AMERIQUE CENTRALE Central America - Le monde sur le pouca

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THE WORLD BY THUMB

100% hitchhiking - 100% world tour - Since 2013 - By Florence Renault

CENTRAL AMERICA

from September, 17th to November, 27th 2014

from April, 7th to May, 13th 2015

After a year spent in South America, a sailboat took me across the Caribbean Sea to Panama and I continued hitchhiking to Costa Rica. I quickly crossed Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala to meet with a friend in Mexico City and Oaxaca. Instead of heading north , I decided to make a U-turn and spend a few more months in Argentina . Then I came back to Central America by hitchhiking a ferry. I was limited in time again because I had to meet with my parents in Canada . I hurried up to reach Mexico where I visited the Chiapas region and Mexico City. I crossed the impressive fenced border of Juarez. After a total of three months in Central America, my hitchhiking world tour continued in the United States .

My Article (in French) For Lepetitjournal.com

SERGIO CASTRO,

A LIFE OF SERVICE FOR THE NATIVES

IN MEXICO

Photographies Of Central America

Urubu Vulture, Panama After five days sailing boat hitch-hiking, we arrive at Portobelo village. The Urubu vultures, typical from Panama, preside on the fortress	Fortress, Portobelo, Panama The fortifications were built by the Spanish during the XVIIth and XVIIIth centuries, to defend what is then one of the biggest harbours of the Caribbean.	The marina, Portobelo, Panama Marina tourism attracts many tourists but they don’t spend more than one night or a few hours in the village. Almost every Columbia-Panama sailing boat drops anchor in Portobelo Bay. This and the fortress together make the village quite charming. I will stay here 10 days, in a lended room, I will rest and file my pictures of my last four months.	Supermarket, Portobelo, Panama "While cleaning Portobelo, we make culture". I am surprised how dirty the streets and houses are in Panama. It is very different in Columbia, which I left a little before. The heat of this tropical weather makes the smells stronger. Here, they throw everything away in the streets, right next their own house or in the bay.	Abandonned house, Panama
Discrimination,Puerto Lindo, Panama The Frenchman who owns a pizzeria on the road to Puerto Lindo explains that in Panama, the Black live on fishing and a bit of tourism on the coast, whereas the White live on farming inland. They don’t mix, and they don’t like each other.	Panama City The capital Panama has similarities with Miami on the one hand, and a historical centre on the other hand. And there is a long path on the bay that link one to the other. Here, Fishing boat park close to the fish market.	Rainy season, Panama In Central America, there is a rainy season, from September to November. There are huge rainstorms which last for hours. Everyone takes shelter in roofed courtyard, in a shop or at home. Everyone is waiting, time seems to stand still. After 30 minutes, or even an hour or two, when the warm rain calms down, everyone goes again, soaking wet or with their umbrella. You don’t wear a raincoat, it is too hot. You had better get wet and then dry.	Brass band, Puerto Lindo, Panama School kids rehearse on the village road : the boys give rhythm with their drums and the girls are majorettes.	Mrs Flor, Panama It has been a year and a half without being called Florence ou Flo. In latin America, Florencia’s nickname is Flor (which means “flower”). I have got used to my new name.
Hostel, Puerto Lindo, Panama	The saleswoman of empanadas, Panama I hitchhike and arrive at a village in the north of Panama. It is almost night, so I am looking for a hotel. The least expensive is 20 dollars, but my budget is 10 dollars a day. SO it is not possible. I stop my search for a minute, to eat empanadas and I talk to the seller. She used to work as a nanny for 6 months in France. She invites me over at the family house.	Hélène. A friend of mine from high school, has just taken a year off. She meets me in October in Costa Rica, where we travel together for ten days. She will meet me again around Christmas in Uruguay, then in Argentina, before flying to Mexico, where she has a new job.	The Arenal volcano, Costa Rica Costa Rica is a small coutry, smaller than Brittany, France. However, there are 106 volcanos there, like Arenal, whose last eruption was in 2010.	Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica Nicoya peninsula is a paradise on earth, with its greenery and dreamy beaches. The end of the day turns the view yellow. Then, there is a storm and we go back to Gregoire’s at night, soaking wet. Gégoire is a Belgian friend, we have been staying at his for a few days.
Zebu, Costa Rica	The crocodile's river, Costa Rica After visiting Jen, a friend met in Paraguay a year ago, I hitchhike around Jaco city. The driver stops by the bridge, so that I can see the 3-meter-long crocodiles. Then he drops me at the airport of San Jose, the capital, where I meet Hélène, a friend of mine from high school, who came to travel with me.	Hitchhiking a van, Costa Rica At the Panama-Costa Rica frontier, I meet young people traveling by minivan, with surfboards on the rooftop. They are actually going to Jaco, it is four hours away from here. They accept to take me there. There are four girls and a guy, traveling on their own, they met during their journey. In the back there are the French-speakers; a Swiss girl, 2 Canadian girls and I. We talk about travels, we learn some French typical expressions of each country	School girls, Nicaragua Here, in Granada, like in the rest of Latin American, pupils wear a uniform at school.	Lago Nicaragua
Mount Alban, Mexico Close to Oaxaca, there is the Mounte Alban archaeological site. It used to be the the biggest city-state of the Zapotec civilization (500 BC- 600 AC)	Facundo	Dia de los muertos, Mexico The Day of the Dead takes place on November 1st & 2nd. Mexican people disguise themselves, parade, have family and friends reunions, make offerings in cemeteries to celebrate they Deceased.	Cathedral Square The Day of the Dead is an Aztec ritual, taking place according to the farming calendar. When there are the first harvests, a big banquet is organized for everyone, including the Dead. Since the Spanish arrived, this party has been taking place according to the Christian calendar, on the All Saints Day.	Oaxaca Cemetery 1 There is a party atmosphere tonight at the cemetery. The Mariachis, a traditional music band, play in between the tombs. Mexican people visit their ancestors.
