Megatron the Decepticon Takes on "El Mundo"

Some last adventures

2009-04-17T14:15:00.000-07:00

Three boys I met collecting things for a fire on the road to Sna Pedro
This is Rosa Angela who we met in San Pedro. She became a wonderful little companion

Ok there are a few stories I want to get out in this one. A day that will be remembered forever and Semana Santa in Antigua. Well I guess that technically makes two stories but each has many different parts.

Ok lets get the time line out here. So after Lago Yojoa we went to another series of small towns and sill events and ended in Copán where the ruins which raised some pretty interesting questions for Mary and I as to our religious and spiritual beliefs. After Copán at the end of March we headed into Guatemala and had some fun within swarms of bats in Lanquin. After Lanquin we made it to Semuc Champey where we had one of the most memorable days of the trip.

The day is divided into 3 and two half parts. That may not make sense now but I think it will. One of the half parts came first. We got picked up in Lanquin and rode in the back of a truck to Semuc with a breathtaking view as we lowered down in between the mountains. We arrived at Hospedaje de Las Marias and set up a tour through las cuevas (caves) de las Marias which is one of the three parts.

We unloaded our stuff and Mary and I got ready for the tour. We were told to just wear our bathing suits and our clothes and bring nothing else. We are then told that it is just the two of us on the tour. Our guide takes us to the mouth of Las Cuevas da las Marias when we step straight into a foot of water. We are each given a candle and our guide has a water proof head lamp to lead us through the darkness. Now what fascinates me is how much accessibility there is to things in other countries. When I think about how this cave would be set up to be explored is that there would be lights implimented and a walkway so that you didnt have to touch the water. However in Guatemala we found ourselves swimming through the caves holding the candle above our heads so as not to burn it out.

Mary and I could not control ourselves laughing and having to pinch each other to make sure that it was really happening. We were brought back deep into the cave where we could mainly walk and then suddenly be plunged into water again surrounded by stalactites and stalagmites of all formations. At some parts we had to scales walls using a rope and others we would wedge ourselves between columns only to find we had to jump down into another pool of water. My favorite part was swimming through a tunnel that was submerged under the water. (Now this part was optional but I couldnt pass it up) Our guide Sebastian took us farther back than the larger groups get to go because it was jusdt the two of us. We spent some time in the complete darkness seeing what it is like to close your eyes and not see a single difference in how it looks.

We finally made our way out of the cave with our hearts pumping and our heads filled with excitement of the adventure that we had just encountered. Outside of the cave we are each given an inner tube and tie our clothes that had been waiting for us on our heads. Along side the caves floats a river that we jump into and it gently carries us down to our hostal after a nice 30 minute float.

Part number two. After a small lunch Mary and I, now equiped with camera and other tools, head on the walk to Semuc Champey. Semuc Champey is a beautiful natural colection of crystal clear pools. Each one flowing into the next with aqua water and new little treats to explore. At first Mary and I hike up to the Mirador to get a view of the whole from above which looks like pure perfection even though we are sweating every ounce of water that we had consumed througout the day.

We finally make our way down to the water and it is the most refreshing feeling ever. There are little fish that on occasion come over to nibble at your toes but for the most part you are free to dive, swim, wade and sit in complete relaxation in the cool crisp clean water. It felt like a full day and yet it wasnt over yet. We gathered our things and headed on the walk back and stopped at a families home to eat some watermellon and have a few beers. Part number three. The family was incredibly welcoming and all the neighborhood kids came by to stare and the foreigners that came to visit. We found ourselves listening to music laughing and dancing and before I new it we got wrapped up in a small game of soccer on the neighboring field. It was definitley a fabulously happy ending to an incredible day.

The View of Chemuc Champey

Up Close and Personal

Semana Santa in Antigua is another story. Every body had told us that if you wanna see the most elaborate and exciting events for Semana Santa go to Antigua so weeks ahead of time we booked our hotel and just worked on getting ourselves amped up. We showed up exhausted thursday and were told that thursday ngith you stay up all night so we took a nap. There are a few elements to Semana Santa in Antigua that make it so breathtaking. The carpets and the processions. The carpets and made my families and other groups to for the processions to walk over. People stay up all night preparing them for the first procession that starts at 4am friday morning.

The carpets are made out of shaved marble, pines from trees, a specific white flower and sawdust. Others can also have fruit and flowers and we even saw one that had a turtle in a pool in the center which we were informed would be moved once the procession got to it. Many are beautifully detailed and it was fascinating to watch the care that went into each section. The processions that came through on Friday are all about the curcifixion of christ and are carried only by men. The processions on Saturday are of The Virgin Mary and her sorrow and are carried only by women. The processions on the final Sunday are of the resurection and carried by anyone who wants too with a much more jovial energy.
Here is me doing my part to get involved I am stamping down sawdust to make it flat for the carpet.

The beginnings of another carpet

The colors are all the marble shavings

Everyone makes different designs. This is the center of the Mayan Calendar

Here is the first procession of the last week coming out at 4am.

Here is the procession as it crosses a finished carpet

This is the finish of the one that i had helped with as I make it back to my room at 6am

The streets in Antigua were constantly filled with international and national travelers who came to see all the excitement. It was definitely an experience I will not forget and how much emotion and devotion people put into their commitment to their god. I felt humbled and appreciative to take part in it all. I even helped a bit to make a carpet with a spanish school.
A fun hike up a volcano outside of Antigua Volcan Pacaya

My first lava sighting. I had no idea how much heat it can create.

Heres the proof I was near it.

Photos!!!!!

2009-04-05T16:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some photos to catch you up on how things are looking down here

This is from Las Penitas the beach right outside of Leon, Nicaragua

Here is the Catedral in the central Plaza in Leon, Nicaragua

This is the view of the roof tops from the Sandinista Museum

Here is the Cathedral standing on the roof of the Sandinista Museum

here are the kids that are part of the pre and after school program that is run by the community. We visited them right before they went to school.

These cows seemed to have no interest in getting out of our way as we headed to the beach.

Here are the Cacoa beans before they are crushed to make chocolate that we saw at the factory in Matagalpa ¨Happy Town¨Nicaragua

Thats me crushing the beans

All the chocolate is made that way by one of three women

Chocolate!!!!!

This is a marsh on a walk that Mary and I took around Matagalpa

There is a view of the city from afar

More of our awesome scenic walk

We came across some chickens

And some cows

I think this is a Ceiba tree but I am not sure

The church in Matagalpa

The soccer game where our team destroyed the other team

The wonderful street and saying good bye to Matagalpa

And saying hellow to the beaches of Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras

Our friend enjoying the wonderful water

Meredith and I took a nice peaceful walk out to the dock

On the boat going out to Scuba dive for Mary and Snorkel for me and Mere

Sting Ray just chillin

Pumpkim Hill at one end of Utila

At the top of Pumpkin Hill

The view of the island

The three of us M´s making out mark

Discovering the back streets of Utila

More of the ilsand

Love Love Love

Me and Lily at Lago Yojoa in Honduras

The marshy swamp of Lago Yojoa

Happy town and Crazy town

2009-03-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

There are two places I want to talk about in this blog and those are Matagalpa, Nicaragua and Utila in the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras.

Elke and Mary and I Met up in Leon, Nicaragua after Elke and I spent a little over a week exploring the lands of El Salvador of which I have much to share but I feel I should get you all current. My figures just cant type everything that I have to say. Ok so after Leon we head to a town called Matagalpa. The odd part about this is I was very hesitant to stay there. I had heard about a smaller town nearby named Jinotega that I was dead set on staying at. So we agreed to spend a night in a coffee finca and a night in Jinotega and then return to Matagalpa because Mary had her heart set there. I soon learned not to trust my prejudgment of the city.

Our brief interaction with the residents of Matagalpa before we boarded the bus to the Finca was hilarious and Elke and I soon nicknamed the city ¨Happy Town.¨ The coffee finca was something else. As we got off the bus and walked the kilometer driveway to the lodge we became surrounded by the coffee pickers taking their lunch break. It became very evident to us as we approached the lodge that this was a place for the rich and the unconcerned. Talking with the workers we learned the wages were not that high and they had to rent the baskets that thay used to pick the coffee from their employer each day. The three of us found ouselves quite preturbed by our surroundings. Granted the mountain itself we rested on was gorgeous but givng any kind of money to the finca just felt dirty. So we left the next day.

The next night in Jinotega we skirted what we deemed an almost robbery and felt very proud of our street smarts and awareness. The night was windy and town was dead so we rested and were ready to get back to Happy Town as soon as possible. My one note to say about Jinotega is that I found myself in a place of worship and felt enveloped within a warm blanket of care and love. I am not a religious person by any means and I have explored many churches and Temples and other places of worship but when we walked into the catholic church in the center of town we all sat in wondered and acknowledged to each other how good it felt to just be invited inside. There wasnt anything spectacular on the walls it just felt good. That is all I can really share about it.

So we made it back to Matagalpa and got our place to stay. Every single person on the street met us with a smile and we were feeling good. We had bought some chocolate the day before that was overwhelmingly tintilating and we soon learned that the factory was right there in Matagalpa so we decided for Elke´s last day with us that is what we would do. We soon discovered that all the chocolate was made by the hands of three women. We were in euphoria. They showed us every step and allowed us to taste every step. It was the purest chocolate I have every tasted. (And dont worry I am still hanging on to a bar to nibble slowly) Though we left with belly aches it was the most appetizing belly ache I had ever had.

Elke left us the next morning and it was just Mary and I. Happy Town did not let us down. We took walks around the city and soon made some good friends. On another day we went to a nearby town and saw a different process of coffee making where it was all made by the community that had become a cooperative and all the profits when right back into the community. I felt extremely honored and humbled to have their world shared with me. There is no question in my mind that the richest moments in life can be found anywhere and wealth is not accounted for in dollars.

Another day our new friends took us to their soccer game which I had been waiting to go to a local game my entire trip. Our team won by three, los ¨Atleticos¨ and afterwards we celebrated the dia inernacional de la Mujer ¨International day for Women¨ On march 8th. The energy in Happy Town that whole week had been so high and filling. Mary and I finally left happy town feeling spirited and fully alive ready for the next adventure.

Our next adventure required the addition of our friend Meredith who needed to make a visa run from Panama so she met up with us. We headed up to Honduras where she flew in and we made our way over to the Caribbean coast to catch a ferry to the Island Utila. I dont know if my description will give the reality of this island any justice but I will do my best.

Utila is a divers mecca of deep sea and sandy beaches. We walk of the ferry and are instantly bombarded by foreigners working in the dive shops trying to suck you in with their special deals and prices. We soon sidestepped the masses and found through the two cluttered streets that make up the only city on the island a cheap little place to stay filled with many other exuberant travelers. Though the accomodations were cheap the food was not and neither was the beer. The streets are filled with little spanish and mostly english though I cant really tell you that the english that is spoken by the locals is the english that I grew up speaking. I met many people that I could understand but everyonce in a while the three of us ladies were stopped in our tracks by someones conversation where the only way we knew it was english was by the random swear words that were shot out.

We found ourselves fitting right in and soon made friends with some fellow oregonians that worked at the nearby dive shop. Of course we won them over with our Meagan, Meredith and Mary charm and soon found the boat that would take Mary out for her dives and Meredith and I could tag along for some great snorkeling, lunch and all you can drink beers under the sun on their private beach. Not too shabby. Mere and I saw many beautiful fish and a spotted eagle ray. I also saw some 4 ft long fish whose name I cant remember but I know it started with a T. The biggest excitement was when we found ourselves floating over a feeding whale shark. We suited up quickly to get in the water but by the time we were about to jump in the beautiful creature had decided it wasnt our time and shooted off into the water.

