May 13, 2011
Right now we are hunkered down in Bogota and waiting patiently for Sunday to come so we can begin the journey home! We have been away for almost 5 months and are definitely ready to be among the familiar again.
Last week we spent 5 days in Taganga. Tangana is a teeny tiny little town near Santa Marta. It is famous for diving and the starting point for the Lost City Trek. We were interested in the diving for sure but being that everyday was an average 36degrees we opted out of the trekking tours. We took a bus from Cartagena and 5 hours later they dropped us off at our hotel. Now that we were a mere week from heading home we shelled out a whopping $35 a night for a private room with bathroom at one of the nicer hotels...this one was even called a B&B! It had a pool too which was a life saver in that heat. I have never been that hot in my life. During the day a bathing suit and sarong was the standard uniform. The streets were mostly just dirt and rock and I don't blame them...who the hell would want to pave a street when you can barely breathe when you just walk for 5 minutes.
Chad signed up to do his advanced course in scuba diving. He really wanted to do it in Utila but having infected ears prevented that. It is just as cheap if not cheaper in Colombia to do your dive courses. I did two fun dives on his first day and was amazed by the number of fish I was seeing! The water is not as clear and is quite a bit colder but the angel fish were bigger than I have ever seen and the barracuda were as long as I was. At one point I saw 3 eels, two angel fish and a barracuda and I couldn't decide where to look. We also came across an octopus having a snack on some type of crustacean. I didn't even know it was an octopus because he hid his body inside this tube corral. The divemasters in Colombia are not as hesitant to interact with the wildlife as they are in Utila. My divemaster was grabbing scorpion fish by the tail and picking up porcupine fish in his bare hands and scaring the crap out of lizard fish just to make them move. Entertaining for me yet probably no so great for the fish.
Chad's first two dives were the deep dive at 30m and navigation. He got to see what its like to feel the effects of narcosis that happens at those depths. His instructor asked him to do a few simple math problems and he said his brain felt like mush and couldn't even add 4 plus 4. His next two dives were the drift dive and buoyency perfection. For the drift dive he had to swim against a current and make their way back to the boat using currents. That day they were super strong and they tried to swim against it but were getting nowhere. When they started to head back some how Chad's bouyency got messed up and he ended up floating to the surface. When he tried to submerge again he couldn't find his instructor. Oops. So he just had a little relax at the surface and waited for him to come up. He still passed! Our last day in Taganga we signed up for the night dive. It was amazing! We each are given a flash light and told to follow the leader. It wasn't nearly as scary as I thought it would be. Not at all actually. We saw lobsters that were going about their business, this weird prehistoric looking flat bug thing and all the fish we saw during the day that were busy swimming around sleeping peacefully on the corral. At the end of the dive we all turned off out lights and swirled our hands around so we could see the bioluminesence of the plankton! When we came to the surface we noted that two of our group members were not the same group members we came down with. They also noted this and asked us "who are you?" in which we replied "we are us, who the hell are you?". Unbeknownst to us two of our group had to surface because one was low on air and two divers from another boat some how ended up with us. Very odd indeed. They were just as confused as we were.
Many of our sailing trip friends came to Tanganga as well so we had lots of fun eating and drinking and complaining about the heat! We actually had the best steak dinner we have had on this trip at a restaurant there. But alas time to say goodbye. We decided to fly to Bogota instead of taking the bus because of bad road reports and an aversion to 20 hour bus rides. It was the exact same price and took 19 hours less!
So here we are. I am wearing a sweater and my scarf and socks! I hadn't even looked at my sweater since Mexico. Bogota is at 2400m and is cold and rainy. We actually have blankets on the bed...crazy I know! We arrived yesterday and after a quick nap we went out in search of food! We found a nice place and sat down. I thought I orderd chicken but a big honking steak came out slathered in mushrooms! It was the best mistake ever. Our hostel here is shit but for some reason all the good ones require reservations, who knew. Today we went out for a bit but it started to pour so we had to retreat to a bar for beers. A bar called Public Beer House that has three of its own brew. I even drank a dark ale! I was so impressed with myself. We did a little shopping too and after rewarded our good haggling skills with a chorrizo and a potato on a stick and a chicken empanada. Back at the hostel we are too cold to leave our sleeping bags so I think we will call it a night.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
From Panama City to Cartagena via the San Blas Islands....pure paradise.
May 8, 2011
We haven't written in while because we are running out of time and are trying to pack in a lot of stuff! But I will try to start where i left off...
We booked the overnight bus to Panama City as it was an 18 hour ride. We left SJ at 11pm and got woken up at 4am to get off the bus and stand in line at the immigration office. The office however didn't open until 6am. Two hours of sitting on the ground half asleep for no reason. They wouldn't let us back on the bus. Finally the office opened at 6:30am!! One little stupid stamp and off we went to another line!! 9:00am and we were finally through the border. 5 hours of stupid lists and calling our names and not even once looking through our bags. To get into Panama you are supposed to have a ticket out of the country. We lacked that of course because we are taking a boat out of the country. We told the officer that and he shrugged and stamped away. I think because it says Canada on the front of my passport he didn't really think i was going to try to live in panama illegally.
We arrived in Panama City around 3pm and took a taxi to a hostel called Luna's Castle. This place is amazing. It is a converted colonial mansion. There are rooms tucked away in every corner and art covers the walls everywhere. There is even a theatre room with makeshift movie couches going up to the ceiling. We watched a few movies in there and had a grand time. We met lots of other Canadians here. One being an army med student from Toronto who never seems to be sober. The first morning we saw him he was chowing down on a stack of pancakes (pancakes being free at our hostel). He unfortunately went to a strip club the night before and being quite drunk let a Colombian stripper sit on his lap. She pick pocketed him and left him broke. He managed to still have his passport but all of his cards and cash were now gone. There is even a warning sign at the hostel stating in bold letters "If the girl flirting with you is too good looking to be talking to you she is probably Colombian and on the clock!"
We spent about 4 days around PC exploring the old town or Casco Viejo it is called. It is falling apart in some areas. The ruins of old buildings mixed with bold colours and liveliness of the people is amazing to look at and take pictures of. The presidential palace and the national theatre are both in this area. We went out for pizza the first night we were there and ended up in the "Red Zone" or the zone where whiteys are not accepted readily. We had no clue and no body bothered us at all.
We booked a sailing trip to Cartagena, Colombia on a catamaran called Buon Vento or Good Wind in Italian. The captain was this greasy old salty italian fella whose English was less than great. He sold us with the italian chef on board and promises of pristine islands and what not. $450 each it was a bit steep but only 100 more than a flight so we signed up! While we were signing up we met 5 of the other passengers. The captain was really insisting on us having our passports in Puerto Lindo the next day but we still had some sights to see in PC. He suggested that we find this fellow named Mor who was also staying at the hostel and give him our money and our passports. We figured he must be a crew member but when we met him the next morning he stated that he was just another passenger and was wondering why the hell the captain was telling him to come two days early and to carry that much money and two Canadian passports of people he didn't even know. Mor is from Israel and worked in security and said "ahh Canadian passports? they are worth a lot of money you know." he seemed nice enough. hahah. we being the trusting canadians gave him our passports but no money.
While in Panama City is an apparent must that you have to visit the Panama Canal. We teemed up with our shipmates Dave, Sarah and Sarah from England and went on our merry way. Dave being fluent in spanish after having a spanish girlfriend for three years navigated our journey. First thing however we needed to stop at the mall for a rain coat and a Panama hat. Chicken busing it around the city for 25cents a ride is the way to go! We arrived at the Miraflores Locks. We paid $5 to go up to the observation deck and watch as some big ships were heading through. Super interesting but mostly the kind of thing our Dad's would appreciate we all thought. After hiding in a bus shelter for an hour from the downpour the bus finally showed up and off we went home.
To get to our launch point for the sailing trip we had to get to a tiny town called Puerto Lindo. Its so tiny its not even on any maps. We took a taxi and two buses. On the last bus (chicken in type) we had to squeeze ourselves and our bags into the back. Finding there a lad from saskatchewan. Odd place to find a saskatchewanee but there he was and he and chad chatted it up for the hour or so ride where we were squashed in. The naked baby in front of me was blowing snot bubbles out of her nose and her umbilical hernia was bulging out like a belly wiener. She was adorable.
We got dropped off at our hostel called Wunderbar. Owned by a German couple who have a little daughter with a crazy mullet haircut and a rather rough way with the animals. She has many pets but her favourite and the brunt of most of her tough love was a baby sloth named Lazy. He was adorable and clung to a teddy bear most of the time or hung out upside down in a tree in the yard. We got to hold him and feed him mango. There were also two little green birds that she would grab and stick on her shirt and then wheel around in her power wheels and yell "beep beep!" before she ran over your toes. We went on a walk to town to obtain provisions for the boat. Provisions being booze...and lots of it.
Next morning we met Eduardo and Nicky the Italians who run Buon Vento. We boarded the boat and were shown to our cabin with even our own bathroom. The others however were not as lucky. There were four bedrooms and one small berth at the front of the boat. Eduardo totally overbooked the trip and crammed three people per bed for the people who were not couples. He even put Mor the Israeli guy in with two girls from France and Switzerland. We were lucky and so were the Irish couple because we got our own rooms. Nicky and Eduardo slept in the kitchen.
