City Life – Cartagena and Medellin
After eight days on the sea, we were happy to reach land in Cartagena, Colombia. After locating a hostel, we took a night stroll in the Old City. “Wow, this place reminds me of Madrid.” Well, there’s a good reason for that. Cartagena was, in fact, colonized by Spain. The city has remaining walls of defense and cannons bordering the Caribbean. Inside the old city are many bustling streets filled with colorful buildings, many street vendors, performance artists, massive cathedrals, and museums. In total, we spent 5 days enjoying all the city had to offer.
One of my favorite spots was the Museo del Oro. The museum features gold artifacts and teaches about techniques of ancient goldsmiths. For example, the earrings pictured below were created using the bees wax method. Goldsmiths rolled beeswax into thin strips which they weaved together to create different patterns. In this case, the goldsmith would do his best to create two matching designs. The beeswax patterns were then put into a clay vase like mold, and the mold was put into a fire to harden. When the clay was set, the now liquid beeswax was poured out. Molten gold was poured into the space created by the wax and the clay vase was returned to the fire. After the vase was removed and cooled, the clay was chipped away leaving beautiful, intricate gold earrings.
Most of our days were spent wandering the city streets and admiring the beauty of the city. I’ll let the pictures speak for me…
Another of my favorite parts of Cartagena was the availability and quality of the street food. My favorite, a Colombian classic, was the arepa. Although they vary throughout Colombia, arepas in Cartagena were like homemade biscuits sizzling on a griddle. When ordered, they were cut in half, slathered in butter, and stuffed with a sharp parmesan like cheese. We spent some time hunting down our favorite a-rap-ist…
It was time to continue Southward, so Saturday night we took the overnight bus (95,000 each) to Medellin. When the morning light arrived, we were surrounded by beautiful mountains and the city began to come into view. A huge city.
We made our way to Barrio Poblado and checked into a hostel. Bonus – all you can drink Colombian coffee and hot showers! We felt like royalty. For the record, drinking coffee straight from the source is like no other. Might be more than coffee in this coffee…
We spent the first night in Medellin on the salsa dance floor and I fell in love with dance culture – which we really don’t have in the States.
The next few days we spent enjoying the city. We visited a botanical garden (which is a little lackluster after spending the night in the jungle 😉 ) and viewed the sculptures downtown. We also enjoyed the Museum of Modern Art which contained a large exhibit of drawings and animations by one artist. While in the city, we also took advantage of the cable cars as a cheap way to overlook the city.
On Wednesday, we took a bus to Guatape to visit La Piedra, a huge rock jutting out of the Earth. 10 mil and 740 steps gets you to the top where you are rewarded with breathtaking views of the mountains and surrounding lakes. Our favorite part of Medellin was actually leaving Medellin.
After the climb, we walked to the colorful town of Guatape. All the building are beautifully decorated with all the colors of the rainbow. From Guatape, we grabbed a bus and headed back to the city.
On our last night in Medellin, we decided to spoil ourselves and went looking for a nice spot for dinner and drinks. We checked some menus, and at one place we were handed a card soliciting their all you can drink cocktail special. With the card, 2 ladies could drink for the price of one. So for 20 mil (about $10 US) we drank as many mojitos as we wanted. Probably the best drink special ever.
So far, Colombia has been one of my favorite countries we’ve visited. However, us country girls were really ready to leave the city life. After some research, we found the next destination.
We’re off.
Sailing the San Blas – Bienvenido a América del Sur!
Well, the time had come to say Adios to Central America and cross into Colombia. As you probably already know, there are no roads connecting Panama and Colombia, and the dense mountainous jungles in between are known as the Darien Gap. Crossing on foot is a near suicidal mission that will most likely leave you dead or kidnapped by the drug cartels that control the area. Hard pass. That leaves the following options:
1. Airplanes – quick, cheapest option for around $100 using Viva Colombia airlines. If you’re on a tight budget and prone to sea sickness, this is your best bet. But you will miss out on experiencing the San Blas Islands.
2. Speed boats – Cost is around $375 for a 4 day passage. The boats buzz you from one island to the next and you spend 3 nights in tents or hammocks on the islands as well. These are a good option for visiting the islands and are slightly more budget friendly than the sailboats. You “avoid” the open sea crossing which can be a daunting few days for people prone to motion sickness. These boats take you just past the Darien to a town called Capurgana where a string of busses can safely take you to Cartagena, Medellin, or Bogotá. Note: from the looks and a few murmurs, it also seems possible that these boats could leave you and your gear completely soaked and the included meals consist of hotdogs on the beach… food for thought…
3. Sailboat charter. Most of the boats advertised online cost $550 for a 4 – 5 day passage which includes 2 nights on the open sea. Do your research. Although the cost seems the same across the board, boats, captains, and fellow passengers are not created equally. Try to find out about the condition of the boat and the track record of your captain before committing if possible.
4. Private Sailboat – you can’t count on it, but it’s possible to arrange trips on private sailboats if chance puts you at the right place at the right time. Usually cheaper than the charters.
