NICARAGUA MARCH 17-??????????I took this photograph at the Monte Verde El Jardin de Mariposas, a butterfly garden in Costa Rica but forgot to post it with the Costa Rica blog. I hope you love this picture as much as we do! It just makes us feel all warm and happy inside.

Let´s get down to business, shall we? Here is the scoop.....
We left Costa Rica and headed across the border into Nicaragua. We decided to begin with a sleepy little surf town called San Juan Del Sur. The Nicaraguan side of the border is erratic, misleading, and ambagious, to say the least. We were sweaty and irritated when out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of another couple that appeared to be as exasperated as we were. I slowly creeped over and with the biggest smile I uttered ¨Do you speak English?¨ It was love at first sight. Not only did they speak English, but they are from Toronto, been together for 4 years, been travelling the same amount of time that we have and...they were also going to San Juan Del Sur!!!! Wow, this could be fun... As it turns out, fun is a huge understatement, we had an absolute blast with Steve and Tania!! Let the story begin...

Our first day in San Juan Del Sur was classic. We decided to visit a beach that was 12 kilometers away( of course we couldn´t just stay at the local beach, that would be way to easy). After some intense bargaininng we jumped in what seemed to be a cab- type van thing( he had the lowest price...for a reason), and were on our way to the beach. It was supposed to take 20 minutes. After a 25 minute errand run around town, in which he picked up a spare tire, a huge container of water, and one of his friends, we finally began the torrturous grovelling tip-toe to the beach. After 10 minutes on the unpaved road the car started smoking and overheating. We stopped, they opened the hood and poured some water into the smoking engine. We were at a stand still for at least 15 minutes. This happened three more times and then finally (it had been well over an hour) he just stopped the car and old us to get out and walk the rest of the way...and pay him full price.- Yikes. We were fed up with this nonsense, as well as intoxicated by the fumes, so agreed that would be best. The beach was lovely and the water sublime. The waves at this beach are said to be the best for surfing in all of Cental America, and by the looks of the professional surfers out there, I believe it. We all wanted to have a go at it so Tania and Steve decided to rent a surf board. All was going swell (no pun intended he he he), when Tania surfaced from the water and started walking toward us, head down, broken surf board in hand. Long story short, there was a big, bad Nicaraguan guy pounding his fist, looking at Steve when he brought the board back in 2 pieces. They had words, and they tried to get them to pay $300.00 U.S., yeah right. They finally agreed upon( well kinda) $50.00, and we ran as fast as our sunburned legs could carry us. On the road we flagged down a passing pick up truck (safety in numbers), and he pointed for us to get in the back. Score!!! Well at least we thought we scored, he dropped us off on the side of the road after only 5 minutes. We thought, O.k., we can do this, it will only take us a few hours to walk back, it might be fun. The sweat was dripping down our bodies like glue and we needed a cold drimk. Alas, a bar seemed to be on the horizon, but what is the crowd for? As we approached the bar, there were a bunch of locals screaming and yelling at what looked like a mini boxing ring...a cock fight, oh no, get me outta here fast! Brad and Steve wanted to experience a little local flavor so they went in and watched the action. They came out looking disorientated and Brad says¨The white one lost, he´s dead, and Sam you are so happy you didnt witness that..¨ Yes I am Brad. Yes I am.

We walked for an eternity until we realized we were lost. Just at that moment a huge red dump truck with a faded Coca Cola Ad on the side started our way. He slowed down, Steve explained where we need to go, and he told us to get in. Score! Well, once again, he only took us a few minutes and then let us out. We finally made it back after sunset, but not before we came upon the creepiest monkey ever at this little farm house. As usual, Brad wanted to snap a photo. As soon as he got close enough the monkey lunged at him and almost took his head off. Brad took the pic just in time!!!!! (We also found a wooden dildo on the side of the road, no joke, but that is an entirely different story...creepy and geeky and it smells like stinky pinky!)
Scary monkey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After San Juan Del Sur we headed to Isla Ometepe, a volcanoc island in the middle of Lago De Nicaragua, the bigget lake in Central America. There are two volcanoes on the island, Conception and Maderas. Conception is still active and many people visit the island to hike up one or both of these extraordinary volcanoes. We didn´t realize that we were some of those people, but after the boys convinced us that we should do it, we reluctantly gave in. We opted for Maderas, the inactive one. It took 12 hours from start to finish and was the most gruelling hike of all of our lives to date. Our guide only spoke Spanish, which added another intriguing element. The path was rocky, steep, wet and muddy. When I say muddy, I mean filthy, slippery, thick, stinky mud that cakes on your clothes and shoes and reminds you that you are loco for attempting the hike in the first place. Once we finally made it to the top we were rewared with a magestic prize...Crater lake. This tranquil and undisturbed place is genuinely awe-inspiring. We felt at peace here, if only for a moment. Time to go down....I wanted to kick and scream and call a helicopter to pick us up, but the damage was done and we had to get down before dark.