Another day on the island we went exploring by land and hiked the highest peak (a tiny hill) called Pumpkin hill and saw the incredible greeness of the island that extended far beyond the compact bussling town of East Harbour. On the way back we skipped over the main road and found ourselves exploring beyond the main road. The smell soon overhwelmed us as we saw the marsh land below the high stilted houses covered in plastic trash that continued to compile. It was a disturbing sight considering how clean the front roads are. We were told that because the sidewalk going back into that section is so narrow they have no garbage pick up system and the residents have seemed to ignore it and continue to add to the waste. We were simply reminded that nothing is as it seems and it is importants to not take things at first glance for things can always change your perspective.

So I will leave you here. For date references we left Matagalpa on March 10th and I left Utila on the 18th. I am sorry that I have not posted anything about El Salvador or my time in San Jose too much however I have just not found the internet time I wanted and the world around keeps adding new elements and surprises. I hope for all of you who read this you are enjoying your own adventure.

Moving north and fast

2009-02-18T15:46:00.000-08:00

Well I will tell you know I do not have many exciting adventures for you from Costa Rica. I had two goals there: to see my wonderful friend Leland and his wonderful girlfriend, also my friend, Monica and to move on through to Nicaragua so that I could get to El Salvador to meet my other wonderful friend Elke. I had spent much time in Costa Rica in the psat so I was not feeling to sad about moving through it and I had heard so many great things about Nicaragua that I was excited to get there.

Mary on the other hand did not know much about Costa Rica so we decided that it was time to separate for a little bit. I would head up and meet Elke and then we would meet up in Northern Nicaragua in about two weeks. We said our good byes in San Jose, Costa Rica and began our solo journeys.

I made it to Nicaragua a few days later and the highlight that I am going to share with you is Isla del Ometepe in Lago Nicaragua. I spent three days on this beautiful island and I long to go back and spend some more. (Mom I would take you here if we traveled together). The Island was formed by two huge volcanoes, Concepcion and Maderas. There is a myth that Princess from long ago and her lover were banned to see each other by the king so they decided to die together. As she they against him and began to die she threw her head back and her breasts swelled forming the two valcanoes. They say that her lover turned into some other little valcano but I cant remember all the details. Its cheesy I know! Anyways I decided to stay at the base of Maderas which is the shorter of the two. i think it is at 1600 meters.

I stayed in a little town called Mérida and I fell in love with it. I can´t really say there is a town but there is a dirt road that everyone hangs out on outside of their homes. I met some other kids from Germany and one from Oregon and we took a stroll. The community as a sense of warmth that I cant describe. Walking down the street you find yourself caught in conversation after conversation. Little kids want you to take their picture so they can see themselves and laugh. Pigs wander around rolling in the mud and avoiding the cows and the chickens. Older people walking along the street wish you luck with your future and that you are having a wonfderful day, which I definitely was. We found a little restuarant at the waters edge owned by a spaniard who welcomed us in with open arms.

That evening I arranged a guide to hike the Valcano the next day. I woke up early and we headed out. I have dont many three four hour hikes so I figured I was up for the challenge. I was told that it was about an 8 hour day and that the time it took up would be about the same getting down which I couldnt understand but soon learned why. Trail began off light and I could see that the peak was covered in clouds I explained to the guide that that was no problem I had faith that when we reached the top the clouds would clear. We moved through lush cloud forest and saw a coral snake. No monkeys in sight however which I had to accept. Pretty soon the hiking skills were challenged. The trail turned more north and for those who have hiked the Butte it was like the steepest part of the Butte for about an hour and a half. I began to worry that I might not make it knowing I had another two hours to go but I focused and kept moving.

So I found my gait and thought I was doing great. We were soon enveloped in clouds and I could tell it was cold but couldnt feel it due to the amout of heat I was creating in my movement. I got well into the climb feeling comfident when the trail took a very harsh turn straight up. Soon I was scaling the side of the valcano using every tree branch and vine I could find to support myself. I thought I might die of exhaustion. The other two boys that were in fairly good shape acknowledged as well that they were not prepared for it to be this difficult. Though I moved slower and kept moving. Little by little I knew eventually we would get there. Our guide however decided to discourage us and everytime we asked how much longer he said an hour and a half. Finally we made it to the top. I was in much disbelief that I did not have to heave myself up anymore rock walls.

The clouds were still abundant so we could not see the lake that was supposedly in the center of the crater so we ventured down to take a closer look. We arrived at the lake 45 minutes later and as we did the clouds began to part. The bright blue sky came out and call could be seen. It was gorgeous. We bathed in the muddy water not that that did much to wash off the dried caked mud up my entire body but it was refreshing. After lunch we headed back of the crater to check out the view. Incredible is all I could think and after eating I was amazed at the new found energy I felt.

On the way down I saw birds, blue sky, breathtaking views of the island and Concepción and all the howler monkeys I could have imagined. It was awesome and I felt so accomplished and victorious. I celebrated the night away with my new friends from the island and enjoy a few glasses of wine with the Spaniard. Not too mention the most beautiful sunset I think I have every seen. Isla Ometepe treated me well and I could of spent many more days kayaking and wandering the streets. But I knew I had to get moving since Elke was still waiting for me up in El Salvador.

A few days later I found myself arriving in San Salvador, El Salvador and my wonderful friends smiling face was waiting for me.

The rest of Panama and... THE BORDER CROSSING

2009-02-09T14:05:00.000-08:00

Ok there are many components to the last few weeks that will be hard to sum up and should probably be in multiple blogs but the way the traveling has been going I have found very few moments in front of the internet and so I figure I should catch you up now and do my best to stay on top of it in the future.

I spent a little more time in the city and Mary and Meredith and I did some exploring of Isla Grande for a few days on the Caribbean side of Panama. It was a very quiet island only to be experienced on foot. There is a little path around the island but due to the high tide we were unable to make it all the way. It was very nice to have another few days outside of the city in tranquility. We got back to the city and I gathered my stuff to head north. Mary was going to stay int he city a bit longer and meet up north with Meredith so I joined up with my friends Hopi and Katie to explor some of the center of Panama.

The three of us said good by to all of our friends and the city and headed north to Santa Fe a small mountain town where we heard we could escape from the heat for a bit. We took a tiny bus to this little town and instantly felt the cool air. We walked up the road to where we were told we would find the hostel that I had made reservations at. It was a beautiful looking log cabin with an encredible large garden with the sound of birds everywhere. I was very excited to get a nights sleep without city noises of cars and horns and very loud construction. What I forgot that the country has its own noises. We had a very peaceful evening and went to bed early. At about 4:30 am the roosters began and they seemed to be everywhere. Then the dogs began to wake up and for the next three hours it was the animals the that took control of my ear occupation (does that even make sense). Anyways the sleep was not as great as I had been escited for but we got up ready to have a day of nature and hiking.

We chose our path that ended in a waterfall with swimming holes called Cascada del Salto. A woman helping out at the hostel offered to drive us to the trail head which actually was more like a wide dirt road. We were told pretty specific directions and that we would come to a families home that could give us a snack and take to the waterfall by their home so felt confident as we headed out. We walked up and up and up along the dirt road and as we got higher and higher the green around us looked more and more breath taking as we looked down into the valley from which we had come.

After about two hours and passing the turn off we turned around and found the house we had been looking for. The kids ran to greet us and one girl showed us to the waterfall and talked to us about her life there. The area of Santa Fe seems very well off in the sense that most of the comunity is self sustained with fertile land and plenty of food and family to share the time with. The fed us a little and we had a great refreshing swim in the water before heading back just in time for it to get too dark for us to see. We had another relaxing evening and an early moring of animal noises before we prepared ourselves to move on north.

We made it to Bocas del Toro, the islands of the northern Caribbean side, after stopping one night in the cloud forest en route in the middle of nowhere on wednesday Jan 28th. I had spent a little over three weeks on the islands before and was excited to see how it had changed and if any of my friends were still living there. We pulled up to the island and i instlantly saw many of the changes. On the main road there were about ten new hotels to clearly portray the jump in tourism over the last two years. Though much of the vibe of the island seemed quite the same. People greating you on the street making sure you didnt need a boat to another island or a place to stay. We made our way to the hostal where we met up with Meredith, Mary and another friend Shasta.

The next week on the island was spent on many different beaches though due to the recent rainy season that was extrememly larger than usual many of the beaches that I had known had shrunk immensly in size. One of the things I loved about the islands from before is how quickly you can find yourself feeling like one of the community. Walking down the street many people stop to talk to you and you can quickly find yourself saying many hellos to familiar faces and you make your way to the store. I made some new friends but had the best time catching up with old friends that I had stayed in touch with. My favorite was Fernando who Meredith and I had spent much time with before who always had a big grin on his face and shared how excitment to celebrate la vida (life). I had not talked with in in a bit but on one of my last days he saw me on the street and we had a fabulous reunion of celebration and hugs. We caught each other up on our lives and rejoiced in the excitement of seeing each other again after such a long time.

Mary also learned quickly the comfort of acceptance on the island and as we discussed our plans to leave the date kept getting pushed back farthur and farthur. Another exciting thing that happened during our time on the island that I did not get to enjoy last time was the torrents of rain. Granted I had seen plently of rain but not for 72 hours straight where you wait until the rain lightens to run the distance to where you want to go before the showers hit hard again. Meredith and Shasta had left at this point but for our last 4 days we saw a glimpse of what can happen on the island when the weather starts making statements. The two atm machines ran out of money and were not filled for a day. The interenet was in and out but mainly out. The boats were not running and the roads on the mainland we soon were informed had closed. I started to realize that we may get stuck there if we do not make an attempt soon. So Mary and I made plans.

When we were informed that the road had opened we said good bye to all of our new and wonderful friends and left around 6am friday morning the 6th with two Brasilians in tow. The morning shined on us with the first break in the clouds in four days and we got a little sun as we got the boat to the main land. We speedily made it to the border to find it had been completely washed out and we would not be able to cross. A tiny tourismo bus looking to make the days pay offered to drive us and other travelers to the other border cross four hours away. We figured it was the best option so as the rain began again we climbed aboard assured that the road we were taking was open and we would arrive on the other side by 1pm.

We made it about an hour down the road crammed in together with no problems until we were stopped abruptly. I looked out the window and saw what looked like a protest blocking the road. Mary and the brasilians and I were in complete disbelief. We began to do some investigationg and found out that the little town of Chiriqui Grande's dam and broken the night before and destroyed some houses. They were demanding aid from the government to make sure that everything got fixed. So they decided to block the road. The only road from Changinola to David and up to the other border crossing. So we started to brainstorm.

We finally figured out that they were only going to be blocking the road for the next hour and then would disperse so we waited it out. They did some cheering and chanting then there seemed to be some group discussions and within a litle over an hour they seemed to get sme satisfied answer they cheered and milled out of the way and we were moving once again. We finally pulled up to the border at around 3:30pm and made it through all the customs stuff only to arrive on the other side in Costa Rica to discover that we had missed the last bus to San Jose.

So Mary, the two brasilians and I spent the night in Paso Canoas. It was a relaxing evening with a swimming pool, airconditioning and TV with cable all of which I had not experienced for quite some time. SO we indulged and got up early the next morning to get to San Jose, Costa Rica.

La Ciudad y Kunayala

2009-01-19T10:51:00.000-08:00

It is weird being back in the city I had seen two years ago younger and more confused than ever about what was coming next in my life. Though at that time I had also been becoming more comfortable in the change of elements around me. When I had finished my last trip I had been feeling comfortable exploring outside of my comfort zone and it was what was familiar to me that became bizarre and awkward. Before I began this second expedition through Central America I was filled with excitement and anticipation to be back in the elements of newness and over awareness of my surroundings. Mary, my wonderful friend from home that is accompanying me on this journey, and I had a great time preparing ourselves mentally as we drove through California visiting friends and making our way to LA for our flight to Panama City.