As luck would have it, while we visited Portobelo before our home stay, we met Glenn, a Canadian sailboat owner and captain. Glenn takes backpackers to Cartagena on his sailboat for $375 and tries to let the passengers control the itinerary. Thus, it’s up to us and nature whether the trip is 4 days or 10. Obviously, this was our best bet so through an exchange of emails while staying in Ishq, we reserved our spots and eagerly awaited our departure to Cartagena, Colombia.
We arrived in Portobelo on Saturday morning, got sucked into the black hole of the internet cafe, had lunch, and then, grabbed beers at Captain Jack’s. As if on cue, Glenn walked into Jack’s and gave us a loose itinerary and an explanation of rules and safety procedures on board. Although we weren’t setting sail until Monday, Glenn graciously offered us our cabin to sleep in thereby avoiding a hostel fee.
We grabbed our gear and took the dingy out to the boat. There, we met Eva and Nuvi, two Colombian cousins, who would be making the passage with us. Glenn made us dinner, and we spent the night chatting and star gazing.
The next day we were joined by Juan, a Spaniard, who is making his way through Central and South America on his bike. Glenn, Juan, Claudia, and I made the hour bus ride to Sabanitas to get food and provisions for the crossing. We came back by taxi and took the dingy, booty in hand, back out to the boat. (Sorry, not sorry. Sailor talk is hilarious.)
Soon enough, it was Monday morning, and we prepared to set sail. Glenn took care of the immigration formalities, readied the boat, and we were off! We sailed for about 6 hours into Green Turtle Marina and docked for the night. In the morning, we topped off the fuel and water tanks and hit the sea once more.
Tuesday, we sailed for about 10 hours and were all pretty happy to anchor when we did. None of us experienced sea sickness, but we were all a little uncomfortable adjusting to life on the water. Our anchor point put us in the western beginning on the San Blas Archipelago.
When we woke up Wednesday morning, despite the cloudy conditions, we were greeted with stunning views of the islands. It’s said that there is an island in San Blas for every day of the year. Some of the islands are homes to the indigenous Kuna tribe. Others have hostels, camp sites, and even bars. There are others yet that are uninhabited and desolate.
We took the dingy over and visited one of the inhabited islands. Visiting the islands is one thing, but imagining life there is hard to comprehend. The Kuna people survive by charging tourists to visit their island, selling art, and selling fish and lobster.
We paid the Kuna family and enjoyed their island. Later, we returned to the boat and Eva used her bait acquired on shore to catch us dinner. Bonefish, rice, and plantains it is!
Thursday, we stayed anchored at the same location. Glenn’s sailor friend gave us great advice on where to do some “seriously sexy snorkeling.” Thanks to Glenn’s gear and Captain Mike’s advice, we headed out to do just that. We first went to a reef and were marveled at the sight of thousands of fish of all shapes, sizes, and colors in the crystal clear Caribbean. For my first time snorkeling, I got quite a show. We moved locations to a sunken tree branch and saw hundreds more fish, a small octopus, huge star fish, and a line of ten lobsters all in defense mode. We made our way back to the boat and relaxed for the night. Eva, again, caught us a meal which we would enjoy the next day.
Friday, we made our way to a different location in the San Blas Archipelago. This anchorage was near Dog Island which hosts a sunken ship about 60 years old very close to shore. We donned the snorkeling gear once more and headed out to explore the wreck. The bow of the boat stuck out of the water with the stern completely submerged. We were again dazzled by the countless fish and active sea life below the surface. That evening, Glenn allowed us to choose if we wanted another night among the islands or if we were ready to cross the open sea to Cartagena. We opted for the additional night, and in the morning, we made our way to our final anchoring point.
It was Saturday already, and we were blessed, for the first time during the passage, with sunshine and blue skies. The sun radiates the colors of the water and brings to life the gradient of blues and greens. Almost immediately after anchoring, we were greeted by a Kuna fishing boat that was selling the day’s lobster catch. Glenn seized the opportunity and bought us dinner. Life is good.
While dinner was being prepared, Claudia, Juan, and I put on the snorkeling gear and swam to an uninhabited island. Though the beauty of the San Blas is undeniable, the heart breaking truth is that these islands are completely covered in trash. Styrofoam bits and pieces, glass liquor bottles and medicine bottles, all shapes and sizes of plastic bottles and containers, shoes (which we used while walking around); you name it, it’s there (except abandoned wallets full of cash, I looked.) The landfill of the Caribbean.
We made our way back to the boat and were able to see the sun set over the water for the first time. We enjoyed our lobster dinner and watched the yellows fade to oranges, the oranges to pinks, the pinks to purples, and the purples to blues unfolding into a beautiful night sky illuminated by innumerable sparkling stars.
Sunday, we were blessed with sunshine again as we pulled up the anchor and headed out to sea. We left the San Blas Islands behind, and after a few hours of sailing, we were unable to see the coast of Panama. We were on open sea before we knew it with no land in sight. The crossing from the end of the archipelago takes anywhere from 35 – 45 hours depending on the wind.
We passed the time reading books, day dreaming, cat napping, taking turns cooking meals for the group, and informal daily Spanish lessons. Glenn only speaks English and Eva, Nuvi, and Juan only speak Spanish. Many times Claudia and I got to play translator and were grateful for the chance to expand our Spanish vocabulary.
