Well fans, friends, family, and strangers (i really wanted an f word for that but i just cant think of one, any help would be greatly appreciated and can be put in a comment below) i have made it to the land of the enchanted. Actually i have no idea what that means but i am chillin in San Juan del Sur. This is spot is as tranquilo as they come. We are staying in this place where the rooms were described to have balconies or bats. We lucked out i suppose and got the balcony but seeing as how the tops of the rooms are all open and connected I'm sure that the bats are there as well. The balcony is only big enough for 2 chairs so my bros and i have to take turns with who gets to sit out there. Luckily during the drinking of the Flor de Cana (Nica´s favorite and best and perhaps only rum) last night we lucked out for a bit and got the shared patio where we can all three sit. Also had to smuggle a bowl out of the kitchen to make some guac from the nice avocados we bought at the market. Didn´t turn out so well but it wasn´t my fault i just didn't have the ingredients. And the chips really sucked. A proper fish dinner made up for it though. They even shot off fireworks for us at midnight. Well i think it was midnight but i really haven't figured out exactly what time it is here. That whole not being able to communicate thing is pretty rough.
Getting here took another day on the bus and getting up from the hotel Elvis at about 5am. We missed or should i say were not allowed on the bus that we wanted since it was sold out and the rest of them for that day from the Transnica bus company. So Ashley valiantly hit the mean streets of San Jose looking for another bus that went over the border to Nica. I´m Nico so please don´t get that confused with Nica which is short for Nicaragua. Well, he found one and we all grabbed our packs and hustled over to the rainbow bus a few blocks away. I think it was called Nica Express and it might have been the coldest bus i have ever been on. AC in centro america is a good thing but whoa this was intense. So the ride was fine and i got some good reading in (finishing a whole economist i feel i know more about international affairs than i ever have before) and not much else. Getting into Nica was pretty intense with us all lining up and pressing a button to see if the stoplight lit up red or green. Seems like about every 6 people or so got the red light and they got searched. This seems to be a foolproof system that a drug smuggler would never figure out. Anyway made it through and up to Rivas and had my first Nica cerveza. Quite nice and only 13 Cordobas (exchange is about 16.5 to 1 US dollar) which i thought was a deal. Got a cab over to San Juan del Sur and here we are.
This is a surf town but you have to get a water taxi to the surf spots and then come back to town to tell all the stories of the day over the cheap but very cold beers. Today has been a bit rainy but it´s all just as well. Love it here. Would come back in a second and i already know that i will some day. You are all of course invited.
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
#1 Day of Travel...Ever
JK it wasn't really all that bad. We started off this morning as my previous post mentioned on a water taxi from Bocas over to some town called something that started with a ch. I really have no idea what it was but the $5 ride was pretty darn cool. We were stuffed into a typical motor boat with high seas all around. There were about 15 of us i suppose in this boat and we took off like a rocket in Cape Canaveral. We were in a race with another of the taxis for the first kilometer or so then of course we pulled ahead. Both boats were the same hull and engine wise and we had 3 times the load of them but i guess somehow the extra weight was to our advantage. The views were nice and we made it to a canal that was dug or enlarged or something for the banana boats to get to a shipping portal. We cruised up this glassy river swerving around tree roots and overhanging palms at breakneck speed. Stopped to pick up some kids at rivers edge and their dogs were there ready to play. Luckily our driver realized they really wanted to go for a swim and gave them a hearty spray from the propeller. The kids climbed on the already overloaded vessel (I thought this might be another good boat story but to no avail) and we were off again. There were several tight maneuvers on the river that seemed to be for no reason but we had put our lives in the hands of this very able driver. He was at least 20 with a cut off shirt so why not?
At the docks we were accosted by 6 and 7 year olds that wanted to carry our bags for tips but they warrant getting 20 of my hard earned cents that is for sure. My bros and I along with 8 other passengers loaded into a 4 door pickup truck and somehow fit in their with all of our luggage. Mind you there were 11 passengers and 1 driver for a total of 12 people plus a backpack or 2 for each of us. Needless to say this was not the most comfortable ride. There were some Canadians and plenty of Americans and the 6 of us in the short bed back of this truck had to get transferred to another cab (think of the smallest car possible) because the driver didn't want to get a ticket for having us back there. This was a nice stretch since i was about to lose a foot and Steve thought he had actually torn his ACL on the journey thus far. The ch town was only 16k from the border mind you. After we safely passed the police station we pile back in the truck for more dirt road up the ass. Real nice stuff and i think that my coccyx is permanently scarred. Made it to the border and had no problem on the Panama side but the Costa Rica side (after a gallant bridge walk) was a different story. Well mainly just a line that didn't move because the lady didn't want to work. Once she got there it was rather quick. Waited for the bus to San Jose and found the station with a little help from a local. Everyone is very helpful for tips.
