Friend of RUX, Danny Jacobsen, spent 4 action-packed months on the road, traveling from the West Coast of BC all the way down to Central America. We caught up with him to hear about his epic trip!
Where'd you go?
The US, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica! Originally wanted to visit Panama, but was hard to justify given our time constraint. We spent just under 4 months return trip from Vancouver Island.
Probably hard to name a favourite spot, but did you have a favourite spot?
Yeah, tough one, but a few spots I really enjoyed were:
- Cenote Uzil in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
- Mayflower Bocawina National Park, Belize
- Semuc Champey, Guatemala
- Volcan Telica + Cerro Negro, Nicaragua
- Pretty much everywhere in Costa Rica
Closest you came to death/dismemberment/sprained ankle?
Haha, pretty sure I broke my tailbone and further destroyed my chronically injured ankle after throwing the bike away on a mini-frontflip in Guatemala; both of these caused a fair bit of pain for the 2nd half of the trip. Other than that, I can just remember rupturing an eardrum and busting a fingernail. Overall, not too bad!
Best campsite?
We camped at the end of a dirt road by an abandoned suspension bridge over a river in a beautiful jungle valley somewhere in the Alajuela province in CR; that was one of my favourites! It really felt like we were in the middle of nowhere out there, like you're transported thousands of years back in time. Getting to spots like this one was the main motivation of the trip for me.
Any epic stucks/breakdowns?
Yeah all the axle studs on one side sheared off while on a Mexican highway; took the other axle out, shoved some paper towel in the axle housing, and drove from Monterrey in Mexico to Austin, TX in front wheel drive. My credit card magically stopped working the next morning, so I was stuck in between tolls for a while without cash (and therefore the ability to pass through any toll and couldn't leave Mexico) until a very cool trucker offered some cash. Got the credit card thing partially sorted, and ordered new rear hubs at an amazing shop called 'Landcruiser Specialist' in Austin, TX. They are the best!
Best meal?
Definitely these beef sandwiches at a café on the Pacific side of the Nicoya Peninsula. Can't remember the name of the restaurant or exactly where it was, but man those were insane. In the moment Cole and I both felt they were the best tasting food we've ever had.
What’s next for you?
I'm flying to Norway in a couple days, then I'm probably going to stay (somewhat) in place for some time as I set up a new woodshop and re-start my business. Lots to do!