Monday evening we were again granted a magnificent display of colors painted across the sky at sunset.
The sky faded into starlight, then came the storms. While sailing through the night, we experienced strong storms that seriously rocked the boat. Captain steered us safely through them, though, and we reached Cartagena early Tuesday morning.
What a trip! Bienvenido a America del Sur!
The Labryrinth of Panama
Well it was time to leave the beautiful Jungle and the Osa Peninsula. We collected our belongings, including one sack of dirty, musty laundry each, and took the ferry (uctual ferry this time) from Puerto Jiminez to Gulfito. We then caught the bus that would take us to the border. The bus dropped us off in the middle of the border crossing area between Costa Rica and Panama. We exited the bus in the rain and headed towards the Costa Rican side to get our exit stamps. At this point, some folks told us that that was only to enter Costa Rica and pointed us towards the Panamanian customs. We walked over there where we were instructed to return to Costa Rican customs to get exit stamps. All of this in the rain. Oh well.
We collected the exit stamps and walked back again to the Panamanian customs. We went to collect our stamps but were pointed to a room to get our bags searched. The door was locked. Go to the other side of the room. Sigh, ok. No one there. We had to fetch a security man. Wait. When the man came in the room he has us unzip one pocket each while he barely faked interest in doing his job. Ok, now you can go….
We went back to the line to get our enterance stamps. Panama requires you to have an onward ticket that proves you are leaving the country. We presented our airline ticket home from Chile that we have purchased for December. Worked for her. We also had to prove that we had sufficient funds for entering the country. She asked if we had 500 dollars. Um… not on me.. but I have a card? OK, show me. Ok… Just seeing a card was enough to appease her. Stamps. Finally.
We exchanged our Costa Rican colones for US dollars (currency of Panama) and went to find a bus to Panama City. At the border, there were no busses, only collectivos (think 15 passenger vans). We bought a ticket to Panama City at 12:15 and the collectivo left at 2:45. Ok, lets get lunch.
We killed 2 hours and returned to the office only to be told that the bus to Panama City was broken down. Great. Luckily, we did get our money refunded and went back in search of internet. No dice. Hmm… what next? We got advice from several people and it seemed our best bet was to take a collectivo to David and then a bus to Panama City. Lets try it. (Pardon my lack of apostraphes and spell check. Im typing on a weird Panamanian keyboard. Also, spellcheck is in Spanish so lots of red squiggly…)
When we entered the collectivo to David, the clock read 4:00. How could that be? Then it hit us. There is a 1 hour time differnce between Costa Rica and Panama. Which also meant, we missed our bus previously. But we didnt miss the bus because it was broken. And because it was broken we got our money back. The universe just loves practical jokes, huh?
Well, we made our way to David and found the central terminal. We bought tickets to Panama City overnight leaving at 10 pm. We had about 4 hours to kill so we decided to look for a laundermat to wash our dirty clothes, now dubbed “our stinky.” We made several loops around the town and asked several times for a “lavandería” only to be pointed to dry cleaners. Hmm.. there must be another word. Well, no such luck so lets get some beers. We went to a local bar, had some Panamanian Balboa and then decided it was time to try once more for the laundermat. No dice. Lets get some food. We stopped in a bar. The locals were pretty amused by 2 white girls with big backpacks and a bag of stinky, but alas, they had no food so we left. We eventually found a restaurant, had a quick bite, and decided a couple more beers would be nice before we boarded the bus. We returned to the local bar and were greeted with 2 free beers on the house. Ok…
The hour and a half we spent at this bar may be the strangest bar experience of my life to date. After we were served our first free beer, the, seemingly, bar owner approached us in broken Spanish and gave us each a bite of cheese. Um… thanks? After the.. cheese… we were each given 2 more beers on the house some of which were given to us before we had finished the one before. They even took us behind the bar and showed us pictures of their family on Facebook. Totally bizarre. Lets go.
We boarded the overnight bus, thankfully smart Claudia grabbed a sleeping bag to use as a blanket last second, and slept through the night. We arrived in Panama City at about 4 am. Well, lets kill some time. We walked through the largest bus terminal Ive ever been in, grabbed some coffee, read a bit, played War with a deck of cards, and waited until about 6:30 to leave the terminal. We had a hostel we were tring to find in Casco Antigua, a historic area of Panama City. We went to board a bus that had “Panama Viejo” flashing across the front screen and attempted to board it. The bus driver quickly pointed us back inside the terminal to purchase Metro Cards. They wont just take your quarter. You have to buy a metro card (which costs $2 just for the card), load it, and scan it to board the bus. Ok…
We got the card (thankfully, we just needed one for the two of us) and waited in line for another bus towards Panama Viejo. We rode the bus for awhile, unsure of where to exit. Eventually, the bus stopped and we were told to exit. As luck has it, we found a lavamatico (ah, hah! thats the word for laundermat), a place to eat, and an internet cafe. Well, of course, the lavamatico wasnt open. Lets get breakfast. By the time we had eaten, Success! We could wash the stinky!!! Lets go buy detergent at the store. Task one, check. While the stinky was in the wash, we went to check the internet cafe. Not open even though the hours stated it should be. Walk back to the lavamatico. Oh, shoot. Lets go buy dryer sheets. Flip the stinky. While the stinky was drying, a different internet cafe was open. Search Hospedaje Casco Viejo. Task 2, check. Hurray! No more stinky!!!! We rolled the clothes and packed the bags .We decided to get a few groceries while the store was handy. By the time these seemingly simple tasks were said and done, Claudia and I had walked back and forth all with our big bags… 5…6 times in this little strip mall. Basically, as per usual, we were a parade. Well, we eventually boarded a bus and with the advice of local passengers, were advised were to get off in Panama Viejo.