The first day we sailed for 6 hours until we came to the San Blas Islands. It was a bit rough and almost everybody was sea sick. Chad and I were lucky that time. We anchored right beside a village of the Kuna people who literally live in shacks made of sticks, yet they wear western clothing and really like coca-cola. They paddled across in their ramshackle old canoe came aboard the ship after we had dinner and brought some of their items for sale. For an added commercial effect they had to of course bring their little two year old to charm us into forking over some cash. American cash at that. I bought two purses for my nieces and lots of the other girls bought ankle bracelets that they have to put on you in a certain way by wrapping it around and tying each stand so that it makes a pattern. Some of the boys swam to shore and went about collecting and breaking open coconuts. The Kuna however were not so happy with this as this is the only thing that grows on the island so they would rather that you bought one from them for a dollar and they will break it open for you.
Next morning we had some breakfast and after a quick swim we motored a ways out and the captain let us all get out and snorkel. In this area there was a wreck and it looked rather recent. It must have hit the reef and then sunk because it was hanging on the side of the corral wall. Saw lots of cool fish. After only another hours sail we were at our next stop. This stop was in front of an amazing little beach with a corral reef just to the left of us. It was absolute perfection. The water was crystal clear and full of fish. I even saw pairs of squid changing colours as I got closer. We spent hours snorkeling and usually I get cold eventually and have to get out of the water but the water was so warm that I didn't even feel like I was in the water. Our chef Nicky was out today too with his spear gun. He trapped two huge lobsters and a big crab, our dinner for that night. Once again eating illegally fished lobster! No one seems to care that they are disappearing as fast as we are eating them. Esther from Switzerland mentioned this but it was to deaf ears. You can never waste a lobster so we made sure every last piece if meat was gone. The food on this trip was great but the portion sizes lacked and Chad was starving the whole time!
That night we took the dinghy to the island and made a huge fire on the beach. The Irish couple brought out their drum and best singing voices and we practiced our hippy skills: hoolah hooping and rope and ball swinging. Super fun. We got to swim back to the boat in the dark! The glowing plankton was so beautiful as it lit up around your moving hands and feet. Next morning I woke up and we were in a whole new spot! This was were we were guaranteed to see rays and sharks. The captain took us on the dinghy to the starting point up current a ways. There was a huge piece of pipeline actually stuck in the corral and the sharks like to hide behind it. He let us out in some very shallow water and said to just let the current take you back to the boat. So off we float. Within about 5 minutes I saw my first shark ever! It was a relatively small nurse shark but so unreal to see. They have big fins and these little whiskers on their snouts. I got one blurry picture. Chad had fins on so he could stay close to where the sharks were without getting pushed by the current. He saw 3 sharks, nurse and reef. One he said was about 6 feet long. As we drifted further down we saw tons of rays nestled in the sand. One got spooked and shook off its sand and sped away. The english sarah's had to share a snorkel which was bull shit and blonde sarah almost put her foot down on the ray's tail because she couldn't see that it was below her. Once we got back to the boat it was time for brunch and then to ready ourselves for 30 hours for the open sea crossing.
The crossing itself was uneventful until we were joined by probably about 6 dolphins! They stayed at the front of the boat and dove in and out of the water taking a look at us. They stayed with us for a good 10 minutes or so. It actually helped some of our seasickness to have something to focus on other than how miserable it is to be sick. Brown haired english sarah was the sickest and yacked off the side of the boat a few times. The rest of us were a little green around the gills as well. Not Chad though....show off! I spent most of the time in my cabin sleeping and listening to music. Reading or writing or anything that involved using your eyes was impossible. Usually the crossing takes two days but the captain was eager to get there so he had sails and motor on the whole time which usually doesn't happen. We heard of one boat whose engine broke on the crossing and because the winds are blowing right into us they had to tack the whole way. It took them 10 days!! I couldn't imagine. I would die!!
Once we arrived in Cartagena the captain took us to his friend's restaurant for pizza and told us how to obtain cocaine easily and safely while in Colombia! yeesh!
We haven't written in while because we are running out of time and are trying to pack in a lot of stuff! But I will try to start where i left off...
We booked the overnight bus to Panama City as it was an 18 hour ride. We left SJ at 11pm and got woken up at 4am to get off the bus and stand in line at the immigration office. The office however didn't open until 6am. Two hours of sitting on the ground half asleep for no reason. They wouldn't let us back on the bus. Finally the office opened at 6:30am!! One little stupid stamp and off we went to another line!! 9:00am and we were finally through the border. 5 hours of stupid lists and calling our names and not even once looking through our bags. To get into Panama you are supposed to have a ticket out of the country. We lacked that of course because we are taking a boat out of the country. We told the officer that and he shrugged and stamped away. I think because it says Canada on the front of my passport he didn't really think i was going to try to live in panama illegally.
We arrived in Panama City around 3pm and took a taxi to a hostel called Luna's Castle. This place is amazing. It is a converted colonial mansion. There are rooms tucked away in every corner and art covers the walls everywhere. There is even a theatre room with makeshift movie couches going up to the ceiling. We watched a few movies in there and had a grand time. We met lots of other Canadians here. One being an army med student from Toronto who never seems to be sober. The first morning we saw him he was chowing down on a stack of pancakes (pancakes being free at our hostel). He unfortunately went to a strip club the night before and being quite drunk let a Colombian stripper sit on his lap. She pick pocketed him and left him broke. He managed to still have his passport but all of his cards and cash were now gone. There is even a warning sign at the hostel stating in bold letters "If the girl flirting with you is too good looking to be talking to you she is probably Colombian and on the clock!"
We spent about 4 days around PC exploring the old town or Casco Viejo it is called. It is falling apart in some areas. The ruins of old buildings mixed with bold colours and liveliness of the people is amazing to look at and take pictures of. The presidential palace and the national theatre are both in this area. We went out for pizza the first night we were there and ended up in the "Red Zone" or the zone where whiteys are not accepted readily. We had no clue and no body bothered us at all.
We booked a sailing trip to Cartagena, Colombia on a catamaran called Buon Vento or Good Wind in Italian. The captain was this greasy old salty italian fella whose English was less than great. He sold us with the italian chef on board and promises of pristine islands and what not. $450 each it was a bit steep but only 100 more than a flight so we signed up! While we were signing up we met 5 of the other passengers. The captain was really insisting on us having our passports in Puerto Lindo the next day but we still had some sights to see in PC. He suggested that we find this fellow named Mor who was also staying at the hostel and give him our money and our passports. We figured he must be a crew member but when we met him the next morning he stated that he was just another passenger and was wondering why the hell the captain was telling him to come two days early and to carry that much money and two Canadian passports of people he didn't even know. Mor is from Israel and worked in security and said "ahh Canadian passports? they are worth a lot of money you know." he seemed nice enough. hahah. we being the trusting canadians gave him our passports but no money.
While in Panama City is an apparent must that you have to visit the Panama Canal. We teemed up with our shipmates Dave, Sarah and Sarah from England and went on our merry way. Dave being fluent in spanish after having a spanish girlfriend for three years navigated our journey. First thing however we needed to stop at the mall for a rain coat and a Panama hat. Chicken busing it around the city for 25cents a ride is the way to go! We arrived at the Miraflores Locks. We paid $5 to go up to the observation deck and watch as some big ships were heading through. Super interesting but mostly the kind of thing our Dad's would appreciate we all thought. After hiding in a bus shelter for an hour from the downpour the bus finally showed up and off we went home.
To get to our launch point for the sailing trip we had to get to a tiny town called Puerto Lindo. Its so tiny its not even on any maps. We took a taxi and two buses. On the last bus (chicken in type) we had to squeeze ourselves and our bags into the back. Finding there a lad from saskatchewan. Odd place to find a saskatchewanee but there he was and he and chad chatted it up for the hour or so ride where we were squashed in. The naked baby in front of me was blowing snot bubbles out of her nose and her umbilical hernia was bulging out like a belly wiener. She was adorable.
We got dropped off at our hostel called Wunderbar. Owned by a German couple who have a little daughter with a crazy mullet haircut and a rather rough way with the animals. She has many pets but her favourite and the brunt of most of her tough love was a baby sloth named Lazy. He was adorable and clung to a teddy bear most of the time or hung out upside down in a tree in the yard. We got to hold him and feed him mango. There were also two little green birds that she would grab and stick on her shirt and then wheel around in her power wheels and yell "beep beep!" before she ran over your toes. We went on a walk to town to obtain provisions for the boat. Provisions being booze...and lots of it.
Next morning we met Eduardo and Nicky the Italians who run Buon Vento. We boarded the boat and were shown to our cabin with even our own bathroom. The others however were not as lucky. There were four bedrooms and one small berth at the front of the boat. Eduardo totally overbooked the trip and crammed three people per bed for the people who were not couples. He even put Mor the Israeli guy in with two girls from France and Switzerland. We were lucky and so were the Irish couple because we got our own rooms. Nicky and Eduardo slept in the kitchen.
The first day we sailed for 6 hours until we came to the San Blas Islands. It was a bit rough and almost everybody was sea sick. Chad and I were lucky that time. We anchored right beside a village of the Kuna people who literally live in shacks made of sticks, yet they wear western clothing and really like coca-cola. They paddled across in their ramshackle old canoe came aboard the ship after we had dinner and brought some of their items for sale. For an added commercial effect they had to of course bring their little two year old to charm us into forking over some cash. American cash at that. I bought two purses for my nieces and lots of the other girls bought ankle bracelets that they have to put on you in a certain way by wrapping it around and tying each stand so that it makes a pattern. Some of the boys swam to shore and went about collecting and breaking open coconuts. The Kuna however were not so happy with this as this is the only thing that grows on the island so they would rather that you bought one from them for a dollar and they will break it open for you.