The mud was everywhere. Our shoes were covered, but luckily there was a ¨lavadero de zapatos¨, translated laundry mat for your shoes.

I never thought the mud would come out of these pants, but it did! I should have been in a Tide commercial!

I love adventure, but this is ridiculous! I must admit that I was bitter they entire way down.

My mother and your mother were washing shoes, my mother........
Conception and Maderas. View from the ferry across Lago de Nicaragua.

This monkey baby was so precious. Her name is Cindy, imagine that! We got to play with her for an hour and she kept stealing our staws and cervesas. It is such an invigorating feeling to hold a baby monkey. She was the highlight of the day!

They are really weird about their rum here in Nicaragua aren´t they?


Just having a romantic evening out on the town. Love is grand!

This photo was taken at the broken surf board beach, right before we got chased outta there!!!!


Granada, Nicaragua, March 23-25, 2007

We are finally up to date on the blog! We are in Granada today, where we must say goodbye to our dynamite new friends. We have had such an amzing time with them ( where´s my q-tips ) and know that we will stay in touch. We are off to Honduras tomorrow and they are headed to Guatemala. Don´t worry Tania and Steve for we will always have Nicaragua. lol.

Viva¨Team Nicaragua!!!¨

PAVONES, COSTA RICA...Home of the best: twilight swims, sunsets, skinny dips, hermit crab Battle Royals, cozy beds to sleep in, awesome snorkeling, and waves...only we don´t surf all that well...
OSA PENNINSULA, COSTA RICA This penninsula is home to hundreds of species of wildlife that can only be found here. Corcovado National Park takes up more than 50% of the penninsula and many mysterious and endangered types of wildlife enjoy their life here without the fear of being hunted or poached. Ticos, or Costa Ricans realize the importance of preserving the environment and the evidence is displayed by the many National Parks located throughout this ambrosial country.
Monte Verde, Costa Rica
We have been waiting to experience the Rainforest Zip Line since our decision to come to Costa Rica...2 years ago!!!!! I must say that flying through the tree tops at 20 miles an hour, 400+ feet in the air does something special for me. O.k. I´m weird, but I think you all already knew that right? It was well worth the 2 year wait and our adrenaline is still pumping!!!!! Yipeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
He looks nice and calm, but on the inside he is crying like a little baby. If you look close you may be able to spot his diaper! I kidd, I kidd!!!

Nan, this one is for you! We just wanted to add another cow to your collection. We love you and can´t wait to see you! The monkeys here are friendly and so cute too!










Central America has provided us with many new friends and this guy is awesome! His name is Elam and we took an intense nature hike with him and a few others (and a guide Mom, don´t worry) through Corvovado National Park. The hike was strenuous and at times we were actually hiking in waist deep water in the river...yikes! Remember that movie Stand By Me? Yeah, I sure do, and after being in the river about 30 seconds Elam chuckles ¨Hey guys, make sure you check for leeches!¨I laughed and pulled out my bathing suit bottoms for a look-see and guess what I find? A leech has decided to make my private area his lunch!!!!! I screamed and ripped it off, but I am deeply scarred for life, not literally cauz he was only on there for a few seconds, thank God! Like I said before...if it can bite( or suck my blood in this case) it will find me!
Yet another lovely hike in Costa Rica, only this time it was around the base of Volcan Arenal. Arenal is an active Volcano and the last major erruption occured only 38 years ago, killing hundreds of people and 45,000 head of cattle. It is constanly errupting on a small scale everyday and on a clear night you can view the bright orange lava creeping down the sides. We took a trip to the Baldi Hot Springs and enjoyed an evening in the caliente agua while sipping on cocktails at the swim up bar. It was a marvelous night!
This green parrot is common throughout Costa Rica. Unfortunately, we were unable to snap a photo of the specatcular Crimson Maccaw, which is found on the Osa penninsula, so his distant cousin, the Green Parrot, will have to suffice!
This photo was taken just before the hike around the Volcan Arenal. We saw many monkeys, parrots, and a Tucan!!!!! We were also lucky enough to spot several three and two toed Sloths while we were in Costa Rica. Sloths are the cutest animals. They seriously look like Ewoks!
Igunas are plentiful in Costa Rica, and they are sooo huge. This guy became our friend rather quickly after he found out we had raisins!
Manuel Antonio National Park. The water was so warm and clear we just couldn´t resist several qiuck dips throughout our hike in the park.
Sunrise over the Osa Penninsula. Isn´t is grand?
We finally made it to Costa Rica!

