So I know it's been a hike but to be honest with you, I haven't done that much! Well, maybe I have and I'm just spoiled and it has just been another 2 weeks in paradise! ;) I'm currently in caye caulker, enjoying this tiny piece of caribean paradise. I'm hoping to go diving again on Tuesday. I'm super excited yet nervous! The last time was so unbelievable! I'm hoping this company will be as good as the last one!
I really do feel right at home in Latin America. The people here are great and I could get used to wearing shorts in feb!
We spent 3 days in Antigua. It's a really cool little city. It's surpising it's a suburb of Guatemala city! The souviners are plentiful, yet a little too colourful for my liking! But I bought some coffee and few other little things. The people selling things are aggressive and persistant. I saw the perfect shirt to sum it up "I don't want a tuk-tuk ride (small taxi much like a golf cart), I don't want any mre jade and I don't want any f*cking cashews!!" it was perfect! In between our days in Antigua, we hopped over to lake atilan for a night in San Juan for our homestay and then a night in panajanchel. Te homestay was really quite the experience. We were divided into pairs and stayed at our respect homes. The food was really good and it was so cool to watch them prepare it. I'm pretty excited to say that my comprehension of Spanish has gotten so much better unfortunately the 5 year old spoke better than I did. The family was a music family and we watched sing and play the guitar. It's crazy how much guatemalans like their coffee. The two little ones (5 and 9) drank more at 8pm than I do at 7am. Lol we slept on beds made of 2x4's and and a thin wicker matt. My neck is still paying for it!
After Antigua, we headed to rio Dulce. What a neat little spot. Nothing to do but it was rural and on the river. I had beenfeeling exhausted andsick for almost a month so I utilized the down time for some r an r. 15 hrs of Sleep caught me up! Unfortunately, in order to do so, I had to skip out on the carnival. I gambled and lost. They had tons of fun. :( (it's been a bit of a coin toss. Every tour or vent is described as the biggest and best by gap and more Often than not it's disappointing.) none te less, my day relaxing in the pool was just what the doctor ordered.
After rio Dulce we stopped off in flees o see the ruins of Tikal. Wow!!! It's so amazing to see what bare hands and a few logs instead of vehicles built. But, as I was warned about, all the ruins kind of look the same. But still, it was spectacular standing apx 180' in te air, on top of a hand made structure built in 500ad apx. The differnce at these ruins were the shear size of the buildings. Copan, in Honduras, had all the beautiful statues and carvings.
(Im sitting in a "Canadian" sports bar havig a beer and I just stopped typing for a moment and looked out the window and saw white sand and turqoise blue water. LOVE IT!!)
there has been a ton of travel on this trip and I have o admit I don't understand a lt of what gap does but I've seen A LOT!! More than I would have without the tour. Some good some bad! We crosse into Belize yesterday, (another smooth boarder crossing), and stayed the night in San Ignacio. All I have to say is "what a hole"!! There is absolutely nothing to do there but o caving or twice as much as Mexico charges, which is our next destination. I don't get it. So instead of staying a our usual crappy accomodations (we've braved bed bugs, moldy, sheets for pillows, no made service, spider web ridden hotels), a few of us decided to hit paradise early. Why a grey decision. I leave the group behind for a little me time!
Caye caulker is spectacular! A caribean paradise! I'm here for 4 nights! Let's hope try don't take all my money!!
Sunday, 3 April 2011
Even more of what I've learned
Things I've learned
You know te ferry means business when they hand out anti-nauseants and puke bags!
Ronald mcdonal is really creep when he's 25' tall!
14 people crammed into a van is not fun after 15 of travelling!
Disney did a great job of depicting sea turtles!
Monkey's arent the only beings that love to eat me! Mosquito's and other flying bugs do to!
Just when you think you have seen major poverty, there is always somethig worse to follow!
After 45min in rush hour traffic in pollution worse than LA, your throat begins to burn!
Jamming a pen in your eardrum is more fun ten listening to the venga boys, especially 135 times a day!!
The only thing worse than Venga boys, is Barbie Girl!!
I have a career in drag!
It's against my moral compass to pay to urinate!
It takes a minimum of 4 weeks to remember not to put your used toilet paper in the bowl!
You know te ferry means business when they hand out anti-nauseants and puke bags!
Ronald mcdonal is really creep when he's 25' tall!
14 people crammed into a van is not fun after 15 of travelling!
Disney did a great job of depicting sea turtles!
Monkey's arent the only beings that love to eat me! Mosquito's and other flying bugs do to!
Just when you think you have seen major poverty, there is always somethig worse to follow!
After 45min in rush hour traffic in pollution worse than LA, your throat begins to burn!
Jamming a pen in your eardrum is more fun ten listening to the venga boys, especially 135 times a day!!
The only thing worse than Venga boys, is Barbie Girl!!
I have a career in drag!
It's against my moral compass to pay to urinate!
It takes a minimum of 4 weeks to remember not to put your used toilet paper in the bowl!
