Two days ago- while in San Lucas, Guatemala- my friend pulled off the head of a chicken.
We were hungry.
The Chase and the Act (Warning. Explicit killing of chicken for food.)
But this wasn’t something done out of impulse, we planned it- 30 days prior. I’m glad I was able to capture these incredible pictures. I’m glad I’m living without fear of risk. I would argue that being “safe” is riskier.We went backpacking looking to become intimate with adventure, fear, risk, and to just have a damn good time.
We got that and more:
At times I couldn’t stop smiling. Some days I just missed home, but- man- I loved it. I can think of at least 8 moments where I had to just stand there with an ear-to-ear smile-as if the world was mine- strangely enough, I realize now how incredibly accurate that statement is. The world is mine. The world is yours. You’ve just got to show your mental limitations who is boss.
This post is straight forward: It is about how you can backpack across Central America on a low budget, have an adventure, and about killing chickens (don’t be disturbed, you probably ate a delicious rotisserie today. Somebody did the dirty work for you.)
Step 1: Leave home the kitchen sink, pack light
If you have clothes for each day of the week, then you will come back with back problems, complaints, and the unforgiving sting of regret. Don’t do it. Instead, pack essentials.
Essentials ( keep in mind, some of these are convenient and optional, such as the Vibrams):
- 1 microfiber/traveler’s towel. I used a microfiber towel from Walmart, and it worked great, but took ages to dry, instead consider the MSR Packtowl Ultra Lite.
- Vibram Five Finger Shoes. Well worth the space saved and awesome for running.
- Flippy Floppies
- Tom’s Shoes– for looking sharp and packing light at night.
- Cheap Sunglasses
- A Portable Camera, or a light DSLR. I like the Nikon D3100 (it’s what I use for my posts and pictures)
- Three Shirts (1 dress shirt, 2 for exercising, sweating, etc.) and two light undershirts.
- 1 Pair of light shorts that will dry quickly.
- One pair of dark dress pants (for nights of debauchery, the cold volcanoes, and mosquitoes). Do not pack jeans, they take your grand mothers lifetime to dry.
- Plastic Ziploc Bags for money, electronics, and wet clothes.
- A sturdy lock.
- Extremely breathable, moisture wicking, water resistant underwear. Ex Officio is awesome. Not willing to spend 14 dollars on underwear? That will stink (ha!). It’s ballzy, but compression shorts will work also.
- 1 pair of socks.
- A Lonely Planet Guide Book. If I had read the section on border crossing, I wouldn’t have almost had my backpack stolen on a chicken bus in Nicaragua. Also, the fact that I speak the language (want to learn spanish: here) and could understand what “quitale la mochila roja” means in spanish- well, that could have had something to do with my jackie chan grip on my backpack too. The phrase means “take his red backpack.” Use the Guidebooks; they are your mentors. Learn.
How to wash your clothes in a sink, river, or lake
It’s all the rave in Central America.
How to find a Hostel in Central America (or anywhere)
Hostels are cheap. On average, any budget traveler can expect to pay close to $6 a night for a dorm room. That is $180 dollars in rent for 30 days. It’s actually cheaper to travel then it is to stay in the USA and watch movies, buy emptiness at registers, and drink away the weekends. I highly suggest backpacking.
There are, however, some things you should know about hostels: not all hostels are created equal.
- Use Lonely Planet reviews to really narrow down where you want to stay. You can plan in advance or just wing it like we did. The guidebooks do the work for you. Looking for a 5 star hostel to rival the Ritz?It’s in the book. Looking to travel on 20 dollars a day. Doable. You can find it in the Lonely Planet Guidebook.
- Use the Hostel World App to quickly find and reserve rooms.
- Use the lockers.
- Use your smile to meet new people- that is honestly what makes hostels so awesome. You can make interesting friends from all over the world.
At one point, I sat at the steps outside the Aldea Hostel in San Jose, Costa Rica. I was smiling and drinking a Cuba Libre; while next to me a British guy and a girl from Spain had a conversation about how much they loved traveling to Bangkok, Thailand.
In the next room, an American and a Swiss were laughing the night away. I just smiled. Life is great, and I can’t help but feel my spine tingle with electric current at the memories.
Take the chance and go backpacking
Maybe we do live more than once, but are you willing to risk your life on a bet with monotony? A bet based solely on chance that you can live a great life when you are 60. I hope not.
I suggest going to Central America because it is inexpensive (approximately $1500 spent in 34 days), easy to travel around, and the sights are breathe taking.
My next stop will be Thailand, but that won’t be for another year. In the meantime you can check back here in about 28 days and find out what I’m doing now (I’ll give you a hint, if I don’t get shredded, I will sew somebody). That or just cry.
If you have any advice or suggestions for other things to include in this article, please let me know! I would be happy to add to this to make it the most extensive guide to backpacking preparations.
You are the (wo)man!
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