Somewhere on the side of the road in Costa Rica...

Our journey in Costa Rica began when our bus abruptly dropped us off somewhere on the side of the road en route to Monteverde. As always, Beth and I persevered and we made our way in a fairly timely manner to Pension Santa Elena-- our awesome hostel in Monteverde. What would a travel day be without some sort of special SURPRISE!... You get used to it after a while and it makes for great stories!

Costa Rica felt like a vacation from a vacation (please don't hate me those of you who are reading this from behind a desk or bundled in warm layers due to cold weather)-- after over a month spending time in remote highland Guatemalan villages, a shanty Caribbean community in Honduras and ultra low-budget Nicaragua-- all destinations full of gnarly and fabulous backpackers-- we were now in a clean, somewhat developed and way more expensive vacation zone. Although not my cup of tea (or more realistically rum) in the long-run, a quick stretch in Costa Rica was the perfect addition to our tour of Central America and of course my tan.

In Costa Rica a common term used in pretty much every way imaginable way is PURA VIDA or "pure life"! From ordering food at a restaurant, to meeting someone new or even asking what time the bus may arrive-- all interactions end in a solid pura vida-- sometimes followed up with a fist bump, if you are lucky!

Allow me to share our pura vida adventures!...

We enjoyed a zipline canopy tour in Monteverde, high above a tropical cloud forest-- which was by far one of the coolest and most thrilling things I have EVER done. The zipline featured over 15 different zips, ending with the famous Tarzan Swing where you free fall off a tower and then are caught by a rope attached to you, to then swing high in the air from side to side just like-- well, Tarzan! It was epic-- loved, loved, loved it!

After Monteverde we headed to Manuel Anronio National Park where we got up close and personal with  monkeys, sloths, tucans, giant iguanas and the BEACH. A gorgeous park surrounded by equally as spectacular ocean-- it was wonderful! We enjoyed a gourmet pizza dinner for Thanksgiving and of course gave thanks for the amazing trip we are on! Although not turkey, some gourmet pizza beat the traditional dish of gallo pinto-- fried beans and rice mixed together. (I must say it is indeed quite tasty... just not necessary at ALL meals!)

Our last stop in Costa Rica was Dominical, a small surf town on the Pacific. We (notice a pattern here) spent lots of time on the beach and also went on an awesome day hike to Nauyaca Falls. Just the same as our entrance to Costa Rica, we ended up stuck on the side of the road after our hike, bus not coming for hours-- thumbs out and hoping to hitch a ride back to town. After being passed by approximately 30 cars who wanted nothing to do with us sweaty and muddy gringos, we finally were picked up by a friendly young couple. Icing on the cake, besides a safe and free ride back to town-- they played the only English music they had in their car... Barbie Girl by Aqua!

We had a long but smooth travel day and border crossing to get to Panama City from Dominical and enjoyed a full day today exploring this interesting, bustling and historic city. From the canal and Casco Viejo (old town) to the Causway and downtown--  we certainly made the most of our quick 24 hours here.

Tomorrow morning we leave Central America and begin our trek across South America, starting with Colombia. We fly directly into Bogota and will be in and around Bogota for a week (Chanukah, I believe) and then off to Peru to hike the Inca Trail... So much to look forward to it's a little ridiculous!

Adios Central America (it's been real) and hola South America!

Surfing Turtles and Bearded Monkeys

For some reason many hostels in Central America feel the need to name themselves after an animal doing or possessing something absurd. For example in Isla Los Brasiles we stayed at the Surfing Turtle Lodge and we are now currently in Grenada staying at the Bearded Monkey. Back in Guatemala we enjoyed a lovely lakeside lunch at the Lost Iguana and if all goes we will be keeping the trend up as we head south! I cannot wait to see what ridiculous name is next!

Now updates from the Happy Humans...

Our time in Nicaragua thus far has been fabulous! Our original plan was to breeze through Nicaragua and spend the bulk of our time before heading to South America in Costa Rica. We realized quickly however that there is a ton to do in beautiful Nicaragua and the price is certainly right. So now after a week, we are still going strong in this historic country filled with volcanos, lakes, colonial cities and bearded monkies.

Our first stop on our tour of Nicaragua was in Leon. We stayed at the Big Foot hostel (where I ran into a friend from Camp Tawonga-- small small world) and filled our days with visiting beautiful old cathedrals, touring the city, mojitos and volcano boarding. What is volcano boarding you may be asking... Well you see, volcano boarding is where you hike up one side of an active volcano and then essentially toboggan back down (on a giant slab of wood) in the volcanic ash on the opposite side. Some people go as fast as 80 km down the volcano-- I opted for a much slower (and safer) pace-- infact I went so slow that my speed was unable to register on the spedometer!... I was pretty proud of that one! To partake in the volcano boarding fun we had to wear orange jail-esque jumpsuits, goggles, bandanas, etc. We slightly resembled criminals picking garbage up from the side of the highway for community service!... We wore the look well! It was an incredible adventure from start to finish, inlcuding the crazy off-road style truck ride to and from the volcano-- transportation in Central America is always a wild ride. We were greeting back to the hostel with  mojitos (the house specialty of our hostel), which always were given out in twos-- I like how they operate!

After Leon, we made our way to Isla Los Brasiles-- about 20 minutes north of Leon. We stayed at the Surfing Turtle Lodge, an incredible oceanside oasis owned by some folks from Toronto! The Surfing Turtle featured (all oceanside) a sand volleyball court, bonfire pit, bar and grill. The sun was shining bright upon our arrival and we quickly got set-up, suitted up and enjoyed the afternoon laying out by the ocean, walking along the beach and getting our rest and relaxation on. Dinner was a delicious family style meal consisting of fresh caught grilled mackerel, potatoes and green beans in a delicous sauce... It was incredible! After dinner we introduced our new Aussie and Kiwi friends to the fine art of smore making as we enjoyed a classic campfire evening-- guitar, singing and all!

