This channel is for travelers. We are David and Robb, and have been traveling together for 30 years. We’ve been to over 85 countries and territories (so far) on trips that have ranged from a couple of weeks to a couple of years. We are currently taking a four year sabbatical and offer you an unconventional example of what is possible.
Whether you are looking at an extended vacation, a Gap-Year, a sabbatical, or even are a retiree who wants to travel, it can be invaluable to find peers who are doing what you want to do. You know what they say, we are the average of the five people we hang out with the most, so stick around and learn traveling skills as we discuss destinations, foods, SIM cards, visas, taxis, accommodations, safety, and whatever else comes up, so that you can draw your own conclusions and choose your own grand travel adventure.
Im happy you guys were able to enjoy your time here in Guate, as we natives call it, and yes, you are right, there are a lot of misconceptions about the city, but these are either from people who have never been here before , so what do they know, or people who ended up in the wrong place and had a bad time, and thats true in any city in the world, not just here. I lived in the US for over 25 years, and there are bad places that you can end up in if you are not careful, where you can get mugged or even shoot. I travel to Europe, and there are bad places there as well, so it's just a matter of knowing where you are and the places you need to stay out of, and you will be fine. If you guys ever decide to come back and need a guide or just a local who can show you around and give some tips or a little history of the place, hit me up!
The city was probably safer during the protests because it was difficult to get around, schools were closed and work from home was privileged. So, less traffic and less people outside = less armed thieves. Thank you for sharing about Guatemala City. There are things to see and every tourist can enjoy a little stay there and a visit of a few spots. But frankly, it is not a nice town to live in. The government and the municipality should work a lot on public transportation, infrastructure for bicycles and people who walk, green spaces, a cultural offer and, of course, security. And then, it would be an awesome place !
I appreciate your comment, because as a resident you see things that we never will. We had a lovely stay, but every city always has room for improvement. 👍
It depends on what country you are coming from. If you are from the USA like us, you get 90 days (out of 180 days but you probably won't have to worry about that part) in the Schengen zone which makes up most of Europe, including France, Spain, and Portugal. There is a new system coming called ETIAS where you will have to apply ahead of time, but this has been delayed and postponed many times, it may go into effect in 2025 but we'll see. But even if it does go into effect, it shouldn't be more than a minor hassle for most Americans to get. If you are not from the USA, you will have to look at what the rules are for you, it may be similar or could be very different depending on the passport you are traveling on.
So sorry the blisters are still bothering you Robb. As a nurse though it seems you’re the best one to know how to deal with them. I hope they heal quickly. Thanks again for making these videos. I love watching them.
I notice on your are not using the last holes on your shoes (for laces) - the shoe fits better around your ankles if you use these holes I have found-cheers. Maybe that will help for blister prevention
I never really considered that, interesting idea. My blisters are all underneath my foot though, not in the usual spots I blister on the sides or heel even. I'll have to research laces though, I've heard other people talk about it but I've never really understood, thanks for the idea!
Robb, you almost need to do a wound care class on foot care prior to doing the comino! My feet would probably be like yours- sensitive and blisters!! I am so sorry to hear you are having these issues and please please please "Do not burst a blister" but you know that!! Take care my friend!!
Thank you so much for these videos, they are both extremely helpful and very enjoyable to watch. When I bought my Altra’s from REI I was advised to buy them a whole size bigger then I would normally wear, I went from 6.5 to 7.5, wear merino wool socks etc. and so far no problems during my training at least. Neither do they feel too long or awkward. For blisters, (I haven’t tried this) advice I read, use a syringe to remove the water then inject the blister with betadine/iodine antiseptic. Cover with K tape that you don’t intend to remove for a week or so by then the blister should have healed. Like you said a million opinions! Many thanks again!
I'm glad you are finding them helpful, that is our goal. And yes, I got my shoes a full size bigger as well, which I think was helpful, they certainly didn't feel too big. I've never heard of the syringe method, I'll have to think about that one haha.
Robb, you needed better fitting shoes and socks! You are right that you need to address a hot spot right away. And take care of them so they don't become infected. Wondering if you have used hiking sandals? But your feet would get really dirty. I feel bad for you.
Maybe? Except I've worn these shoes before and not had problems. But it has definitely been...a journey. haha. I do have my Tevas with me, they put too much pressure where my blisters were, but once they healed enough I have been able to wear them some which has been nice, but not all day.
Thanks for sharing all the options, especially about the grocery stores and ready made salads. The pilgrim meals sound pricier than I would have expected but I guess if it includes wine, it’s not too bad. And $100 a day sounds affordable. Is that a piece or for both of you?
$100 a day is for both of us. I'll be curious to run the final numbers in the end and see how close we come to that. Probably that will be its own video 😆
You can get Compeed on Amazon in the states (I checked!), but it was that other brand when I bought something in a store. I still don't want to have an open wound to ever test the Compeed out, but at least I've got it if I need it! 😆
Woah! Thank you for sharing our UL backpack ventilation frame with everyone. We are delighted to hear the frame is performing well on the Camino. Keep us posted on how it goes.
The best (and safest) zones to visit are Zone 10 Zone 13 (only on the avenida las americas) Zone 14 Zone 4 (on 4 grados norte) And zone 15 and 16 But you should stay on zone 10. It’s safer. There are some parts in zone 9 where you can get your phone stolen.