Friday, 18 March 2011
So here is a quick run down of my tour so far! We started Mar 9 in San Jose and I'm currently in Granada, Nicaragua leaving for honduras tomorrow. So nervous but excited!!
It's been a TON of travel!!! pretty much every secod day we have headed to another location. after our first night in San Jose, we headed to la fortuna to one of the only active volcano's in the world. In la fortuna we did a volcano "hike" more like a casual flora fauna tour that really wasn't very exciting. Although I learned a cool fact about moss (it breaks down rocks to turn into fertile soil) and I saw a ba sleeping in an old abandoned termite nest. We did baldi hot springs with 3 crazy water slides (I donated some skin and still am recovering from the huge welt on my back). I paddle boarded in lake arenal which was awesome!! Then we went to monteverde. Spent two days there (2 too many if you ask me). I did extremo, the craiest zip line EVER. they had an awesome Tarzan swing and one o the lines was 1 km long suspended 700' above a valley. Unbelievable experience! I may have wet myself a little but I'll never admit it!! ;) the hotel we stayed at had a bunch of monkey's that lived in the nearby trees. the hotel staff feed them daily, which is naturally a great tourist attraction, bu not great for the monkey's. I think the alpha wanted to eat my eyeballs for lunch. I looked him in the eye and I've never seen such intensity! I ran! I kno pathetic, running from 1.5' monkey, but if you saw him you would understand! Even the other girls said he acted differently and more aggressive when I was around. Then it was off to Nicaragua. Such a change from costa rica. Dirtier, smellier and not as clean. But on the bright side cars seem to stop for pedestrians a little more than cr. We spent two days in ometepe, an island in lake Nicaragua (19th largest lake in the world). We took the craziest boat out to the island. It had holes all over and the water actually seeped through with every swell. It was crazy!!! I've have been in some crazy swells before but never in a boat that looked like it sat in a ship yard for the last 20 years! 5 of us went for a "difficult" hike (their words). WRONG! Intense hike through 2.5hrs of mud with nothing to see atthe top is more like it. But, despite being the most miserable 10 hr hike of my life, I felt AMAZING when we finished!! It was such a rush having completed it. We were literally in the midst of a central American jungle! Thick and lush. It was so beautiful. For the first hour we were surrounded by howler monkey troops. They were super cute, until the alpha started tryin to poo on us. I think he even threw a stick. I got attacked by a poisonous plant (not deadly, just irritating). If there is a plant to avoid, leave it to Christi to find it! I had a huge welt on my leg and it burned for abou 20 min but that was about it. I was relieved to discover it was not poison ivy. As we go closer to the top, the hike was still very steep (much like the first quarter of the grouse grind, maybe slightly steeper) but with 2.5 hrs left to hike, it turned to mud. Lots and lots of mud!! It is very difficult to hike in a jungle, afraid to use the trees to stabilize yourself as there could be scorpions, snakes or tarantulas on them and you are slipping in 4-6" of mud. You should have seen how dirty we got! When we got to the finish point, we were told we could swim. It was cold and misty. No way were we hopping in a lagoon without seeing anything! It was pretty darn cool to have lunch in the middle of a volcano's crater! Thhike down was just as miserable as the hike up, it just took us a bit less time. I'm telling you though, I looked at that volcano sooooo differently as we left then when we arrived!
After we left ometepe, we headed to Granada. It's a cool old colonial town though very sticken with poverty. I've grown a little attached in the 2.5 days we have been here, but I would get bored pretty quickly if we stayed any longer.
Tomorrow it is off to honduras. We stay in the capital (tegacilupa or something weird like that) for the night and quickly depart in the morning for the roatan islands. This is going to be one of the high lights to my trip. It's amazing from what I hear! Lots of snorkeling for me! But first we have to survive the capital. Wish us luck!