The ride was long and at first not crowded but after a few stops namely Puerto Viejo the thing was slammed and people had to stand in the aisles. Not a good way to travel with a bus driver who is determined to pass every other car on the road. The brakes were ridden hard at times and after dark the whole thing just became more surreal. Between the swerving, the engine revs, and the lack of leg room (personal space) i had to put on the headphones and take a nap. We arrived well and made it to the Hotel Elvis right across the street from the buses that go to Nicaragua. We will either leave at 430, 530, or 900 for another 7.5 hour bus ride. Should be tight. Or at least my back muscles. HAHAHAHAHA!!!
At the docks we were accosted by 6 and 7 year olds that wanted to carry our bags for tips but they warrant getting 20 of my hard earned cents that is for sure. My bros and I along with 8 other passengers loaded into a 4 door pickup truck and somehow fit in their with all of our luggage. Mind you there were 11 passengers and 1 driver for a total of 12 people plus a backpack or 2 for each of us. Needless to say this was not the most comfortable ride. There were some Canadians and plenty of Americans and the 6 of us in the short bed back of this truck had to get transferred to another cab (think of the smallest car possible) because the driver didn't want to get a ticket for having us back there. This was a nice stretch since i was about to lose a foot and Steve thought he had actually torn his ACL on the journey thus far. The ch town was only 16k from the border mind you. After we safely passed the police station we pile back in the truck for more dirt road up the ass. Real nice stuff and i think that my coccyx is permanently scarred. Made it to the border and had no problem on the Panama side but the Costa Rica side (after a gallant bridge walk) was a different story. Well mainly just a line that didn't move because the lady didn't want to work. Once she got there it was rather quick. Waited for the bus to San Jose and found the station with a little help from a local. Everyone is very helpful for tips.
The ride was long and at first not crowded but after a few stops namely Puerto Viejo the thing was slammed and people had to stand in the aisles. Not a good way to travel with a bus driver who is determined to pass every other car on the road. The brakes were ridden hard at times and after dark the whole thing just became more surreal. Between the swerving, the engine revs, and the lack of leg room (personal space) i had to put on the headphones and take a nap. We arrived well and made it to the Hotel Elvis right across the street from the buses that go to Nicaragua. We will either leave at 430, 530, or 900 for another 7.5 hour bus ride. Should be tight. Or at least my back muscles. HAHAHAHAHA!!!
Monday, July 18, 2005
Live from Bocas
Another few days in the sun never hurt anyone and this 3 week tan that i am working on from Fiji is not going to wear off any time soon. The sun down here is hotter than ever and i feel that since i am closer to the equator now that it actually is. Muggy and feels like burning to me. Leaving the big city with the bigger skyline after a relaxing few "city days" we headed on to Bocas Del Toro. I have no idea what this means and guess that it means something close to "islands of heaven" but really have no idea. After opting for the $60 1 hour flight rather than the $25 12 hour bus ride we boarded a small square shaped twin prop plane headed for the Caribbean. No troubles boarding and the ride was amazing. Seeing the geography, city, and canal from the air was worth the money in itself. The plane was noisy, the apple juice a little sweet, and the heat leaked from every crack in the plane but it was great nonetheless. It is amazing to be able to look at a map and then see the exact same thing from the air just because the country is small enough for the curves of the land to be remembered.
Arriving in Bocas the heat hit us like a ton of bricks (or feathers i learned in 4th grade weigh the same). We were sweating before we got our bags off the plane which seemed like a good system where you point at your bag and they give it to you after pulling a trolley over by hand. I really dig these small plane rides since it reminds of the time i got to fly the plane in Nebraska when my dad used to fly Cessnas, etc. We found a place to stay after much discussion and the lovely Del Diablo was the choice. Another nice room and the entire building was out over the water. They had a really nice porch with a view of the water and islands that was to die for. We made great use of this porch and the hammock there for siestas, a few drinks, or simply reading in the afternoon. Walking around town you can tell this is a touristy place but there were still not as many gringos as expected. Maybe it's the Panamanians that come here on vacation? Who knows but it has plenty of restaurants, hotels, handiworks shops, and tour companies. After an initial run in with Robert who was from NJ and was trying to hook us up with a sweet hotel we ran into Oxford Jeff who sold us on a snorkeling and beach tour for $15. A great dinner that night at El Poscado. It was splashing out but it was certainly worth it. A few cervezas on the porch and that's all she wrote.