We took their instructions and eventually arrived at a tourist ruins site. This is not where we wanted to be. Frustrations rising, we asked the man working the gate about Casco Antigua. Ya, thats not the same as Panama Viejo. In fact, its on the other side of the city. Another bus, but this time a little more confidence. We went all around the city and took the bus towards Mariscos Mercados.
DEAR FUTURE TRAVELLERS,
If you want to go to Casco Antigua, the popular destination for us backpackers, take the bus towards Mariscos Mercados. Do NOT listen to locals sending you to Panama Viejo. Youre Welcome.
Finally, we knew we were in the vacinity of the hostel. We began walking in what we thought was the right direction. A policeman saw us and asked where we were headed. He began to give us directions, changed his mind, and escorted us to the hostel.
Lets just recap the last 30 hours which is all this very lengthy post consists of so far. Puerto Jiminez – Golfito by ferry. Bus Golfito to border. Border confusion. Enter Panama. Missed the bus because we didnt realize the time change. Actually, didnt miss the bus because it was broken. Collectivo from border to David. Strangest bar experience to date. Bus David to Panama City which arrived at 4 am. Metro Card confusion. Touring the city unintentionally by bus. Washing the stinky. Arriving in Casco Antigua finally. Police escort to the hostel arriving at about 2 pm.
Nap time.
That evening, we walked around a bit a saw the beautiful night city scape. We went for pízza taking Luchys recommendation we recieved at Bello Horizonte Jungle Hostel. Delicious! (Thanks, Luchy!)
We did a little research with a good internet connection for places to volunteer. We found two options. First, we noticed an ad online for Captain Jacks, a bar, restaurant, and hostel in Portobelo, that accepts volunteers to work in the restaurant in exchange for a place to stay and possibly alligning a boat ride to Colombia. We also found a host on helpx.net near Pina, Panama, that accepts volunteers to work in the garden, do light housekeeping, and arts and crafts projects in exchange for accomodation. Both of these locations are about 2 hours by bus from Panama City on the Caribbean coast and about an hour and a half from each other. We decided to check out Captain Jacks first in hopes of finding out about a boat to Colombia.
We took a bus from Casco Antigua in the morning back to the Gran Terminal. About a 5 minute bus ride. Wow…
From there, we inquired about the bus to Portobelo and were told it was $3.50 each. We put $7 on our bus card and went to board the bus. We swiped the card on the platform which cost $.10 each for some unknown reason and boarded our bus. It quickly became obvious that we were going to have to pay for the bus with cash. Le sigh…
We had to change busses in Sabanitas to head to Portobelo and got the pleasure, once again, of parading around with our big bags on a crowded bus. An hour later, we arrived at Jack’s.
We checked into the hostel and grabbed a few beers. Jack’s is a popular spot in the small town of Portobelo among backpackers and sailors. We met several people that had boats and learned much about the sailing lifestyle. Zach, currently helping Jack, was among these people. His family from Texas has been sailing for 2 years, all 8 of them. Talk about a different life!
Anyway, we felt the situation out and decided to see if the helpx host was available to have volunteers instead of working at Jack’s. In the mean time, we enjoyed our stay in the small town.
The next day, we sent out our email request and crossed our fingers. While we sat at Jack’s, I struck up a conversation with a Canadian sailor, Glenn. He, unfortunately, had his dingy motor stolen while in Portobelo. He had just made the voyage from Cartagena to Portobelo with a group of backpackers. Once his affairs were resolved, he was heading back to Colombia. He gave me his contact info and told me to email if I was interested. Hmm…
Later that day we took a small boat across the bay to visit the fort ruins. Portobelo was invaded by the Spaniards in the 1600s and the canons still remain. Groovy. We spent just over an hour exploring the three levels of the forts.
Well, by the time we returned, we had a confirmation email from Carlos, the host in Pina. Well, let’s give it a shot. We spent the night and headed out about noon the next day. We had to take the bus to Sabanitas where we got groceries, catch a bus to Colon, and a third bus towards Costa Abajo where we were instructed to exit 2 km outside of Pina. With big bags and groceries, the struggle was real.
Many people tried to assist us with the directions but, unfortunately, we were dropped off on the opposite side of Pina which have us a 4 km walk. Great.
Well, we off we go. Eventually we found the house named Ishq and met Carlos, our host. We got a tour of his home and also met Bolish, a volunteer from Hungary. Carlos has a beautiful home nestled on the picturesque Caribbean Sea shore.
