I am leaving everything behind to travel through central america what are some good places to see on the way?

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~nina~

Mexico City -- pyramids, restaurants, museums
Costa Rica -- beautiful rainforests
Panama Canal
Colombia -- mountains, beaches, rainforests, food is amazing

ukm42

Despite there being at least one crazy answer on here,central america really isnt the hellhole you may imagine.Ive been to El Salvador,Nicaragua and Honduras.Just enjoy yourself,try and get out in the countryside where the locals especially if you speak Spanish are very friendly.The capital cities leave a bit to be desired though Managuas the best of a poor bunch,though it has no real centre.

As for all this garbage about MS13 thats on this question,the facts are they DONT venture out of their own neighbourhoods very often,dont venture where they are though this is usually shanty town areas so youve no reason to.Ive seen the odd obvious gang member when i was in El Salvador,i ignored them and they did me.To say its all to do with satanism is just beyond dumb.

Enjoy yourself get out in the countryside,travel on a few buses and have a good time.Watch your stuff,watch yourself(no more dangerous than the rest of the world) and you'll have the trip of a lifetime

Hondu

I am not sure what Ale L. has been smoking but Mexico and every single Central American country has much to offer and lots of sights to see, from the Mayan ruins, hiking to the volcanoes or through the rain forests and white water rafting, to the five star hotels on white sand beaches of the Caribbean and black sand beaches of the Pacific. Each country has nation parks that are full of wildlife and most of the people you will encounter are very friendly and helpful. Spend a little time on the net and look at some the the sites for each country, then decide what it is you want to see and do. And do not listen to those arm chair doomsayers who don't have a clue.

dmaud56

While a certain other poster was blowing it out of proportion, backpacking through central america IS indeed dangerous. Not because of the criminals, all that civil war stuff has largely died down now, but because the central american jungle is possibly the most dangerous in the world. There is a variety of viper, in spanish called "barba amarilla" (yellow beard; forgot the english name) with a neurotoxic venom that will kill you in three hours. The "changos" (monkeys) of the jungle tend to be really honory and bad tempered, and have been known to bite and claw at people and one thing more, they tend to swarm. Then of course there are various species of tarantula, all of them very dangerous I should know I squashed a few as a kid while in the Cub Scouts of Honduras (yes, I was a Cub Scout; not a Boy Scout but close enough....).

The rivers have every member of the crocodilian family; Caiman, Crocodiles, Alligators and I think they even have Gavials. Yes the jungle also has boa constrictors as well. The Misquito jungle of Honduras is SPECIALLY dangerous; like the Shuar territories of what is now Ecuador, the Misquito Jungle, and the Shuar territory in south America, are unique in latin america as never having been conquered by the Spanish. Reason being, in the Misquito jungle, 500 spaniards were sent in after the Misquito natives. Like with the Shuar in Ecuador, 4 of them came back, and it was not the natives that killed them off, it was the jungle.

American hippies and earth firster wackos talk of the jungle as a "rain forest." The words "rain forest" supposed to evoke a feeling of sacredness or something; not so man...JUNGLES ARE DANGEROUS. In fact the Misquito Jungle is so dangerous, many U.S. Navy SEALS and Green Berets and Army rangers still train there. The jungles of central america are used as training grounds for armies from all over the world. Lately I hear even the Spetznas uses it. Because of the political situation in sub saharan africa, as many countries are Muslim and therefore potential enemies, unlikely a scenario as that may be, the jungles of central america have been used for jungle warfare training by the IDF for years as well. Not all IDF people they send though are spec ops; they send a lot of engineers as well, as the operation needs to be staffed.

Dude, never mind the crooks; you can negotiate if you have good people skills without getting ripped off, just make no trouble, convince them that you're harmless and that your family is poor and most will leave you alone, assuming there are any living in the jungle. What you WILL need to read up on however, is jungle survival. No joke though, the jungles of central america will make macho U.S. Navy SEALS crap themselves, so, know what you're getting into.

P.S.
No, while in the cub scouts they never sent us into the jungle, we stayed high in the mountains in safe areas full of coniferous trees. You'd be surprised how many jungle animals, specially tarantula, find their way up there though....

curlyjess_04

For Mexico, a must see is Mexico City and the pyramids. A small neat place in the mountains that you should try to get to is called Real De Catorce in San Luis Potosi, its an interesting little town full of mystery and great vistas.
For Costa Rica I would suggest La Fotuna and go ziplining over the waterfalls, and Manuel Antonio I would suggest the nightlife and the National Park. There's also alot to do in and around San Jose as well. Theres alot to do in that country, and the people are awesome! Have a great trip! You have alot of guts and I admire that.

Ale L

ARE YOU KRAZY??? you going to die dammm. you goin to guatemala,mexico,el salvador,honduras,nicaragua,panama,costa rica?????? costa rica is not that dangerous. but GUATEMALA, MEXICO, EL SALVADOR?????? those are the most badest places you can go. guatemala is sick everyone is getting kill their NEVERNEVERNEVER go to guatemala!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! guatemala is almost the most dangerous place in the world. I am warning you!!!!!! not that long ago this force was trying to kill all the indians (almost all poeple in guatemla are indigeous) they did really sick things and tortued and killed almost more than half the population and anyone who get in the way AND RIGHT NOW the guatemala goverment said it NEVER HAPPENED!!! and the maya indians are looking for their died family memebers and the government is wanting to kill them for that because they want the secret to never get out of guatemala!!!!!!!!! In MEXICO the drug cartal gangs are kidnapping everyone for money then killing them, the police are crooked crimanals, the kids sleep in the streets with the dogs. 70% of the people live below the poverty line. Cancun (and some other places next to the water) is not mexican that is a fake place their are not even mexicans there anyone who goes there and belives that is what mexico is like,, is naive. In EL SALVADOR MS13 runs the country. they go on buses and kill everyone with machetes I am from El Salvador my friend just got his head chopped off because he did not join. The MS in america is not MS they are little wannabes their are no real ones here. If you have tattos do not go to el salvador or hide them because THEY WILL kill you because they will think you are in a gang. they kill people for no reason. they are sick and twisted you have to understand that their is alot of witchcraft and satanism in these countires that is why these countries are so messed up because their are alot of possseesd people (their are alot of deaths by people foaming in the mouth and nothing pysicly wrong with them). tha MS13 in El Salvador preys to the devil at night in the woods. Alot of weird things like this go on everyday in these coutries. if you dont die you will go insane. and if you seee a man lying dead on the road dont do nothing it is a trick their are guys hiding somewhere near him waiting for someone to stop so they can rob and them. Everywhere thier is a trick. dont wear jewerly. dont drink the water and dont eat street food. (even stay away from icecubes) you willl get sick or a disease. why not you go to south america instead it is much less dangerous but I would not call it safe. why you have to pick the most bad place. do you live in california ?? if you do go drive into tijuana and what you see just imagaine that 50 times more bad. why do you think they are all risking their lives to cross the border??? dont buy anything it will give you nightmares forever and will make you crazy. if you go go to the tourist areas but stay away from guatemala. colombia aint that bad but i dont really kno about their. nicaragua is poor as hell. Be reallyreallreally careful and carry like 20 guns and knives. by tellin you this things i problay saved your life

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