Next day we show up at about 915 for our 930 tour and by 930 Oxford still was nowhere to be seen. Oh well there are plenty of tour companies but by the time we set off to find another one we run into the man and he gets us geared up for a day in the islands. We were to visit dolphin bay, coral cay, red frog beach, and hospital point. We made it to all these places and were back by about 5. Dolphin bay was pretty amazing and there were dolphins everywhere but we couldn't swim with them because there were too many jellys in the water. They stay in the bay to get out of the waves and eat the jellys. Saw quite a few dolphins just cruising around and was really quite impressive to hear them breathe when they come up for air. Sounds a lot like us coming up from underwater which makes sense since they are mammals. Next was a stop at a restaurant on the water to order lunch but luckily we had some pb and bread for lunch because of the big night out before. We went on a great snorkel at coral cay with huge urchin, colorful coral, sea fans, sponges, and a variety of fish. Later on we stopped at another bar/restaurant/dock and snorkeled seeing a barracuda after getting out. Back at the first place there were sharks hanging around the dock as well (one being trapped in a fence). Stopped at red frog beach but didn't see any of the beachs' namesake. Total bummer but a beautiful beach as you would expect. I have seen a lot of beaches and this is one i would come back to. Nice waves, nice sand, and hot sun. Had a siesta and swam then moved on. The boat ride to Hospital point was quite nice and we were swerving through the small islands made of trees like the ones that grow in swamps. Went through some tunnels only wide enough for the boat. Drenched in sun. This might be the time that the skin cancer starts developing. Stopped at hospital point but everyone was too tired to swim. Had ceviche for the first time at happy hour for some nourishment since the pb didn't really do the trick. Really good stuff that i would like to be able to make but wouldn't trust myself to do it correctly. Aww shucks.
Good times around here with a bottle of Panama Jack rum (think of the irony) and a bottle of Coca Cola. No ice of course. This is a little slice of heaven that seems to be turning into more and more of a destination. You guys should all come before it gets too crazy down here. I think we are off for Nicaragua today. We will be catching a 1230 boat to the mainland and a 200p bus from the border to San Jose (CR). Hopefully a night bus to Managua in Nicaragua. This should be about a 20 hour journey so i might not be sleeping for a few days. Hope for a nice bus with leg room and no big dudes sitting next to me. Cheers yall.
Arriving in Bocas the heat hit us like a ton of bricks (or feathers i learned in 4th grade weigh the same). We were sweating before we got our bags off the plane which seemed like a good system where you point at your bag and they give it to you after pulling a trolley over by hand. I really dig these small plane rides since it reminds of the time i got to fly the plane in Nebraska when my dad used to fly Cessnas, etc. We found a place to stay after much discussion and the lovely Del Diablo was the choice. Another nice room and the entire building was out over the water. They had a really nice porch with a view of the water and islands that was to die for. We made great use of this porch and the hammock there for siestas, a few drinks, or simply reading in the afternoon. Walking around town you can tell this is a touristy place but there were still not as many gringos as expected. Maybe it's the Panamanians that come here on vacation? Who knows but it has plenty of restaurants, hotels, handiworks shops, and tour companies. After an initial run in with Robert who was from NJ and was trying to hook us up with a sweet hotel we ran into Oxford Jeff who sold us on a snorkeling and beach tour for $15. A great dinner that night at El Poscado. It was splashing out but it was certainly worth it. A few cervezas on the porch and that's all she wrote.
Next day we show up at about 915 for our 930 tour and by 930 Oxford still was nowhere to be seen. Oh well there are plenty of tour companies but by the time we set off to find another one we run into the man and he gets us geared up for a day in the islands. We were to visit dolphin bay, coral cay, red frog beach, and hospital point. We made it to all these places and were back by about 5. Dolphin bay was pretty amazing and there were dolphins everywhere but we couldn't swim with them because there were too many jellys in the water. They stay in the bay to get out of the waves and eat the jellys. Saw quite a few dolphins just cruising around and was really quite impressive to hear them breathe when they come up for air. Sounds a lot like us coming up from underwater which makes sense since they are mammals. Next was a stop at a restaurant on the water to order lunch but luckily we had some pb and bread for lunch because of the big night out before. We went on a great snorkel at coral cay with huge urchin, colorful coral, sea fans, sponges, and a variety of fish. Later on we stopped at another bar/restaurant/dock and snorkeled seeing a barracuda after getting out. Back at the first place there were sharks hanging around the dock as well (one being trapped in a fence). Stopped at red frog beach but didn't see any of the beachs' namesake. Total bummer but a beautiful beach as you would expect. I have seen a lot of beaches and this is one i would come back to. Nice waves, nice sand, and hot sun. Had a siesta and swam then moved on. The boat ride to Hospital point was quite nice and we were swerving through the small islands made of trees like the ones that grow in swamps. Went through some tunnels only wide enough for the boat. Drenched in sun. This might be the time that the skin cancer starts developing. Stopped at hospital point but everyone was too tired to swim. Had ceviche for the first time at happy hour for some nourishment since the pb didn't really do the trick. Really good stuff that i would like to be able to make but wouldn't trust myself to do it correctly. Aww shucks.