Primero quiero decir que mi español no es perfecto y voy a traducir el mejor que puedo. Estoy en la ciudad de Panama por la segunda vez y es muy raro despues de dos años. Antes yo era mas joven y mas confundida del futuro. La primera vez estaba sintiendo mas comoda en el ambiente. Cuando terminé mi ultimo viaje yo estaba mas comoda en sitios nuevos y desconocidos y era las cosas familiares que parecian mas descomodas y raras. Antes de este viaje yo estaba llena de emocion a volver a la vida de un backpacker. Mary, mi buena amiga quien viajando conmigo, y yo teniamos un buen tiempo preparandonos mentalmente cuando fuimos por california para llegar al aeropuerto en Los Angeles.

I am reminded and reminded how our lives are forever changing and my new lesson had been that i Still have many many lessons ahead of me. My life at 26 is very different from what it had been when I started my last trip through South America just turning 24. The excitement rose as we stepped off the plane and our bodies became engulfed in sweltering muggy heat at 10pm Wednesday Jan 7th. Waiting for us with mine and Mary's names on a sign was Mario, the hostels driver. He took us to Luna's Castle hostel where our good friends Meredith and Wakan and Dain have been working for the last year. It was great to see friends and be back in Casco Viejo the old part of the city where I had stayed when I was traveling with Meredith the first time.

Me recuerdo como la vida está cambiando siempre y mi lección nueva es que tengo muchas lecciones mas en el futuro mio. Tengo veinti seis años y es muy diferente de cuando tenia veinti cuatro durante el primero viaje. La emocion levantó adentro de yo cuando llagamos a la ciudad y podiamos sentir el calor a las diez en la noche en la septima de enero. Mario, el conductor, estaba esperandonos afuera para llevarnos al hostel donde trabaja algunos amigos desde un año.

A few things have changed in the city since the last time I was here. Tourism has blown up and people are discovering the wonders of Panama. Everything that felt comfortable before I had to re accustom myself to. The catcalls on the street made by every male. The awareness that everyone is staring directly at you with no care of the effect. The buildings are still all crumbling to the ground and all the old restaurants I remember are around. But I quickly became antsy and impatient within a few days. I soon remembered that traveling you never are alone. You are always checking in with fellow companions to see who is hungry who is going out and what we are planning for the day. You wake up in the morning to people you pass the day with people and you go to bed with people. I finally took a long walk with just myself and sat for an hour over looking the water. the awareness of my tranquility and silence of mind instantly relaxed me. So I am slowly readjusting to my old life as a back packer.

La ciudad ha cambiado un poquito. Hay mucho mas turismo y todo que era co

I was sick with a slight cold for the first few days of arrival so we took it easy and were soon joined my our friends Kelsy, Wakan, Hopi, Dain and Katie who had been exploring outside of the city. We celebrated Hopi's birthday at fancy shmancy restaurant where we were given all the courses of the highest quality. I spent time re exploring the city and even got to visit with some friends that I had made the first time on my visit.

On the 12th Mary and I decided it was time to do some exploring outside of the City so we scheduled a jeep to take us to Cartí on the Caribbean side to catch a boat out to the San Blas Islands known as Kunayala. Now for those that followed my last trip may remember a story of Meredith and I taking a Jeep to catch a boat to Cartegena, Colombia. They may also recall that the jeep ride was horrific and took us 12 hours with many in the mud pulling cars up hills and flipping them over in the rain. This is the same path Mary and I have scheduled and the same Islands that Meredith and I sailed though but we are going to the more inhabited ones and sleeping on the islands as opposed to the boat. I was also told that the muddy road has been being repaired and improved.

At 4:30 am we woke up to get picked up. The ride was a completely different experience. It took us 3 1/2 hours and we arrived without having to get out of the jeep and pull at any moment. However I was exhausted. We were then picked up in a long wooden boat and a small motor attached to take us out to the Island.
We arrive to a island covered on every inch with Kuna huts made of Palm trees and other wood. Nixia is there to greet us a local who sets up most of the trips for the tourists. We are served breakfast and then taken in another boat out to Isla Diablo where we are dropped off with 3 guys from France and an Argentine. We are given hammocks and shown a hut to hang them in then the boat leaves. We soon meet Jimmy a 73 year old who I find out later is Nixia's grandfather. He lives on and owns the island.

I don't know if I could really explain what it is like to be looking at some of the most beautiful tropical islands. When traveling I often imagine documentaries I have seen or movies that show similar places and then have to shake myself into reality of understanding that it is not a movie and I am literally in the middle of it 3d everywhere I look white sand turqoise water and palm trees everywhere. If that doesn't make you feel good I don't know what does.

The kuna have a smaller stature and spend most of their time fishing, protecting and caring for coconuts and making beautifully sewn art called Mora (at least I think). The few that I spent time with are incredibly nice and humble. I could tell that tourism had taken over their lives in the last five years and now much of their time was cooking meals for gringos and business business business when it came to trying to sell their art to the older retirees who get off the cruise ships.

Life overwhelmed me out their on the islands trying to find my place of comfort sharing a strangers home and life for a matter of days in the most respectful way I could. I helped Jimmy gather pieces of palm trees and coconuts over the island for a fire and he talked with Mary and I as we washed our dishes on how life has become stressful with tourism and we are the first who ever helped him with anything. It made me sad to see how some of the travelers treated it like a hotel where they should be served everything and these people were just "hired help". I had many Meagan moments in my head watching and taking in my current experience. To see such beauty that the earth has created and how as humans we own nothing but pretend to just the same. Seeing the trash that had accumulated around the edges of jimmy's space and the way the Argentine staying on the island would talk down to him as if there should be some huge separation acknowledged.

There was one very difficult moment when after our first night of sleep on the island, which was actually quite nice other than the sunburned back, we were taken to Isla Pelicana to spend the day reading, swimming, resting and more swimming. As soon as we arrived Pato, the argentine, walked straight through the families home site and found a little sea turtle. He brought it over to us and I took my time with it but was not interested in engaging too much. As I turned around I saw Pato release the small turtle to the other side. A few moments later a few of the young girls and a boy came up to me and Mary and asked about their turtle and if they could have it back. I was instantly furious with the Argentine and realized he had not said anything to the children just taken the turtle with no care of the reaction and put it out to the ocean. What was upsetting to me the most was the lack of care and communication that was shown. They asked for 5 dollars and it was paid but Pato seemed unfazed by the impact he just had on the children in this family. Mary and I soon made our disapproval known and enjoyed ourselves on other parts of the island. It soon occurred to me though that that turtle would have spent much of his life in a small box just big enough for him to survive so that they could take him to the market and charge a dollar for photos taken. This saddened me to see the lack of compassion taken by the people of the island and by the tourists who treat it like a show as if this is not a real reality and they can just visit it from time to time.

I see how paradise on earth is not "perfect" as it is on its own. Mary and I were subjected to many elements. The many Esses I call them. Sand, Salt Water, Sun and Stupid people. Though after three days on the islands (our last two night were spent in the small village in a hut crammed in with all the others) my body was worn down. I was covered in salt and sand with no chance at a shower until the city and my hair became a salty dry mat that I kept tied up in order to avoid the feel of it. But by that time I had found my place. This is not to say that I did not bask in the beauty of the natural surroundings and immerse myself in the clear water.

I knew I could not do much to make every one behave the way I thought best but I behaved the way I could find myself most comfortable. Mary and I played with the children taking pictures and showing them the results. I talked with Kuna and travelers alike but only those that felt comfortable to talk to. About how they lived and what life is like in all parts of the world. I introduced myself to the people who cooked my meals and helped in any way I could. The last night we were served king crab and I was like a little child at the table. I am sure that I had more shell on my plate at the end of the meal than any of the other 15 people feasting. Though I felt no embarrassment. I indulged very little and I felt crab was a safe bet.

I licked my fingers of the meal and we went to bed very satisfied in order to wake up early and catch a small flight back to the city. The plane was teeny and we flew low to the ground and instantly we were on the other side of the country back in the city. Our friends were there to meet us Meredith and our good friend Marisa were visiting. That day a few blocks from the hostel was a free all day Jazz festival. So we danced and Celebrated with friends all day and it was nice to be clean again and be able to take with me all that I had learned from my stay at Paradise.

Photos

2007-05-02T16:53:00.000-07:00

This is a total mix of photos but here they are:

Here is the city of Rosario, Argentina where my good friend Nico´s family lives (May)
Here is the Monumento Nacional de La Bandera in Rosario (may)
Plaza De Maya Buenos Aires, AR (April)
Rosario

The Giant Hand at Punto Del Este, Uruguay (March)
Bulneariu Comboriu, Brasil (March)

My friends from the bus stop, Colombia (Dec)

Tim in his Christmas outfit
Mere in Cali, Colombia (Dec)
Christmas Dinner

Me in Iguazu Falls (Beginning of March)
Iguazu
Iguazu
Iguazu

Iguazu
Me on Isla del Pescado, Bolivia (Feb)
Me and Debbie in Copacabana Rio, Brasil (March)
Los Salares de Uyuni, Bolivia (Feb)

Uyuni
Uyuni

Uyuni Geyser
Cafayate Carnival
Laguna Verde, Uyuni

Cafayate (Feb)

Rio do Janiero

2007-04-08T16:19:00.000-07:00

How to I explain this city to those who have yet to be held my it. I mean it this city held me and held me close. I can give you a few descriptive words; beach, sand, caipirinhas, samba, sunsets, sunrises, thongs, muscles, pobreza, riqueza, portuguese ( my new favorite language) suco do manga, sun and sun. I loved it all.

We stayed three blocks from the beach on which you could find yourself in a crowd of many different suits from bathing to business. As revealing and covered as you could possibly imagine. I met some of the most wonderful travelers that I hope to stay in touch with always.

The story that I want to share with you from my time in Rio is my experience going to the Favela. Our friend Alberto had met a guy on the beach who had invited him to his house in one of the Favelas (for those who dont know look it up) I was very hesitant but went in the end. At first the guy just seemed all too eager to take six foreigners to his home in the poorest sections of Rio where there technically are no laws where most Brasilians will not step foot.

He informed us that we were gonna have a BBQ at his house and we went to the store to purchase the meat and condiments. I wasnt sure what to think and began to doubt my surroundings. We began to discuss it more and more and came to the conclusion that there are risks to be taken in life and sometimes we just had to let go. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. So we loaded up with the food and walked a ways to the base of the favela where we were to catch a mini bus that would take us about half way.

As I loopked around me at the other people in line I noticed the powerful difference in economic class from the business men I was used to seeing on the streets of Rio. I was not amongst the wealthy. Cleven our new guide chatted with us and I began to feel more comfortable. We got on the mini bus that took us up the only street fit for a car. We unlaoded and followed Cleven one by one through the complex maze of stairs, apartments and sidewalks. We followed him very much aware of how much we did not fit in until we arrived to a steep staircase that led up to his house.

He opened the door and directly inside was his wife witha huge grin on her face waiting to greet us. They welcomed each of us into their hoime with the two sons 5 and 2 yrs old. The 5yr old slept through the evening but Ingrid the mom and 2yr old son danced the night away with us. We climed even more stairs before arriving to his roof which had the most spectacular view of the city. Rio at its finest.

Directly above the highest buildings you could see for miles along the coast ever the buildings. We prepared the food and danced to Brasilian funk and Samba. We finally began eating delicious meat and garlic bread and grilled vegetables. Now the family didnt have much but they were more openly affectionate with each other than I see most couples and eager to share their lives with us.

We danced and ate and talked. I warmed up to the son and he rested on my shoulder as I danced. We watched the moon rise as a huge orange slice over the buildings. At about 11:30pm fireworks shot off into the sky due to the winning of a soccer game. We gathered out stuff around midnight and without a cent in our pockets after giving the family what we had left we found ourselves having to walk down through the favela to the safe security of the streets of copacabana.

