Nueva Ocotepeque-San Jorge-Copán Ruinas Road
Honduras
Honduras
Casco Viejo
Panama city
Panama
Panama city
Panama
Playa El Esteron
Pacific Coast
El Salvador
Pacific Coast
El Salvador
Tazumal Ruins
Chalchuapa
El Salvador
Chalchuapa
El Salvador
Quebec to Panama 2017-2019
(North and Central America)
16 months - solo travel - Suzuki DR650
Latest news:
This journey is completed. Consult the map for the entire route.
This journey continues in section South America 2019-2023.
This journey continues in section South America 2019-2023.
Most recent posts:
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May 14, 2019 — Panama
My trip to Panama started with a visit of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago where I stayed one week to explore beaches and the jungle on some of the islands...
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May 7, 2019 — Panama
The Panama Canal cuts through the Isthmus of Panama and ends in the Atlantic Ocean in the Colón Province. Unlike the capital, the city of Colón is not...
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May 1, 2019 — Panama
Panama City, a capital with more than 1,5 million inhabitants. Panama is the name of a city, a province, and also a country. Located on the Pacific Coast...
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Apr 24, 2019 — Panama
Finally, it's done! I reached the end of the road... I am in Yaviza, a small remote village at the edge of the Darién Jungle.Sorry? What are you saying...
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Apr 23, 2019 — Panama
This artificial lake was created in 1976, after the construction of a dam on the Río Bayano. Nothing better than a short stay in this small hostel located...
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Apr 16, 2019 — Panama
The Azuero Peninsula is probably the place where the rainy and dry seasons are the most obvious. Despite the fact that the rain has started in the mountains...
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Apr 10, 2019 — Panama
Some landscapes around Baru Volcano and the village of Boquete.Since the rainy season has already started, I chose to turn back. I will come back in...
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Apr 7, 2019 — Panama
Bocas del Toro is a province located in the extreme northwest of the country. It's also an archipelago of magnificent islands with beautiful beaches and...
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Apr 3, 2019 — Costa Rica
After a stay in Quebec, with my new camera and a good idea of my itinerary for next months, I flew back to Costa Rica. A fairly long trip since I had...
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Apr 2, 2019 — Costa Rica
Cocles is the name of the village where I stayed a few days while visiting the surroundings. In the garden of the hostel, there were several interesting...
I do a 14-day round-trip to Quebec in order to buy a new camera and new lenses. I also renew my driver's licence.
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Mar 7, 2019 — Costa Rica
I am trying to add a new element to my site. From now on, when you see this image in the list of posts, it will be about a text describing my latest adventures...
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Feb 25, 2019 — Honduras
The region around Trujillo is very nice. There are interesting villages, some beautiful beaches, nice mountains in the background, and the town of Trujillo...
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Feb 19, 2019 — Honduras
On the following panorama, one can see the mountains of the Pico Bonito Park over the plains near the city of La Ceiba. This vast park is a dense jungle...
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Feb 17, 2019 — Honduras
Omoa is a small fishing village along the Caribbean Coast. On weekends, the village comes to life with locals from the neighbouring town of Puerto Cortés...
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Feb 15, 2019 — Honduras
Superb park located on the east side of Lake Yojoa. Nothing better than a kayak excursion to enjoy the beauty of Lake Yojoa...
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Feb 12, 2019 — Honduras
This cave has been explored up to a depth of 921 metres. However, only the first 300 metres are lit. ...
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Feb 8, 2019 — Honduras
Erandique is the most beautiful village of the region, and possibly of the country. The village was at the earth of the Lenca rebellion waged by the indigenous...
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Feb 7, 2019 — Honduras
The Lenca Road is located in the southwest of Honduras. It's a mountainous region with superb landscapes and numerous century-old villages. The Lenca...
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Feb 2, 2019 — Honduras
Celaque National Park is one of the most beautiful parks of Honduras. The major part of the park is located at an altitude of 1800 metres or more. The...
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Jan 31, 2019 — Honduras
At first glance, this animal centre is a bit depressing with its cages in such a beautiful environment. Don't be fooled by appearances. The place is a...