Good times around here with a bottle of Panama Jack rum (think of the irony) and a bottle of Coca Cola. No ice of course. This is a little slice of heaven that seems to be turning into more and more of a destination. You guys should all come before it gets too crazy down here. I think we are off for Nicaragua today. We will be catching a 1230 boat to the mainland and a 200p bus from the border to San Jose (CR). Hopefully a night bus to Managua in Nicaragua. This should be about a 20 hour journey so i might not be sleeping for a few days. Hope for a nice bus with leg room and no big dudes sitting next to me. Cheers yall.
Sunday, July 17, 2005
The Real PC
Yes, i am talking about Panama City, but not the redneck Riviera such as you might be thinking. I am in Panama the southernmost country of Central America and our great continent North America. Although this has been debated. With me as a matter of fact. I don't really remember the outcome of this argument but the ones in which i am wrong i just try to forget so i think that i might have been right for once.
Got down to PC after a couple of days staying at Jon's house in LA or Irvine to be more accurate. We chilled on the Newport beach one day and the other day did laundry, exchanged pix, and other travel necessities. Jo was in town too so it was quite a reunion with all of us there. Jon's parents were excellent hosts offering us beds, meals, information, and parental help. Beach was good but American food was better and i found myself gorging for a couple of days. Another sad goodbye at the airport brought me to Miami and on to Panama. I (of me and my bros) got there first so i found the assigned Hotel (Montreal w/ rooftop pool) and got a room. I found a bathroom, TV, and AC three things my rooms almost never had in the time i have been gone. Chilled it out for a few hours waiting on Steve-o and had a walk about the city. He finally got there and we wandered down to the local gringo watering hole for a beer but they were too pricey and we opted to head to the 24 hour super nice grocery REY. Beers are .39 there for Cerveza Panama the local favorite so we got a 6er and headed to the rooftop terrace/pool but the rain held us back so we watched some English TV in the room (CNN). Good night and the next day to Isla Tobago.
Well we made it to the ferry dock at about noon and to our surprise the only ferry of the day left at 830am. This threw us for a loop since we had brought all our gear and were planning on staying out there. Cant trust those guide books i suppose. We had a PB sandwich on the hill and got kicked off so we wandered around and decided to go back to the Montreal and regroup. We decided on a day trip for the next day and no stay on the island. We went to the old town in Panama City called San Felipe for the afternoon and walked through some rough areas to get there. Past markets selling broken propellers, blender parts, bird cages, and anything else imaginable. Needless to say we didn't exactly fit in. Made and saw some nice religious sites, a good view of the Bridge of the Americas, the historic Presidential palace, and great old buildings since this town is from the 1500s. Good pizza for dinner and more cervezas on the roof.
Isla Tobago was an easy trip by ferry the next morning and we wanted to do the 3 crosses hike to the top of the hill (400m) where an old US bunker afforded 360 degree views. The trail head proved very difficult to find but with tenacity we found it after about an hour. The trail was steep and hot and muggy in the canopy of the rain forest. We first ran into a tarantula looking spider about the size of my hand and hairy, then lots of iguanas fighting, fluorescent green frogs, and a snake that was so long and skinny he floated on leaves. Cool hike with a good view of the islands and the city. The city has a very impressive skyline for less than a million people and you could see it quite well from up here even though this is the rainy season and it had been cloudy every day. The rest of the day on the beach after a meal of a whole red snapper for $5. Snorkeling sucked because of low visibility but saw some colorful little guys and some puffers. Ash was supposed to be there when we got back but found out his flights were all f'd up and he wouldn't be in till 9. Had dinner for $1.50 and headed home. He made it and we were set. The 3 hermanos.
Next day went to check out some rain forest near a town called Gamboa and the canal at the locks. The rain forest was a section of national park that the Smithsonian along with a lot of other researchers use because of the vast array of life. The trail we were on has the most different species of birds ever recorded in a 24 hour period as well. We saw 3 birds. But, we saw some cool as monkeys that crawled around and looked at us through old wise faces. Moved back to the first set of locks on the canal (Mira Flores??). These were on the Pacific side and we saw a Maersk liner, a car mover, and an oil tanker go through. The car liner payed like $150k to go through crazy money but it fit 6000 cars on the boat. These boats were absolutely huge and amazing to see them raised and lowered. Another night on the Terrace and this time Walter showed up.