Hola Amigos! Awesome video, short and full of useful information. It brought me right back to that long day from Logroño into Nájera especially the site of a refrigerator full of refreshing, cold goodies near Najera that was so well timed (long, hot day and ran out of water). Keep it up! Rey
The unicycles are kinda awesome, we haven't really spoken to them but we've been seeing them on the trails every so often, they go faster than we do but also take more breaks so we keep passing each other. Looks like hard work to me! 😆
@@tendegreeswarmer I did not think bicycles or unicycles were allowed on the Comino! I was so surprised to see them behind you, and yes - I lost track of what you were saying! had to replay! LOL, Stay safe, we enjoy the videos and how you both are doing! Josee
@@JoseeGill Officially, you can earn your completion certificate by walking, cycling, or by riding a horse. We saw lots of bicycles, and a couple of horses towards the end, but this group of unicyclists seemed unique! lol
This is way more than a humble spreadsheet. I love how you demonstrated how to create drop-down boxes. This is such a poweful way to make sheet easy to use. Keep it up - more spreadsheets!
So glad you liked it! Spreadsheets are an important part of our long term travel game plan, and we are happy to share our tools! 😀. (And yes, there are probably more forthcoming haha)
Most of the foreigner that come here love the place. I ho early never understood the bad rep but nowadays it's visited quite often and it's mostly safe .
We did talk to someone who was gluten free, but only one person so this is purely her experience, but she was struggling. She said some of the bigger cities were fine for options, but the smaller places could be a lot harder. Wish I had more specifics to share.
FYI, I have celiac and have done three Caminos. The grocery stores in the larger cities all carry gluten free products. So I always carried my own bread and cookies. As Robb said the tortilla was wonderful so I had that for my breakfast most days. A some of the albergues had gluten free pasta so that was nice. The restaurants, even in the smaller towns are very aware of celiac. When I said, I had to eat gluten-free there was no problem and the staff knew what was available for me. Even when I travel at home, USA, I always carry something to eat. Planning ahead is just part of our life.
I leave in 8 weeks SJPP. I’m starting to pencil in my itinerary. This is helpful. BTW, your channel name is no longer appealing to me. The heat index here in NW Arkansas has been over 105. I need 10 degrees cooler. 😅
Many travelers say they are chasing weather in the 70s. We’re much prefer the 80s or even 90s. We can tolerate hotter temps (we did Egypt in July and loved it) but we don’t usually seek out those hot temps. So I don’t blame you for being uncomfortable in that heat! 😁
My luck is “Murphy’s Law”. I’ll be the one that passes the first place and can’t find another for hours. Heh. Glad I’m going to be traveling with you(the Experts).
Thanks so much! I'm leaving in five weeks for SJPP and hope to eat out of grocery stores bc of dietary restrictions. Your description of grocery store availability is so helpful. Many thanks.
We weren’t sure what to expect and are happy to report on the options we found. It was our primary choice when we had it. Buen Camino, have a great time!!!
As a Native to “la capital”, I have to give you props for all the places you discovered and ventured to. Your descriptions are all on point and accurate, your video on our city really stands out in my opinion. I actually had my partner’s mom (Belizean) visiting us during the protests and it was kind of nerve wracking. I am glad you had a pleasant stay in Guate. ❤
We tell the price in every video of the place that we stayed. At the end of the series I'll run the numbers and do a budget video where we can talk about how much we spent on average on accommodation. But so far I think our cheapest private room was about 35 Euros and the most expensive was about 100 Euros, with an average of (I'm just guessing) somewhere around 50 - 60 Euros. Private rooms in Albergues are cheaper, hotels are more expensive, and it makes a difference if you want a private bathroom or are ok with a shared bathroom. We often just booked the first thing we saw, we decided to splurge on accommodation more than we cared to splurge on food, so we still are staying in budget (about $100/day for both of us.) So you could do cheaper than we did if you wanted.
We didn't want to carry a guidebook, and really, there isn't a ton of exotic birds along this route. We've seen some minor variation as we've walked through different regions, but it is getting harder and harder to see anything new. We will do another video towards the end of the series and talk about the birding we did, what we did see, and where we had the best luck.
Honestly we haven't seen to much (besides dogs/cats and birds of course.) Beyond lots cows and sheep and a few goats and horses, I think we've seen two deer, a handful of little critters I suspect are voles, some lizards, and lots of snails. Oh and one good sized snake. Too many people scare off a lot of animals. In one of our later videos we will talk about all the birds we've seen along the Way and in different regions.
There are a lot of really lovely towns…and a few more forgettable ones. They are all starting to blend together in my head! lol. But every one has at least one church, if not several.
You guys are having so much fun! I can tell from your smiles and upbeat attitude. Great tip on the sun sleeves. I’ve never seen them before and they look so handy.
We are having a blast! And yes, the sun sleeves were a late idea that we almost passed on, and I'm so glad we went for it. They've made everything so much better not having to carry all that extra sunscreen and feeling greasy all day.
Guatemala City is excellent :has restaurants from all over the world.High end restaurants to local eatiers :all good food.Beautiful modern malls,modern movie theatres with movies in English . Modern supermarkets with everything in them ,plus local markets .I would consider Guatemala City a world class city Have you guys been to Costa Rica ? how does Guatemala compare to Costa Rica ? I hear Costa Rica is more expensive? have you guys been to Mexico ? Colombia ? WHat about language ? can one get around with only English ?
We haven't yet been to Colombia, and only had a week in Costa Rica in the cloud forest so that is hard to compare, but I would assume Costa Rica would be more expensive than Guatemala. Mexico is probably a similar level price wise in many areas, though the big tourist areas and places like Mexico City can be much more expensive of course. But that is the fun part of traveling, is finding the ways to go to and experience all of the countries you want to see! Language wise, we have transactional Spanish and can order lunch and bus tickets, but can't really have a conversation, and we have been fine traveling all over the Americas. A lot of people speak English in the bigger touristy areas, but even when they don't, a little Spanish goes a long way if you stay calm and smile a lot. 😄