Next morning we had some breakfast and after a quick swim we motored a ways out and the captain let us all get out and snorkel. In this area there was a wreck and it looked rather recent. It must have hit the reef and then sunk because it was hanging on the side of the corral wall. Saw lots of cool fish. After only another hours sail we were at our next stop. This stop was in front of an amazing little beach with a corral reef just to the left of us. It was absolute perfection. The water was crystal clear and full of fish. I even saw pairs of squid changing colours as I got closer. We spent hours snorkeling and usually I get cold eventually and have to get out of the water but the water was so warm that I didn't even feel like I was in the water. Our chef Nicky was out today too with his spear gun. He trapped two huge lobsters and a big crab, our dinner for that night. Once again eating illegally fished lobster! No one seems to care that they are disappearing as fast as we are eating them. Esther from Switzerland mentioned this but it was to deaf ears. You can never waste a lobster so we made sure every last piece if meat was gone. The food on this trip was great but the portion sizes lacked and Chad was starving the whole time!
That night we took the dinghy to the island and made a huge fire on the beach. The Irish couple brought out their drum and best singing voices and we practiced our hippy skills: hoolah hooping and rope and ball swinging. Super fun. We got to swim back to the boat in the dark! The glowing plankton was so beautiful as it lit up around your moving hands and feet. Next morning I woke up and we were in a whole new spot! This was were we were guaranteed to see rays and sharks. The captain took us on the dinghy to the starting point up current a ways. There was a huge piece of pipeline actually stuck in the corral and the sharks like to hide behind it. He let us out in some very shallow water and said to just let the current take you back to the boat. So off we float. Within about 5 minutes I saw my first shark ever! It was a relatively small nurse shark but so unreal to see. They have big fins and these little whiskers on their snouts. I got one blurry picture. Chad had fins on so he could stay close to where the sharks were without getting pushed by the current. He saw 3 sharks, nurse and reef. One he said was about 6 feet long. As we drifted further down we saw tons of rays nestled in the sand. One got spooked and shook off its sand and sped away. The english sarah's had to share a snorkel which was bull shit and blonde sarah almost put her foot down on the ray's tail because she couldn't see that it was below her. Once we got back to the boat it was time for brunch and then to ready ourselves for 30 hours for the open sea crossing.
The crossing itself was uneventful until we were joined by probably about 6 dolphins! They stayed at the front of the boat and dove in and out of the water taking a look at us. They stayed with us for a good 10 minutes or so. It actually helped some of our seasickness to have something to focus on other than how miserable it is to be sick. Brown haired english sarah was the sickest and yacked off the side of the boat a few times. The rest of us were a little green around the gills as well. Not Chad though....show off! I spent most of the time in my cabin sleeping and listening to music. Reading or writing or anything that involved using your eyes was impossible. Usually the crossing takes two days but the captain was eager to get there so he had sails and motor on the whole time which usually doesn't happen. We heard of one boat whose engine broke on the crossing and because the winds are blowing right into us they had to tack the whole way. It took them 10 days!! I couldn't imagine. I would die!!
Once we arrived in Cartagena the captain took us to his friend's restaurant for pizza and told us how to obtain cocaine easily and safely while in Colombia! yeesh!
Saying hasta luego to Santa Teresa, CR
April 21, 2011
The day before yesterday our friend Donaji came to stay with us. She is from Mexico. We met her in Leon, Nicaragua when we were with the big group of people. She is 30 but I thought she was 24. She is on a long trip as well, probably for a year. She is only a couple months into her trip and now she is booking a flight to Bangkok soon. Her English is so good and our Spanish is so bad. I was thinking of trying to speak lots of spanish with her but so far it is just easier to speak in english with a couple spanish words and phrases thrown in for good measure.
The first day she was here we decided just to have a beach day. So we went out surfing with our two boards at low tide and caught lots of little waves and had a blast. Chad went out and caught some pretty nice ones! He is getting better every day and starting to like it more and more. We came home for lunch and then it was back to the beach. Chad of course went back out surfing but since Doni has done a lot of yoga and knows quite a bit about it we decided to have our own little yoga session of our own. So at sunset we faced the sun and did an hours worth of bendy, stretchy, mantra filled yoga! I was impressed with her teaching skills! She could probably start her own class. It was the first time that I had really done yoga properly and not on a DVD. To top off the evening I made a pretty good tasting coconut chicken curry.
Today we rented a quad again to go to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve. Because of Semana Santa we couldn't even get a good price with a spanish speaker in our group. We only rented one and the three of us piled onto it with Chad driving and me on one side and Doni on the other. We tried to get one for 7am so we could get to the park early to see all the monkeys and other animals when they are most active. But of course the surfer guys who run the hotel up the road are neither friendly or helpful in the morning. So we had to wait until 8am to leave. We got to the park at 9am to start the 5km hike through the jungle to the beach. We spent a good three hours wandering the jungle and saw all kind of cool animals. We saw howler monkeys, white faced monkeys, quatti, mapaches and lots of lizards. We reached the beach in 3 hours and made some sandwiches and hit the water. Little did we know lurking in the water were poisonous sea cucumbers or pepino de mar. Doni got a back sting right on her arm. She flew out of the water after that. The water was murky so we didn't know what it was at first but we asked Alonzo, our local Costa Rican friend, and he said it was a sea cucumber that just floats past. The walk back was grueling because we ran out of water and it was mostly uphill. I don't think I have ever sweat that much. The quad ride home was nice and refreshing.
April 22, 2011
Having returned the quad without filling the gas tank due to no gas stations being open the shop owner wouldn't give Doni her passport back! Luckily with a little help from her friend also vacationing for the weekend he used a little Mexican persuasion to give it back the next day. Mario is Doni's friend from school in Mexico and he was there in Santa Teresa on vacation with his friend Alonzo who is from Costa Rica. We had a great weekend with them! We drank beer and rums on the beach listening to blasting mariachi and latin dance music from his jeep. We got a bit tipsy but after some chicken and rice (of course!) and a wee siesta we were up for the electronic music beach party down the road! The music was a little ravey for me but we still had a good time.
Next morning we packed up the house and our surf boards and hitched a ride with Mario back to San Jose where he works and lives. Doni, Chad and me piled into the back seat with all our stuff strapped and stuffed into any available corner we could find. It was a long drive back to the city because of all the vacationers traffic. We stopped in Punta Arenas for some dinner and an ice cream before hitting the road again. Whilst we were in said town Chad was repeatedly heckled by a crazy woman who fell in love with him. She actually meowed at him. She told Mario why she loved him so much but he was actually embarrassed to repeat it! Its all in the eyes i think. His colouring is so brown he looks like a local until you see his eyes....so I have to beat the ladies off with a stick!
When we finally got to San Jose I thought we might just head to the Ticabus station and hit the road to Panama city that night but with all the Semana Santa traffic the tickets were sold out for two more days! Not really knowing what to do we were lucky enough that Mario is so generous and a great host! He let us stay with him for three nights until the bus came. When we got to his apartment we were in awe! He lives in a really nice complex with a pool and a gym and gardens gallor. He has a great view of a pond and fountain from him balcony. We revelled in the luxuries of a backpacker break. The first day in SJ we hung out at the pool and just had a relax day. That night however, being monday night, was Salsa night at a club that Mario knew. We met another one of Doni's friends from Mexico and Alonso there. The food was absolutely amazing and the salsa was frickin awesome. Not knowing how to salsa, chad and i stood back and took it all in.
The next day we took the bus into the city and went for a walk around downtown and went to the museum. We ended it with some of the best chop suey I've ever had! SJ has a great Chinese food scene! We had to catch the bus to Panama City that night and Mario was again nice enough to drop us off. We left our surf boards with him to hopefully sell but who knows maybe we'll be back soon!
The day before yesterday our friend Donaji came to stay with us. She is from Mexico. We met her in Leon, Nicaragua when we were with the big group of people. She is 30 but I thought she was 24. She is on a long trip as well, probably for a year. She is only a couple months into her trip and now she is booking a flight to Bangkok soon. Her English is so good and our Spanish is so bad. I was thinking of trying to speak lots of spanish with her but so far it is just easier to speak in english with a couple spanish words and phrases thrown in for good measure.
The first day she was here we decided just to have a beach day. So we went out surfing with our two boards at low tide and caught lots of little waves and had a blast. Chad went out and caught some pretty nice ones! He is getting better every day and starting to like it more and more. We came home for lunch and then it was back to the beach. Chad of course went back out surfing but since Doni has done a lot of yoga and knows quite a bit about it we decided to have our own little yoga session of our own. So at sunset we faced the sun and did an hours worth of bendy, stretchy, mantra filled yoga! I was impressed with her teaching skills! She could probably start her own class. It was the first time that I had really done yoga properly and not on a DVD. To top off the evening I made a pretty good tasting coconut chicken curry.