With Cleven guiding us again though this time a bit drunk we found ourselves in a much less secure environment. The littel shops and walkways were filled with night inhabitants who were not too welcoming to a group of foreigners exploring their streets. Cleven ended up leading us through to another Favela where it got even more uncomfortable. Gringo was called out a few times and another guy was not about to let us go up his street. A few very large guns were seen on either side of the path.

At one very sketchy moment cleven told Alberto to wait there and he left. Alberto made the executive decision to continue down directly as possible. Without looking around we headed straight until we couldnt go down anymore. We hit the streets and breathed a bit easier. We had survived the Favela.

Well it was an experience that I will never forget and an eye opening one at that. I am learning a lot from the world and I think I can safely say that that is the one and only time that I shall venture into a Favela in Rio Do Janiero.

Paraguay

2007-04-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

After a few wonderful days wandering around northern Argentina we headed over to the border of Paraguay. We were met there by Rocio´s cousins who have been living in Asuncion for the last three years. Celeste the most wonderful woman currently pregnant with her third child. Her and Eugenio have two boys Gui and Nico. Gui is 6 and Nico is 9. We spent 6 wonderful days at their house being treated like family.

This was a different experience from our normal backpackers routine of a hostal and a lot of walking. Celeste and Eugenio own their own business and live rather far outside of the city. We spent much of our weekend at their beautiful home swiming in the pool and relaxing doing our best to avoid the heat and dengue filled mosquitos.

They showed us wonderful hospitality and spening time with a family on this trip has always been a refresher. They took care of us and I will forever remember them as my paraguayan family.

After we left their wonderful home we headed to the border of Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil to experience the water filled Iguazu. Now for those who dont know what is the cataratas de Iguazu it is the biggest waterfall I have ever seen and by far the most breathtaking. It takes two days to see these immense falls. One day on the Brazil side and one day on the Argentine side. Order doesnt matter though we chose the Brazil side first due to external circumstances.

El lado de Brazil: The trail head to the falls is surrounded by green. Through the trees we (Debbie, Rocio and I) got a glimpse of what lay ahead and from all the pictures I had seen I could still not believe what was in front of me. Breathtaking the number of waterfalls that there were and the expanse it took of my vision.

So we commenced the trail where we were educated on the brilliance of butterflies. They were everywhere. The trail was dilled with them and lixards. It was about a two hour walk down the trail with every lookout point getting more and more spectaculaar. Bringing us closer and closer to one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. Finally we got to the closest one and I dont know how to explain the spider web of falls that stared back at me.

We were over some in front of others and ever more on eitrher side and behind. I had a feild day with pictures and moments. The sounds and sights of the water pouring down were fantastic then I looked across and saw hundreds of Butterflies circling a plant loiooking like glitter dust filling the air. Not to mention being showered bu the spray of the falls the entire time. The only way we were able to finally leave was knowing that we would be seeing them again from the other side.

El lado Argentino: This side is a bit different. Instead of one trail there are many and many different angles from which to view the falls. The first step is a small train to a trail where you wak to an overhanging over the largest of the falls. On the way you find yourself covered from head to toe with licking butterflies and everyone in a while over the edge you can dind a little crocodile.

When we reached the falls Debbie and I ran to the edge to be engulfed by the spray. I found myself lost in the falling water trying to target individual drops. We spent a good hour staring and posing and awing at the greatness. Finally we made our way back on the trail to the train and got off halfway back for another trail to go to some other falls. Finally we arrived at the boats which we had bought a very expensive ticket for.

The ride was short and in the end not necesarily worth it. But I can say that I went inside the falls at Iguazu. The boat carries you under the falls about two times and you leave completely drenched.

Afterwards there were a few more views to experience and then I think our legs just couldnt take any more. Not to mention the overwhelming sensation in all of my senses so we finally headed back

Bolivia

2007-02-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

Bolivia is a whole other world. I didnt spend much time there though I plan to return for my understanding of this little secluded culture is not complete. It is one of the poorest countries in South America and yet the people seem to want to keep it that way. Now I dont say this out of fact or anything I heard it just seems that way. The land border also poses a very powerful cultural border. The is definitly a hard crust around the personality of the people that instantly evaporated the second I crossed the border to Argentina. I had a rough adjustment to the cold responses I recieved to questions that I was not used to from the warm people of Colombia. Though in this medium sized country there holds a whole lot more than poor people relations.

The food was way better than we expected from all the horror stories of blandness and bacteria filled soups. Riquisima was the food the colors in the shops was overwhelming. There was too much to buy and for way too cheap. We had a number of field days sweeping the streets for wall hangings and purses. I out did myself. But if you go to Bolivia for nothing else. Go for the earth.

I saw for beauty in the natural creations of the land than ever before. While Rocio wrote and rested in the hostal Debbie and I explored the strange floor of El Valle de La Luna. A moonlike valley with crazy rock formations and deep crevases created by dried of rivers and repeated flooding. Though there seemed to be no moisture in the air currently I felt vbery much like I was wondering what seemed like the surface of the moon with an occasional shrub. But whos really counting.

After La Paz we took a wonderful 4 day tour of the salt flats of Uyuni. We were a crew of six Umut from Turkey, Danielle from Australia, Raphael from Brasil and the three of us girls. In these for days I was bombarded with the worlds creations. A salt flat that went for miles in all directions with the apearance of ice. A strange island in the middle covered with very penile looking cacti. Flamigos, foxes, llamas, and a stray emu. We saw numerous lagunas of strange colors. beautiful white capped mountains and steaming valcanos. Geysers and deserted towns of maybe 200 people. We drove for hours across desert of many shades to run into a valley of rock formations 30 meters high carved by the wind. I was in nature heaven. Not to mention our little group became a tight nit team quite fast.

Danielle and I discussed it when I pointed out that the first night we had separate rooms Rocio, Debbie and I in one and the others in other rooms. THe second night we opted to all share a room though us three girls were on one side and the other three on the other. The third night I looked around and we were all mixed up. It worked out nicely especially when we found ourselves listening to the same Bolivian folklore tape, a group called Alaska, for every hour in the car and did I mention that the last day was a 9 hour drive back.

The hard thing about Boliva was the honesty of the people. You can buy a bus ticket but really not know if the bus is gonna come at all or not so you gotta stay on the workers toes until you have your ride outta there. But we survived and after four different bus rides we made it to Argentina shortley after though Bolivia left me with a wonderful present of a bacteria infection in my intestines which I am just now on the recovery I hope.

I will fill you in on the last week as well. For a week we have been in the north of Argentina we had a wonderful time in the little town of Humahuaca where we ushered ourselves into the world of empanada eating and matte drinking. I am really getting the hang of a Buenos Aires accent and an outside of Buenos Aires accent. For all the travelers here are from Buenos Aires. Now I dont have much to share of the last five days becuase I mainly spent them wallowing in misery of my bacteria filled stomach. But we did spend many days in the city of Salta where Rocio and Debbie were able to rejoice in there new connection woth civilization. So while I rested and moaned they waxed and did laundry and checked out the city. I am writing this from Cafayate a wonderful wine country town where the wine is delicious a glass is 30 cents and a bottle is 2 dollars. Ver very nice.

Una Estadounidense, una Española y una Israelita

2007-02-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

The last I left I was waiting in the Santa Cruz airport which was a tiring experience. I arrived safely in La Paz and was reunited with my wonderful girlfriends Debbie and Rocio. If you dont recall I had met them in Taganga Colombia and we had traveled through Colombia until we parted ways at the border where I stayed and they left. It feels wonderful traveling with people again. I made some wonderful friends on my own but the feeling of having family with you and knowing they are taking care of you like you are taking care of them makes a world of difference. I have to admit I was a little jealous since they had spent the last month traveling together without me they had definilty become the nagging sisters though it is very evident that they love each other dearly.

Debbie, the sweet nurturer from Israel. She is our mother always having a banana, making sure we lock the doors and rechecking our schedule to make sure we can fit in all the details. In La Paz she was my shopping buddy reminding me to push for the best price. She waited patiently for us all to be hungry together so that we could all share in her indulgence of a steak sandwich with salad and egg, absolutely excelent. She is our little worrier, which I love, she checks our hotel rooms for the required services and makes sure we are the safest we can be. She shares the best stories and loves to listen to what we have to say. She really keeps us a family. I almost forgot to mention how fun she is. She brings me back to those middle school days of just laughing for the sake of laughing, acting like a complete idiot because it really doesnt matter. And when she wants to let loose Rocio and I get ready becasue we know it is gonna be a wild night.

Rocio, the proud explorer from Spain. I dont think that we can enter a room without Rocio making a new friend. She is more of a socialite then I am and that makes for good competition. She keeps me on my toes with my spanish and always has a new idea for us. She is particular and knows what she wants and that is definilty not to hike or walk for longer then necesarry. One wonderful thing about her is she is ok with doing her own thing. If she is not feeling the daily activity she stays behind and takes care of herself. She has a passion for the life of Che Guevarra like none other I have met and she is eager to educate anyone willing to listen.

Both my girls have an intelligence that expands beyond any subject. They are eager to share and eager to learn. Though our friendships have just begun they have proved to be invaluable. As a team we stay hydrated. One of us always comes through with a bottle of water for the bus rides. We keep track of each other but are never afraid to speak our mind. I am learning many things from the two of them. With lcuk our ideas and desires on this trip have overlapped and when they dont we make small adjustments to atleast make them connect somehow.

I just though I would share a little bit of another side of my life down here for those who are curious.

Bogotá

2007-01-30T06:39:00.000-08:00

I arrived to Bogotá in the evening and decided I was gonna have an adventure and take to bus to the hostal. I have to say I was surprised that I pulled it off but I arrived safely with the help and a wonderful mother and daughter. When I arrived at the hostal I was pleasantly surprised to see some old friends from Cali. So I got right down to socializing.

Now Bogotá is a big city and though it does have its rough edges the people still shock you as being some of the nicest I have every met. I spent two long weeks in Bogotá visiting museums and walking the septima with wonderful friends until I found myself where I am today stuck at an airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia waiting to get a flight to La Paz.

Anyways back to Bogotá. I found myself primarily in La Candelaria and in Chapinero. I spent the first week at the hostal and then moved into a spare room at my friends house while he tried to rent it. I learned the vus system quite well on my own and becuase quite the little tour guide for my traveling friends at the hostal and an eager follower to my Colombian friends.

Of all my museum trips the best of the best was el museo de la policia and el museo de oro. The police give you quite the coverage on the hunt for Pablo Escobar and his eventual capture and execution. I got to see his guns and original blood stained roofing tiles. Very interesting. Not to mention every single possible police outfit known the the world.

The Other el museo de oro. Which other than it having a lot of gold there is not a lot there but being surrounded by that much gold I gotta say it quite a mysterious feeling. I made two friends who knew oregon very well. Jaime from Bend had gone to school at the U of O and we found out we must have met at some point considering the number of common friends we had and her travel partner Emily from Luisiana but a true oregonian at heart.

These two lovely women quickly became my partners on our cultural hunt of hte city. Another wonderful day was spent in a nearby town of Zipaquirá where we visited a Salt Cathedral. It is an underground cathedral built amongst the salt mines in this little town. The entired area is made of salt. Trust me I tasted it. The inside was incredible and the space was huge.

During my time in Bogotá I got to make two trips to the local cheap hospital. Nothing serious just had my knee checked out though to no avail. The first appointment I had five doctors and the second I had four. Each time they tried to pass me off to someone else so I gave up. However I had a great time talking to the doctors about Colombia and life and stuff.

Another wonderful thing about Bogotá is the markets. There is a little market about every other block full of wonderful little tempting things to buy. I somehow restrained myself pretty well.