It's been a TON of travel!!! pretty much every secod day we have headed to another location. after our first night in San Jose, we headed to la fortuna to one of the only active volcano's in the world. In la fortuna we did a volcano "hike" more like a casual flora fauna tour that really wasn't very exciting. Although I learned a cool fact about moss (it breaks down rocks to turn into fertile soil) and I saw a ba sleeping in an old abandoned termite nest. We did baldi hot springs with 3 crazy water slides (I donated some skin and still am recovering from the huge welt on my back). I paddle boarded in lake arenal which was awesome!! Then we went to monteverde. Spent two days there (2 too many if you ask me). I did extremo, the craiest zip line EVER. they had an awesome Tarzan swing and one o the lines was 1 km long suspended 700' above a valley. Unbelievable experience! I may have wet myself a little but I'll never admit it!! ;) the hotel we stayed at had a bunch of monkey's that lived in the nearby trees. the hotel staff feed them daily, which is naturally a great tourist attraction, bu not great for the monkey's. I think the alpha wanted to eat my eyeballs for lunch. I looked him in the eye and I've never seen such intensity! I ran! I kno pathetic, running from 1.5' monkey, but if you saw him you would understand! Even the other girls said he acted differently and more aggressive when I was around. Then it was off to Nicaragua. Such a change from costa rica. Dirtier, smellier and not as clean. But on the bright side cars seem to stop for pedestrians a little more than cr. We spent two days in ometepe, an island in lake Nicaragua (19th largest lake in the world). We took the craziest boat out to the island. It had holes all over and the water actually seeped through with every swell. It was crazy!!! I've have been in some crazy swells before but never in a boat that looked like it sat in a ship yard for the last 20 years! 5 of us went for a "difficult" hike (their words). WRONG! Intense hike through 2.5hrs of mud with nothing to see atthe top is more like it. But, despite being the most miserable 10 hr hike of my life, I felt AMAZING when we finished!! It was such a rush having completed it. We were literally in the midst of a central American jungle! Thick and lush. It was so beautiful. For the first hour we were surrounded by howler monkey troops. They were super cute, until the alpha started tryin to poo on us. I think he even threw a stick. I got attacked by a poisonous plant (not deadly, just irritating). If there is a plant to avoid, leave it to Christi to find it! I had a huge welt on my leg and it burned for abou 20 min but that was about it. I was relieved to discover it was not poison ivy. As we go closer to the top, the hike was still very steep (much like the first quarter of the grouse grind, maybe slightly steeper) but with 2.5 hrs left to hike, it turned to mud. Lots and lots of mud!! It is very difficult to hike in a jungle, afraid to use the trees to stabilize yourself as there could be scorpions, snakes or tarantulas on them and you are slipping in 4-6" of mud. You should have seen how dirty we got! When we got to the finish point, we were told we could swim. It was cold and misty. No way were we hopping in a lagoon without seeing anything! It was pretty darn cool to have lunch in the middle of a volcano's crater! Thhike down was just as miserable as the hike up, it just took us a bit less time. I'm telling you though, I looked at that volcano sooooo differently as we left then when we arrived!
After we left ometepe, we headed to Granada. It's a cool old colonial town though very sticken with poverty. I've grown a little attached in the 2.5 days we have been here, but I would get bored pretty quickly if we stayed any longer.
Tomorrow it is off to honduras. We stay in the capital (tegacilupa or something weird like that) for the night and quickly depart in the morning for the roatan islands. This is going to be one of the high lights to my trip. It's amazing from what I hear! Lots of snorkeling for me! But first we have to survive the capital. Wish us luck!
The latest things I've learned!!
1. Women never grow out of a high school pack mentality! It's ok if you don't all take the same bus just this once!!
2. Dried cow poo transfers to your clothes VERY easily, particularly when seated on a 1-seater with two people on a crammed chicken bus!
3. The Spanish word for kitchen IS NOT pronounced with a -ch sound. I promise you the front desk staff will hesitate to answer your question and give you a very obscure look when you ask "donde esta cuchina" not donde esta cucina!
4. The literal translation for cuchina is filthy. I learned that in Latin america, the slang term for that word is referenced to a woman. You do the math.
5. Using the above question is not the best opening line to the HOT front desk staff. You have to put in a lot of effort to overcome that first impression!
6. Streets can be littered with an abundance of smells. I'm amazed that you can still enjoy the smell of fresh baked goods when the smell o poo and garbage is wafting behind it!
7. I'm getting desensitized!
8. Dead cats in garbage still smell like dead cats in garbage bags regardless of the other wonderful smells in the air!
9. I'm terrified of heights! Apparently one's legs can shake for a considerable amount of time after plummeting 60' on a Tarzan swing!
10. Do NOT trust your tour guide when he tells you the hike isn't that bad, difficult but fun. Particularly when it's followed by "I'm so proud of you guys!!" the latter should have been a serious indication of what I was getting myself into!
11. The women selling bags of liquid on the bus will tell you it's juice. Looking at the chunks floating at the bottom is an indication of something entirely different!
12. Even boats with massive holes in them can survive years without maintainence!
13. Those same boats get you VERY wet!
14. Bed bug bites are very itchy!
15. Monkey's want to eat my eyeballs!
16. I'm a wimp!
2. Dried cow poo transfers to your clothes VERY easily, particularly when seated on a 1-seater with two people on a crammed chicken bus!
3. The Spanish word for kitchen IS NOT pronounced with a -ch sound. I promise you the front desk staff will hesitate to answer your question and give you a very obscure look when you ask "donde esta cuchina" not donde esta cucina!
4. The literal translation for cuchina is filthy. I learned that in Latin america, the slang term for that word is referenced to a woman. You do the math.
5. Using the above question is not the best opening line to the HOT front desk staff. You have to put in a lot of effort to overcome that first impression!
6. Streets can be littered with an abundance of smells. I'm amazed that you can still enjoy the smell of fresh baked goods when the smell o poo and garbage is wafting behind it!
7. I'm getting desensitized!
8. Dead cats in garbage still smell like dead cats in garbage bags regardless of the other wonderful smells in the air!
9. I'm terrified of heights! Apparently one's legs can shake for a considerable amount of time after plummeting 60' on a Tarzan swing!