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Jan 29, 2019 — Honduras
Copán Ruinas, despite its names, is a small town in southwest Honduras where are located the country's most important Mayan ruins. Curiously, the town...
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Jan 26, 2019 — Honduras
After crossing the border between El Salvador and Honduras, I had to choose between a nice 175 km paved road with so-so scenery or a harder 100 km dirt...
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Jan 23, 2019 — El Salvador
Here are a few landscapes from northwestern El Salvador.Despite the fact that the dry season is not even halfway through, the lack of water is already...
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Jan 22, 2019 — El Salvador
Here are the two most spectacular places in El Salvador. The national park and the caldera are both located next to each other. The Coatepeque Caldera...
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Jan 15, 2019 — El Salvador
Normally, I rarely visit any country's capital since they often have few charms, lots of traffic, pollution and violence. San Salvador is among the cities...
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Jan 11, 2019 — El Salvador
Arcatao is a lovely mountain village near the border with Honduras. My old guidebook, published more than 12 years ago, mentions that this village has...
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Jan 8, 2019 — El Salvador
Located in northeastern Salvador, Perquin had a major role during the civil war that ravaged El Salvador for 12 years, from 1980 to 1992. The war raged...
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Jan 7, 2019 — El Salvador
Here are a few photos taken in northeastern El Salvador. The paintings in this cave are some 10,000-year-old according to some archeologists. The cave...
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Jan 5, 2019 — El Salvador
One of my favourite places in El Salvador! The beaches along the country's Eastern Pacific Coast are amongst the nicest of all the region. I had the opportunity...
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Jan 4, 2019 — El Salvador
A few photos of nice sites in the country. The Pacific Coast around the Bay of Jiquilisco is barren of any trace of tourism development. It seems there...
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Dec 31, 2018 — El Salvador
Here are some landscapes from the country's Western Pacific Coast. The beaches in the region are known for their very good surfing waves. It's here that...
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Dec 27, 2018 — El Salvador
After the Route of the Flowers, I am heading toward the city of Santa Ana, visiting a few interesting sites on the way. This scenic site has some surprises...
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Dec 24, 2018 — El Salvador
The Route of the Flowers is very popular in El Salvador. It's a route of some 36 km linking a series of small charming mountain towns. Although its name...
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Dec 20, 2018 — El Salvador
After passing the border, I drove toward the El Imposible National Park. Its name comes from a gorge that was very difficult to cross for farmers and...
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Dec 14, 2018 — Guatemala 2
The Guatemalan Coast has a few nice attractions, and is endowed with some decent beaches for surf enthusiasts. As you already know, beaches are not my...
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Dec 11, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Santiaguito Volcano is located at the foot of Santa Maria Volcano, and a few kilometres from the city of Quetzaltenango. It's still active, and sometimes...
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Dec 7, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Markets in Guatemala are very colourful. In the mountains, people with Mayan ancestry still wear traditional outfits. Among the three markets I visited...
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Dec 2, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Lake Atitlán is born from a massive eruption some 84,000 years ago. The quantity of magma expelled from the Earth's depth caused the surface terrain...
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Nov 28, 2018 — Guatemala 2
After Pacaya Volcano, I wanted to tackle the Acatenango Volcano. Its summit towers at 3880 metres, almost 1300 metres higher than Pacaya. This time, I...
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Nov 25, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Guatemala is a nice place to explore volcanoes, some of which are active. However, since I travel with a motorbike, I don't have any backpack and my equipment...
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Nov 23, 2018 — Guatemala 2
When you are surrounded by volcanoes, it's a must to drive around in search of beautiful landscapes. Here are a few images of the region around Antigua...
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Nov 19, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Lake Amatitlán, with the Agua Volcano in the background, is located only 25 kilometres from the capital. For such a nice lake, it's surprising to see...
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Nov 18, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Located at the top of Ipala Volcano, this small crater lake is about 1 kilometre long, and is at an altitude of 1493 metres.I spent a night camping on...
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Nov 16, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Lake Izabal is the largest one in Guatemala, and it's the source of Rió Dulce. There are several nice sites to visit all around the lake. Here are a...
