Valcanoes, Brits, and Senor Manuel Antonio

After leaving Panama, the boys and I headed to La Fortuna, Costa Rica. La Fortuna is the small town just below the volcano, Arenal. It was AMAZING there! We stayed at a hostel called Arenal Backpackers. For our first tour, we hiked around the volcano to a wonderful that was FREEZING cold, but we swam anyway. We hollered with some monkeys and then went to the Arenal Observatory where we saw the volcano actually erupt!!! It was so cool! I have never seen real lava before- WOWSERS. At the end of the night, we stopped at the hot springs called Baldi Springs. It was like a water park of HOT springs! So crazy! Complete with water slides and all. During the tour we met two of my new favorite people; Hayley and Debra (not to be confused with Debbie) from London. HILARIOUS chicas! Made for some really awesome entertainment and banter. LOVE them.

We ended up staying at Arenal Backpackers for three nights! It was more like a resort than anything else. There was a pool, hammocks, and DELICIOUS food. Our second day there we did ziplining through the forest. CRAZY high up in the trees. The best part was this tarzan swing that makes you so scared you could pee yourself.

A very long and bumpy shuttle ride later we have arrived in Manuel Antonio. Just got here though and it's "pissing" rain as the brits would say - LOVED THEM. Hopefully tomorrow I can take a surf lesson or something. There is also a monkey sanctuary or some sort here. Might check that out tomorrow. So far I can only tell you that it's a really hilly area and the view from the hostel is REMARKABLE. We are really high up and it directly overlooks the ocean. Beautiful.

A couple weeks into the trip I am beginning to feel the starts of difficult-ness. I cannot imagine how people do this their whole lives. I still love every second, but it's really hard and draining to spend so much time really getting to know some incredible people and then two days later have them leave and begin from scratch again. Not going to lie it's exhausting. After just a couple days of hanging out you feel so close to them, it's surreal. So, every time they leave it's like saying goodbye to a close friend over and over again. WHEW. Part of the experience though I suppose...

Till next time!!!! PICS!

Farewell Panama!

Packing up to move spots ultra vez! Leaving early tomorrow AM to head back into Costa Rica. The boys and I are going to the Pacific side of the country to visit the volcanoe, Arenal for a few days. Then poor Jandro has to head back to the states. SAD, SAD thing...

Yesterday the four of us hired a boat to take us around Bocas to a couple different snorkeling spots and a beach. Bianca and I beat a coconut out of a tree and I filled it with rum. YUM! It was mighty delicious. I always thought that the brown coconuts were the ripe ones, but in fact the green ones are actually quite a bit better! They are sweeter. I got a brown one like the tourist that I am, but it was still yummy. The hostel we are staying at had a huge rager last night. LOADS of people come from all over the island to dance and what not. It was mighty fun, I must say. There is a diving board that lands in the ocean and some rowdy kids were bouncing off at somewhere around two AM... not to name names, but those hooligans might go by Jake and Jandro....ha ha

I am meeting all kinds of people. For the last few days, we have been traveling with this gentleman from London. He has been traveling alone all over the world for something like 2 years. His name is Simon. Before he left London, he was a computer programmer. I suppose he bored of that and decided that exploring the world was a better way to spend his time. I may have to agree with him.

Jandro and Jake decided that the hostel with 11 bunk beds and a cold shower in each room coupled with the nightly ragers and random hook ups left and right was a bit much to handle for another night, so they booked a nicer hotel on the main island for like $60/night. No thanks, Bianca and I are sticking to the $10 beds. I find it cozy in its own little charming way. What's one more night among many to come? Bianca and I have coined these two has the "princessas" of our group. Well deserved, I think... :)

PICS!

Panama

Made it to Panama today!!! I remember why I love this place so much. The weather is incredibly interesting to say the least...the surrounding land is more beautiful than a picture...I could not imagine it better. I made it to a computer store today and purhased a small computer that I think will be PERFECT for traveling. It has a Webcam so Skype chatting will be extremeley easily done!!!

Quick recap. When we arrived in San Jose, Costa Rica, we headed to Cahuita on the Carribean coast. Cahuita is an extremely small little coastal town with a beautiful national forest. It was a perfect first stop. Some really incredible food and really relaxing atmosphere. From there we headed to Puerto Viejo further down the Carribean Coast of Costa Rica. Puerto Viejo has a very ¨rasta¨ feel- Lots of Bob Marley. Really good food there as well, but a bit expensive. The owner of the hostel there, Rocking J leads probably one of the most interesting lives I could ever dream of. He was born in Nogales, Arizona of all places... For the last ten years, he has been running this hostel that has some really incredible art work. All the guests have the opportunity to make a design made out of broken scraps of tile all over the walls and floor of the hostel. Literally the whole place is covered in really interesting tile art. Rocking J lives in a treehouse above the entire hostel. This place is the castle of all tree houses. It´s huge!!! He gave us a tour and then sat with us for a good few hours while explaining about his recent travels to Germansy and Swizerland to explore abandoned Nazi military bunkers...WHOA! Not sure that was legal... but he showed us pics...it´s legit! He and his 17 year old son who is studying to be a Shaman traveling for 4 months! What an interesting childhood!!!

This morning we caught a bus, taxi, ferry, and then water taxi to make it to my favorite place in the world, Bocas Del Toro!!! Who knows what the next few days will entail, but I am sure it will be INCREDIBLE!!!

Love you all!

Final Preparations

Welcome to my blog! I have never kept a blog before, so bear with me while I get cozy with its many functions. Opening a blog was on my "to do" list before embarking on my Costa Rican adventure! It's about time right!?!? I cannot believe it is finally here. I can hardly contain the excitement and anxiousness that has overwhelmed me the past few months.

Here is a quick break down of the tentative plan. Jake Gray, Jando and I all leave tomorrow evening at about 6PM. We arrive in San Jose, Costa Rica at roughly 5:30AM! WOAH! So early! That was on purpose! We intend to get the HECK out of San Jose as quickly and safely as possible. The capital of Costa Rica is not the most exciting place on the planet to spend time. We are, of course, more interested in the many natural atmospheres that Costa Rica has to offer; beaches, volcanoes, national forests (Costa Rica has one of the biggest in the world!).

The adventure begins tomorrow!!! Check back soon to get many updates! I hope to share some awesome stories, and experiences with you all. I have been waiting so long for this! HOORAY!