Where and how I'm going

The glib answer to where I'm going is, "Wherever I can take a bus to in Latin America." In reality, my very loose itinerary continues to fluctuate every day. The basic idea, though, is this: travel down the Pacific coast of Mexico, through Central America, fast as hell through Colombia, and then down to Ecuador and Peru. After staying in South America for a while, I'll head back up the Atlantic coast of Central America and back home. Perhaps the most important consideration in all this: I'm doing it by bus.

Buses always amazed me in my Peace Corps days. They were a way to meet people from all walks of life, to hear hilarious conversations, and once, I even had an attractive aspiring hairdresser put her head on my shoulder for a long bus ride. I also appreciated being able to see the countryside, towns and villages roll by outside your window, which seemed so much more real than looking down from a plane.

There is another benefit to buses; they're cheap. I am most definitely on a budget for this trip, and the cost of plane tickets could easily wipe out a month or more's budget for living expenses. Another way to save money is not to stay in hotels, but in hostels and through CouchSurfing.com. I have been both a host and a guest through CouchSurfing, and I enjoy it immensely. I consider it to be incredibly safe and trustworthy, even though the concept of finding individuals to stay with through the internet may frighten some people. Just like with buses, CouchSurfing allows you to stay with real people and cut past some of the touristy trash that always plagues travelers.

Tuesday, I met Vic and Barby Ulmer, who run Our Developing World, a non-profit that performs many kinds of aid all over the developing world. They were able to give me some connections in Guatemala, Honduras and Ecuador, which hopefully I'll be able to turn into interesting stays at co-ops, schools, and more.

This particular entry is short on facts because, honestly, my itinerary is short on facts. Knowing exactly where I'm going is not the focus of this trip. "South" will many times function as the only piece of directions I need. To assume that I already know what I want to see in at least nine different countries spread over two continents would be incredibly arrogant on my part, and would only lead to unhappiness because I would want to stick to the schedule.

So please forgive me if I'm glib and just say, "Wherever I can take a bus in Latin America."