10. Do NOT trust your tour guide when he tells you the hike isn't that bad, difficult but fun. Particularly when it's followed by "I'm so proud of you guys!!" the latter should have been a serious indication of what I was getting myself into!
11. The women selling bags of liquid on the bus will tell you it's juice. Looking at the chunks floating at the bottom is an indication of something entirely different!
12. Even boats with massive holes in them can survive years without maintainence!
13. Those same boats get you VERY wet!
14. Bed bug bites are very itchy!
15. Monkey's want to eat my eyeballs!
16. I'm a wimp!
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
So, here I am 2 1/2 weeks in costa rica. So far I have to say I love this place! I feel right at home here and if it weren't for the high prices on most things (very much the equivalent to Canada in a lt of areas), I'd say it was perfect. I've always been drawn to the Latin cultures an this one is great! Everyone is pretty friendly and most costa Ricans that I have met genuinely enjoy life! It's beautiful here and the temperature I perfect for my skinny little frame! No longer a need far insulation!
My time in Tamarindo was much the same as it was in Manuel Antonio; quiet and mellow. I had my one big night out with the soccer team (which was a little disappointing as everyone was waaaay too gooned waaaay too quickly), but at least I can say I partyed in Tamarindo! I spent my days reading, jogging on the beach, scoping out the tourist shops and cooking. I finally got caught up on some much needed sleep (at first, it didn't look like it was going to happen. Some travellers need to better respect the dorm atmosphere at 3am!!) my last night in Tamarindo was the night I went out and low and behold, I got mistaken for a guy again. (at least I think so). I was in line for the toilet in the ladies washroom when I girl tapped me on te shoulder, had a weird look on her face and had a staff member standing behind her. I'm guessing she was gonna have me escorted out. I haven't had that happen since I was 12! Like seriously, am I gonna have to wear a sign around my neck? I guess this will work in my benefit!
Tues I left for San Jose and that was a rather eventful shuttle ride. I saw two dogs who were stuck together (yes from sex!) poor little things, they looked so dejected. I saw a new species of monkey in a tree and the lady beside me in the van nearly puked on me. Luckily the driver was able to pull over in time and she was able to puke out the door. Ahh, gotta love travelling!
I haven't done much in San Jose. Just walked around and window hopped. There issome AMAZING architecture here! So pretty but unfortunately run down. I discovered the most amazing ice cream sandwich and I'm not sure how I'm going to resist it for the nex 5.5 weeks! Dos piños, I love you!! Please bring your products to Canada!!!
As I walked along downtown San Jose, I got calle "Amigo"! Not Amiga, Amig-O!! Dude, I am no longer your friend!! But I managed to replace my phone charger so I'm super excited. I'm back in action!!!
Now, I'm in my hotel room, which I only have to share with 1 person, wahoo!!!!! Waiting for the intro meeting of my tour. We leave for lk fortuna in the morning. I'll be sure to keep you all posted!
My time in Tamarindo was much the same as it was in Manuel Antonio; quiet and mellow. I had my one big night out with the soccer team (which was a little disappointing as everyone was waaaay too gooned waaaay too quickly), but at least I can say I partyed in Tamarindo! I spent my days reading, jogging on the beach, scoping out the tourist shops and cooking. I finally got caught up on some much needed sleep (at first, it didn't look like it was going to happen. Some travellers need to better respect the dorm atmosphere at 3am!!) my last night in Tamarindo was the night I went out and low and behold, I got mistaken for a guy again. (at least I think so). I was in line for the toilet in the ladies washroom when I girl tapped me on te shoulder, had a weird look on her face and had a staff member standing behind her. I'm guessing she was gonna have me escorted out. I haven't had that happen since I was 12! Like seriously, am I gonna have to wear a sign around my neck? I guess this will work in my benefit!
Tues I left for San Jose and that was a rather eventful shuttle ride. I saw two dogs who were stuck together (yes from sex!) poor little things, they looked so dejected. I saw a new species of monkey in a tree and the lady beside me in the van nearly puked on me. Luckily the driver was able to pull over in time and she was able to puke out the door. Ahh, gotta love travelling!
I haven't done much in San Jose. Just walked around and window hopped. There issome AMAZING architecture here! So pretty but unfortunately run down. I discovered the most amazing ice cream sandwich and I'm not sure how I'm going to resist it for the nex 5.5 weeks! Dos piños, I love you!! Please bring your products to Canada!!!
As I walked along downtown San Jose, I got calle "Amigo"! Not Amiga, Amig-O!! Dude, I am no longer your friend!! But I managed to replace my phone charger so I'm super excited. I'm back in action!!!
Now, I'm in my hotel room, which I only have to share with 1 person, wahoo!!!!! Waiting for the intro meeting of my tour. We leave for lk fortuna in the morning. I'll be sure to keep you all posted!
Saturday, 5 March 2011
fish and chicks
As I sit here eating refried black beans in a bag and nursing the electrical shock I got from the improperly wired stove, I'd like to share with you the last couple of weeks.
