Cool things...

I climbed an active volcano in Granada which required wearing a gas mask due to the sulphuric gasses pouring out. I then went 102 meters into a cave full of bats. The bats were really cool and the babies can´t fly away so it was possible to look at them really closley, though I doubt they appreciate it very much. Then we went to look into the crater full of lava...the wiccans used to sacrifice virgins to this volcano because they believed that if they kept it happy it would not explode and kill them. The Spanish Catholics later thought it was the gate to Hell and so build a giant cross there out of wood.

I also went to Isla de Ometepe which is in the middle of Lake Nicaragua, the biggest freshwater lake in the....world? Central America? not sure. The lake itself is o ver 8000 k ms squared. We spent the first couple of nights in a town there and hung about. We climbed a volcano and talked to random travellers and a guy who lives on Ometepe but is from Sooke. He is a really crazy guy who liked to regale us with rants about the mayan calendar, murderers, and formalized education among other things. There is also a wreck on the beach of this town which is an old ferry. This is particularly hilarious if you have seen what the new ferry looks like...almost not seaworthy but it got us where we needed to go. I´m sure it too will be on the side of the lake quite soon.

After that town we went on a hunt to find ´Monkey Island´ which was rumoured to be an island full of monkeys which also had a hostel on it. Instead, Monkey Island turned out to be inhabited by evil person-b iting monkeys rescued from abusive situations. Needless to say there was no hostel there . We wound up staying nearby and kayaking over to and around the island. At one point I suppose we got too close because one of the monkies ran out onto a tree branch and looked like he was going to jump on our boat and kill us. Luckily my superior kayaking skills saved me.

After that experience we left Ometepe and crossed to Costa Rica in a very exciting manner. We took a 10 hour boat trip at night down Lake Nicaragua. Luckily I had a hammock and some valium. After arriving in San Carlos and waiting FOREVER to go through customs to leave Nicaragua we went on an awesome boat ride down the Rio Frio to Los Chiles Costa Rica. From the boat we could see Crocodiles, Turtles, monkies and countless birds. Unfortunately after that boat ride we had to wait another two hours to enter Costa Rica. Then we took a 5 hour boat ride to San Jose. Epic. I felt like Odysseyus.

Anyway here I am, alive and well in Costa Rica. Tomorrow I will leave for the Carribean coast where I hope to accomplish some surfing and diving before I head down to Gandoca for the turtle project.

I would like to send some emails oiut right now but the access to email is blocked at this hostel so I cannot. Loves and misses and I will see people im Vic in about 2 weeks.

Pura Vida.

10 hour boat ride in a hammock remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I saw a sea turtle swimming in the ocean. It was eating coral very slowly and was incredibly cute. I was diving not to far from it looking out from my plastic and metal bubbly shell. It got me very excited for my volunteering in a couple of weeks.

I also went for a night dive and saw an octopus. It looked like a giant blob. Then we all went and sat underwater in the sand and turned off our flashlights to watch the bioluminescent plankton. Yay!

I went to El Fortin in Leon which involved me and Jonno getting lost only to be redirected by a cab driver who (thankfully) drove us there through the city dump. People live in this dump. It was the first time here that I have felt actually culture shocked. We drove in the back of this taxi while adults and children rifled through garbage and flew a kite made of refuse while wearing kerchiefs over their faces.

Other travellers do not seem to be having a good time. They seem to be afraid all the time and unwilling to ever step outside their comfort zones. I find this irritating and somewhat lonlinfying. I´m not saying they need to go through the dump but at least not worrying exactly what bus we´re going to catch all the time would allow a bit more fun I think.

Last night I watched a thunderstorm over the biggest church in Central America. There was both sheet and fork lightnening. I got very wet and enjoyed it immensely.

Today I swam in a lake hotter than a hot tub. I think it is warmed by all the surrounding volcanoes, there were something like 6 of them. The sand under it was also black, i believe intermingled with volcanic ash.

My favourite part of travelling is when I get to interact with local people. I wish this was a bit easier but am also glad that it is not because that would likely take a lot of the joy out of it all. Examples include...roosterfights, some guy trying to help Lucy find meats at midnight, and playing trivia at a local pub and losing horribly.

Oh by the way I am in Granada, Nicaragua. I just arrived here today so really don´t have much to say about it except that it looks very pretty and that i ate a tasty supper.

Octopus and Turtles and Fishies... remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Utila is a very nice small island in the Caribbean. I have been having a really good time here both in and out of the water. I have met many interesting people, including someone who is going to teach me to spin fire.

I am going to try to take some pictures underwater on Wednesday so I can have some amazing records of my dives here.

Yesterday I got to feed scarlet macaws some peanuts.

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Last weekend Jonno and I headed out to el zotz, a remote Mayan ruin. Getting there involved some pretty bad roads in the back of a 4by4. I sort of thought we were going to die for a bit but we didn{t which was good. The temples there were much less uncovered than in tikal but still had amazing views. At sunset we did a gruelling hike up to a mirador (lookout) which had an amazing view of the jungle and then went down to the bat wall to watch the bats swarm off for their nightly feast.

I left San andres on wednesday and spent a couple of nights in Rio Dulce and a crazy secluded cabin in Las Canchas before heading down to Honduras yesterday. The cabin in Las Canchas wasm occupied by just three of us plus a guide who took us to an amazing waterfall one of the days. In fact there were waterfalls all around there and it was beautiful. muy tranquillo.

I am now writing from copan, a small town near the border of Honduras and Guatemala. I quite like it here. A parrot bit me today. Some parrots have the ability to exert 1000 pounds of pressure...luckily this one either did not or did not wish to use it all on me. Hooray!