During the tour, we immediately noticed a huge board game setup. Carlos was excited to explain Memoir 44, a strategy game with historical accuracy. Unique about Carlos’s set was that every game piece had been hand painted and decorated. Carlos told us that the game pieces took nine weeks to paint with rotating volunteers. The soldier’s race, outfits, flags, tank camouflage, weaponry, everything had been researched. We were beyond impressed.
Claudia, Carlos, and I collaborated on a spaghetti dinner and then Carlos, eager to play, taught us the game. After his win, we slept like rocks.
In total, we spent Monday through Friday at Carlos’s house. The work we did was quite simple, mostly housekeeping, taking care of the dogs, and a bit of grounds keeping. While at Ishq, we contacted Glenn about possibly sailing to Colombia with him. He charges $375 and spends 7-10 days crossing with bonus days on the San Blas Islands. Most sailboats are upwards of $500 and cross in 4 days. Cool!
Saturday morning we made our way back to Portobelo and boarded the boat that would take sail Monday. Goodbye, Panamanian circles. Woof!
Well… we’re off! To the Sea!
A Wild Jungle Adventure – Puerto Jimenez, Costa Rica
Well, after exploring the city of San Jose and being derailed from our plan to head to Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side, we needed to decide what to see in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is a natural gem with incredible wildlife, mountains, volcanoes, waterfalls, jungle, the works. However, all of this comes with a price. Compared to its Central American neighbors, Costa Rica is easily the most expensive and even visiting national parks is a big cost to backpackers. We found ourselves saying “Man, I wish we could afford to see the waterfalls…” Kind of sad, but true.
Anyway, our research for finding a new place to do some work exchange has changed the route to the Caribbean side of Panama with two options. We’ll see which one pans out…
Because we now intended to stay on the north side of Panama, we decided to check out the Osa Peninsula on the Pacific side of Costa Rica which contains Corcovado National Park. We left our hostel in San Jose early and walked to the bus station across town. With three minutes to spare, we grabbed tickets to Golfito, Costa Rica for $14, about an 8 hour ride.
When we arrived in Golfito, we knew we would have to take a boat across the peninsula to Puerto Jimenez. Our research alluded to a ferry that would take about a half hour to cross. When we arrived in Golfito, the bus driver let us out at the dock and we grabbed our bags and walked towards it in the rain. The man working the information booth pointed out a small fishing boat and instructed us to take it to get to Puerto Jimenez. We boarded the boat with about 10 other locals, put on some trash bag ponchos, and headed towards Puerto Jimenez.
We quickly realized that the rain was the least of our concerns with staying dry. The water was choppy and with each wave, another gust of water splashed into the boat. Most of the passengers and our captain shared smiles and laughter at the mildly hilarious situation. We were drenched upon arriving in Puerto Jimenez, but our spirits were high.
The instructions we read to find Bello Horizonte Jungle Hostel told us locate Cafe Monka and wait for the daily shuttle to take us to the hostel which was out of town. We found the cafe quite easily, grabbed some coffee, food, and cash, and the shuttle was right on time. We were greeted in a warm fashion and ten minutes later we were at the hostel. We were asked upon arrival if we were interested in visiting Corcovado National Park, and, of course, we were. After hearing the costs associated with the park (upwards of $170 for 2 nights, 3 days each), however, we decided to decline and proceeded to check into the hostel for 2 nights. (We even got lucky that they were doing a special for $10 / night each as opposed to the regular $14/ night each. Score!)
We had very little food with us and decided to change into rain gear with the intent of walking to town. Luckily, the owners were about to head there so they gave us a ride to the grocery (and liquor) store to stock up. We grabbed some items and returned to the hostel. We made a snack and chatted with a couple girls from Spain that were heading to Corcovado in the morning as well as a couple from Quebec. We played War with a deck of cards and went to bed early in our private jungle cabana.
We woke early to the sound of howler monkeys (named that for a reason!) and countless singing birds. Our view overlooking the jungle canopy was beyond words. “Yes, please!” were my first words upon waking. Oh, yay! I witnessed my first toucan friend. Witnessing them flying is quite comedic as their beaks severely change their balance. (More like Tou-can’t take my picture.)
We made breakfast and had coffee and spent the day reading and relaxing in hammocks while we viewed the jungle activity. We made the forty minute walking trek into town to use the internet, have ice cream, and a beer. While in town, we saw a pack of wild scarlet mccaws. What a treat! We ended the night with rum drinks and dinner and let the jungle sing us to sleep.
The next day was quite similar. Breakfast, read, relax, hammocks, town. We decided to spend one more night (our third) and made plans to leave early the next morning for Panama. When we came back from town, we decided to put on our rain gear and take the jungle trail from the hostel down to the creek. The hostel owners, Peter and Luchy, gave us rain boots to wear and walking sticks. We were told the trail took about an hour and a half going slow. We were also informed that the trail makes a loop from the hostel back to the property owner’s cabin. When we took off, we had about 2 hours of daylight left which would be plenty of time to make the loop before absolute darkness.