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Nov 15, 2018 — Guatemala 2
During the boat tour, I stopped at this hotel on the Tatin River, a tributary of the Rió Dulce. I slept in one of these dormitories that has spaces for...
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Nov 11, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Alta Verpapaz et Baja Verapax are two mountainous departments in the centre of the country. This region is populated by the Rabinal Maya, a group known...
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Nov 6, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Santa Maria de Nebaj is a municipality in the Quiché region. The region is also known as the Ixil Triangle for its people. Personally, I don't think...
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Nov 4, 2018 — Guatemala 2
San Mateo is a mountain village with mainly Mayan population. The women of the area wear very colourful huipiles. The landscapes around the village are...
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Nov 3, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Did I ever tell you that I love riding a motorbike? Yes, it's tiring, the rain and cold can be a major deterrent, and it's not possible to sleep anywhere...
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Nov 2, 2018 — Guatemala 2
The Day of the Dead is normally celebrated on November 1st, but in Todos Santos, the day is postponed to November 2nd to allow for the horse race.The...
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Nov 1, 2018 — Guatemala 2
The most famous events of the Todos Santos fiesta is the horse race. During the days preceding the race, the competitors celebrate, dance, and drink a...
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Oct 30, 2018 — Guatemala 2
Todos Santos is usually a small quiet town where inhabitants proudly wear brightly coloured traditional clothing. In many regions, only women wear traditional...
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Oct 28, 2018 — Guatemala 2
After more than 6 months in Quebec, I am back in Mexico to retrieve the motorbike that was in storage in Tapachula. I had left it outside, under a blue...
I take a break for a few months in Quebec... From Quetzaltenango, I drive to Tapachula in Mexico to store the motorbike. The city is about 20 kilometres from the Mexico-Guatemala border, and it is a 'Free Zone.' This means, I don't have to register the motorbike with a temporary import permit. After my break in Quebec, I drive back to Guatemala where I will continue my trip.
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Mar 26, 2018 — Guatemala
It's the end of the first stage of my trip. After a few days in this city, I will return to Quebec for a few months. My mother is selling her house and...
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Mar 22, 2018 — Guatemala
The site is a series of pools with turquoise to green-emerald coloured water. It is easy to spend a full day swimming in each of the pools. ...
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Mar 19, 2018 — Guatemala
Naj Tunich was a pleasure to discover due to its remoteness. Indeed, I had very few information on its location, and I had to rely on an imprecise map...
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Mar 19, 2018 — Guatemala
A superb cave near the village of Lanquín. The cave extends for several kilometres, but only the first hundreds metres are easily accessible. ...
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Mar 17, 2018 — Guatemala
Sayaxché is a very ordinary small dusty town. However, the road to get there comes up against the River of Passion (Río de la Pasión). There is a ferry...
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Mar 15, 2018 — Guatemala
After the jungle, a few days of rest around lake Petén Itzá were very welcome. Many people choose to stay on the island of Flores, but I chose to base...
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Mar 7, 2018 — Belize
This reserve is a superb mountainous area with awesome forests, rivers, and waterfalls. The rivers and falls are great places to swim.....
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Mar 4, 2018 — Belize
Mennonites are also present in Belize. There are many communities, and most of them are relative to those that came from Canada. An underground river...
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Feb 28, 2018 — Belize
This sanctuary has the reputation to be an excellent place for birds observation. As far as I am concerned, it was not a great success. Indeed, February...
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Feb 25, 2018 — Belize
Lamanai was occupied as early as 1500 BC, and it was a very important ceremonial centre. Its peak seems to have been from 200 to 100 BC, and its main...
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Feb 19, 2018 — Mexico
Here is a fantastic show from Mother Nature. Looking at this small hole at the bottom of the hole, it's easy to think it's boring. Indeed it is. However...
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Feb 17, 2018 — Mexico
Here are some interesting archeological sites in the Yucatán Peninsula. They are less-visited sites and for some of them, the highlight is the road to...
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Feb 9, 2018 — Mexico
Chichén Itzá is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is surrounded by at least five cenotes that are an important source of water in this arid region. For...