Lets see... what else...Well I spend a day climbing the walls of the rock climbing gym with some colombian friends then we had a late night soccer game which I must say I havent lost my defending skills. I also got to spend some time with two very good friends Nelsón and Marcela from Bogotá. They are a very wonderful couple full of immense amounts of loving energy. Most of my friends from Bogotá that i spent time with I had met in Taganga becuase they had stayed at the Piro house as well.

My friend Jared and i had a day of adventure getting peircing. Very very very cheap.

I also got to spend some time with Lulu and friend who had worked at the hostal I had stayed at the first time I went to Taganga. She made for a wonderful companion.

Another fun day was ended with some Bowling. A huge group loaded up and headed down the block to an old bowling alley where a guy waits at the end of the lane to send back your ball and set up the pins. Now that was good fun. Not to mention I believe I won though it was a close call with Fabricio on my tale.

Overall Bogotá was filled with museums, relaxing, movies and friends. I loved it. Now I am here sitting in Santa Cruz Bolivia waiting for a flight to La Paz to meet my wonderful friend Rocio who I parted with over a month ago when she headed off to Ecuador. I have missed her dearly and am incredibly excited to see her. So if there are no more hold ups I should be arriving there late tonight.

Silent wandering

2007-01-30T06:03:00.000-08:00

Traveling by yourself can teach you a lot of things if you let or atleast remind you the you are forever with yourself. So after Taganga I found myself in one of the most beautiful colonial towns, Barichara. Over the next few days I had very few conversations.

I spent two nights in Barichara. The day I arrived I spent wandering around the town. I set out to by all the groceries I needed for the next two days and went to almost every store collecting it all in order to really see the town. I toured the churches and made friends with a young boy, Luicito, and his little puppy.

The second day I got up bright and early to make the trek to Guane. It is one og the oldest and most preserved colonial towns remaining. So I began. First of all the view of mass green greatness from Barichara is spectacular. At the beginning of the trail I stopped to observe a large succulant that seemed to be contorting and reaching out like an untamed beast. At that moment I felt enveloped by magic. I dont know how else to explain it. I almost wanted to cry. There was a strange and very comforting pressure all around me.

I continued on moving along with the feeling. The path was bewautifully constructed specifically to cross form Barichara to Guane and back again. I was surrounded by green everywhere as I followed the cobbled path. There were tiny birds of the brightest yellow and brightest red. I passed by groups of feasting goats and cows.

After 1 1/2 hours I arrived in Guane a town truly captured in time. I doubt anything has changed in this place in the last 450yrs. The cobbled streets, the shingled roofs, the samples of the famous liquer Sabajon made of leche and arequipe really added a special touch.

I discovered that you could walk around the entire town in 20min. So I rested a bit and caught a ride back into town. Overall a well spent day.

Both my nights were spend drinking either a beer or tea on la mirador (look out) Where I would write or read. And on the second morning I loaded on a bus to the town of San Gil a 30min ride away.

In San Gil the highlight I had was spending 2 hours in the main plaza eating ice cream and discussing animals of the world with 9yr old Luis Alfredo LLanos Fuentes until 10pm. Any animal he could think of we talked about. It was the mosting talking I had done in a while and I loved it. I left the next morning and headed to Bogotá ready to mingle with some people my own age.

Back in Taganga

2007-01-30T05:49:00.000-08:00

Well after I said Good-bye to Meredith for the second time as she continued to make her way to the Ecuador border I headed back up to my favorite little fishing town Taganga for some wonderful relaxation. There were no big adventures just a lot of love from a wonderful family.

I went to visit the family I had stayed with before where I was welcomed by a houseful of artisans currently staying there. It didnt take long for them to convince me to unload by backpack and stay a while. So I stayed for a week and a half.

Some highlights:

Spending time talking with Monica Piro, a magical women mother of 5 and head of the household.

Learning different styles of bracelet making from artisans from all over South America.

Hanging out with my adorable new neices Shaharty and Amber, 9 and 7, who always had something fun to share with me.

Making wonderful friends who I would meet up with later in Bogota and stay connected with for most likely a lifetime.

Burning dolls at midnight on New Years to let go of the past and embrace the future.

Spening many days on Playa Grande doing absolutely nothing.

Taking out the little boat to Cruise the vacant and immensly beautiful beaches.

Nights with a house full of people sharing stories and playing games while drinking hot cups of Agua de Panela.

Cooking dinners for my wonderful Colombian Family, guess what friends I can actually cook some decent meals.

Dancing Salsa at El Garage

Helping Bernardo take pictures of Taganga for his shirt making business.

Crying with the whole family when it was time to say good-bye knowing that once again I couldnever forget them.

After I said my good-byes I realized that I was on my own. The next five days gave me some good quality Meagan Time.

La Navidad y La Feria de Cali

2006-12-26T10:21:00.000-08:00

Cali is an interesting city. For tourists it is not one of the most popular spots. It has some rough edges and a lot of character, for me and Mere it was easy to make ourselves right at home.

Christmas in Cali is celebrated on Christmas Eve so we decided with our wonderful friends at the hostal the we would do the same. We put together a huge meal for 13 people. It consisted of pork with an amazing sweet and sour sauce, chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce, beef with another savory muchroom sauce (they all had very fancy names but I cant remember them), pasta salad, mashed potatoes, salad, rice, and for desert tiramisu (however its spelled) and a coffee sauce on top.

The meal was amazing and everyone enjoyed themselves it was the closest I could get to that wonderful love filled holiday feeling. Now Chrismas Day is when Cali residents begin La Feria.

Everyone in the Hostal was gathering energy that evening because there was rumors of chaos on the streets. Tim (fellow traveler) surprised us by coming down in his Batman outfit which he apparantly travels with. Then Richie appeared with a Welsh flad and Dave busted out the Colombian flag. We decided we were ready to hit the streets.

Now I dont know how I could possibly describe La Feria de Cali but I will try. Just imagine its what I say times 100. The streets were overflowing with people, cars cruised at about 10 miles per hour not only to avoid the crowd or the people randomly running through the streets to bang on the windows and just cause utter chaos but to enjoy the spectacle as well.

We created quite a spectacle of our own. We were a mob of 10 or so foreigners with 2 huge capes and a Batman shaking kids hands and running in circles. Another element that add to the already out of control ambiance were the cans of spray foam and bags of flour that every third person had. You never knew where it was coming from but there seemed to be a never ending spray over everyone and everything with intermitant extreme battles where you find yourself with a face full of foam.

The night continued. Our group grew and shank. We ended up at a clud where we danced the night away, Salsa of course. For Cali being the capital of Salsa there really is no other way to dance. I am now officialy a beginning and think I am making good progress.

The rest of the rest of the week is full of event. The cabalgata, a parade of hundreds of horses inaugurates the week long festival, a miss cali pageant, Concerts, contests, beer gardens and happiness. The little team of travelers grew quite close over the week and it was sad for me and when I decide it was time to say good bye.

I left Cali to roam other parts of Colombia. Mere chose to stay and I dont blame her. So for those who havent yet definitely check her blog to read her stories. Anyways I said good-bye to Cali´s beauty of all kinds and headed back up north or really east.

A little fun at a bus stop

2006-12-26T10:06:00.000-08:00

Well I dont know if I have written about this little event yet but before I jump into Cali I gotta share this little story.

Thursday Dec 20th I am sitting by myself in the bus terminal in Pitalito. It is 4pm and I have three hours until by bus leaves to Cali. I am sitting and reading but not quite so interesting book and glancing around every minute to see my surroundings. I notice that there is a large population of young kids running around and playing. Before long one of the kids wanders over and peers over my shoulder to see the book. Within litterally 15 seconds and I mean 15 seconds I found myself surrounded on all sides by about 20 young boys 7 to 11 years old and 4 girls timidly looking on from the outside.

Instantly the questions began, ¨What are you reading?¨¨Is it is egnlish?¨¨Where are you from¨¨Where are you going¨ And so on and so on. I had to slow them down becuase I was getting about 4 questions at a time. These kids entertained me better than any book could have. One of the younger ones Ivan decided to attach himself to me and did not leave my side the entire time. From the outside I am sure it looked something lije a beehive. The kids would swarm around me and some would branch of run around the terminal and play while others gathered with curiousity to see what all the fuss was about.

We developed a few fun games. They loved me to read paragraphs from my book. None of them knew a single word in english but they would listen in complete silence until I would stop and they would laugh and urge me to read more. Another fun game was to take turns trying on my backpack and proving there stregth. It was the funniest thing to watch this little 3 foot kids put on my back that covered more than 3/4 their body.

By the time my bus had arrived I knew all of their names, ages, number of family members and favorite things to do around Pitalito. I had been invited to stay at all of their houses and meet their families but I had to decline. They helped me load my bag on the bus and then to my surprise stood in a single file line to each shake my hand and tell me they would miss me. I bet you can imagine how much I loved it.

Pictures from all over

2006-12-26T10:05:00.000-08:00

Medellín in all its glory
Here is Rocio and I riding the Metro Cable over Medellín

Here we have the wonderful view form Guatapé

La Piedra.
The next picture is for my mom I know how she loves cute little houses. This one was in Salento

Me, Debbie and Laura in Salento
Gladis and me at the top of Acaime reservation in Valle de Cocora

The little town of San Agustin
More of San Agustin

Medellín and More

2006-12-16T13:06:00.000-08:00

Medellín was a wonderful place. We stayed there for four days and each one was filled with adventure. I enjoyed the days more than the nights though everything will be missed with fondness. Rocio and I got to spend a lot of time together and have become very close. I still have yet to have met up with Mere adventure has called us elsewhere but we have plans for Christmas.

Rocio and I got to understand Medellín more and more as the days went buy. One day we went to el Museo Antioquia. They had a whole section for Botero, a famous Colombian artist famous for los gordos (fat people). After the Museum Rocio, Debbie, and another friend Mark all of who I am curretnly traveling with, went to ride the cable metro that runs over the city. Since the city is on a hill the cable line, like a lift at a mountain ski resort, carries you up the hill to three different points. It was a magical ride, the city really is a magical place. It is so full of so many different elements.

On the way down we saw what looked like a horrible accident. As we left the station to see what was going on my heart stopped. Through all the soldiers I was looking at two dead bodies. It took me a few seconds to realize it was staged as a demonstration to educate the public on safety with motorcycles. Then I realized all the soldiers were 15 and the bodies were moving.

The next day I spent with just Rocio. We headed in the metro to the cemetary where Pablo Escabar lies and paid our respects. Then we headed back up the cable metro for a day view. On the way up I noticed that the roofs of all the metal houses were covered with rocks. I soon realized that the rocks were used to hold down the roofs so the wind doesn´t blow them over.

We approached the last stop at the top and got off to eat and explore. When we looked around our instant feeling was ¨here is Colombia¨ It was one of the poorer neighborhoods of Medellín but by far one of the richest full of culture and enjoyment. It was a day I will not forget.

Another day worth remember was our trip to Guatapé. Mark joined me and Rocio for this little adventure. None of us had any idea for sure where we were going but we had heard it was worth it. As la Piedra came into view we knew where we were headed. It is this enourmous rock that shoots out of the ground as if trying to escape. At the base of the rock are shops and restuarants and we feasted on the view. It looked like a scene from water world a complex maze of land and water. Immense and overwhelmingly amazing.

Mark and I chose to climb the rock while Rocio waited at the bottom. The stairway seemed to be carved into a tiny crack in the rock. It was 702 steps to the top and I touched everyone. The view fromthe top was even more incredible. I could have spent many more hours than the one I actually spent up there. Mark left me on top ranting in spanish with a family and on the way down I made two other friends Camilo and Milton who ended up givign the three of us a ride back into Medellín.

That is the thing with Colombia every bus ride or place I go I make a new friend. We share our stories, praise Colombia and discuss the world. At the end we part ways and wish each other luck. Sometimes we trade emails and sometimes they end up inviting you into their home and taking you to see whichever area you are in.

