This will be short as there is congestion here at the Internet at TICA Bus.  Our tour Caravan took us to TICA

bus on Friday.  Our bus was 2.5 hours late.  It is about 1 % Spanish and 99% Spanish.  Normally there are

some back packers who can speak English and Spanish but this time they donīt speak any more Spanish

than I do so it is good as I have to figure out a way to understand.  So far so good!!!  Southeast Guatemala is

also mountainous and a bit poorer we would say.  El Salvador is much more prosperous.  They use the US

dollar so it is easy to pay for things.  It has lots of mountains and jungle,  toward Honduras it gets drier.  We

found a Canadian who suggested a nice place to stay on the coast, ·$20 a night and lots of cheap shrimp to

eat. I have it marked down.  Honduras is drier and mountains but more flat areas.  Both have great farming in the

valley but pretty much by hand.  Lots of small border fees,  bus it freezing,  you have to wear your jacket.  The movies

are so loud it is rediculous.  I wish they did not have them.  Great buses,  just like a good Grey Hound.  It certainly

is safe here.  I think one needs to be a little careful here in Minagua around the bus station.  It is a rough part of town

but we can get food here.  The room costs $24 a night and they take US dollars.

Tomorrow we go to Liberia Costa Rica and then catch another bus to the Gold Coast on the Pacific Side, north

west.  We have  a US Ham operator as a contact who lives there so we are looking forward to that.  It appears

Costa Rica is more expensive.  I hope to get some dental work done so that is first on the list when we get to Phils.  Hopefully we

will get to the area tomorrow night before dark.  It depends on how we do on the bus.  Hopefully there I can send

a more in depth e mail

Ed and Edith