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Feb 7, 2018 — Mexico
Cenotes are natural pit, or sinkhole, in a specific type of rock. They are mostly found in North and Central America, more specifically in the Yucatán...
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Feb 2, 2018 — Mexico
In 1517, when the Spanish arrived, Campeche was only a small Mayan village named Ah Kim Pech. The Mayas of the area were very hostile toward the Spanish...
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Jan 26, 2018 — Mexico
This superb region is a mix of lakes, ruins, and forest. There are dozens of lakes to see and some old Mayan ruins. A lake at the border of Guatemala...
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Jan 23, 2018 — Mexico
The nice colonial town of Comitán is very nice, especially its central park. Small Mayan ruins near Comitán. This site may have been in use up to AD...
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Jan 20, 2018 — Mexico
The region around San Cristóbal is dotted with superb villages and fantastic landscapes. One of the villages, San Juan Chamula, is very independent...
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Jan 18, 2018 — Mexico
San Cristóbal is a splendid town known for its colonial architecture. Around the town, there are numerous traditional villages with ancient beliefs and...
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Jan 16, 2018 — Mexico
The town of Chiapa de Corzo was one of these places where you stop at random and where you end up staying much longer than initially anticipated. At first...
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Jan 11, 2018 — Mexico
In the beginning, I thought my stay at the Escobilla Turtle Centre would be short. I witnessed to the release of baby turtles with other tourists, and...
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Jan 2, 2018 — Mexico
What a lovely place to spend a few days during New Year's Eve. While my Canadian/Quebec compatriots are freezing in temperatures around -30 degrees Celsius...
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Dec 23, 2017 — Mexico
Oaxaca is a pretty city in the mountains known for its culture and food.Surrounded by villages, markets, hiking trails, and interesting archeological...
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Dec 22, 2017 — Mexico
Monte Albán is one of the most important archeological sites of Mexico. It competes with other great sites such as Teotihuacán, Palenque, or Chichén...
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Dec 21, 2017 — Mexico
The ruins of Mitla are located in the centre of the modern village of San Pablo Villa de Mitla. The ruins date from a few centuries before the Spanish...
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Dec 20, 2017 — Mexico
Located at an altitude of 1,800 metres, this site is a splendid bubbling mineral springs. A natural infinity pool was created next to a cliff, offering...
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Dec 18, 2017 — Mexico
Tlacotalpan is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's a colonial town from the 19th century, well preserved and renovated. The colour palette of...
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Dec 7, 2017 — Mexico
Yes, a park's name quite difficult to pronounce, but with incredible scenery. Iztaccíhuatl is a dormant volcano while Popocatépetl is active and its...
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Dec 2, 2017 — Mexico
Taxco became rich from numerous silver deposits exploited during nearly 400 years and still harbour a rich colonial heritage. Nowadays, these deposits...
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Dec 1, 2017 — Mexico
The monarch's sanctuary hasn't been a great success. I visited the sanctuary during the butterfly high season, but by some misfortunes, I didn't see as...
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Nov 28, 2017 — Mexico
How do I feel about a city of more than 22 million inhabitants? Some suburbs are very nice, but the population density and especially the traffic jams...
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Nov 26, 2017 — Mexico
The National Museum of Anthropology showcases an impressive art collection on Mexican cultures from prehistory to modern times. The most interesting sections...
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Nov 24, 2017 — Mexico
The pyramids of Teotihuacan are among the most famous and most visited of Mexico. The site is located 50 km north-east of Mexico City and is a UNESCO...
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Nov 21, 2017 — Mexico
Las Pozas is the creation of the British poet Edward James. It's a garden with surrealistic structures built between 1962 and 1984 in a subtropical forest...
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Nov 17, 2017 — Mexico
The road to the town is 24 km path made of cobblestones. Imagine all the work to do it.It's a nice road, but it is a bit bumpy. Fortunately with a motorbike...
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Nov 14, 2017 — Mexico
In the previous post, I told you about the fascination Mexicans have with death. Here is another example of it, a museum entirely dedicated to the death.In...