My apologies for the lack of entries, however thus far, it has been a very casual trip. I really honestly haven't done anything. I planned it this way and so far I have stuck to it. Although I have to admit, I have this ache to hurry up and see as much of Costa Rica as I possibly can, however I will be travelling nearly everyday as soon as my tour starts, so this will be much needed down time.
I arrived in Manuel Antonio on my first day. My hostel actually located between Manuel Antonio and Quepos, I easily got the best of both worlds with out all the noise. Nestled on top of the hillside, I was able to get some much needed R and R. It is located in the middle of one of the many rainforests Costa Rica has to offer. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I would actually miss the humidity. The beaches here are stunning, the wildlife abundant. Many iguana's graced me with there presence as I would sit in a hammock overlooking the ocean enjoying my book and a coffee. Buzzards, toucan, hawks, birds Ive never seen before always flying over head. And believe it or not, there weren't many bugs. There are plenty of tourist things to do in the area, but I opted for the easy and cheap varieties; beaches and walking. I find you see a lot more that way. Of course, this is also where I got sick so my memories will always be bitter sweet. The hostel was run by a great family. Conrad, I know you will never read this, but thank you for your hospitality!! Lonely Planet under estimated your ambiance!! Unfortunately, it was still a hostel and sleep was hard to come by. Some people need a serious lesson in hostel etiquette. (Like leaving other peoples belongings where they left them!!)
There has certainly been an eclectic group of travellors I have met. Young, Old, experienced, rookies. Germans, Swedes, Spaniards, Canadians, Australians, Americans. Some Ill remember, some Ill make a point of forgetting (22 deuchebag med students!! ok, actually, maybe like 15 of them).
As I left Manuel Antonio, I was extremely worried that by stomach would not cooperate during the ride. Luckily it did, although with the much needed help of some gravol. It took me my first couple of days in Tamarindo to recover fully. Now I am jogging on the beach and able to stray more that 20 ft from any given bathroom. It was definitely an adjustment coming from Manuel Antonio to Tamarindo. Although both are big tourist spots, Tamarindo is definitely very americanized. I feel like I walked into a 3rd world Huntington Beach. The people have been nice, although EVERYONE wants to sell you something, "No, gracias" gets really old after a while. The beach here is nice, although I liked Man. Ant. more. But the sunset, my! So beautiful. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures up soon so everyone can see what my travels have looked like.
My fishing trip was fun, although it gets kind of boring when the fish aren't biting and you don't really have anyone to talk to. The language barrier does get exhausting and sometimes a little peace and quiet is just the solution. I bet you would think that my favorite part of fishing was just that, the fishing. But no, it was actually the cab ride. To be exact, it was the introduction of the cab driver. (For those of you who have heard me say this before, I always make fun of men when they have huge ego's and think the are really slick with women, yet its actually soooo obviously corny. My nickname for these guys is Rico Suave. This has been my running joke for years.) Well, as I introduced my self to my cab driver, "Ola, mi nombre Christi". He replied with "Hi, my name is Rico Suave" I nearly peed myself!
The fishing trip was fun though. I loved watching all the stingrays. We had a couple so close to the boat. The are really cool creatures. They like to sit at the surface when the water is calm, fold their wings so that just the tips penetrate the surface, and graze in the morning sun. I did get a few pictures of this, but unfortunately not the best ones. What was even cooler, is that they like to jump into the air and do flips. None did so close enoough for a picture opportunity, but I must have watched this 2 dozen times. It was awesome!!! I have now eaten fresh tuna two days in a row and could really get used to it. But next time, I would like to prepare it on a stove that works properly. The temperature is not labelled and it can be pretty hard to gauge the heat. Yes, you would think the amber glow on the element would tell you, but this doesn't seem to happen with consistency. Plus, everyone loves a good electric shock through your arm!!
The hostel here is nice. You here and see howler monkies regularly, there is a nice pool and the staff are very friendly.But again, a serious lesson in hostel etiquette is much needed. After the bar, you do not come home and decide to have a very loud, drunken conversation in the middle of the dorm. Take it outside!!! I was very relieved yesterday when I found out the snorer had left too!! I think anyone who snores passed a certain decibel should be forced into a private room! After he kept me awake for over an hour, I resorted to beating him with my pillow. Nothing. It took me throwing his towel over his face to wake him up.
Today, I hung out at the beach for a bit. I watched the surfers with a combination of jealousy and sadness. But my health needs to come first! Dammit! Why did apex have to teach me a lesson. Why couldnt' it have been Costa Rica!! Oh well, it is still beautiful here!
Tomorrow I may go kayaking down teh river in search of Cayman's and Crocodiles. Wish me luck!!
My apologies for the lack of entries, however thus far, it has been a very casual trip. I really honestly haven't done anything. I planned it this way and so far I have stuck to it. Although I have to admit, I have this ache to hurry up and see as much of Costa Rica as I possibly can, however I will be travelling nearly everyday as soon as my tour starts, so this will be much needed down time.