Walter was a Honduran oil worker or maybe a drug runner from Mexico i couldn't really tell but he told us the first one. He just travelled a bit much for that. Perfect English and he used it. Told us story after story but did buy us a couple rounds to keep us enthralled. He had some American girl with him who seemed somewhat interested somewhat scared out of her mind. Anyway the night grew long and we had to part ways but not before he threatened to throw the waiter in the pool or jump off the building. Interesting character. As they all have been.
Got down to PC after a couple of days staying at Jon's house in LA or Irvine to be more accurate. We chilled on the Newport beach one day and the other day did laundry, exchanged pix, and other travel necessities. Jo was in town too so it was quite a reunion with all of us there. Jon's parents were excellent hosts offering us beds, meals, information, and parental help. Beach was good but American food was better and i found myself gorging for a couple of days. Another sad goodbye at the airport brought me to Miami and on to Panama. I (of me and my bros) got there first so i found the assigned Hotel (Montreal w/ rooftop pool) and got a room. I found a bathroom, TV, and AC three things my rooms almost never had in the time i have been gone. Chilled it out for a few hours waiting on Steve-o and had a walk about the city. He finally got there and we wandered down to the local gringo watering hole for a beer but they were too pricey and we opted to head to the 24 hour super nice grocery REY. Beers are .39 there for Cerveza Panama the local favorite so we got a 6er and headed to the rooftop terrace/pool but the rain held us back so we watched some English TV in the room (CNN). Good night and the next day to Isla Tobago.
Well we made it to the ferry dock at about noon and to our surprise the only ferry of the day left at 830am. This threw us for a loop since we had brought all our gear and were planning on staying out there. Cant trust those guide books i suppose. We had a PB sandwich on the hill and got kicked off so we wandered around and decided to go back to the Montreal and regroup. We decided on a day trip for the next day and no stay on the island. We went to the old town in Panama City called San Felipe for the afternoon and walked through some rough areas to get there. Past markets selling broken propellers, blender parts, bird cages, and anything else imaginable. Needless to say we didn't exactly fit in. Made and saw some nice religious sites, a good view of the Bridge of the Americas, the historic Presidential palace, and great old buildings since this town is from the 1500s. Good pizza for dinner and more cervezas on the roof.
Isla Tobago was an easy trip by ferry the next morning and we wanted to do the 3 crosses hike to the top of the hill (400m) where an old US bunker afforded 360 degree views. The trail head proved very difficult to find but with tenacity we found it after about an hour. The trail was steep and hot and muggy in the canopy of the rain forest. We first ran into a tarantula looking spider about the size of my hand and hairy, then lots of iguanas fighting, fluorescent green frogs, and a snake that was so long and skinny he floated on leaves. Cool hike with a good view of the islands and the city. The city has a very impressive skyline for less than a million people and you could see it quite well from up here even though this is the rainy season and it had been cloudy every day. The rest of the day on the beach after a meal of a whole red snapper for $5. Snorkeling sucked because of low visibility but saw some colorful little guys and some puffers. Ash was supposed to be there when we got back but found out his flights were all f'd up and he wouldn't be in till 9. Had dinner for $1.50 and headed home. He made it and we were set. The 3 hermanos.
Next day went to check out some rain forest near a town called Gamboa and the canal at the locks. The rain forest was a section of national park that the Smithsonian along with a lot of other researchers use because of the vast array of life. The trail we were on has the most different species of birds ever recorded in a 24 hour period as well. We saw 3 birds. But, we saw some cool as monkeys that crawled around and looked at us through old wise faces. Moved back to the first set of locks on the canal (Mira Flores??). These were on the Pacific side and we saw a Maersk liner, a car mover, and an oil tanker go through. The car liner payed like $150k to go through crazy money but it fit 6000 cars on the boat. These boats were absolutely huge and amazing to see them raised and lowered. Another night on the Terrace and this time Walter showed up.
Walter was a Honduran oil worker or maybe a drug runner from Mexico i couldn't really tell but he told us the first one. He just travelled a bit much for that. Perfect English and he used it. Told us story after story but did buy us a couple rounds to keep us enthralled. He had some American girl with him who seemed somewhat interested somewhat scared out of her mind. Anyway the night grew long and we had to part ways but not before he threatened to throw the waiter in the pool or jump off the building. Interesting character. As they all have been.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