So I have decided to stay in Colombia for a bit longer. I had been thinking about it for awhile. From Medellín a small group of us travellers headed to the bus stop where I was reunited with some Argentine friends that Mere and I had met in the south of Costa Rica, Nico and Laura, who I had been writing ever since we met. (dont forget that Mere is having some crazy adventures of her own) SO we all head together to Salento where we have a beautiful 5hour hike through El valle de Cocora. Breathtakingly incredible. And as I have been doing pictures of everything will come as soon as I can find a CD burner. From Salento Debbie, Rocio Mark and I made our way to San Agustin where the incredible time continued.

This is where I decided to stay in Colombia. Mere and I were chatting on line and she asked what I thought about staying a little longer. It did not take long for me to tell her I had been thinking the same thing. It is a good thing becuase I decided to lose my Debit card and only source of money. My bank is not the most accomodating and my wonderful wonderful most amazing mother is helping. Mere has been a great support as well. It would be so easy at home but I am in Colombia. My card actually was returned to me two days later but after it had been cancelled.

Though I have been staying in good spirits I mean hey I am in Colombia for cryin out loud. So I have much more to see and I have made some great friends here in San Agustin that live in Bogota who I will meet up with again. Yesterday I said good bye to my travel partners who headed off to Ecuador reluctantly without me. Ha Ha.

Rocio and Debbie are my two new wonderful freinds that have made a powerful impact in my life. They have proven to be strong wonderful friends the world over. I will miss them until we are reunited in Argentina. If I can ever find myself to leave Colombia.

Lost in a little fishing town

2006-12-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

For some reason we just cant leave any place that we get to. Most recently I had found myself stuck unable to leave the most comfortable and welcoming little fishing town named Taganga. Our original plan was to visit Santa Marta the neighboring big city. We had heard that the best thing to do is stay in Taganga and catch the bus to Santa Marta. I think I ended up spending a total of two hours in Santa Marta.

We stayed at the hostal Casa de Felipe. The workers were all women about my age who spent their time cleaning up, teasing the guests and learning everyones names. I quickly fell in love with them.

Our first night we got put in the best room with a private kitchen and bathroom and no bunkbeds, thank God. We shared our room with four very cool and laid back guys Giddy from New Zealand, Shane from Australian, Sebastiane from Sweden and Andy from the US. We had a balcony that overlooked the overwhelming landscape of Taganga. Taganga is a little bay surrounded my little mountains so the water is incredibly calm. From our balcony you could see it all looking down on the little town and seeing every movement of the sun.

The people of Taganga are incredibly welcoming with the biggest smiles youve ever seen. Everyone was eager to talk to you and share whatever they and you had to share and the majority did not even ask for money. I quickly made friends with the local vendors and a local musician Pipe that would share his new lyrics with me each day.

My first day Andy, Sebastiane and I headed over to the beach Playa Grande. The front beach is tiny since most of the shore is taken over by restuarants and boats. There are two ways to get to Playa Grande. You can take a boat for $2000 pesos equivelant to a little under $1.00 or you take take a small 15 min hike over one peak and down the other side to the beach. I opted for the hike everytime.

You walk through the main street where you make all your greetings to your newly aquainted friends and head up the edge of a mini mountain that lines the bay. On the way there are a few off trails to a smaller beach where the fisherman fish with a very large net that they pull in several times throughout the day. When you reach the peak and turning point to the downward slope you turn around. The view of Taganga is breathtaking as if you are flying over the little town looking down from the outside at the little goings on.

The otherside is just as breathtaking as you gaze down at the crystal water of Playa Grande. Though it is a packed beach full of friends and families I never once felt out of place. The beach is lined with restuarants and there seems to only be about four little huts there so everythings shuts down at 5pm for the day. The first day there I met my new travel partner, Rocio.

Rocio is from spain and was traveling with her boyfriend though he headed of to Venezuela now. We instantly hit is off. She had been waiting for a friend who could speak spanish since the majority of her trip had been spent speaking english with the other travels. Her personality is one of the few that can compete with the loudness that Mere and I tend to create.

We held a little party in our room that night that carried on through jok telling, age guessing and getting to know you games. Out parents would be proud. The next morning however we all woke up bright and early to begin our ''culture day.'' We loaded on a little buseta to Santa Marta where we got a another bus to take us to Aracataca, the birth place of Garbriel Garcia Marquez. At the little town of Aracataca about 1 hour away.

The little town of Aractaca I found out gets about one or two groups of gringo visitors a month. We were welcomed in by every single resident there. I am now and official member of the local library. A couple of the younger kids ended of spending the day with us as we toured around the little town tasting the arepas and seeing the wonderful little world where Gabriel Garcia Marquez grew up.

We made our way back to Santa Marta after everyone was thoroughly cultured out. On the bus back however we were in for another little cultural surprise. Sitting on the bus Mere and I were on one side of the isle and our friend John was on the other. Every bus has a driver and a guy who basically keeps the passangers in order and takes the money. Mere and I paid and John handed the guy 20,000 pesos (the ride is 5,000) The guy took it and handed John the change then hesitated and told John he would not have enough change for everyone so he handed John a 20 and John gave him back the 15 he had recieved as change. We instantly noticed that it was a different 20,000 bill and rather torn up. A passenger near by informed us that the bill itself was actually a fake bill.

I have deducted at this point that the guy had probably recieved the bill earlier learned the error of his ways and thought that John would be the perfect person to pawn it off too. I dont think he expected us to catch on so soon. So the next 20 minutes of the bus ride was spent with John and the help of Rocio and Marcello trying to argue with the guy to get Johns money back.

We ended up stopping on the way back and they deboarded and spoke to a group of soldiers on the road who deamed John the winner and the guy reluctantly gave John a better 20.

The next day was another early morning where I left extra early to go explore Parque Tayrona. I was planning on spending the day there and returning that night. Everyone else was going to spend the night out there so they left later then me and met me out there. The hike in was beautiful and the beaches themselves were spectactular. The water however was very violent and you couldnt do much but stand and let the water knock you around. I returned that night and was glad I did becuase I got sick later that night.

I decided it was dehydration becuase my other roomates had gone through the exact same thing. I recovered by the next day and spent the next few days making the hike to Playa Grande with my book, my towel and my water.

Many of the group returned that following day from Parque Tayrona minus Mere and two other traveling friends. They ended up staying two more nights. While Mere was off exploring the wild lands of Parque Tayrona, *which you should check her blog about that cause I dont have much, I spent my las three days becoming a part of a wonderful family.

I met this family becuase the kids would sell jewelry at the hostal at night. They welcomed me in there home and I spent almost every meal with them after that. It was an incredible experience. The mother Monica is from Argentina, she moved to Colombia about 25 years before to be with her husband who she is no longer with. She lives in Taganga with her 5 children, Cielogui 24 who just returned shortly befor from his mandatory service in the military, Carlos 18, Lucas 16, Yumanlli 13 and the only daughter Tayira 9 who never once took of her skates.

They welcomed in so graciously I felt instantly comfortable. It was so nice since I have been away from my family for so long. Cielgui taught me how to make some different kinds of bracelets and I have been practicing. One day we went to a smaller beach closer than Playa Grande where the fisherman fish and I got to help them pull the net into the shore. It was a lot of fun.

Eventually everyone turned up from Parque Tayrona and we began to plan our next moves. Mere was to head of to a smaller town nearby and Rocio and I were heading to Medellín. Our plan was to meet back up in Medellín but as I have learned everything can change at any minute.

Cartegena

2006-12-07T15:07:00.000-08:00

How else can I describe Cartegena expect that it has more character than I could have ever imagined a city. As I would walk out on the street in the morning my senses would be overwhelmed. I would first pick up a huge slice of watermellon from the guy on the corner. There is music playing from every house and every business. The plaza down the block is filled with people yelling and dancing and making whatever comotion they can.

A few highlights of the city-

Buying three Mangos for $0.50 cents and devouring each juicy one at a time.

The smell of every possible fried little snack you could think of that filled your nostrils in the streets.

The beautiful streets of the historic neighborhood where I could have gotten lost for hours through the maze and never felt at all in need of finding my way back.

Drinking a glass of wine in the Plaza de San Felipe surrounded by street performers eager to play thier music. All of which were extremely talented.

Scaling the wall around the historic center and getting a beautiful view of the intricate workings of the buildings.

Getting asked for the 100th time if I wanted to buy a plastic bowl or a crazy hat or a pack of gum.

Walking into the plaza at the corner of our street and seeing people dancing to the blaring music while street vendors work hard at their little stoves to send wafts of street meet through the air as enticing bait.

The store at the corner that closes its doors at night but allows locals to stand around the corner and buy beer through the bars.

Walking through the choas of the local day market full of fish, any kind of meat, spices, fruits, plastic nick nacks and not a single foreigner in sight.

Getting woken up in the morning by our german friend Thomas with a bucket of water.

Of course as you could guess there are many many more that I could note. Just like every stop on this trip I need to just find a stopping point and move on.

More Pictures

2006-11-24T09:53:00.000-08:00

Instead of just having one car stuck in the mud we decided to have two

See the girl holding the umbrella...She never let go of that thing

Yes, I had a good time.

We arived to the boat and could not enter with the mud so decided that a midnight swim was in order.

Our friend Marco showing us how its done

Amrei showing her love for the boat

The Stahlratte itself

The beauty of the San Bla islands

The three on the left on our lovely little crew that kept us fed, happy and dancing through the night.

The Open Sea

2006-11-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

The boat was spectacular. We were 19 in all with plenty of beds for everyone. The Stahleratte was 40 meters in length and full of wonder. We spent the first three days sailing through the San Blas islands and taking many swim breaks in the beautifully blue ocean. The boat became a mini paradise.

We had the options of swimming to the islands or taking a little motor boat. I opted for both depending on my energy. It is a different experience swimming in the ocean the water can be any where from completely calm like a lake to incredibly tumultuous with a fast current.

The crew worked very well together. We had plenty of feed and took turns organizing the meals. No one got sea sick which was spectacular though I am sure it had to do a lot with the size of the boat. One day when we were moving from one island to another we found ourselves int he comapany of a little group of dolphins they jumped back and forth around the boat and gave us quite a show.

As we made our way from the islands the next two days were spent surrounded by water as we headed toward Cartegena. I got my chance to stear as I kept the boat at 80 degrees NE. We had a mid morning swim break in the middle of the Carribeann and I had never seen such blue water. While I was in the water I spent time thinking how there was nothing for miles on any side of us and how beneath us was a world I could only imagine.

We arrived in Cartegena, Colombia early yesterday morning as we awaited the arrival of our stampled passports. This was the first time I did not need to be present to enter a country. Our team of 19 slowly dispersed into the city though we met back up last night for a last hurrah. The streets of Cartegena appear to be a lot more busy than other places we have been. The streets were full of noise, street vendors, children and laughter and it was sunday night. I cannot wait to see what the next week brings.

The Day before the Open Sea

2006-11-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

We loaded up our stuff Monday morning and like noted previously said good-bye reluctantly to our new found friends. We met our captain and the majority of the other passengers and loaded up in Jeeps. The idea was that we had to drive to the opposite side of the county near miramar to arrive at the carribean side where the boat is. The trip was to be the cheapest and was supposed to take anywhere from three to five ours. We left at 9am and arrived at the boat at 9pm.

Hold up #1- The road was blocked by some locals claiming some problem with the water, so we waited at a local restuarant for an hours or so.

Hold up #2- We are making our way through the muddy roads a line of two trucks and a jeep. The rain begins and our driver crosses himself rather seriously. Unbeknownst to us what lies ahead, we venture on. As the rain continues the road gets muddier and the hills get steeper. My heart starts to jump and the jeep starts to slide every which way across the road up a rather steep hill. We get half way and start to go backwards. The driver stops and tries again. Once again we go backwards and sidways straight into the side of the hill.