I arrived in Manuel Antonio on my first day. My hostel actually located between Manuel Antonio and Quepos, I easily got the best of both worlds with out all the noise. Nestled on top of the hillside, I was able to get some much needed R and R. It is located in the middle of one of the many rainforests Costa Rica has to offer. Although I didn't realize it at the time, I would actually miss the humidity. The beaches here are stunning, the wildlife abundant. Many iguana's graced me with there presence as I would sit in a hammock overlooking the ocean enjoying my book and a coffee. Buzzards, toucan, hawks, birds Ive never seen before always flying over head. And believe it or not, there weren't many bugs. There are plenty of tourist things to do in the area, but I opted for the easy and cheap varieties; beaches and walking. I find you see a lot more that way. Of course, this is also where I got sick so my memories will always be bitter sweet. The hostel was run by a great family. Conrad, I know you will never read this, but thank you for your hospitality!! Lonely Planet under estimated your ambiance!! Unfortunately, it was still a hostel and sleep was hard to come by. Some people need a serious lesson in hostel etiquette. (Like leaving other peoples belongings where they left them!!)
There has certainly been an eclectic group of travellors I have met. Young, Old, experienced, rookies. Germans, Swedes, Spaniards, Canadians, Australians, Americans. Some Ill remember, some Ill make a point of forgetting (22 deuchebag med students!! ok, actually, maybe like 15 of them).
As I left Manuel Antonio, I was extremely worried that by stomach would not cooperate during the ride. Luckily it did, although with the much needed help of some gravol. It took me my first couple of days in Tamarindo to recover fully. Now I am jogging on the beach and able to stray more that 20 ft from any given bathroom. It was definitely an adjustment coming from Manuel Antonio to Tamarindo. Although both are big tourist spots, Tamarindo is definitely very americanized. I feel like I walked into a 3rd world Huntington Beach. The people have been nice, although EVERYONE wants to sell you something, "No, gracias" gets really old after a while. The beach here is nice, although I liked Man. Ant. more. But the sunset, my! So beautiful. Hopefully I will be able to get some pictures up soon so everyone can see what my travels have looked like.
My fishing trip was fun, although it gets kind of boring when the fish aren't biting and you don't really have anyone to talk to. The language barrier does get exhausting and sometimes a little peace and quiet is just the solution. I bet you would think that my favorite part of fishing was just that, the fishing. But no, it was actually the cab ride. To be exact, it was the introduction of the cab driver. (For those of you who have heard me say this before, I always make fun of men when they have huge ego's and think the are really slick with women, yet its actually soooo obviously corny. My nickname for these guys is Rico Suave. This has been my running joke for years.) Well, as I introduced my self to my cab driver, "Ola, mi nombre Christi". He replied with "Hi, my name is Rico Suave" I nearly peed myself!
The fishing trip was fun though. I loved watching all the stingrays. We had a couple so close to the boat. The are really cool creatures. They like to sit at the surface when the water is calm, fold their wings so that just the tips penetrate the surface, and graze in the morning sun. I did get a few pictures of this, but unfortunately not the best ones. What was even cooler, is that they like to jump into the air and do flips. None did so close enoough for a picture opportunity, but I must have watched this 2 dozen times. It was awesome!!! I have now eaten fresh tuna two days in a row and could really get used to it. But next time, I would like to prepare it on a stove that works properly. The temperature is not labelled and it can be pretty hard to gauge the heat. Yes, you would think the amber glow on the element would tell you, but this doesn't seem to happen with consistency. Plus, everyone loves a good electric shock through your arm!!
The hostel here is nice. You here and see howler monkies regularly, there is a nice pool and the staff are very friendly.But again, a serious lesson in hostel etiquette is much needed. After the bar, you do not come home and decide to have a very loud, drunken conversation in the middle of the dorm. Take it outside!!! I was very relieved yesterday when I found out the snorer had left too!! I think anyone who snores passed a certain decibel should be forced into a private room! After he kept me awake for over an hour, I resorted to beating him with my pillow. Nothing. It took me throwing his towel over his face to wake him up.
Today, I hung out at the beach for a bit. I watched the surfers with a combination of jealousy and sadness. But my health needs to come first! Dammit! Why did apex have to teach me a lesson. Why couldnt' it have been Costa Rica!! Oh well, it is still beautiful here!
Tomorrow I may go kayaking down teh river in search of Cayman's and Crocodiles. Wish me luck!!
Thursday, 3 March 2011
what i have learned thus far
1. brown hair and board shorts do not get you hissed or hollered at
2. hanging out with blond haired blue eyed swedish girls does!!!
3. howler monkies sound like they are a woman in labor
4. do not leave your lunch unattended. the raccoons and the monkies have sticky fingers!!
5. many locals think that every white person does not speak a word of spanish. "Yes of course i want to buy your bundle of banana's. especially since you tried to get my attention by calling me puta!!" idiots
6. i apparently really don't like getting wet. ive only been in the ocean once (and that was cuz i had to pee really really badly!!)