Today we rented a quad again to go to the Cabo Blanco Nature Reserve. Because of Semana Santa we couldn't even get a good price with a spanish speaker in our group. We only rented one and the three of us piled onto it with Chad driving and me on one side and Doni on the other. We tried to get one for 7am so we could get to the park early to see all the monkeys and other animals when they are most active. But of course the surfer guys who run the hotel up the road are neither friendly or helpful in the morning. So we had to wait until 8am to leave. We got to the park at 9am to start the 5km hike through the jungle to the beach. We spent a good three hours wandering the jungle and saw all kind of cool animals. We saw howler monkeys, white faced monkeys, quatti, mapaches and lots of lizards. We reached the beach in 3 hours and made some sandwiches and hit the water. Little did we know lurking in the water were poisonous sea cucumbers or pepino de mar. Doni got a back sting right on her arm. She flew out of the water after that. The water was murky so we didn't know what it was at first but we asked Alonzo, our local Costa Rican friend, and he said it was a sea cucumber that just floats past. The walk back was grueling because we ran out of water and it was mostly uphill. I don't think I have ever sweat that much. The quad ride home was nice and refreshing.
April 22, 2011
Having returned the quad without filling the gas tank due to no gas stations being open the shop owner wouldn't give Doni her passport back! Luckily with a little help from her friend also vacationing for the weekend he used a little Mexican persuasion to give it back the next day. Mario is Doni's friend from school in Mexico and he was there in Santa Teresa on vacation with his friend Alonzo who is from Costa Rica. We had a great weekend with them! We drank beer and rums on the beach listening to blasting mariachi and latin dance music from his jeep. We got a bit tipsy but after some chicken and rice (of course!) and a wee siesta we were up for the electronic music beach party down the road! The music was a little ravey for me but we still had a good time.
Next morning we packed up the house and our surf boards and hitched a ride with Mario back to San Jose where he works and lives. Doni, Chad and me piled into the back seat with all our stuff strapped and stuffed into any available corner we could find. It was a long drive back to the city because of all the vacationers traffic. We stopped in Punta Arenas for some dinner and an ice cream before hitting the road again. Whilst we were in said town Chad was repeatedly heckled by a crazy woman who fell in love with him. She actually meowed at him. She told Mario why she loved him so much but he was actually embarrassed to repeat it! Its all in the eyes i think. His colouring is so brown he looks like a local until you see his eyes....so I have to beat the ladies off with a stick!
When we finally got to San Jose I thought we might just head to the Ticabus station and hit the road to Panama city that night but with all the Semana Santa traffic the tickets were sold out for two more days! Not really knowing what to do we were lucky enough that Mario is so generous and a great host! He let us stay with him for three nights until the bus came. When we got to his apartment we were in awe! He lives in a really nice complex with a pool and a gym and gardens gallor. He has a great view of a pond and fountain from him balcony. We revelled in the luxuries of a backpacker break. The first day in SJ we hung out at the pool and just had a relax day. That night however, being monday night, was Salsa night at a club that Mario knew. We met another one of Doni's friends from Mexico and Alonso there. The food was absolutely amazing and the salsa was frickin awesome. Not knowing how to salsa, chad and i stood back and took it all in.
The next day we took the bus into the city and went for a walk around downtown and went to the museum. We ended it with some of the best chop suey I've ever had! SJ has a great Chinese food scene! We had to catch the bus to Panama City that night and Mario was again nice enough to drop us off. We left our surf boards with him to hopefully sell but who knows maybe we'll be back soon!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Life by the Sea
April 19, 2011
Happy Birthday Adrienne! We are missing yet another birthday. Our dearest friend "Aids" is turning 25 today!
The countdown is on to the end of this trip. A little less than one month left. We decided to head straight for San Jose and get on the bus to Panama City instead of going ot Quepos to see the park. We figure that Costa Rica is definately a place that we will visit again. Its super easy to rent a car and a house and hunker down with a big group for a couple weeks. The language barrier is virtually non-existent. I do miss speaking spanish but my frustration and stress level is at an all time low!
A couple days ago we rented a scooter so we could get out of town for the day. I picked it up in the morning and we left after breakfast to see the sights. We took the back road, "forbidden" to scooters! I can see why but Chad being the master scootsman got us up and down the steep bumpy windy trails with only a couple times that I had to bail and walk up the hill. This way was so much more scenic and beautiful and we got to see a lot of the Costa Rican countryside. First we went through jungle and dry creek beds and then through rolling hills with floppy eared cows staring at us and big bright yellow flowered trees dotting the landscape. Each cow had her very own white crane looking bird to pick the bugs off her! I need one of those to keep the mosquitos off me.
On our journey we stopped at some little beaches off the side of the road and found some nice snorkel spots. Being high tide however it was a bit wavey for me. We saw a massive turtle swimming around this one spot. We got into Montezuma for a bit of lunch and some shopping! Chad was kind enough to volunteer to go get gas in the next town so that i could shop in peace. I didn't really find anything because its all so expensive, geared to tourists who are only staying a week or two. I did find some earrings and a headband from the hippies who make and sell their wares along the roadside.
On the way back we stopped at a beach and went for a swim but the current and waves were huge. We then realized why there was a rope to hold on to. Finally got to snorkel around a bit because the water was so clear but all i saw were little fish and the bottom covered in tiny shells instead of sand. The ride back brought us to a little fishing village where they head out for fishing trips and "secret beach"...well its not really that secret but you have to walk on a little trail through the jungle to get there so i guess it is "slightly secret beach".
After this busy day and evening we decided to go out for dinner for a change. We went to an Argentinina BBQ...of course. They had a big open fire BBQ pit in the floor and were grilling up tons of meat! Chad was salivating about it before we even got there. Chad got an entire 1/2 chicken and I got the ribs. There was so much meat on our plates that I took most of it home and we had it for dinner again the next night. It was called La Pierdas, their slogan: its the shit!
Yesterday we went out fishing with a group of six. We set it up with Ryan, the dude who did Dave's tattoo a week ago. He found us a boat and with a change of plan about 6 times we finally got to go out. We went from 3 until sunset and caught 4 jack fish of some sort. Apparently they are not really good to eat so they sent most of them back to the sea. We were really trying to get yellow fin tuna! They were jumping around us like crazy but we didn't even get one nibble. I think the dolphins were herding them away from us! A huge pod of dolphins hung out by the boat for a while and I tried to get some video of them. Some got fairly close! I was actually more excited to see the dolphins then catch tuna! We ended up heading back to shore with no tuna in tow. Another boat caught four of them so they gave Ryan a nice big filet. He neglected to share any with us and took Chad's fish he caught aswell so we said fairwell to our shortlived friendship with tattoo Ryan. His girlfriend on the other hand was lovely and I really liked her and wonder how she can be with a weiner like him!
We had to ride our bikes back from the fishing village in the dark and by the time we got home we were tired, dusty, sweaty and sunburned. In no mood to cook. But alas the pizza place down the road was closed and so instead we made steak, potatoes, salad and garlic butter shrimp. Our kitchen window is always open and the smell of our food always wofts down to the neighbours behind the tree and plants. The other day with I was sauteing up some garlic...which we do for almost every meal...I heard one of them say "Oh, garlic again!". We also have a nightly visitor that I have named Betty. She is a pitbull mix who loves to come over to have some leftovers and belly rubs. She is so sweet. I don't even know where she lives or who she belongs to but she has a collar so I guess I can't take her home. I offered to take one of the scooter rental guy's German Shepard puppies off his hands because they are so rambunctious, but he sais his children would cry, and I didn't want to make his children cry.
The AC still doesn't work here and I doubt it will ever be fixed. We didn't get a BBQ like they promised and our landlady is a first rate beeotch. But other than that staying in a house has been lovely. But I am definately ready to hit the road again. Once Semana Santa is over....we're outta here!
Happy Birthday Adrienne! We are missing yet another birthday. Our dearest friend "Aids" is turning 25 today!
The countdown is on to the end of this trip. A little less than one month left. We decided to head straight for San Jose and get on the bus to Panama City instead of going ot Quepos to see the park. We figure that Costa Rica is definately a place that we will visit again. Its super easy to rent a car and a house and hunker down with a big group for a couple weeks. The language barrier is virtually non-existent. I do miss speaking spanish but my frustration and stress level is at an all time low!
A couple days ago we rented a scooter so we could get out of town for the day. I picked it up in the morning and we left after breakfast to see the sights. We took the back road, "forbidden" to scooters! I can see why but Chad being the master scootsman got us up and down the steep bumpy windy trails with only a couple times that I had to bail and walk up the hill. This way was so much more scenic and beautiful and we got to see a lot of the Costa Rican countryside. First we went through jungle and dry creek beds and then through rolling hills with floppy eared cows staring at us and big bright yellow flowered trees dotting the landscape. Each cow had her very own white crane looking bird to pick the bugs off her! I need one of those to keep the mosquitos off me.
On our journey we stopped at some little beaches off the side of the road and found some nice snorkel spots. Being high tide however it was a bit wavey for me. We saw a massive turtle swimming around this one spot. We got into Montezuma for a bit of lunch and some shopping! Chad was kind enough to volunteer to go get gas in the next town so that i could shop in peace. I didn't really find anything because its all so expensive, geared to tourists who are only staying a week or two. I did find some earrings and a headband from the hippies who make and sell their wares along the roadside.
On the way back we stopped at a beach and went for a swim but the current and waves were huge. We then realized why there was a rope to hold on to. Finally got to snorkel around a bit because the water was so clear but all i saw were little fish and the bottom covered in tiny shells instead of sand. The ride back brought us to a little fishing village where they head out for fishing trips and "secret beach"...well its not really that secret but you have to walk on a little trail through the jungle to get there so i guess it is "slightly secret beach".