The other two trucks had made it and the front one cotninued on. Mere, me, our friends Amrei and Pierre loaded out of the jeep and pondered our predicament. Soon the other truck starts to back down the hill thinking he is gonna pull the jeep out. Very unlikely. All it did was get two cars stuck in the mud half way of this hill.

After 2 or so hours of mud sliding, pushing and pulling we were able to get the jeep down the hill and with everyones help we attached it to a thick rope and were able to get it to the top.

Hold up #3- Before we were able to get the truck up the same path our captain shows up with the from diver. They had tipped over about 20min further up the road. After we get both cars to the top we make our way to the fallen soldier. Every hill is about the same and we deboard at the bottom to lessen the wait and watch as our brave drivers go slipping and sliding up the muddy slopes.

When we arrive to the flipped truck it does not look good. The front left tire is stuck in a hole and the poor truck looks like a sad beetle stuck on its side and unable to get under itself. We rig the other truck and jeep, one behine the other to pull the truck rightside up. It actually worked quicker then expected though the truck was not going to run. so we were down to two cars.

Hold up #4- At this point it was getting very dark and we began to realize the the raod we were on was the midnight trail for the drug smugglers. We knew we had to hurry so we crammed everyone in the two remaining cars and somehow made some headway. The previous day we learned that another crew had lost two cars to the road up ahead so we were met by some locals who had to take us by boat since the river had taking over the road. The boat was slower than the cars but actually was a pleasant ride and I got to see the aftermath of the fallen jeep from the day before. It looked quite peaceful resting along side of us in the river.

Finally we made it to the boat for a late evening swim to wash off the mud and greet the crew. It was a day well spent and I was tired.

A world of city adventures

2006-11-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

A few little entertaining things about the city.

-Prices are obsolete. I helped a guy order a stoli (vodka) on the rocks and the bartender told me it would be $2.48 when I questioned the reasoning of $2.48 he said, ¨Fine $2.50 then.¨ We have been charged $2.00, $1.75, and $1.65 for the exact same distance in a taxi.

-There are no such thing as traffic laws only horns. The honk of a horn can say ¨Im passing you so dont veer into me,¨ ¨No one better be coming because I am running this stop sign,¨ ¨Hey George hows it going, check it out I got gringas in my car¨and a world of other odd interpretations.

An overview of our little street in Casco Viejo San Felipe.

We look out our Balocony of our little room and can see everything that is needed to be seen. Its just like that big city scene in the movies, we have all the essentials. The barber shop that is a local hang out for little kids to dance, old men to gossip and teens to meet and talk about the night. We have the local ¨street guy¨ Jimmy, who reports the happeneing to the locals, helps direct the few moments of traffic, runs errands that any local business needs and is there for general ambiance. The street is very narrow and very energetic. One noght I got to witness a little police teenage shoutoff. Actually they were more like 12 year old girls. It got pretty heated and we are not quite sure of the background information but it was an interesting scene.

We became very good friends with the son of the owner of our hotel and his Friend. Our experience in Panama City was as far from touristy as we could get. It was nice to feel like we were just hanging out with friends everyday.

Our most ridiculous adventure: Seven of us loaded up in Ian Carlos ´73Volkswagon van to head over to the beach where everyone hangs out during the independence. It took like 2 hours and the rain never gave up. We got to spend about 20min at the beach but the rain didnt stop and the tide was so high that there wasn´t much space for all the people. From there we basically were brought from place to place never really understanding where we were going or why we were there. OUr friends who were taking us for some reason seemed just as confused as un when they were the ones driving. We ended up at this little party in El Valle about another hour drive from the beach because ¨La Tortuga¨(the van) had quite the time getting over the hills and managing through the rain. Becuase of the weather Ian Carlos had fears of driving back in the rain.

He claimed to have a family friend close who had a hotel that they were cleaning up so there were plenty of beds. We arrived there tired, wet and a little bewildered. The place looked like either a horror movie scene or a cartel house though we never found where the coke was being stored. To top of the experience a friendly little cockraoch leaped from the wall to one of the mattressed and sped across as fast as its little legs carried him. I do not believe that anyone slept that night cause we were all up bright and early eager to make our way back to the city.

As I had mentioned before we did not do many touristy things. I fell in love with the city however. Casco Viejo has beautiful architecture and on eof our friends that we had met in Bocas who is fromt he city gave us a little tour of the history of the small area. He had so much information in his head that we never got board.

Our time in the city was primarily to wait for a boat to go to Colombia which came sooner than expected. We met a captain on saturday who was leaving on monday morning so we signed up. Our friends were sad to see us go as I was sad to be leaving Panama. I know that I will return there is much more of the country that I want to see. I dont know if it will be this trip or not all I know is I will return.

From Bocas to the City

2006-11-07T13:50:00.001-08:00

We finally made it out. Though I was starting to doubt that it would actually happen. We left Bocas after 2 1/2 weeks and are now in Panama City looking for a boat to take us to Cartegena, Colombia.

Bocas was fabulous and as you can probably guess, a very hard place to leave. We left knowing we would return. Our new friends have made quite an impression and I think we got some lifers. The owners as I have previously mentioned are all from the bay area with souls of pure northwest energy. I spent my fair share with the locals as well. We made some artisan friends who we have now actually reconnected with in the city and are going to spend some time with here as well.

However I did not leave empty handed. Bocas left me with a little present to remember it by. I covered my body with Poison Oak that I am just n0ow healing from. I didnt know it had even existed there but you know that hike I talked baout in my last blog well it made quite a physical impression.

We said good bye to the barco inhundido, Zapatilla, Mondo Taitu, Batida lady, Chicken lady and all those inbetween and headed south on a midnight bus to Cañaza well actually a little campo town with about 400 residents called Alto de los Sanchez, near Cañaza. We met our friend stationed there for the peace core. We got off a little bus in the middle of what looked like no where and turned out to be a hidden adventure of friendly people and green mountains.

The hike in was about 30 minutes and we met Daniel our friend right near his house. The conditions he lives in are fascinating for someone who is used to an ample supply of resources. His toilet is a bucket and his shower is a hose. He gets the luxery of electricity but the majority of his neighbors end there day when the sun ends its day. He lives with bats, lizards, and a respectful little Toranchula.

We spent our time there going on hikes and seeing the world from above. We only stayed one night and from there made our way on to the opposite side of the developing scale to la Ciudad de Panamá. The city has offered us a whole other world of adventures while we wait for the next, well frankly I never really know any more what comes next.

Pictures Yay!!!

2006-11-07T13:50:00.000-08:00

A nice green hike on Bastimentos Island to Playa Wizard with my friend Felipe. Right behind me was where I saw the cutest little armadillo.

IanCarlos y La Tortuga en la Ciudad de Panamá

my little friend Chi Chi. We collected

shells together at la playa rana roja.

A little fiesta in El Valle

We just cant stop having fun

The Beautiful Beach of Zapatilla

Our little adventure in Bocas. That my friends was just the beginning of the mud extravaganza. not to be confused with our mud adventure in the jeeps.

Bocas del Toro

2006-10-17T17:04:00.000-07:00

No pictures right now but I will have them soon.

Let me catch you up to speed first of all and lets see where we have been.

-San Jose, Costa Rica
-Montezuma, CR
-Jacó, CR
-Monteverde, CR
-Arenal, CR
-San Jose, CR
-Cahuita, CR
-Puerto Viejo, CR

And now where we are.

-Bocas del Toro, Panama

Bocas es el paraiso del mundo. I have a few juicy adventures to wet your pallet.

We are staying at Mondo Taitu a very laid back hostel owned by three San Franciscans, Daniel, Dan and Dave. Daniel and Dan have officially become like brothers. WE love em. We have been here for four days and I feel as comfortable as if it has been six months. The days generally go where you get a big group together and catch a boat taxi to one of the other islands and spend the day at whichever beach you choose.

In no particular order our days have gone as such. Mere and I had some confusion with a group and got disconnected so we waited for a friend Sabina from germany to arrive and we took of for a long trek. We knew it was gonna be long but none of us had any idea what we were getting into. Our understanding had been that you start at playa bluff and follow the road that turns into a trail through jungle and forest. It may be muddy so be prepared. Also there were to be caves along the way and frogs and such. Eventually we would arrive at playa drago and could take a bus back to the main stretch. That is what we thought.

It started out wonderfully. Three young girls on a deserted beach playing in the completely clear turqoise water. Then we decided to began our walk across the beach before we got on the road. It was about an hour down the beach and we saw that the road was not exactly close so we scrambled through the trees and stumbled upon this little ranch type home and one guy doing, something. Though there seemed to be a clear path so we continued on. A ways down the path we got our first glimpse of the mud. A little bit more than we had anticipated. More like a mini swamp. We are trying to navigate the best way around and I decide to just go for it. I see a log along the side that feels pretty sturdy. On the second step I go sliding in so I try to make a run for it. Thigh deep in mud I realize its not working and hurry back. Finally we scavange through the other side where it is a field of swampy grass. I figure I am already muddy so I lead the way. We made it across laughing histerically the whole way.

The mud simply continued from their claiming my left sure for its own. The great part was that for the rest of the way we saw scattered broken left shoes abandoned my their owners, claimed by the path.

The caves were awesome full of stalagtites and stalacmites and of course they would not be complete with out the fluttering bats picking a spot to hang.

So here we are covered in mud from head to toe, I´m shoeless and we have no idea how far we have gone or how far we have to go. Finally we hit a clearing and see the most amazing little beach. We walk out of the woods just in time for sunset over the ocean. One of my best swims yet. We got clean, said good bye to the sun and continued on our way. Around the bend we found a man fishing and a woman reading. Though I am sure we looked far more strange to them, showing up out of the woods from nowhere, then he did to us however we were still surprised. He laughed at us when we told him we were headed to Drago but directed us to the road. 10 minutes later he pulled up in his truck claiming we would never make our bus in time.

We piled in the back of his pickup and had a wonderful evening cruise. As we made our way we began to understand his laughter. It would have taking us well over an hour and there would have been no way we would have made the bus. As we pulled up the bus was just getting ready to leave so we boarded and made our way home.

Another day another beach.

If you ever make your way to Panama and find yourself at Bocas del Toro go to Zapatilla. It is a little island about an hours boat ride off the main island with not a single inhabitant. We loaded up a crew of 8 and made the journey. We were charged with snorkeling gear, a camera and more energy than a bucking bronco. You can walk around the island in about 20 minutes. The sand is white and the water is every shade of blue and green.

My first time snorkeling was spectacular.

Some highlights-

4ft baracuda that glared and me (atleast it looked that way) then gritted his teeth and moved on
6ft long eel castrating another fish then darting in my direction, thank god he was 7 feet below me
I was looking at some fish straight ahead then suddenly all I could see was hundreds and hundres of foot long blue and white fish everywhere. I floated in amazement as they passed me
The coral was huge and looked just like on national geographics. Not to mention the bright green starfish

The world under the sea is fascinating I understand my dads zeal for the sport. It was a fantastic day and I think I am gonna do it again tomorrow.

la vida de una vagabunda

2006-10-17T16:43:00.000-07:00

Insight into Meagans random thoughts

-My backpack is my castle. The less I own the more I cherish and enjoy what is around me. When I look inside my backpack each night it feels like a world of jewels is opening up to me. I dont know I cant explain it.

-Every traveler has a different path. The comings and goings inside a hostel are very fascinating. Single travelers looking for someone to connect with. People from all parts of the world in completely different moments along their journey connect in this one spot and stop for a while. Get to know eachother. Laugh and become instant best friends. I love it.