7. your standards lower considerably after a week in a hostel!!
8. it's not some crazy scabies infection or eggs they just laid in your skin. the sand is just really f'n sticky here!
9. im a hyper chondriac
10. latin mosquitos are waaaaaay smarter than north american ones.
11. do not tell a local "estoy cansada" when you meant "estoy casada". they take it as an invite!! (Mom, thanks for trying to prewarn me about this very easy mix up. apparently it did not work!!)
12. a 4 star resort bed would be sooooo nice right about now
13 cosmo seems to be of latin descent
14. adults are harder to train than children!!
15. it can be very hard to fill 16 hours every day
16. the hot french bartender only wants your tip!! :(
2. hanging out with blond haired blue eyed swedish girls does!!!
3. howler monkies sound like they are a woman in labor
4. do not leave your lunch unattended. the raccoons and the monkies have sticky fingers!!
5. many locals think that every white person does not speak a word of spanish. "Yes of course i want to buy your bundle of banana's. especially since you tried to get my attention by calling me puta!!" idiots
6. i apparently really don't like getting wet. ive only been in the ocean once (and that was cuz i had to pee really really badly!!)
7. your standards lower considerably after a week in a hostel!!
8. it's not some crazy scabies infection or eggs they just laid in your skin. the sand is just really f'n sticky here!
9. im a hyper chondriac
10. latin mosquitos are waaaaaay smarter than north american ones.
11. do not tell a local "estoy cansada" when you meant "estoy casada". they take it as an invite!! (Mom, thanks for trying to prewarn me about this very easy mix up. apparently it did not work!!)
12. a 4 star resort bed would be sooooo nice right about now
13 cosmo seems to be of latin descent
14. adults are harder to train than children!!
15. it can be very hard to fill 16 hours every day
16. the hot french bartender only wants your tip!! :(
Wednesday, 2 March 2011
a quickie
i know i have been terrible at keeping you all posted (all 4 of you following this) but here is a quick rendition of how my days have looked. ive been trying to avoid doing to much because my tour is going to be chaotic. im just relaxing and enjoying my down time until the daily travel begins for 5 weeks.
and here is my turtle watching experience in a large nut shell
it was a very loooong night. the guy told me 2 hours, and it was 5.5. ugh sooooo tired today now. but it was cool i just wish i would have gone on a different night. we saw am armadillo on the way out. they are super cute. i wish i would have asked the driver to stop so i could take a picture but i was to slow in my thinking process. (i was ready for bed at 7 last night)
there was a whole lot of standing and waiting. i never anticipated just having to sit there for hours but it totally makes sense now. they dont have legs adn they have to get along the sand somehow. then we had to sit and wait more for them to get to the dry part of the beach, under cover adn then we had to wait for the to find a spot to dig, then we had to wait for them to dig a hole to lay their eggs in, then we had to wait more while they dig their hole. fuck it was a lot of waiting.
but it was cool to see them dig their hole. their little back legs (or fins, whatever you want to call them) really are quite usefull. they literally scoop the sand and throw it out of the hole. they did i pretty big hole too cuz they need to lay about 60-85 egs. then finally, after at least 45 min of watching it dig a hole (let me tell you that gets old REAL fast) we got to watch it lay its eggs. it was pretty neat. i got pictures of its hole with the eggs in it. this whole time, we were only 2 feet from it.
i have to admit, i really didn't like how some of it played out. people are idiots. they were so despart to film some of them, that they were practically chasing them down the beach. plus at one point, we were supposed to make a semi circle behind the turtle as it walked back to the water but some people were right in front of it blocking it from getting back to the beach. plus being so close to it while it laid its eggs. who knows how much stress we put on these poor turtles. as im thinking about this, i wonder if our presence tips off the turtles predators as to where the eggs are.
to be honest with you. i felt kinda crappy about what i was doing
it was also such a beautiful night thought. the stars were so beautiful!! plus there was lightning in the background and the outline of the mountains were awesome. oh, and the phosphorescents in the white wash of the waves was so intense some times. the water would glow some times. (it happens at night. something to do with algae and or other very small plants in the water glowing from the moon shining on them. but they only seem to glow with certain movement in the water. fish will glow at night too as they swim by your boat. i saw that at shearwater a few times)
and here is my turtle watching experience in a large nut shell
it was a very loooong night. the guy told me 2 hours, and it was 5.5. ugh sooooo tired today now. but it was cool i just wish i would have gone on a different night. we saw am armadillo on the way out. they are super cute. i wish i would have asked the driver to stop so i could take a picture but i was to slow in my thinking process. (i was ready for bed at 7 last night)
there was a whole lot of standing and waiting. i never anticipated just having to sit there for hours but it totally makes sense now. they dont have legs adn they have to get along the sand somehow. then we had to sit and wait more for them to get to the dry part of the beach, under cover adn then we had to wait for the to find a spot to dig, then we had to wait for them to dig a hole to lay their eggs in, then we had to wait more while they dig their hole. fuck it was a lot of waiting.