Tomorrow i am off the bay islands where i will hopefully learn to scuba dive.

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Last night was really wonderful. I skipped libraby volunteering along with all the other volunteers to go hang out at the park. We wound up hanging out with an awesome duck whom I have named Mohawk and listening to a local man play really pretty music on his guitar. We ate hot dogs and had a couple of beers. There were really big fireflies everywhere and also a toad. Very nice night.

This week we finished the bridge we started last week and also built a room for a school. School here is not mandatory and really is not like school at home. The teachers seem to take breaks whenever they like and likewise the children go to their classrooms whenever they like. But anyway we built another room. And I must say it looks nice.

Worry dolls for the week
1) That the strange bitetype thing in my bellybutton is actually some eggs of some bug waiting to hatch
2) That Mohawk will reject all offers I make for him to accompany me home
3) The turantula that lives in the park

Ducks and Spanish Love Songs remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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My other friend is a 4 year old boy named Albertito (little Albert). He is quite wonderful and speaks to me in spanish even though I don´t understand. I take him to the library at night when I can and he holds my hand. That is usually a highlight of my day.

Yesterday I left San Andres for the weekend to go to Tikal. I spent last night camped out in a hammock and this morning (at 5 am) watching the sunrise from the top of a mayan temple. I saw spider monkeys and weird catlike raccoon things. I also saw turkeys (wild) which are actually beautiful animals that make crazy noises. I also saw toucans and parrots. I faced my fear of heights and climbed giant ruins. One of the crazy things about Tikal is the way the buildings were all built so that on certain days (equinox and solstice) the sun rises and sets in particular patterns with the buildings. It´s difficult to explain but really cool. Oh I also saw a crocodile!

Tonight I am staying in a town called El Remate which is on the same lake as San Andres but about halfway between there and Tikal. It is really tranquil and I have a bathroom actually in my room. Yay!

My Life in San Andres remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Today while I was swimming in the lake, three horses ran down the road toward me and into the lake. They stood 3 metres from me and drank agua. One was looking at me the whole time. And Im pretty sure one was pregnant as she had a HUGE belly (animals here are very skinny) that kept spasming.

Worry dolls
1) My relationship with Jonno
2) Loosing my mind
3) Menstruation (it really sucks when the bathroom is an outhouse)

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Food today was great with the exception of breakfast, which seemed to amount to some granola tossed into a big bowl of hot chocolate. I cant figure out if Martina (homestay mom) is making us food they eat in Guatemala or is attempting to cook Canada food. I got sick from breakfast. But tonight was tasty fried chicken and yesterday french fries. The family never eats with us.

I think my Spanish is getting better (could it have gotten worse?). I can now loosly string together sentences about my family, my country and myself. I can also ask for things.

Worry dolls
1) Ill get sick
2) Jonno wont adjust
3) Ill never be cold again

Not so Good Day remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The people here made us tasty spaghetti with fresh, warm tortillas. They have been incredibly nice and accomodating of our awkwardness and inability to speak Spanish.

Th room here is cement with a screen window (which I am thankful for as giant bugs seem to keep flying into it and making loud bangs) and a fan. It is so incredibly hot and humid. Like 30 degrees at night! It is like being in a sauna all the time.

The bathroom is outside, past the barking dogs so Im scared to go when everyone is sleeping. Jonno also said there is a giant bug in there right now that looks like a spider and a cockroach had babies.

There is electricity and some running water sometimes.

Worry dolls for the night
1) Afraid I wont adjust
2) Afraid I will get homesick
3) Afraid of the animals and bugs

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To get to the volcano we went through a very small and (it seemed) povertystricken village. As we parked the bus some small children ran up with hiking sticks trying to sell them for 5 quetzals. After we came down from the volcano and were eating snacks they also kept asking us for them. It was incredibly humbling.

I also went to the market today and bought some strawberries. They were incredibly tasty and less than a dollar for a pound.

MagmaMallow remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I have finally arrived in Guatemala! Horray! Èxiting the airport was completely nuts and involved me feeling like i had walked in a sauna. There were soooo many people waiting and we really didn´t know where we were going. We attempted to have an adventure and take a chicken bus but we needed quetzal chànge for that and had none so we took a shuttle to Antigua where we are staying tonight.

I´m finding hostelling kind of strange and hard to meet people. I´m not sure if it´s because I´m travelling with someone or because of a general lack of social graces but I ´m hoping it will get better.

Today is Easter Sunday and it is a fantastic celebration in Antigua. There was a float and a giant parade and the`y strew coloured sawdust in the streest. Much fun.

I also ate the best mango ever in the whole world today from a street vendor. It had chili powder on it and dear lord was it ever tasty!! And less than a dollar.

Yesterday I was in Seattle at Pike Place market and it is crazy how different the atmosphere at the market here is from there. There was music and people just simply enjoying themselves here. At pike place everyone was just taking pictures and trying not to get stepped on. The streets here also seem to always always have tons of people on them.

But I am exhausted as I have not slept in a couple of days and it is hot here so I will go. Profuse apologies for the disjointedness of this entry.

Much misses. Also to the rats. Tell them Jordan.

Food Stalls and `JPhotographs remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The Clipper was nothing like what I thought it would be. I had imagined something like a BC Ferry where I could pleasantly sit outside the entire time on a somewhat confortable chair. Instead all the seats were inside and the outer deck was incredibly small and cold. Still, I managed to spend about half the journey outside and enjoy the beauty of the San Juan Islands.

Now I sit here in my Green Tortiose hostel drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon which I bought six of for the low low price of $5!! I think soon I will snuggle into my hostel bed with the solar system comforter and snooze away. Finally comfortable to be gone.

Seattle remains copyright of the author Eres, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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