-Life is so good right now I think I wont mess with it. Last night- 1am i boated from one island to the next. I looked up from the boat and saw the sky filled with more stars than I knew existed. You know when you see even the little clusters of stars that seem really far away. Then I looked down from the boat and saw fosforescents over the entire sea bottom. They glowed like stars so I was completely surrounded by one large night sky.

-I knew the sickness would come eventually. I have had my first bouts with strange illnesses and learned that the life of a teveler aint all peaches and cream. I got something, dont know what it is, but its something. Well it could be gone now who really knows these things. But throwing up after not having done it for something like 10 years is not the most pleasant.

-Silence is precious. A fellow traveler and I got onto talking about lessons of world, you know the usual. I came to understand that being silent is amazingly fullfilling. There is no need to worry that those are around me are being entertained. I get to spend a lot fo time being silent and I
rather like it.

-Meredith rocks. I lucked out on the company that I get out here. Meredith has proved to be an ideal travel partner. There is no way to avoid certain things when you are spending so much time with another person but for whatever reason I have no complaints so far. I can dish out some good crap and she handles it nicely. We seem to have a good even trade going on and it has added to my experiences immensly.

Gotta love it!

2006-10-07T06:54:00.000-07:00

Sorry but this is gonna be a long one. If you have the patience I think you'll enjoy it though.

Well, traveling really exposes you to all kinds of adventures and experiences, you meet crazy other foreigners from all over the world, you try the most interesting food that you have never heard of before, you see beautiful landscape and oh yes I forgot, you get robbed. Now I know your freaking out right now but just calm down. Mere and I are perfectly unharmed and we have recovered all our stuff. It is 7:45 am and I have been up for almost 4 hours. Now I shall tell you the story.

Currently we are back in San Jose after a wonderful trip to Arenal. We are here basically to see our friend then we are taking off. It was getting late at the hostel on the fabulous friday night and I was getting tired so I headed off to bed. I'm reading my book and before I know it I am passed out.

At around 4ish my slumber was disrupted with a start and I look at the foot of the bed to find a strange face there. My first reaction: it must be Mere cause we are the only ones staying in the room. My second reaction: There is an EFFin stranger in my room with his arms full of our stuff. I jumped out of bed and let me mention that I was in this thin blanket wrapped around me like a sleeping back.

Out in the hall he hands me the stuff he was carrying and rushes off. I start yelling anything I can think of in spanish and go back in my room to discover that everything had been thrown everywhere. I instantly run after the guy and start pushing him asking him where all our other stuff is. He pulls out of his pocket my passport and tells me thats all he has. Along with my passport he hands me his ID card. His name: Norel Rafael Sanchez Diaz from Colombia. Inside my pasport though I discover that my two credit cards are missing.

This whole time I am yelling and yelling and waking everyone up. I follow the guy into the bathroom where he proceeds to relieve himself. I am thinking at this time that he must be dumping my cards in the toilet. So I start pushing him and he starts yelling at me saying that he doesn't have my stuff he didnt steal anything. (all of this in spanish of course). Finally he leads me to his room after the guy working at the desk hears me and comes to help. Everyone involved was very helpful by the way. Ok so my theif dumps out his bag to show me he has nothing then he starts crying. I feel no ounce of pity for this man however I am trying to be as calm as possible.

Finally the obscenities start. He gets mad at me because I am mad at him and then some other hostel resident comes to my defense and explains that he had seen the guy go into my room. Then the other complaints start coming more and more guests start saying they heard things at their doors and he had actually entered another room but woke up one of the girls too early and they kicked him out. Norel, we are on a first name basis of course by now, starts calling everyone names but he doesnt have a very strong defense.

Shortly there after the police arrive and they are on the case. I explain everything I can as best I can in spanish and do a little reenactment. Finally they ask where my friend was so I woke up Mere. She took control thank god cause I was losing my nerves. One police officer came with me while I scoured the room to look for my cards which were the only things missing at this point. Mere went with the other officers to Norels room where she verbally brutalized him, which was much deserved. She may have even subjected him to a minor physical reprimand.

I found out later that he had continued to try to prove to her by showing is clothe tags that he was not a theif and that he pays for his belongings.

Meanwhile I am getting the numbers for the credit cards and the police officer helping me starts flirting. I couldnt help but laugh. Once I knew what I was dealing with I couldn't get the smile off my face. My officer, Jose, first name basis as well, offers me a flower which of course made me blush and laugh at the ridiculousness. What's life if you can't just laugh at it, so i did.

My knight in shining armor Jose

I am finally able to put a hold on my cards and Norel is carted off with the police. We find out that he is here illegally and they can either process him or send him to immigration. I didnt really care that much. The police decided the latter because immigration could deal with it and leave them with less paper work. Who knows maybe we will run into him in Colombia.

I began to relax and go back to the room only to get rustled up again by a knock. Mere and I have to go down to the police station. We take a cab there and basically just hang out with the police for a little while. they joke with us and when they find out our travel plans Jose asks me if I will come back to San Jose soon so we can date. I explain to him sadly and as sincerely as possible that no, I would not be returning. I think he understood. After some sociallizing Jose and another officer drive us back in the big hefty police van. Before we took off however we got to snap a couple of great photos.

Our most corteous driver Alberto

When we returned to the hostel they had found my credit cards hidden in the bathroom. So all was recovered and now I am starving. Hopefully our sad little friend Norel is learning the error of his ways.

In retrospect I remember the feeling of "oh this is what is it like to have your stuff jacked." That feeling didnt sit too well with me. Now its over, we have our stuff, and a story to live on for a real freakin long time.

Arenal

2006-10-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

How do I put this? Watching lava flow down the side of a valcano while you sip an electric lemonade soaking in the most spectacular hotsprings is something to experience.

Monteverde

2006-10-02T15:03:00.000-07:00

I know it has only been a few days but the conditions around me have inspired so many wonderful thoughts and feelings that I decided I wanted to put them out there. (So Im writing now with a huge smile) My current mood is relaxed, filled, and stupefied at my own experience of wonder.

We are currently in Monteverde and as the name implies (green mountain) it is the greenest place I have seen since the hills of Ireland though these are a very different green. The bustling Metropolis of Santa Elena Monteverde is about 2 blochs and full of energy. We are currently here during the low tourist time of year though there are still many foreigners around us I think that it would be a lot more difficult to enjoy during high season.

We are staying at our friend's apartment which is very comfortable. Some of the luxuries that I have ejoyed here are that I am not sweating and sticky all day long and I can drink all the tap water my little belly can handle. I love it. Yesterday Mere, Kelsy and I took a canopy tour of the cloud forest which was incredible. It was a little bit of a hike and then they strap you to a cable and send you sailing over the tops of everything spectacular. Some of the cables stretched for nearly half a mile and the highest one was 100 meters. (The picture is of Meredith taking off through the tree tops)

We went for a drive in the evening and the scenery was breathtaking. I dont really know how to explain how good it felt to look out on the world the way it is presented to me out here. The forests are so dense and on these steep hills so it would be impossible to make your way through them which means they stand in peace for the most part and just grow and be. did I mention that I love it.

This morning We loaded up at 8am to head out to a hike to a waterfall called San Luis. On the way Zach's car started smoking. When we opened the hood we saw the battery had completely disconnected and the cable had snaped. We were all in a good mood about it though a little disapointed that our waterfall trip may be cancelled. A very nice man pulled over and helped us temporarily connect the cable so that we could get it to the mechanic. Afterwards we came back for Zachs other car and began our adventure anew. After a very nice windy and once again scenic drive we got to the stop and almost stepped on a very bright red snake (freaked me out a bit) then we hiked our way through many insects and the craziest, brightest blue and biggest ants I have ever seen.

The waterfall was awesome and the water was incredily clear and fresh. It was explained to me that all the water is collected from the clouds at the top of the mountain and runs down through where we were. When we returned home we said good bye to Kelsy for she had to head back to catch her plane back to Eugene then Mere and I got a chance to drive over these crazy, rocky monteverde roads. I loved that as well if you couldn't figure it out. Now I am gonna take some time to breathe and be where I am. I hope all is well with those who I am not able to be with. I love reading stories from home so please write me anything. I am sorry if I do not respond quickly but the internet will most likely not be even close to as available as it is to me here. I love you all as I hope you all know.

Catarata San Luis

A lovely little butterfly known by me as the stained glass something or other.

Montezuma a Jaco

2006-09-29T13:46:00.000-07:00

We are now at the beach in Jacó it has been a long week so far or atleast I think it has been a week. I have looked at a clock once since we have been gone but I have a few time references. There is the tide and the sun and on a occasion my stomach lets me know its time for a meal.

There has been some most memorable highlights so far. We left San Jose basically when we arrived and took a bus then a ferry then a bus and met up with our friends Wakan and Kelsy in Montezuma. We then spent many following days there. Our little group definitely became the life of the town for the short while. There weren't a lot of tourists and in our little spot we didnt have to go far maybe 50 feet to get ocean, sand, food, music and fun liquid refreshments. The people we met were all very nice as well. We made many local friends and we hung out with many nights over and during the day we would see them in town and act like old friends.

I wore my shoes one time I believe for a hike up to a waterfall. It was gorgeous and the swimming was top of the line. We also saw some brave locals jump from the tops of some of the falls which fell like 75feet maybe. It was crazy. We had our first monkey sighting there and there were many, very cute I might add.

A couple of other interesting things: There are a lot of people fishing on the beach with fishing line attached to board. we were hanging on the beach and one pulled in a manta rey. It was huge and looked rather sad to me lying on its back. I went over to watch them throw it back in but when one of the guys grabbed its tail and started twisting it around I had to walk away. I should have assumed that they would not throw it back but I had a little bit of a hard time then again you know me Ms. Sensitive. Another night, in the middle of the night we were on the beach again (imagine that) and a sea turtle crawled up to lay her eggs. When she was done she burried her eggs and left. The second she left a teenage boys started pulling them all up. He gathered about five. Once again i had to walk away. As much as everyone told me that of course none of the eggs would survive there anyways I did not want to see why they didn't.

The turtle was beautiful and seemed so gentle I felt like it was a gift from her to allow us to be present however I have to remeber that life is not paradise and perfect anywhere. I have a lot to learn about the world and I am so excited for it and also a little aprehensive because I know that there will be some very hard things in frontof me.

We are in Jacó now and the town is a bit more sleezy. Kelsy and I had the pleasure to be photographed by three fourteen year old boys with an obviously stolen camera while we were all backpacked up. It was not the most pleasant. We will stay here tonight and tomorrow we are headed to Monte Verde up north to hang out with our friend Zach from Eugene who works with a tourist company up there. Then we will say good bye to Kelsy and Wakan and Mere and I shall move on. ok until next time.

The adventures have begun!

2006-09-15T14:23:00.000-07:00

Let me offer this precedent before I begin: The blogs that you are about to read mixed up and a little bit confusing. I apologize now for those that get discouraged but you must understand that I am just writing what is around me. If you have ever read a email or letter that I have written you would be prepared and understand that I tend to write these things the way I think. Yes I did go to college and got pretty decent grades however, If I am not being graded I enjoy writing a lot more when I am just putting down what comes to me. Maybe for some of you it will be an interesting insight to the world of Meagan or maybe it will just add a little extra entertainment to your life every once in a while.

I am currently in San Diego on the edge of departure with Meredith. (for those of you that do not know her she is my head of reason when needed and my guide to chaos when also required. I have known her since she was in her mama's belly and we reconnected in later years to re establish the strong connection we had.) Anyways we are here in San Diego at our good friend Andy's house. We are visiting three friends that we have here and it has been a wonderful time to have before we step on that plane.

From here on out I have no expectations that come what may and may i enjoy what comes. There is a lot to be seen and a lot to learn. I hope that i will gather as much as I can carry and know that beyond that there is no limit. I love you all and please check in on me from time to time. I will keep you posted as often as possible.