I began to picture myself wearing a sundress and strolling through colorful markets with a basket on my arm, selecting fresh exotic fruit.
Wasik points out several reasons why Costa Rica makes such a good choice for retirement: the balmy weather, political stability, the diverse and lovely landscape.
But then he gets into the practicalities of it all, citing taxes, high health care and vehicle insurance costs, and the difficulty for foreigners in buying property. Well, a little realism never hurt anyone, right? It’s certainly important to know exactly what you’re getting into.
Until he suggests looking closer to home, at maybe Denver or Pittsburgh or Portland, calling them lively and vibrant. Pittsburgh? I’m hooked on the thought of ocean breezes and weekend trips to cloud forests and year-round tropical weather and an avocado tree in my yard. Too late for Pittsburgh!
Wasik’s best bit of advice is to rent a place in Costa Rica for a few months and experience the cost of living for yourself before up and retiring there. Try before you buy – always a good plan. Ok, we can compromise. When I'm ready to retire, I’ll be practical. But I’m definitely looking at San Jose, Costa Rica before Pittsburgh.