We made our way down the path and spotted a fork in the trail. One sign said “Sendero del Valle” and pointed into the jungle. Behind the fork was a tree with man made ladder rungs nailed to it. We couldn’t resist the climb, so we took turns climbing to a branch seat and enjoying the view of the jungle that melted into the ocean at the horizon point.
We decided to continue down to the creek and not take the Sendero del Valle trail. Into the jungle we went, climbing down handmade mud steps which eventually opened up at the bottom to the creek. We began to follow it downstream. We came to a point where the water was quite deep and had to crawl across a fallen tree to pass to the other side. Soon, we found a trail that led up and we began to climb up and up upon rocks and creek bed. Up and up and up. At points, we wondered if the path was correct but there always seemed to be another rock to climb, another foothold, another root to walk across. Up and up and up we went now by the light of my flashlight. We kept walking. 2 hours had passed and the territory seemed very unfamiliar. At points we were scaling rock walls while holding onto tree roots, flashlight in mouth.
When we finally stopped climbing, we took the grassy path surrounded by jungle trees. Looking up, all you could see was the jungle canopy, and we didn’t have a clue which direction we were walking. The unsettling feeling of being lost began to sink in. We continued walking down the path but, eventually, there was no path to follow. Shit. I think we’re lost in the jungle.
We spoke those words we wish we didn’t have to say. I think we’re lost. I don’t know where to go next.
Ok. I decided to sit on a large tree root to clear my head and think straight.
Wrong.
Suddenly, I felt stinging all down my arm and leg. My flashlight showed big, black ants crawling all up and down one side of my body. So big I initially thought they were spiders. Claudia helped pat me down and calm me down. Ok. Let’s think. (Standing!)
Inventory… flashlight (beginning to dim), headlamp (also dimming), phone with 3% battery and no service, a lighter, half a donut, 2 walking sticks, rain gear and boots, and an umbrella. An umbrella? What a joke.
Basic Survival 101 began to kick in. Ok. We need water and we know where to find it. Down. We agreed that if we could find a water source, we would be fine. So, we found a path down a different creek bed and went down and down and down. We followed the rocks, shimmied down mossy tree trunks, and climbed down rock ladder rungs. And alas, we found the creek again. Was it the same creek? Was it different?
“Remember the stairs?” Claudia jokingly reminded me.
Well, we found water. Fresh water. It was raining. The water was safe, and we drank from it. We followed the water for awhile and realized the flashlight was dimming. We knew our best bet for finding “out” was to wait until dawn. Well, let’s find a place to rest for the night. At about 9 pm, 4 hours after we had begun- we found a rock shelf along the creek with a fallen dead tree that created a seat. We scaled the area for bugs and who knows what other creatures and parked it.
There was nothing left to do at this point but wait. After four hours of up and down, we concluded, we couldn’t be much further than 5 km away from the hostel. We also noted that all rivers lead to the ocean and that was at absolute maximum 10 km away. The sun would give us light and also direction, the ocean was east of our hostel as well. Aside from snakes and big mammals (both shy of the rain), our survival was not at risk. Our heads were on our shoulders, and there was nothing to do but wait.
We watched the moon briefly as it was shrouded by jungle canopy. Then, the dark set it. Without question, it was the darkest dark I’ve experienced. At the darkest points, I couldn’t see my boots. The inside of my eyelids and my vision of the world were the same. The idea of sleeping was another joke.
We waited.
And waited.
An eternity passed.
Oh. I can see my boots.
I can see the creek.
I can see the area around me.
It’s dawn!
At 5:15, we began to walk again. About 20 minutes passed until we heard…
“Rebekah…..”
“HELLOOOOOO”
We were found. Sweet. That was easier than we thought. The wonderful people at Bello Horizonte Jungle Hostel had been worried sick about us all night. They had filed a missing persons report. They had enlisted the help of friends when we didn’t return that evening. We walked up the steps we dreamed about, which were within 20 minutes walk of our resting place, and were greeted with hugs, coffee, and breakfast. We were soon dubbed “Jungle Survivors.”
Whew. What a day…night…
Let’s stay another, shall we?
We showered and slept until about 2 in the afternoon. After, we did little again except read, relax, and enjoy the jungle view. We saw squirrel monkeys at play for at least a half hour… 30 of them?
That night, we slept like rocks…not on rocks…
The next day we spent helping Peter in the workshop. While…lost…we wished there were signs marking the trail. So, we helped make them! I painted a “Sendero del Valle” sign close to Peter’s cabin.There was a loop in the trails but only when you retraced your path up the manmade staircase and through Sendero del Valle. Now, that path is marked from both sides.
We also thought it was necessary to mark the creek’s entrance and stair exit. Claudia painted a beautiful sign to do just that.
We hiked down the path to hang it and hope future guests can benefit 😉
We also helped Peter frame and ready a new advertisement for the hostel and business we had grown to love.
After a day of work, we walked to town (ok, hitched halfway through) and grabbed lunch and some groceries. We caught the shuttle back to the hostel from Cafe Monka, where we started. On the way back, Alan noticed an Ilian Ilian and stopped to pick it. Ilian Ilian is the primary floral fragrance in Chanel 5.