but it was cool to see them dig their hole. their little back legs (or fins, whatever you want to call them) really are quite usefull. they literally scoop the sand and throw it out of the hole. they did i pretty big hole too cuz they need to lay about 60-85 egs. then finally, after at least 45 min of watching it dig a hole (let me tell you that gets old REAL fast) we got to watch it lay its eggs. it was pretty neat. i got pictures of its hole with the eggs in it. this whole time, we were only 2 feet from it.
i have to admit, i really didn't like how some of it played out. people are idiots. they were so despart to film some of them, that they were practically chasing them down the beach. plus at one point, we were supposed to make a semi circle behind the turtle as it walked back to the water but some people were right in front of it blocking it from getting back to the beach. plus being so close to it while it laid its eggs. who knows how much stress we put on these poor turtles. as im thinking about this, i wonder if our presence tips off the turtles predators as to where the eggs are.
to be honest with you. i felt kinda crappy about what i was doing
it was also such a beautiful night thought. the stars were so beautiful!! plus there was lightning in the background and the outline of the mountains were awesome. oh, and the phosphorescents in the white wash of the waves was so intense some times. the water would glow some times. (it happens at night. something to do with algae and or other very small plants in the water glowing from the moon shining on them. but they only seem to glow with certain movement in the water. fish will glow at night too as they swim by your boat. i saw that at shearwater a few times)
Thursday, 24 February 2011
hopefully this one works
so i just had my fourth night here. what a country. although i have seen very little of it, its stunning!! the monkey's are adorable, the birds are every where (even that damn toucan that won't stick around long enough for a picture. at least not when i have my camera!). the hostel i am staying at is perched atop a hill that over looks a farm and the ocean. the sunset here is amazing. its crazy though. the sun moves so quickly at sunset and when it dips behind the ocean, it stays light.
so far i have sat at the beach, took a nature walk through manuel antonio, walked to the nearby town of quepos and relaxed in a hamic (no idea how to spell that) the rest of the time. ill be in trouble soon as i am half way through my book and steig larsson has stolen my hours from me!! lol
the hostel is quite nice. the people are great and its very clean. im afraid that it will only go down hill from here.
i went to a local gay club tuesday night to see a drag show. hahahaha paid 2 dollars to get in and the very enthusiastic but definitely budget drag queen was good. she only did two songs though :( the club had all of about 15 people in it so i guess a tuesday night isn't the best for a drag show. lol
hopefully today and tomorrow will consist of fishing and surfing
so far i have sat at the beach, took a nature walk through manuel antonio, walked to the nearby town of quepos and relaxed in a hamic (no idea how to spell that) the rest of the time. ill be in trouble soon as i am half way through my book and steig larsson has stolen my hours from me!! lol
the hostel is quite nice. the people are great and its very clean. im afraid that it will only go down hill from here.
i went to a local gay club tuesday night to see a drag show. hahahaha paid 2 dollars to get in and the very enthusiastic but definitely budget drag queen was good. she only did two songs though :( the club had all of about 15 people in it so i guess a tuesday night isn't the best for a drag show. lol
hopefully today and tomorrow will consist of fishing and surfing
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Test blog: the pretrip planning
Well, it's been two weeks of planning and organizing and it's finally coming together. The count down has begun and the jitters are definitely here. I can't believe I has taken me 12 years to do this trip. Hopefully I'll come back with a great photo album, a golden tan and some unbelievable new people in my contact list. (not diarea, malaria and a wicked sunburn! Or worse yet, getting sold into the human trafficking ring, but *sigh* I think I'm finally too old to have to worry about that one. They probably wouldn't want me anyways! Lol)
it's been interesting so far: I got incredibly sick off the typhoid pills, booked, and subsequently paid for, 2 nights in a hostel in Miami by mistake and have discovered my wardrobe is soooo not equipped for Latin American travel. Here's to ensuring a better start on Sunday!
Here is my itinerary so far:
feb 19: leave Seattle and get in to San Jose, costa rica on sun, feb20
feb20-mar 13: travel costa rica
mar 13-16 apx: Nicaragua
mar 16-20 apx: hondura
mar 20-29 apx: Guatemala
mar 29- apr 4 apx: Belize
April 4-10 Mexico
April 11-13: Miami
I'm getting excited!!
it's been interesting so far: I got incredibly sick off the typhoid pills, booked, and subsequently paid for, 2 nights in a hostel in Miami by mistake and have discovered my wardrobe is soooo not equipped for Latin American travel. Here's to ensuring a better start on Sunday!
Here is my itinerary so far:
feb 19: leave Seattle and get in to San Jose, costa rica on sun, feb20
feb20-mar 13: travel costa rica
mar 13-16 apx: Nicaragua
mar 16-20 apx: hondura
mar 20-29 apx: Guatemala
mar 29- apr 4 apx: Belize
April 4-10 Mexico
April 11-13: Miami
I'm getting excited!!
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