After this busy day and evening we decided to go out for dinner for a change. We went to an Argentinina BBQ...of course. They had a big open fire BBQ pit in the floor and were grilling up tons of meat! Chad was salivating about it before we even got there. Chad got an entire 1/2 chicken and I got the ribs. There was so much meat on our plates that I took most of it home and we had it for dinner again the next night. It was called La Pierdas, their slogan: its the shit!
Yesterday we went out fishing with a group of six. We set it up with Ryan, the dude who did Dave's tattoo a week ago. He found us a boat and with a change of plan about 6 times we finally got to go out. We went from 3 until sunset and caught 4 jack fish of some sort. Apparently they are not really good to eat so they sent most of them back to the sea. We were really trying to get yellow fin tuna! They were jumping around us like crazy but we didn't even get one nibble. I think the dolphins were herding them away from us! A huge pod of dolphins hung out by the boat for a while and I tried to get some video of them. Some got fairly close! I was actually more excited to see the dolphins then catch tuna! We ended up heading back to shore with no tuna in tow. Another boat caught four of them so they gave Ryan a nice big filet. He neglected to share any with us and took Chad's fish he caught aswell so we said fairwell to our shortlived friendship with tattoo Ryan. His girlfriend on the other hand was lovely and I really liked her and wonder how she can be with a weiner like him!
We had to ride our bikes back from the fishing village in the dark and by the time we got home we were tired, dusty, sweaty and sunburned. In no mood to cook. But alas the pizza place down the road was closed and so instead we made steak, potatoes, salad and garlic butter shrimp. Our kitchen window is always open and the smell of our food always wofts down to the neighbours behind the tree and plants. The other day with I was sauteing up some garlic...which we do for almost every meal...I heard one of them say "Oh, garlic again!". We also have a nightly visitor that I have named Betty. She is a pitbull mix who loves to come over to have some leftovers and belly rubs. She is so sweet. I don't even know where she lives or who she belongs to but she has a collar so I guess I can't take her home. I offered to take one of the scooter rental guy's German Shepard puppies off his hands because they are so rambunctious, but he sais his children would cry, and I didn't want to make his children cry.
The AC still doesn't work here and I doubt it will ever be fixed. We didn't get a BBQ like they promised and our landlady is a first rate beeotch. But other than that staying in a house has been lovely. But I am definately ready to hit the road again. Once Semana Santa is over....we're outta here!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Life in Ticoland
April 9, 2011
For the past few days we have been cooking and surfing and beach combing! Recipe for very relaxing good time: Wake up, make breakfast, read, go to the beach, come home, make lunch, read, draw, go to grocery store and buy more food, cook supper, sleep and repeat! The surfing here is so difficult. The rip currents are strong and the waves are massive. I like to go during low tide where you can wade in about waist deep and catch the baby waves and ride them right in to the beach. Chad is still determined to get out to the big waves and is getting closer every day.
Yesterday our friend Dave from Quebec showed up in Santa Teresa. So we put good use to the spare bedroom and now we have a house guest. He has to leave for home on monday morning so we have had a busy weekend. Tomorrow he needs to buy bus tickets, buy souveniers for his mom, get a tattoo and go to the beach. So ya very busy.
Today we rented quads and went to Montezuma. There are some waterfalls close to town that we wanted to check out. Quads are pretty pricey to rent for a day but we figured what the hell. We left town around 1:00pm. It was 17 km to the waterfalls and we ate a lot of dust on the way there. Chad found the snorkel mask to be quite useful for keeping the dirt out of his eyes while he drove us down the road like a maniac! I held on for dear life and pleaded for him to slow down but he has been deprived of four wheeled machines for months now and there was no way he was missing out on any fun. Once we got to Montezuma we headed straight for the waterfall entrance. It was a short hike to the first set of falls. There were a few places to jump into the water. Had a quick swim and then kept treking up the hill until we got to the second and third sets of falls. These were where we wanted to be! The second set of falls was a 40 foot plunge into the pool below and the third set had a rope swing and some places just to sit and hang out. There were fish in the pools and I snorkeled around looking at them but for some reason fresh water fish in murky water scare the crap out of me! There were these little purple and orange crabs everywhere! They were all over the road and in the woods and all around the falls. We made one mad and it shook its purple pincers at us. It took me a while to work up the nerve to jump the 40ft falls but after I climbed down to take video of the boys doing the jump I felt like a big weeny so up I went to give it a go. I only hesitated for about 5 seconds because any longer I would have realized how much it would hurt to hit the water from that height. When I hit the water my bum was given quite the wedgie but other than that I excaped with only a bright red welt from where I slapped the water. Chad took some video and you can here me squeal like a wee little girl as I usually do.
The next day Dave was anxious to get himself a tattoo. He got one done in Thailand on his last trip so he figured why not make a habit out of it! So we spent the day looking up designs for a forearm band. He found a maori sun that he liked and some bands of triangles and square. We had it drawn up for the tattoo artist, a guy named Ryan from Florida, and we went to the shop at 8pm. Dave's appointment was for 8 but there were still two more people ahead of him. The girl on the table was almost butt naked and was getting a radio with wings on her rib cage. It turned out great and all of the boys were very impressed....with her nakedness I think and not really the tattoo. The next girl wanted a spade sign on her finger. She took soooo long trying too decide where on her finger and how big and what colour that the artist was getting a little annoyed. She finally figured it out and the tattoo took about 2 minutes. He charged her $20 and sent her on her way. Now it was Dave's turn. The apprentice made the stencils and Ryan placed them on his forearm almost perfectly....even after a few beers! He had to free hand some of the straight lines to line up properly on the skin but it looked pretty good. The tattoo took about 2 1/2 hours until about 1am. We went through about 18 beers and the tattoo artist had his fair share....this made Dave slightly nervous. But when he was done the lines were crisp and clean and he had himself a nice tattoo! We went out for drinks after and he bought us a drink and invited us to go fishing.
I road my bike home and the boys had to walk, along the way the most annoying of all backpacker annoyances occured! A broken flip-flop!! Every backpacker goes through at least two pairs of flip-flops on a 3 to 6 month tour. Dave was not impressed as these Sanook flops were his favourite and "de bess der is in all de wurl!!" Being a gravel road all the way home we attempted to triple on the bike. This ended with us all in the ditch and a very bent basket on my bike. Along with gravel we also had to dodge the numerous crabs that come out of the woods when it rains. They are bright purple and orange and don't really have a clue where they are walking and frequently run right under the tires of a car or bike. Being barefoot dave had to dodge the live crabs and the dead ones. Safely home and now with ravenous hunger we cooked up some fried rice and the boys fell into deep conversation about beef jerkey for about an hour. This is where I took my leave and went to bed.
April 14, 2011
We have been here in Santa Teresa for 10 days and it is going by so fast. We still have so much we want to do but we keep getting stuck in the same pattern of eating and sleeping and surfing. Chad is getting better and I've spied him catching some pretty wicked waves. I however am not really trying very hard and its sad to say that I have been working harder on my tan than my surf skills.
I finally booked our plane tickets home last night. The price just seemed to be going up every day so I had to commit. We leave from Bogota on May 16th. 20 hours later we will be home. The cheapest way is always the longest way. But I truely don't mind air travel. I love waiting for the plane and I love airports! The only problem is that we only have 20 days to get from Santa Teresa to Bogota. In those 20 days we have to see Manuel Antonio National Park, take a bus from San Jose to Panama City and see the canal, take a bus to San Blas and get on a sailboat and sail to Cartagena and then catch the 20 hour bus ride to Bogota.
For the past few days we have been cooking and surfing and beach combing! Recipe for very relaxing good time: Wake up, make breakfast, read, go to the beach, come home, make lunch, read, draw, go to grocery store and buy more food, cook supper, sleep and repeat! The surfing here is so difficult. The rip currents are strong and the waves are massive. I like to go during low tide where you can wade in about waist deep and catch the baby waves and ride them right in to the beach. Chad is still determined to get out to the big waves and is getting closer every day.
Yesterday our friend Dave from Quebec showed up in Santa Teresa. So we put good use to the spare bedroom and now we have a house guest. He has to leave for home on monday morning so we have had a busy weekend. Tomorrow he needs to buy bus tickets, buy souveniers for his mom, get a tattoo and go to the beach. So ya very busy.
Today we rented quads and went to Montezuma. There are some waterfalls close to town that we wanted to check out. Quads are pretty pricey to rent for a day but we figured what the hell. We left town around 1:00pm. It was 17 km to the waterfalls and we ate a lot of dust on the way there. Chad found the snorkel mask to be quite useful for keeping the dirt out of his eyes while he drove us down the road like a maniac! I held on for dear life and pleaded for him to slow down but he has been deprived of four wheeled machines for months now and there was no way he was missing out on any fun. Once we got to Montezuma we headed straight for the waterfall entrance. It was a short hike to the first set of falls. There were a few places to jump into the water. Had a quick swim and then kept treking up the hill until we got to the second and third sets of falls. These were where we wanted to be! The second set of falls was a 40 foot plunge into the pool below and the third set had a rope swing and some places just to sit and hang out. There were fish in the pools and I snorkeled around looking at them but for some reason fresh water fish in murky water scare the crap out of me! There were these little purple and orange crabs everywhere! They were all over the road and in the woods and all around the falls. We made one mad and it shook its purple pincers at us. It took me a while to work up the nerve to jump the 40ft falls but after I climbed down to take video of the boys doing the jump I felt like a big weeny so up I went to give it a go. I only hesitated for about 5 seconds because any longer I would have realized how much it would hurt to hit the water from that height. When I hit the water my bum was given quite the wedgie but other than that I excaped with only a bright red welt from where I slapped the water. Chad took some video and you can here me squeal like a wee little girl as I usually do.