Brad, Phil, Me, and Candyce, Pavones, Costa Rica

COSTA RICA March 3-March19, 2007
PURA VIDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hola mis amigos y familia! Costa Rica is muy perfecto y muy bonita! Me gusta Costa Rica mucho! O.K., O.K., I 'll stop with the spanish, but we are so proud of how far our Spanish has come along in the past couple of weeks.
We reluctantly left Panama and were ready for our first stop in Costa Rica...Pavones! My best friend Lyndee's parents live in Pavones in a spectacular beach house that overlooks the Pacific ocean. A constant breeze of sweet smelling flowers fills their beautiful home and we felt so warm and cozy here we REALLY did not want to leave. Once again we became spoiled very quickly! Wow, we could get used to this...They took us in, fed us, let us do our laundry, and even had a fridge stocked with beer and wine, they must have known we were coming...(not really.. we kinda showed up unannounced). We would like to thank them again for the warm welcome and sincerely great time we had with them. Thanks Phil and Candyce, we look forward to visiting again soon!

Eco-Tourism and Costa Rica
Everyone who knows us knows about our love of nature and the outdoors, which is why Costa Rica was a perfect place for us to visit. Although we have definitely experienced our share of the outdoors throughout this trip, the cultural experiences ( and culture shock..you all remember the India blog...) has been the forfront of most of this journey thus far, but eco-tourism is what drew us to Costa Rica. People come to Costa Rica for the nature, the lush tropical rainforests, and the vast array of animals, reptiles, and birds that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. We are polishing up on our Spanish, meeting locals, and having a blast. Costa Rica was wonderful...PURA VIDA!!!!!!!!

Brad, Me, and Brad´s Mom!!! Put this one on the wall Cyn! We love you!
Bocas Del Toro, Isla Bastimentos, Panama Feb 20-26, 2007
We started off our Panamanian leg of the journey on the islands of Bocas Del Toro. We were treated to an unexpected kindness by the gentlemen who own Al Natural Resort on the Island of Isla Bastimentos ( Thanks for calling Cyn!!). We had no reservations to this resort and wanted to be able to stay near Brad´s Mom, but they were full. They made an exception for us and allowed us to stay in their own personal guesthouse for free...minus the cost of food. Mind you they fed us three sumptious meals a day, and provided us with enough wine with dinner to make even the most graceful( yeah sure) and unexpecting person fall off the dock...he he he. Thanks Vincent and Michele!
The times we had while visiting this remote and lovely island were surely some of the very best we have had on this entire journey. The snorkeling was perfect, the weather was perfect, the kayaking was...well yes, can you guess it...PERFECT. We truly LOVED it here and WILL be coming back, hopefully sooner than later.

I am so happy I just don´t know what to do! We had just hiked around the southern tip of the island, through dense tropical forest, where we spotted the most beautiful butterfly in the world, the Morpho, as well as the endangered Poison Red and Green dart frog.The jungle opened up to the sea and the breeze was invigorating and delicious. We continued the hike until we stumbled upon a man screaming at us with his Carribean accect to " Come over and grab a f*cking cold one" this man is named Palo. Palo is a local who was born on the island and is one of the funniest characters we have met on our journey. He loves to swear, particularly F*ck this and f**cking that, and offers the coldest beers on the island. He is hilarious and we had a blast with him..Cheers until next time Palo!!!!!

Isla Bastimentos...pure paradise. I feel that over the past 7 months I have severely abused the word ¨paradise¨ and thus rendering its' poignant and true meaning useless, but I will admit to you now that Isla Bastimentos is paradise in its most intrinsic form. The aesthetics alone of this unworldy place will blow you away, not to mention the warm tropical turqouise waters that soothe the soul, the bluer than blue skies, the greener than green rainforest, the whiter than white sand beaches and the rainbow of creations under the water that are so exquisite you are intoxicated by the sheer reality that such beauty and harmony exists in this vast and complicated world. Earth.... what a dynamic creation.

My photographer boyfriend snapped this perfect photo of the Poison Red and Green dart frog, an endangered species. This frog is disappearing rapidly from our world and we feel so priveliged to have been able to view it in its diminishing natural environment. This shot is amazing don´t you think?

Me and Cyn (MPH he he he) having the best time ever snorkling in the Caribbean! That day we saw: snappers, eagle rays, morray eels, parrot fish, trigger fish, baracuda, octopus, scorpion fish, sea urchin, sea cucumbers and tons of mini florescent fishies that were soooo cute...right from our dock! The huge brain coral and sea fans were some of the best!