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Nov 12, 2017 — Mexico
WARNING: If you don't like what you see at the beginning of this post, don't go any further. There are mummies of babies and very young children below...
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Nov 11, 2017 — Mexico
Ah Guanajuato, what a fantastic place! It is a very photogenic city, and you will quickly understand why it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.The city of...
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Nov 9, 2017 — Mexico
San Miguel de Allende is a beautiful city with a colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and superb lighting of certain buildings at nights. In 2008...
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Nov 6, 2017 — Mexico
Volcano Paricutín is still quite young at 80 years old and with a height of 2800 metres. On February 20, 1943, while a farmer was labouring its field...
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Nov 4, 2017 — Mexico
Highway 200, also known as Carretera Pacífico in Spanish, follow the Pacific Coast for about 2000 km and crosses seven Mexican states. Here are a few...
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Oct 31, 2017 — Mexico
Guadalajara is the second-biggest city of Mexico with 1.5 million people; 4 million when counting the greater metro area.The city has a superb downtown...
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Oct 29, 2017 — Mexico
I am not a fan of beaches, but here I am in a very touristy seaside town resort. To my great surprise, I loved this town. The beaches are nice, the waterfront...
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Oct 25, 2017 — Mexico
Who is Francisco Villa, nicknamed Pancho Villa? He is one of the most famous historical figures of the Mexican Revolution in the years 1910 to 1920.I...
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Oct 23, 2017 — Mexico
At the beginning of this journey, during our crossing of the United States on the Trans-America Trail, Alvaro, Thierry and I have met a Mennonite community...
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Oct 20, 2017 — Mexico
In the last part, I present you the classic Copper Canyon. It is the touristy part where most people go. The train starting from Los Mochis and reaching...
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Oct 18, 2017 — Mexico
Up to now, the trail from Urique to Batopilas, has been the most difficult one that I drove in solo. Before starting the trail, I knew that the first...
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Oct 17, 2017 — Mexico
The landscapes in the first part were fantastic, but those I was about to see after Cerocahui were even more impressive. A few kilometres after Cerocahui...
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Oct 14, 2017 — Mexico
The Copper Canyon (Barrancas del Cobre, in Spanish) is a series of canyons located in the southwestern part of the state of Chihuahua. Six canyons and...
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Oct 11, 2017 — Mexico
The Pueblos Mágicos are villages or towns that offer a 'magical' experience with their beauty, culture, or history. Álamos is the first magical site...
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Oct 6, 2017 — Mexico
I entered Mexico by the border post at Tecate. On the American side, there is no real village, but on the Mexican side, there is a bustling town.Crossing...
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Oct 2, 2017 — United States
My journey continues toward the south through the mountains. The scenery is fantastic. Here are some landscapes of the last week in the United States...
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Sep 28, 2017 — United States
Reno is a mini Las Vegas. I say 'mini' since Reno is far from being an equal to Las Vegas. It is far less impressive, and there are fewer illuminated...
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Sep 24, 2017 — United States
We reached the Pacific Coast in Oregon, but we didn't complete the last kilometres on the Trans-America Trail. Because of a tight schedule and also since...
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Sep 9, 2017 — United States
After many adventures, we are finally in Oregon, on the Pacific Coast.It is the end of our journey on the Trans-America Trail. Thierry and Alvaro are...
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Sep 8, 2017 — United States
Our journey continues in Utah, one of the most scenic areas of the TAT. In turn, some sections of the route are very difficult especially when carrying...
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Sep 7, 2017 — United States
The United States is the best country for guns. Many Americans claim high and loud their right to have a firearm. Indeed, in the American Constitution...
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Sep 3, 2017 — United States
Who are the Mennonites? Do you remember the movie Witness (1985) with Harrison Ford? That film is about Amish, but Mennonites live in a similar way.For...
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Sep 1, 2017 — United States
Here we are at the start of the Trans-America Trail, clean, shaved, and with bikes and luggage in good conditions. The TAT crosses the United States from...
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Aug 1, 2017 — Quebec
Motorbiking is a new adventure for me and it's the first time I drive. I hope I am going to like it and be able to accomplish the whole journey. Even...