The next day Dave was anxious to get himself a tattoo. He got one done in Thailand on his last trip so he figured why not make a habit out of it! So we spent the day looking up designs for a forearm band. He found a maori sun that he liked and some bands of triangles and square. We had it drawn up for the tattoo artist, a guy named Ryan from Florida, and we went to the shop at 8pm. Dave's appointment was for 8 but there were still two more people ahead of him. The girl on the table was almost butt naked and was getting a radio with wings on her rib cage. It turned out great and all of the boys were very impressed....with her nakedness I think and not really the tattoo. The next girl wanted a spade sign on her finger. She took soooo long trying too decide where on her finger and how big and what colour that the artist was getting a little annoyed. She finally figured it out and the tattoo took about 2 minutes. He charged her $20 and sent her on her way. Now it was Dave's turn. The apprentice made the stencils and Ryan placed them on his forearm almost perfectly....even after a few beers! He had to free hand some of the straight lines to line up properly on the skin but it looked pretty good. The tattoo took about 2 1/2 hours until about 1am. We went through about 18 beers and the tattoo artist had his fair share....this made Dave slightly nervous. But when he was done the lines were crisp and clean and he had himself a nice tattoo! We went out for drinks after and he bought us a drink and invited us to go fishing.
I road my bike home and the boys had to walk, along the way the most annoying of all backpacker annoyances occured! A broken flip-flop!! Every backpacker goes through at least two pairs of flip-flops on a 3 to 6 month tour. Dave was not impressed as these Sanook flops were his favourite and "de bess der is in all de wurl!!" Being a gravel road all the way home we attempted to triple on the bike. This ended with us all in the ditch and a very bent basket on my bike. Along with gravel we also had to dodge the numerous crabs that come out of the woods when it rains. They are bright purple and orange and don't really have a clue where they are walking and frequently run right under the tires of a car or bike. Being barefoot dave had to dodge the live crabs and the dead ones. Safely home and now with ravenous hunger we cooked up some fried rice and the boys fell into deep conversation about beef jerkey for about an hour. This is where I took my leave and went to bed.
April 14, 2011
We have been here in Santa Teresa for 10 days and it is going by so fast. We still have so much we want to do but we keep getting stuck in the same pattern of eating and sleeping and surfing. Chad is getting better and I've spied him catching some pretty wicked waves. I however am not really trying very hard and its sad to say that I have been working harder on my tan than my surf skills.
I finally booked our plane tickets home last night. The price just seemed to be going up every day so I had to commit. We leave from Bogota on May 16th. 20 hours later we will be home. The cheapest way is always the longest way. But I truely don't mind air travel. I love waiting for the plane and I love airports! The only problem is that we only have 20 days to get from Santa Teresa to Bogota. In those 20 days we have to see Manuel Antonio National Park, take a bus from San Jose to Panama City and see the canal, take a bus to San Blas and get on a sailboat and sail to Cartagena and then catch the 20 hour bus ride to Bogota.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Santa Teresa!
April 4, 2011
I am so excited! We have three weeks to actually live in one place! We rented a house starting tomorrow morning until after Semana Santa is over on the 25th. Apparently things get really really busy and places fill up and have been booked for weeks so we decided to make our stay here in Santa Teresa a bit longer so we don't get caught trying to travel during that week.
We arrived here yesterday with the water taxi and then had to take another two buses to get to town. Getting around Costa Rica is way more difficult than any of the other countries we have been in. Their buses are infrequent and the roads really rough and dusty. I didn't have enough cash to pay the $2 bus fair on the way here but I didn't realize it until we were getting off the bus. I gave him all my change and he looked super pissed but he didn't chase me down the street or anything so all in all it worked out.
We checked into a dorm room at a hostel called Brunela. Our first walk through the yard we spotted a troop of monkies heading through the trees along the beach. I think they were howlers but they didn't make any noise at all this time. The rooms are really dirty and dusty but the concept is so cool. Each bunk is its own unit really with storage under the bed in locked cabinets and a built in concrete shelf beside the bed and each bed has its own fan and reading light. The fan is a must. I can't believe how hot it gets here. I am sweating buckets and have throw myself into the sea or the shower quite regularily. The walls are painted bright green with former guest artistry for decor and there are surf board storage racks in every room. There are so many iguanas living at the hostel that they are competing for roof space to sun themselves and one got into the kitchen last night and knocked over a bunch of bottle and broke them. Its kind of sad but there are two levels and it seems that all of the european, north american english speaking guests are on the top level and the spanish speaking guests are on the lower level. Each level has its own kitchen so we don't even really get to mingle. There is a serious food stealing problem here. It is most likely due to the amount of ganga being smoked and in turn is causing midnight munchie raids on the fridge and cupboards. Did I mention how excited I am to be getting our own house?
We went looking at places today with this guy who manages a bunch of properties around town. He didn't have a car so we got to ride around on a scooter. Chad drove and I tried my best not to fall off the back. I was so tempted to rent one for the whole time we are here but really its not that big and a regular bike is much cheaper and better for us and the noise level. Men seem to think the louder their ATV, motorbike, truck etc... the more attractive they seem to the ladies. This is true in most nations of the world. Although I believe the opposite. We found a place that these guys were just moving out of and it was filthy! But we looked past the grunge and saw that it would be perfect for us. They were cleaning it up this afternoon and we get to move in tomorrow morning. There are two bedrooms so we might try to find another couple to move in and help with the rent. As it is we will be paying $32 a day for a house and two bikes so it is actually pretty reasonable but it seems like so much when you have to pay for it all up front. The kitchen is basic but it will be so nice to be able to cook our own food and not have a million people trying to use the same stove and rotten food in the fridge and people stealing your food. If you are a stoner or a drunk dorm living is great.
We went surfing for a bit this afternoon. There were exactly two other people on the entire beach, which is huge. As we are not knowledgable in surf conditions we didn't realize that it was supposedly "shit" and there was no point of going out today. We went anyways and had a grand time! I caught a few baby waves and am feeling more confident in the water. Chad is getting his paddeling down and heads straight out for the big ones which scares the crap out of me. I was actually proud of myself today for knowing that the board needed to be waxed. In three weeks I think I may just be able to ride a board that isn't 14 feet tall. Our board is only 7ft2in but it looks so huge compared to the guys who surf the big waves. Havn't met any big wave girls yet. Chad is suffering from chaffed nipples lately. He forgot to wear his rash gaurd every time we've went out since we got here. He said it feels like someone just cut them right off!
It is the end of dry season here so everything is covered in dust and dried right out. Mid April its supposed to start raining. We are actually really looking forward to a good tropical storm. We had a tiny little storm on Little Corn in our tin roofed cabana. I feel like I need to get a job. I was tempted today to ask the owner of this coffee shop we went to if I could just hang out and learn how to cook vegan food and be her yoga chef. Its a tad on the hippyish side here. Only a tad however so its cool.
Everyone has a dog or two. There is a race of chocolate lab here that must have been crossed with a mastif of some kind because they are massive! One came behind me today on the beach and when I turned around there were these huge jowely jaws in front of my face with the longest pink tounge hanging out of it. It was just staring at me because I was holding a stick in which he was obviously salavating over and wanted me to throw it. All the dogs have collars but none of them ever seem to have an owner in sight. So I hucked it for him....he neglected to bring it back.
Some people may think that a backpacking around central america blog would be full of adventure and a lot more interesting stories than throwing a stick for a dog but really at the end of the day thats what I think was interesting. Other things I found interesting: a girl with a newborn baby maybe a week old dressed in only a onesie on a bus full of people, how good at riding double, triple and even quadrouple families are on bicycles (if there is a spot to rest your behind there is room for one more), you pronounce Costa Rica like Coasta not Costa....wierd.
We're talking more and more about home these days. I think it is because spring is coming and we know how much there is to do. Already made plans for May Long weekend! We are pretty much moving our packs into the boler and heading out from there. No need to move back into the house just yet! We may have to trade in our board shorts and t-shirts for jeans and sweaters however.
April 5, 2011
Moved in the house this morning!! They wanted all the money today so Chad had to rip to the bank on his bike but in the blistering heat brains are not very functional. He got out 100,000 colones and didn't realize that was only $200. I had to come and find him to see what in this world was going on. Made another trip to the bank and then paid the dude his money. We still haven't got a BBQ or a coffee maker but he keeps promising tomorrow tomorrow! so who really knows what we will end up with. The AC also doesn't work but the caretaker Eddie says that the repairman will also come tomorrow tomorrow.
There are two little geckos that live in the kitchen and they keep chirping at me. There is also a family of iguanas that live on the roof. Every once in a while they crash around and make it sound like we're being stormed with falling mangoes. I wish Xeila was here. She would appreciate the tico pace. Nice and relaxed. Chad just left to go surfing for a bit. We had to wait here for the repair guy to come who now isn't coming until tomorrow so I opted to stay and wait. When we left our hostel this morning the Swedish couple we were sharing a room with were purging their stuff before they leave tomorrow for home. They bought a surf board at the beginning of their trip and used it twice. For some reason the shop they bought it from told him that it was a beginner board which it clearly is not. Its a short and skinny board that most of the experienced guys used. He was gonna sell it for $60 or whatever anyone would give him for it. We bought it for $50 with fins and leash included. Chad just went to go try it out. We will probably only use it as a flotation device but later on before we leave we can sell it or who knows we may end up buying a board bag and keeping these boards. Trips to tofino, road trip down the coast of the US, Bali....we could probably use them quite a bit. We let the swedish couple borrow our bikes to go to the ATM at the other end of town and they were so thankful they didn't have to rent bikes for 30 min and pay out the ass. They even gave us their hiking boots! They both were going to just get rid of them cause they would never use them at home and didn't want to stuff them into their packs. How lucky were we that they both have the exact same size feet as us!