This was at the beginning of our 10 hour hike over the volcano..It reminds me of a song I used to know, wanna hear it here it goes....¨Over the river and through the woods, to Granmother's house we go¨...only the river is a Volcano, the woods are jungle, and Grandma doesn´t live anywhere around here. Sh*t, what should we do?

Who is this local islander? It´s Bradley, the long lost Kanuk who fell in love with Isla Bastimentos and decided to stay there forever...well maybe not forever, but there will always be a special place in his heart( and mine!) for this most perfect island paradise.

The elusive Quetzale is a spectacular site, if you are lucky enough to spot it. This gorgeous bird is the prize of Cerra Punta, Panama and draws faithful bird watchers from all over the world. We were hoping to catch a glimpse, and even had our trusty binoculars close by at all times (thanks Mike and Julie!), but were unable to find this rather shy birdie. We have had our share of wildlife though, dont you worry about that...Ever heard of a three toed sloth? Yeah, we have seen 6 of them, two of which had babies, and all in the wild, but that part of the story will come later in the Costa Rica section of this tardy blog.

This is a spectacular view of the mountains and Volcano, just outside Cerra Punta, Panama. We decided advantagously, and certainly spontanously, to hike the 15 mile (11 hour) hike from the city of Volcan over the Volcano, through the virgin tropical RAIN forest (notice I capitalize RAIN...most humans with any level of intelligence would bring a rain jacket when hiking through a rain forest) and into the town of Boquette. Problem is, we had know idea where the trail, if you can call it that, was going to let us out. We ended up somewhere in the mountains, in the pouring rain, without any idea where we were or how we would get back to Volcan. It was too late to even consider hiking back through the jungle, and we just stood there at a crossroad, arguing which way would take us back to civilization. Then out of nowhere this clunking minivan pulled up, the owner and his son took one look at our pathetic, Gringo asses, and asked if we needed a ride. Why yes, fine young gentlemen, however did you guess? He took us to town, a 20 minute ride by car, and dropped us off at the bus stop. Our journey did not end there. No, No my friends it was just about to begin. We hailed down an old yellow school bus, jumped in and in broken spanish asked if it was going down the mountain. As kids, we both loved the Atari game "Frogger" , so jumping from city to city finding our way home only seemed like a silly little game, one in which a warm, bed bug free bed awaited us at the finish line! The school bus ride down the mountain lasted 1 hour. Once we were in the town of David, we desperately searched for a bus to take us home, but to no avail...we had just missed the last bus! We jumped on another bus ( 1/2 hour or so) going in a similar direction, hopped off and hailed a taxi for the duration of the journey. Big Mistake!!!! This guy was pinche loco! He was zipping around like a madman all while text messaging some unlucky girl somewhere. We were terrified and and the dense fog was not doing anything to ease our tense nerves. After 40 minutes of horror we finally arrived at our destination...at 10 p.m! Frogger's got nothin on us. To bad the bedbug-free bed does not exist in Sam's world...

This is a view from our boat on Isla Bastimentos. The picture cannot even begin to show the true beauty of this magical wonderland, but I´m sure you can use your imagination!

Brad and his beautiful mommy on the uninhabited island of Zapitillos, Panama. This is the island where the first Survivor was filmed. The scenery is breathtaking as are the surrounding coral reefs. Once your boat docks and you hop onto the soft sand, you feel as if your feet are the first to ever explore this seemingly endless beach.

O.K, I have finally accepted my fate. If it can bite me, it will. This also includes animals, such as one particular dog named Barney. This picture doesn't even come close to showing all of the 250+ Sand flea, or as the locals call them Chitras, bites I accumulated in in 6 hours time on Carenero Island. I have never in my entire life been in such itching agony! I cried myself to sleep one night, then went hysterical the next day and experienced "temperary itching insanity" (it actually exists...I swear) and told Brad I wanted to come home. What a nightmare that was. For me to actually contemplate leaving paradise, you know how truly unbearable those bites were. Don't worry, the scars last as a loving memory of Chitra Island ( so the locals call it, a bit of advice I would have liked to know BEFORE going there! ) However, I did have an amazing time on Chitra Island, minus those pinche pests! Chitras = 258 Sam = "I want to go home" ...single tear

Fancy a nap in a hammock with your loved one? I know I do!

So sad we had to leave Bocas! Sobb sobb, choke coke, more sobb, more choke...WWWWAAAAAAAAAA! O.k. so we're babies and we got spoiled like good little babies should while we were in Panama. Now it´s back to the real travel life...sobb sobb.

We are actually in Costa Rica right now, and have been since March 3, 2007. we promise to have that lovely blog posted as soon as possible. Costa Rica is awesome, but we must move on. Off to Nicaragua!!! We'll keep you posted.