Wicked places in Central America

You might be surprised (and maybe a bit freaked out) to see sunburned white settlers dressed in eighteenth century clothing riding horse carts through the green Belizean countryside. They are Mennonites, a Christian people living a strict life untouched by the modern world, who immigrated to Belize and now seem to feed the whole nation with their dairy and agriculture products. In isolated areas, they turn the jungle into "The little house on the prairie", but with palms. It is wonderfully weird and a fascinating contrast to the else easy-going-dreadlocks-swinging-reggae-listening part of Belize. The Mennonites are surprisingly friendly, though a bit reserved, and you are welcome to travel through their farmlands - but don't expect them to line up for group photos.

Nicaraguans don't consider dogs and cats as pets, roosters are their thing. They care for them, train them and the best ones will be put into the ring for cockfighting. Though death (for the rooster) can occur the game usually ends way before, when one of cocks puts the beak to the ground. They owners gamble for big money and even bigger pride. Even if you don't approve of this kind of "sport", it is still a great way to mingle with the locals. Make sure you are welcome and get permission before taking pictures.

If you take the Pan-American highway all the way south, this is where you will end up. Here, the road ends unannounced in the little settlement of Yaviza and leaves only dense jungle all the way to Colombia. Though Yaviza is a friendly village, the meaning of the place is the real attraction. This is the start (or end) of the legendary Darién gap, which many travellers wish to cross... but refrain from doing the trek. The possible dangers are too numerous, and getting kidnapped by some of the guerrillas seems to be the least of one's worries. There are other alternatives to get to Colombia, like sailing, so why risk it?