Oaxaca Cemetery 2 « The Mexican’s indifference towards death is fostered with his indifference towards life », Octavio Paz	Perpetuity	Oxaca cimetery 3 Candles, food and tequila are put on the tombs, as offerings to the Deceased. The family and friends chat, sitting on the tombs, eating and drinking.	Mitla parade The Mitla villagers go see the parade. First, the brass band, then the disguised people and then, villagers. The brass band regularly stops and plays, and the Dead and the ghosts start dancing alone, they jump, they bump into each other (“pogo” style). Then the music stops and the march starts again.	Altars In their houses and patios, (on the picture: under Mitla townhall archway), Mexicans make altars that they decorate with flowers, fruits, incense, drinks and pictures. Traditionally, they have seven floors, which symbolize the seven steps the deceased have to take before their soul can rest in peace.
Water source, Hiervé el Agua, Mexico	Lime water stream, Hiervé el agua	Natural pool 1 Hiervé el Agua, Mexico Big lime water pools were formed at the top of the cliff.	Natural pool 2 Hiervé el Agua, Mexico Down the cliff, there is a huge waterfall. It has been petrified, sculpted for thousands of years by the lime water flow	Thousand-year-old tree, Tule, Mexico The Tule tree would be more than 2,000 years old. It is impressive, because of the diameter of its trunk (14 metres/46 feet) and its height (41 metres/135 feet). It is twice as high as the neighbouring church.
Santo Domingo Church, Oaxaca, Mexico	Chapultepec Park, Mexico DF In the centre of the capital, there is a huge park with a colonial palace up the hill and a forest filled with squirrels down the hill	Day of the Dead garlands, Mexico DF	Central Post, Mexico DF	Cathedral, Mexico DF The main square of the capital city is bordered with a cathedral on one side and the government national palace on the other side. It is also a place where people gather for demonstrations. The last one was a cry for justice after 43 students disappeared on September 26, 2014. An investigation revealed that the body would have been burnt in a mass grave by the Guerreros Unidos gang, with the help of the local police.
Fine Arts Palace, Mexico DF	Working archaeologists, Teotihuacan	The Moon Pyramid, Teotihuacan, Mexico With more than 25,000 inhabitants, the prehispanic city-state of Teotihuacan was one of the biggest in America between the 1st and the 7th centuries. The moon worship would have been the most important, hence the Moon Pyramid situated at the end of the main avenue.	The Sun Pyramid, Teotihuacan, Mexico Built on a cave, The 210-feet Sun Pyramid would have included a temple and a huge statue on top.	Felipe and Mathieu, Mexico DF This Franco-Mexican couple takes us, Facundo and me, for more than 500 kilometres/300 miles, up to Mexico! They invite us to sleep over and finally host me for a week. They invite me to the trendy film festival, where I swap my traveller’s outfit against an evening dress and gas stations with a gorgeous reception hall. That’s part of the surprises and fun you get while traveling hitchhiking.
Carlos, Mexico After hitch-hiking for a whole day, I arrive at night, in the rain, at a toll booth with restaurants all around. After dinner, I ask where I can pitch my tent. The cook offers me to put it on the tiles at the back of the restaurant, where I will be sleeping with the employees. When I wake up, I meet Carlos who is having his breakfast. He actually goes to Guatemala and proposes to take me there, if it’s not raining because his windscreen-wipers don’t work.	Typical hitch-hiking, Mexico What’s your name? How old are you? Really, you look younger! You’re not afraid? What do your parents think about all this? How do you communicate with them? Do you miss them? Do you have brothers and sisters? Do they travel as well? Why do you travel alone? How long has it been? Do you have kids? Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend?	Ferry Hitch-hiking, Panama While in Mexico, I decide to go backwards 12,500 km/7,500 miles to Buenos Aires, Argentina. I have to find a boat again to go from Panama to Columbia. I am told that the Ferry Xpress Company has been doing this journey for an month. I propose my services as a cameraman in exchange with a one-way ticket. They say yes if I accept to go, the day after, for a weekend to the heavenly Bocas del Toro Islands (North of Panama). I have to film, take pictures and, in exchange.	Bocas del Toro L’archipel de Bocas del Toro is situated in the Caribbean sea. The 10 heavenly islands are quite touristic but they still are wild and unpopulated: few people on the beaches, only one asphalted road, and only one village.	Fruit juice seller, Bocas del Toro
The sleeper, Bocas del Toro, Panama	Sea-stars beach, Bocas del Toro	Langoustines, Bocas del Toro, Panama	Private boat hitch-hiking After crossing Colon Island by hitch-hiking, I arrive on the sea-stars beach where, I hope, I will be able to take a few « dreamy pictures » for Ferry Xpress. Luckily, I meet the ferry’s owner who asks his personal boat driver to take me for a tour around the most beautiful beaches and islands.	Small islands, Bocas del Toro, Panama North of Colon Island (Isla Colon), a few tiny islands are populated by birds.
Searching shellfish, Bocas del Toro	Bocas del Toro, Panama	Indigenes, Bocas del Toro, Panama Not far from the luxurious ferry and the lounge bar on the beach, some natives live there, in wooden cabins, all year long.	Scuba diving, Bocas del Toro, Panama	End of the cruise, Bocas del Toro On Sunday evening, the ferry draws away from the Bocas del Toro heavenly islands. Tomorrow I will go to Colombia.

SEE MORE PHOTOGRAPHIES OF LATIN AMERICA

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