We are now in Grenada which features the usual line-up of churches, colonial architecture, a bustling central park area and a rich history to learn about. Our plans for today include a tour of a chocolate factory, a tour of a cigar factory, a walk to the pier, some swimming, sunset from a cathedral roof and an evening massage at a local spa to indulge ourselves just a little-- or I suppose to further indulge ourselves based on the amazingness of our journey so far! We will be in Grenada for a couple days and then off to San Juan Del Sur-- a surf, backpacker and party paradise, south of our current location.

Me gusta Nicaragua... Surfing Turtle, Bearded Monkey and all!

Team California and Captain Cookie

We have now been on the island of Utila in Honduras for 5 days and are loving the laid back island lifestyle!

We arrived to Utila on perhaps the most dangerous, scary and needless to say turbulent boat rides I have ever been on. We laughed when we first got on the boat and a crew member handed out plastic vomit bags to everyone on board-- this should have been a sign of what was ahead. The bags weren't as funny within 20 minutes when half the boat was using them! I am proud to say that Beth and I-- aka Team California-- did not use our bags and survived the crazy ride... although barely! I have never been so relieved to arrive to the shore. Amen.

Once you arrive on the island the next hurdle to jump is trying to find a dive school that fits your needs, budget, social desires, etc. Most people come to Utila to dive, as it is pretty much the only thing to do here in addition to eat and drink. Beth and I ended up at Cross Creek who offered us a fair rate, accommodations included and we really liked the set-up of the school. An added bonus to diving with Cross Creek is that they proudly employ the loudest and most outwardly joyful captain on the island... Captain Cookie! A true lover of life Cookie will tell you multiple times in a day... 'I am black, poor and ugly... but damn, am I happy!' Never sure how to respond to this statement-- we smile, laugh and enjoy his extreme optimism! Tonight Cookie is taking us on a sunset boat ride out on the ocean-- should be awesome! I am sure he will have some fine words of wisdom to share as the sunsets!

The waters surrounding Utila are absolutely gorgeous-- incredible reef, colorful fish of all shapes and sizes, dolphins, sharks-- you name it, Utila has it! Being a part of the dive school also allows us access to snorkel gear and kayaks-- also amazing fun! Being on Utila gives us the perfect dose of island life-- it has been great to stay in one place again for awhile. We still have a few more days here on the island and then we will be off heading towards Nicaragua, followed by Costa Rica. We have a flight booked from Panama City to Bogota, Colombia on December 1-- and with that we will say good-bye to Central America and begin the South American portion of our journey!

I find it so hard to believe that I have already been on my epic adventure for a month! The time has been flying by as the fun and exploration is taking place. I am REALLY loving traveling and am so excited for all that the months ahead hold. The truth is, traveling isn't always easy-- your stomach is never quite right, your bus always arrives late and leaves too early, when it rains--well, it pours and sometimes there are bugs in your bed-- or on the island there are crabs shimmying around your cabin. Sometimes the locals don't want to help or talk to you and sometimes they never shut up! Bathrooms are rarely clean and the sewage pipes can't handle  toilet paper, so it goes into gnarly waste baskets. Minor cuts get infected, air quality can be poor and you always have to watch your back-- and your friends'. And lastly whatever you do-- don't drink the water! All of this said, there is nothing quite as remarkable and inspiring as visiting new places, trying new things, experiencing new cultures and meeting incredible people along the way that help shape the journey. I would not trade a moment of this experience for anything!

Drunken Horse Races and Dancing on Graves

I am currently showered and refreshed after a crazy few days in Todos Santos for Day of the Dead. We are spending the night in Xela and then off tomorrow to begin our journey towards the Bay Islands in Honduras to learn how to dive!

Back to Todos Santos...

Todos Santos is known to have the wildest and craziest Day of the Dead celebration and in my humble opinion most eccentric as well. Many people in the community save money all year in order to be able to participate in the celebrations which include ellaborate costumes, drunken horse races and singing and dancing in the colorful cemetary. Oh, there also are chicken sacrifices (for good luck of course), a slightly dangerous but very fun ferris wheel, and of course lots of delicious street food up for grabs!

Throughut the year no alcohol is sold in Todos Santos (it is a traditional rural Mayan community) and community members for the most part do not drink-- with the exception of this glorious fiesta where they drink in extreme amounts. The men of the town get incredibly drunk and spend the 3 days of the fiesta stumbling around throughout the town, dancing and singing, getting into fights (and often getting thrown into the very public jail which we visited), racing horses and of course often passing out on the side of the road, in the road, on a store stoop or for the most drunk in the middle of a crowd.

After each lap of the horse race the participants need to drink and very quickly the race becomes quite sloppy, especially considering the participants have been drinking since the night before to prepare. Riders fall off their horses, fall asleep on their horses and occasionally (rumor has it they make the horses drink too) the horses take a little spill as well. The races go on all day and locals and tourists a like stand in the sidelines taking in the sights, sounds and spills of this drunken race.

Another highlight from our time in Todos Santos includes a Mayan ritual ceremony we attended to bless the men and their horses... It was extremely  interesting and awesome to be a part of. My favorite part was when the shaman leading the ritual spit rum in my face (it wasn't personal-- I just had really too good of a seat)... I think I am going to have really good luck from now on! I feel blessed.

Day of the Dead in Todos Santos was an experience never to forget... drunken horse racing and all!

From horseracing to diving-- stay tuned for our Honduras adventures!