Very very sad end of our beautiful trip. We won’t get to Panama. We are back in Europe.

During one of those fast visits to the internet cafe (to publish the next blog post), somewhere in the  mountains of Honduras, we’ve got this terrible news. My (Anna’s) father passed away. Totally suddenly and totally unexpectedly. The best papa ever, the most beloved grandpa for Hanna and Mila. The one, who during our first trip, even came to travel with us for a while in Armenia.

There is no words to describe that time. The only clear thing was: we are going back home, immediately, now.

And so we did. Thanks to our good friend, who found the fastest flight, thanks to Tom’s parents, who bought us the tickets. In 3 days we were back in Poland. Driving like crazy, crossing whole Guatemala, Belize and Yucatan Peninsula, to get to Cancun. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean, changing the flights twice in Europe and landing in Warsaw. Who would ever expect that..?

Way back

And we were again a bit lucky in this tragedy. Lucky to make it on time to Cancun, lucky to sell the car in half an hour, lucky to meet good people on the way.

We couldn’t fly from Honduras, because we didn’t tell on the border that we would sell the car and didn’t pay the taxes. We couldn’t fly from Guatemala, because the proper flights were just after 5 long days. We couldn’t fly from Belize, because that would mean crossing US and we didn’t have visas and time. So Cancun in Mexico, even if far away, was still the best option. 1500 kilometres (on Central American roads), during days and nights, tired and crying.

Illegally…

The first big problem appeared very fast: on the border with Guatemala. If you were with a car in Guatemala and you left the country, for next 3 months you are not allowed to get back. But we had to, our flight was in 2 days. In the right moment we met the nicest guy in Central America. He promised to open us the border at night and pretend that he has never seen us. Fiiiiine. Yes, we can.

But when he heard that we want to drive by night through Zacapa region, where the level of murders and kidnappings, especially at night, is the highest in the country, he said that he cannot risk our lives like this. And that we should sleep at the border and at 6am his friend will open the gate for us. He still showed us his house and offered some blankets and we really slept in the middle, between Honduras and Guatemala land. At 6 we are approaching the barrier and the “friend” doesn’t understand anything we are trying to tell him. No way, we won’t cross this border for next 3 months, no way. No, we can’t.

But we had to. So we went to the house of the guy from night, woke him up and beg for help. The morning guy was really thought but it seems that it’s difficult to say no to honestly crying woman. He let us go, illegally, fast, anyhow to Belize.

Borders!

On the Belize border we have already been. So we knew that there is no real barrier, that there are a lot of people and you stop your car on the side, go to offices and drive again. So we knew we will be able to drive through the border, without being checked. But only after crossing the last border, with Mexico, we were sure that we will make it: getting on time to get the flight. We called Miguel, the guy who sold us the car 3 months earlier, and asked if he maybe doesn’t want to buy it back. And you know what? He wanted… And he even brought us to the airport afterwards…

We made it: sold the car, packed our stuff, get the plane. The girls were really taught, like they would understand the importance of those crazy hard days.

Break

And that was long long weeks ago. After coming back home there was no time and no space in my head to write about Central America. But because by skype, during last talks with my papa, I was telling him so much about it, and he was so happy for us and proud about what is going on – we decided, even with a big delay, to share all the stories with you. So here we go… That’s it.

Until the next trip.

Our first book is out!

We have published our first book (for now just in Polish:) about our Central America Trip.
See, read and order here »