I am so excited! We have three weeks to actually live in one place! We rented a house starting tomorrow morning until after Semana Santa is over on the 25th. Apparently things get really really busy and places fill up and have been booked for weeks so we decided to make our stay here in Santa Teresa a bit longer so we don't get caught trying to travel during that week.
We arrived here yesterday with the water taxi and then had to take another two buses to get to town. Getting around Costa Rica is way more difficult than any of the other countries we have been in. Their buses are infrequent and the roads really rough and dusty. I didn't have enough cash to pay the $2 bus fair on the way here but I didn't realize it until we were getting off the bus. I gave him all my change and he looked super pissed but he didn't chase me down the street or anything so all in all it worked out.
We checked into a dorm room at a hostel called Brunela. Our first walk through the yard we spotted a troop of monkies heading through the trees along the beach. I think they were howlers but they didn't make any noise at all this time. The rooms are really dirty and dusty but the concept is so cool. Each bunk is its own unit really with storage under the bed in locked cabinets and a built in concrete shelf beside the bed and each bed has its own fan and reading light. The fan is a must. I can't believe how hot it gets here. I am sweating buckets and have throw myself into the sea or the shower quite regularily. The walls are painted bright green with former guest artistry for decor and there are surf board storage racks in every room. There are so many iguanas living at the hostel that they are competing for roof space to sun themselves and one got into the kitchen last night and knocked over a bunch of bottle and broke them. Its kind of sad but there are two levels and it seems that all of the european, north american english speaking guests are on the top level and the spanish speaking guests are on the lower level. Each level has its own kitchen so we don't even really get to mingle. There is a serious food stealing problem here. It is most likely due to the amount of ganga being smoked and in turn is causing midnight munchie raids on the fridge and cupboards. Did I mention how excited I am to be getting our own house?
We went looking at places today with this guy who manages a bunch of properties around town. He didn't have a car so we got to ride around on a scooter. Chad drove and I tried my best not to fall off the back. I was so tempted to rent one for the whole time we are here but really its not that big and a regular bike is much cheaper and better for us and the noise level. Men seem to think the louder their ATV, motorbike, truck etc... the more attractive they seem to the ladies. This is true in most nations of the world. Although I believe the opposite. We found a place that these guys were just moving out of and it was filthy! But we looked past the grunge and saw that it would be perfect for us. They were cleaning it up this afternoon and we get to move in tomorrow morning. There are two bedrooms so we might try to find another couple to move in and help with the rent. As it is we will be paying $32 a day for a house and two bikes so it is actually pretty reasonable but it seems like so much when you have to pay for it all up front. The kitchen is basic but it will be so nice to be able to cook our own food and not have a million people trying to use the same stove and rotten food in the fridge and people stealing your food. If you are a stoner or a drunk dorm living is great.
We went surfing for a bit this afternoon. There were exactly two other people on the entire beach, which is huge. As we are not knowledgable in surf conditions we didn't realize that it was supposedly "shit" and there was no point of going out today. We went anyways and had a grand time! I caught a few baby waves and am feeling more confident in the water. Chad is getting his paddeling down and heads straight out for the big ones which scares the crap out of me. I was actually proud of myself today for knowing that the board needed to be waxed. In three weeks I think I may just be able to ride a board that isn't 14 feet tall. Our board is only 7ft2in but it looks so huge compared to the guys who surf the big waves. Havn't met any big wave girls yet. Chad is suffering from chaffed nipples lately. He forgot to wear his rash gaurd every time we've went out since we got here. He said it feels like someone just cut them right off!
It is the end of dry season here so everything is covered in dust and dried right out. Mid April its supposed to start raining. We are actually really looking forward to a good tropical storm. We had a tiny little storm on Little Corn in our tin roofed cabana. I feel like I need to get a job. I was tempted today to ask the owner of this coffee shop we went to if I could just hang out and learn how to cook vegan food and be her yoga chef. Its a tad on the hippyish side here. Only a tad however so its cool.
Everyone has a dog or two. There is a race of chocolate lab here that must have been crossed with a mastif of some kind because they are massive! One came behind me today on the beach and when I turned around there were these huge jowely jaws in front of my face with the longest pink tounge hanging out of it. It was just staring at me because I was holding a stick in which he was obviously salavating over and wanted me to throw it. All the dogs have collars but none of them ever seem to have an owner in sight. So I hucked it for him....he neglected to bring it back.
Some people may think that a backpacking around central america blog would be full of adventure and a lot more interesting stories than throwing a stick for a dog but really at the end of the day thats what I think was interesting. Other things I found interesting: a girl with a newborn baby maybe a week old dressed in only a onesie on a bus full of people, how good at riding double, triple and even quadrouple families are on bicycles (if there is a spot to rest your behind there is room for one more), you pronounce Costa Rica like Coasta not Costa....wierd.
We're talking more and more about home these days. I think it is because spring is coming and we know how much there is to do. Already made plans for May Long weekend! We are pretty much moving our packs into the boler and heading out from there. No need to move back into the house just yet! We may have to trade in our board shorts and t-shirts for jeans and sweaters however.
April 5, 2011
Moved in the house this morning!! They wanted all the money today so Chad had to rip to the bank on his bike but in the blistering heat brains are not very functional. He got out 100,000 colones and didn't realize that was only $200. I had to come and find him to see what in this world was going on. Made another trip to the bank and then paid the dude his money. We still haven't got a BBQ or a coffee maker but he keeps promising tomorrow tomorrow! so who really knows what we will end up with. The AC also doesn't work but the caretaker Eddie says that the repairman will also come tomorrow tomorrow.
There are two little geckos that live in the kitchen and they keep chirping at me. There is also a family of iguanas that live on the roof. Every once in a while they crash around and make it sound like we're being stormed with falling mangoes. I wish Xeila was here. She would appreciate the tico pace. Nice and relaxed. Chad just left to go surfing for a bit. We had to wait here for the repair guy to come who now isn't coming until tomorrow so I opted to stay and wait. When we left our hostel this morning the Swedish couple we were sharing a room with were purging their stuff before they leave tomorrow for home. They bought a surf board at the beginning of their trip and used it twice. For some reason the shop they bought it from told him that it was a beginner board which it clearly is not. Its a short and skinny board that most of the experienced guys used. He was gonna sell it for $60 or whatever anyone would give him for it. We bought it for $50 with fins and leash included. Chad just went to go try it out. We will probably only use it as a flotation device but later on before we leave we can sell it or who knows we may end up buying a board bag and keeping these boards. Trips to tofino, road trip down the coast of the US, Bali....we could probably use them quite a bit. We let the swedish couple borrow our bikes to go to the ATM at the other end of town and they were so thankful they didn't have to rent bikes for 30 min and pay out the ass. They even gave us their hiking boots! They both were going to just get rid of them cause they would never use them at home and didn't want to stuff them into their packs. How lucky were we that they both have the exact same size feet as us!
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Nica to Costa Rica
April 1, 2011
We left Isla de Ometepe a bit early because we were a bit tired of having to walk a million miles to see the sights and motorbike rentals were few and far between. We met this expat at the coffee shop run by another expat while we were waiting for the bus that offered us a "volunteer" experience at his farm. Pretty much picking weeds in the veggie garden and helping fix the pig pen. We figured we have enough of that to do at home and if we did volunteer for something it would be better to help local people who actually need it. I would still love to do something in the hospitals but my spanish is not nearly good enough. We caught the chicken bus to the ferry terminal and headed back to the mainland. We arrived about 5pm and of course all the buses were done for the day so we had to hire a taxi to take us to San Juan del Sur. It was only $14 for a 45 min drive so not too bad I guess.
We stayed at a hostel right off the main beach/harbour with the absolute worst beds I have ever had to endure. They were matresses at one point I believe. Now they are flattened to about 2inches thick and placed on wooden planks. We actually stayed for 5 nights but mostly because we were determined to give San Juan del Sur a decent go. The first night we drank way to much rum with a New Yorker girl and Yuval from Israel that we were with in Leon. New York was very proud of the fact that she speaks "perfect spanish" and made it very clear on several occasions throughout the night. She really did speak very good spanish but geeze you don't need to mention it every 10 minutes. Despite my annoyance we went out dancing and had a great time together....didn't catch her name however...maybe Amanda, i don't know. When we got back to the hostal she had a very loud match of wits with a military med student from Toronto. Non of it made any sense due to the large amounts of Flor de Cana rum that was consumed. They made up the next day.
Sick in bed the entire next day in that horrible bed! Went for fish and chips and poutine for breakfast at 6pm. Then went back to bed. Feeling much refreshed the next day we did a walk about the little town. If you really want to experience SJDS you need a vehicle. The surfing beaches were at least 30min out of town to either the south or north. In our desperation to stay in Nica prices we even contemplated renting a car and camping out of it. That idea was soon crushed when people warned us that sleeping in your car was asking to get robbed, especially out on the beaches. Chad is actually wishing someone would mess with us so he can have a kungfu match and practice his best moves. I told him that if he wants to fight with someone he had better just do it at home where you can call them out properly....in english and not get shot because they all have guns. The dudes in nica like to make kissy noises at girls. I flipped one the bird the other day and then i read in the travel bible that you shouldn't show any anger towards them cause they might get violent....ooops! whatever! bring it! i'll crush you like a cookaracha!!