It was time to actually travel in the morning. The rest of the evening we spent enjoying the jungle canopy and all it had to offer. We even were able to see a sloth “Osa Perezosa” lounging in the trees.
In the morning, we again woke to monkeys playing in the jungle. Alan, part of the hostel family, asked if we wanted to see the crocodiles before we caught the ferry. Um, yes!
Well, adios Puerto Jimenez. What a beautiful, crazy, amazing adventure we had.
By the way, ask me about Bello Horizonte Jungle Hostel. It’s affordable, beautiful, and the owners make you feel like family. There are so many volunteer opportunities here too. Escape reality, and find yourself in the jungle. I’d be happy to answer your questions!
We’re off.
Leon, Ometepe Island, and San Jose
Well, it was time to leave Playa Tunco, so we took a direct shuttle from there to Leon, Nicaragua for $50 US. Aside from leaving 2 hours after the departure time, the shuttle was quite nice with air conditioning, WiFi, and plenty of space. Claudia and I were joined again by our Italian friend and 3 gentleman from the Netherlands. We had to cross 2 borders which were pretty smooth. The only hiccup came when we exchanged our USD to Nicaragua Cordova. The man doing the exchange tried to pull a fast one, assuming we didn’t know the exchange rate. Claudia was pretty sure that $110 USD was worth more than 2000 Cordova we received. She confirmed her suspicion and hopped out of the van to confront him. And, what do you know, my girl won the battle and got what we deserved. Boom.
The six of us arrived in Leon, Nicaragua, around 7pm and were all able to find space at Sonati hostel. Long days of traveling typically give us the notion that we “earned” drinks so we went to get food and check out the so-called party hostel, Big Foot. Yep, it earned its reputation. Half of us took the “Lava Shot Challenge” (myself included) which is a series a series of 3 shots of rum taken 5 seconds apart followed by 30 seconds before you’re allowed a chaser. Oh, and the rum is soaked in hot chili peppers for who knows how long. When in Rome… (er… Nicaragua)
The late night / early morning was followed by returning to Big Foot at 7 am to go ash boarding! Yes, ash boarding. The three Scandinavian gents and myself climbed Cerro Negro, boards in hand, and proceeded to sled down the side. That’s a new one.
We spent the rest of the day visiting beautiful churches and enjoying the Colonial city.
Well, time for our next move. Claudia and I said our goodbyes and headed toward Ometepe Island which entailed taking a shuttle, a bus, a taxi, and a ferry. Luckily, we got there just in time for the last ferry to the island.
An hour later on land, we began to look for a hostel in the strangely deserted landing spot. We found a cheap place and went out for dinner. After eating, we returned to the hostel to unfortunate news. We had previously reserved a spot to volunteer at Caribe Horse near Puerto Viejo on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica. The reservation was made in May, but we sent them an email while en route to confirm and remind them that we were coming. We were informed that they lost our reservation due to a clerical mistake, and they were booked with volunteers. Bummer. Well, time for more research, but traveling is one day at a time. Today is for Ometepe.
We spent two days exploring the island. We first went to Ojo de Agua, a natural spring created by falling volcanic debris. It was beautiful, crystal clear. A pool fit for a queen. We then decided to grab a meal and a beer on the beach.
There were more things that we wanted to do that day, but we underestimated the size of the island and the public buses stop running early. For instance, it took an hour and forty minutes to get to the other side of the island and the last bus was at 5 pm. We began walking, but missed the last bus and hitched a ride back. (Sorry, Mom.)
The next day, we went to visit Maderas Volcano and hiked nearly to the top but, unfortunately, lost the trail and had to return down the volcano before reaching the top in order to catch the last bus.
Ometepe Island is a gorgeous piece of Nicaragua, but you really need to rent a car or motorbike to efficiently see all it has to offer.
The next day, we decided to say goodbye to Nicaragua and made our way to the border to Costa Rica. We took the ferry and two cabs in order to cross. The border was, again, hectic and chaotic. We were swarmed with people selling food, offering to change our money, and a man who demanded he fill out our customs papers and charged us $5 each. Claudia realized what was happening and tried to make our way out of the mess, but I was sucked into the confusion and paid the man. Sigh. Another lesson learned the hard way. You are responsible for not getting ripped off. Pay attention.
Onward. We received our stamps and grabbed a bus to San Jose. We found a hostel, got some food, and went to bed early after long travel day. The next day was Claudia’s birthday! We decided to walk around the city for a change of pace.
We really enjoyed the art and parks all around the city. We ate, had beers, and walked along the city streets for hours.
At night, we saw many people walking down the streets and found out we were witnessing an annual Catholic holiday, Virgen de Los Angeles. Many people walk La Romeria, a pilgrimage across the nation. It was quite fascinating to see so many people involved.
Well, time to leave the city behind. We’re off.
¡Que Surpresa! Playa Tunco, El Salvador
Well, it was time to leave Guatemala and the route shifted slightly again. Since we had visited so many ruins, we decided to skip Copan in Honduras. There are many wonders in Guatemala and the USD goes far. I will definitely return to this country one day.
