South of the Border

Fourth time in Nicaragua.  Second time in Granada.  In a sentence, Granada is a visual and olfactory overload. There are people everywhere.  Children, women with huge baskets on their heads (a real talent by the way), taxi's and their car horns, men and their shoeshine stations, even a man selling cheese that asks ''Do you want cheese?''  - Just like that.  I replied, ''Sorry Sir, no cheese for me''.   I enjoy my  tri  monthly trips to Nicaragua or several reasons, one things here are cheaper and two its a mini vacation.  Although the distance from Costa Rica to Nicaragua so no greater then state to state in the USA, the simple act of border crossing (a whole another topic if you ask me) and stepping to another country is incredible.   My brother getting is hair cut. San Juan del Sur 2011 Now if you have visited both Costa Rica and Nicaragua will you know this, but if you haven't you are in for a real surprise.  These coun...

On my route to work the other day, I decided that my coffee would be just a little smoother with some milk.  So I decide to swing into the neighborhood pulperia (small typical convenience store in just about every neighborhood in Costa Rica- abarrotes o mini supers in other countries) for a small box.  On my way in I wish my vecinos a good day, and all the while smiling at the beautiful day I have ahead of me. Things get better once there because today is the day the clini is open, so there are tons of people in the neighborhood (WAIT, don't get confused, Im not happy because there are sick people or people that need to visit the clinic... keep reading) Im happy because that means that other people bring their wares to sell. ANNNND  It just so happens that while I am shooting the breeze with the son of the pulperia owner, who is obligated to work at the family store, in walks a Colombia man selling arepa con queso.  Obviously I have to buy one.  I love homem...

I am shocked and amazed that a year has gone by.  I remember starting this blog in Oct 2011 like it was yesterday.  I was sitting at my moms kitchen counter, trying to figure out what my blog was going to be about.  Then I hit the rode and zipped around with my homie Hayley. Then a little volunteer, some rodeos and adventures along the way, a trip to Peru and Colombia and now... Im a Director of a Supplemental Education program in Costa Rica.  How fly is that? I actually think about this little blog and I feel slightly sorry.  I wish I would have kept things up to date... but my relaxing time in Colombia was spent well, relaxing so it was a rude (but welcomed) awakening when I got back to Playa Samara and went RIGHT BACK TO WORK! Had to go to the states for a besties wedding! I have truly had an amazing year of travel, work play and more.  Friends got married, surf torneo were held, 10ks were run, futbol games were watched, programs flurished, N...

OK- I think I have written enough about PERU- I had amazing time there, but basically the last ten days there I hung out in LIMA- A very clean city- at least where I was- Miraflores y San Isidro - mas o menos. I walked basically everywhere as to not take a cab- this got a lot of attention from cabbies. I smoked a pack of lucky strikes- less then a dollar! Actually I dont smoke, but I was bored-- I know, but gimme a break! Im 24 and I can do that.  Okay so Im walking the street of LIMA and smoking and it still doesn't stop the cat calling- ugh! Seriously some of the worst- old men, young men, security guards, business men - etc. WHAT ELSE... went down the coast and saw where the rich limeanos live - a coupld weeks a year. Private Beach communities and we huge difference between the haves and the have nots. okay- then I left of COLOMBIA! COLOMBIA- Bogota- arrive around 8pm- I get my bag real quick and Im actually a little nervous because I dont see my friends. WELL Im not too nervo...

I have offically been neglecting my blog- "sorry blog, you know I love you". But really, I feel bad. I was in PERU and I went to COLOMBIA- I LOVED COLOMBIA and then on the 22nd of March I return to CR! And as soon as I got to Costa Rica, my brother was here, and FAMOUS Hayley was here and I had to get to the beach, find my apartment, get my friends settled start a new job, by the end of the second week I had a second job and all this was happening at once, and thus the blog went on the back burner. SO where was I... ah yea- back to Cusco then the ride to LIMA- this trip wasn't so bad other then the fact there was a landslide blocking the road in the middle of the night and we were set back a little bit... otherwise I got to LIMA no problem and then took a cab to dead g-mamas house.  This was a thursday night and the coolest thing ever... my Friend Ricardo from D.F was in town on Business so I called him and we planned to meet at the park near his hotel in Miraflores! CO...

Refreshed, rejuvinated, re everything.  After the three hour boat ride we arrive at Las Islas Flotantes, Los Uros.  I had heard about these island, but nothing compares to seeing them in person.  From a distance you can see the reeds, and then you start to see that there are structures in the reeds.  Then the boat rounds a corner and on both sides of what we'll call a river through the reeds there are these little community so to speak.  Each island houses about 2 to three families... and each island is made of about 4meters of reeds.  The Uros utilize the reed roots as the base, then the reeds (green part) as the "floor" the roots are cut into cubes (roughly about a cube meter) and then tied together, then the grass part of the reed is pilled on top... the roots keep the islands afloat  and well it was truely a site unlike any other.  It was like a magical fantasy world that one only sees in childrens pop up books.... Speaking of pop up books, so...