Our last day in SJDS we decided to try out the surf. We had to take a shuttle to Madera beach and rent a board. I caught a few little wee ones in the white water and had a blast! I can't wait to do it every day and try out the bigger waves when I'm not scared poo-less. Chad was sick still with his head cold so he only went out a couple times but he caught the bigger ones cause he has mad paddeling skills. The water was clear and blue and refreshingly chilly. It was at least 40 degrees out. There was a big rock to the north of the beach that looks just like a dorsal fin! It was a great spot. You could swim and not get crushed or rolled onto the beach like a dead fish. Met a couple from the UK in their 40's still rocking the waves.
Went for supper at a pizza place and got seated next to a group of 26 people on a surf/jesus retreat. None of them drank any booze and they prayed their little hearts out.
Next morning we were up bright and early to catch the chicken bus to Rivas to catch the big Ticabus to Punta Arenas to catch the ferry to Montezuma and catch the next bus to Santa Teresa...or so we thought. Originally we thought we'd try to get the Santa Teresa where we plan on renting a house for a few weeks. The bus driver neglected to stop in Punta Arenas and so we just sat back and relaxed all the way to San Jose, about 3 hours further than where we planned on going. ooops again. Luckily we ran into a nice feller from Lake Tahoe who suggested maybe we try out Jaco to buy a surf board and take the water taxi from their across to the Peninsula where ST is. So that is where we now find ourselves.
After arriving in San Jose we had to wait at another bus station for a couple hours until the next bus to Jaco showed up. That was a rather interesting establishment. There was a couple tag team preachers who walked the gauntlet of passengers the entire time. They were well dressed guys in their 60's. I thought the first guy might be schizophrenic or something because he was yelling at the ground and pointing at things that were not there. But then his partner got up for his turn. Then I figured it out. They weren't schizophrenic at all....they were just very into their word! Another 3 hours on the bus and we were in Jaco.
Jaco is a strip of restaurants and bars and a few high rise vacation rental condos with a nice surfing beach. Today we rented bikes and toured around a bit. Having a bike makes all the difference in the world as to what you can see. We packed a lunch and headed down the road to a bigger but less populated beach called Hermosa. Costa Rica is so much more green and lush. We road along and heard this squaking in the trees above us and saw a big group of scarlet macaw's. They are apparently pretty rare to see in many parts of Costa Rica due to trapping and habitat destruction. It made my day! Once we got to the beach we watched the surfers and decided to try some body surfing. The waves here were brutal and broke so close to the shore that it took me right off me feet and left me with my pants half off and my hair full of black sand and rocks. I'm so graceful in the water. Getting in was easy, getting out was a problem. As soon as I got close to the shore a wave would come and scoop me back out or slam me into the ground covering my in black volcanic sand and depositing me directly in front of some cool surfer folk.
We had steak at this Argentinian place that bakes their own bread. I feel like we're on vacation and not traveling here! We had to go buy our own bottle of wine at the liquor store because the restaurant was having troubles with a liquor licence. Not really thinking about price I grabbed a nice looking wine and took it to the till and gave her a 20 dollar bill hoping she had change and would ask for smaller bills as is what usually is the case. This time she asked me for more money! I was in shock at having to spend over $20 on a bottle of wine. I'm not sure what I will do when we get home....I might have to start incorporating the bartering system. I'll go to my neighborhood liquor store and cut the price in half and then work up from there until we come to a fair deal.
We left Isla de Ometepe a bit early because we were a bit tired of having to walk a million miles to see the sights and motorbike rentals were few and far between. We met this expat at the coffee shop run by another expat while we were waiting for the bus that offered us a "volunteer" experience at his farm. Pretty much picking weeds in the veggie garden and helping fix the pig pen. We figured we have enough of that to do at home and if we did volunteer for something it would be better to help local people who actually need it. I would still love to do something in the hospitals but my spanish is not nearly good enough. We caught the chicken bus to the ferry terminal and headed back to the mainland. We arrived about 5pm and of course all the buses were done for the day so we had to hire a taxi to take us to San Juan del Sur. It was only $14 for a 45 min drive so not too bad I guess.
We stayed at a hostel right off the main beach/harbour with the absolute worst beds I have ever had to endure. They were matresses at one point I believe. Now they are flattened to about 2inches thick and placed on wooden planks. We actually stayed for 5 nights but mostly because we were determined to give San Juan del Sur a decent go. The first night we drank way to much rum with a New Yorker girl and Yuval from Israel that we were with in Leon. New York was very proud of the fact that she speaks "perfect spanish" and made it very clear on several occasions throughout the night. She really did speak very good spanish but geeze you don't need to mention it every 10 minutes. Despite my annoyance we went out dancing and had a great time together....didn't catch her name however...maybe Amanda, i don't know. When we got back to the hostal she had a very loud match of wits with a military med student from Toronto. Non of it made any sense due to the large amounts of Flor de Cana rum that was consumed. They made up the next day.
Sick in bed the entire next day in that horrible bed! Went for fish and chips and poutine for breakfast at 6pm. Then went back to bed. Feeling much refreshed the next day we did a walk about the little town. If you really want to experience SJDS you need a vehicle. The surfing beaches were at least 30min out of town to either the south or north. In our desperation to stay in Nica prices we even contemplated renting a car and camping out of it. That idea was soon crushed when people warned us that sleeping in your car was asking to get robbed, especially out on the beaches. Chad is actually wishing someone would mess with us so he can have a kungfu match and practice his best moves. I told him that if he wants to fight with someone he had better just do it at home where you can call them out properly....in english and not get shot because they all have guns. The dudes in nica like to make kissy noises at girls. I flipped one the bird the other day and then i read in the travel bible that you shouldn't show any anger towards them cause they might get violent....ooops! whatever! bring it! i'll crush you like a cookaracha!!
Our last day in SJDS we decided to try out the surf. We had to take a shuttle to Madera beach and rent a board. I caught a few little wee ones in the white water and had a blast! I can't wait to do it every day and try out the bigger waves when I'm not scared poo-less. Chad was sick still with his head cold so he only went out a couple times but he caught the bigger ones cause he has mad paddeling skills. The water was clear and blue and refreshingly chilly. It was at least 40 degrees out. There was a big rock to the north of the beach that looks just like a dorsal fin! It was a great spot. You could swim and not get crushed or rolled onto the beach like a dead fish. Met a couple from the UK in their 40's still rocking the waves.
Went for supper at a pizza place and got seated next to a group of 26 people on a surf/jesus retreat. None of them drank any booze and they prayed their little hearts out.
Next morning we were up bright and early to catch the chicken bus to Rivas to catch the big Ticabus to Punta Arenas to catch the ferry to Montezuma and catch the next bus to Santa Teresa...or so we thought. Originally we thought we'd try to get the Santa Teresa where we plan on renting a house for a few weeks. The bus driver neglected to stop in Punta Arenas and so we just sat back and relaxed all the way to San Jose, about 3 hours further than where we planned on going. ooops again. Luckily we ran into a nice feller from Lake Tahoe who suggested maybe we try out Jaco to buy a surf board and take the water taxi from their across to the Peninsula where ST is. So that is where we now find ourselves.
After arriving in San Jose we had to wait at another bus station for a couple hours until the next bus to Jaco showed up. That was a rather interesting establishment. There was a couple tag team preachers who walked the gauntlet of passengers the entire time. They were well dressed guys in their 60's. I thought the first guy might be schizophrenic or something because he was yelling at the ground and pointing at things that were not there. But then his partner got up for his turn. Then I figured it out. They weren't schizophrenic at all....they were just very into their word! Another 3 hours on the bus and we were in Jaco.
Jaco is a strip of restaurants and bars and a few high rise vacation rental condos with a nice surfing beach. Today we rented bikes and toured around a bit. Having a bike makes all the difference in the world as to what you can see. We packed a lunch and headed down the road to a bigger but less populated beach called Hermosa. Costa Rica is so much more green and lush. We road along and heard this squaking in the trees above us and saw a big group of scarlet macaw's. They are apparently pretty rare to see in many parts of Costa Rica due to trapping and habitat destruction. It made my day! Once we got to the beach we watched the surfers and decided to try some body surfing. The waves here were brutal and broke so close to the shore that it took me right off me feet and left me with my pants half off and my hair full of black sand and rocks. I'm so graceful in the water. Getting in was easy, getting out was a problem. As soon as I got close to the shore a wave would come and scoop me back out or slam me into the ground covering my in black volcanic sand and depositing me directly in front of some cool surfer folk.
We had steak at this Argentinian place that bakes their own bread. I feel like we're on vacation and not traveling here! We had to go buy our own bottle of wine at the liquor store because the restaurant was having troubles with a liquor licence. Not really thinking about price I grabbed a nice looking wine and took it to the till and gave her a 20 dollar bill hoping she had change and would ask for smaller bills as is what usually is the case. This time she asked me for more money! I was in shock at having to spend over $20 on a bottle of wine. I'm not sure what I will do when we get home....I might have to start incorporating the bartering system. I'll go to my neighborhood liquor store and cut the price in half and then work up from there until we come to a fair deal.
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