We took a bus at 6 am from Flores, Guatemala to San Salvador, El Salvador for $50 US. Let’s be honest, not the most enjoyable day. It started out cramped and hot with a broken non reclining seat. I sat next to a guy from San Salvador, and we had a nice chat despite the conditions. The bus emptied out about halfway through so I was able to switch seats and enjoy the view. Maybe my geography isn’t so great, but I was surprised to see the landscape change from flat, to rolling hills, to winding through mountains and volcanoes.
Hmm.. what a surprise, another change. When we purchased our bus tickets we were told we would arrive in San Salvador at 4pm. Unfortunately, it was 7:30 and dark. El Salvador was intended to be just a pass through country on our way to Nicaragua, but I guess you can’t always predict everything. A little stress began to set in as we didn’t have any hostels in mind and didn’t want to run the risk of searching San Salvador at night. But, we were very blessed with an offer from Rafael who I sat next to on the bus. He offered his uncle’s house as a place to research and create a plan. This seemed like our only real option, so we went. Rafael’s family was so generous and kind. They welcomed us into their house and allowed us to shower, watch tv, make a plan, and generously bought us a pizza. We ended up accompanying Rafael to his friend’s house for a beer and a bonfire. They made us burgers and offered couch space. It’s funny what a bad seat on the bus turned into…
Rafael and his friends were not only helpful with food and a roof, but also gave us great advice about the area and advised us to visit Playa Tunco near La Liberdad. So the next morning, that’s just what we did.
Playa Tunco is a small surf town with a calming energy. People come here from all around the world to surf. There’s not much else here to do but relax and enjoy the waves.
We found a place, Layback Hostel, for $7 usd / night and decided to rest and recuperate for awhile. We met some really wonderful people from Chile and Germany, amongst other places, and felt right at home.
This past week in Tunco was all about catching up our energy levels. (And recuperating a little money. We spent less than $20 usd each per day and could’ve spent less.) We also got to celebrate my 25th birthday with my new friends. I was sang to in English, Spanish, German, Italian, and Portuguese. How fun.
On our last day in El Salvador, we decided to visit San Salvador which was our first city experience in the trip. Solo un poco loco ;-). There were people everywhere obviously not used to seeing tourists, let alone female tourists. We walked along streets and streets and streets filled with markets and people selling everything. It made the once a week farmer’s market at home a joke. The only disheartening point was noticing all the trash everywhere. I’ve never seen littering on such a huge scale. While we were out, we got temporarily stuck in a downpour which created “el rio de basura.”
Overall, El Salvador, you are a wonderful surprise and I hope to see you again one day.
We’re off.
Happy Caturday.
El Mundo Maya de Belice y Guatemala
Well, we left beautiful Caye Caulker via water taxi and returned to Belize City.
We jumped on a bus and a few hours later we were in San Ignacio, Belize. San Ignacio, a small town close to the Guatemalan border, is home to Cahel Pech. We visited these Mayan ruins and, although a small site, they were quite a treat. The energy at these sites is truly special. We were able to climb almost everything and see the nooks, crannies, rooms, secret stairways and passages.
Our hostel had roof access so we spent the evening with a bottle of rum and a fantastic view. The next day, we were advised to visit Xunantunich by some locals, and we were so glad we did. We climbed the tallest ruin and were blessed with an incredible view of Belize and Guatemala to the west. We were also lucky to see a family of howler monkeys eating lunch. We noticed on the way in to Xunantunich a butterfly garden, so we visited that on the way out.
The next day, it was time to travel again so we caught a bus to Benque, a border city, walked across the border for our stamps, and caught a collectivo to Tikal in Guatemala. Adios, beautiful Belize. Truly un-Belize-able. (See what I did there?) 
When we arrived at Tikal, we were a little too late to get access to the ruins (they close at 6). We strung our hammocks and took a short stroll through the jungle. The sights and sounds were fantastic. After our walk, we sat and watched the sky for hours. I’ve literally never seen so many stars. We awoke early in the morning, grabbed some huevos rancheros and coffee, and went to see the ruins. Wow. Apparently, Tikal is the “New York City” of the Maya. So many ruins to see and climb. We spent three hours walking around the park and still didn’t see everything. We were later informed that only about half of the ruins are excavated. What a treat.
We left the park and headed to La Isla del Flores. We found a nice hostel (70 quetzeles / night including a hot breakfast) and decided to relax. We found a great place for dinner – amazing pizza – and then an all day happy hour place. They had mojitos 2 / 20 q. ($1us = 7.20 quetzal). Sold.
We decided to stay another night in Flores to relax and sleep a bit. It’s a beautiful town and the American dollar goes far in Guatemala. 
Overall, you’ve treated us well, Guatemala, and I can’t wait to see more of you! We’re off. Happy #caturday
Caye Caulker, Belize
Waking up early in Playa del Carmen, we decided we must make a move. So, we purchased our tickets for the overnight bus from Playa to Belize City (530 pesos) and, luckily, got the last two seats! We were able to ditch the large bags at a friend’s hostel and continue enjoying Playa until our bus left at 23:40. The ADO busses in Mexico are actually quite nice, but, the warnings are correct! They jack that AC up. Thankfully, we thought ahead and brought our sleeping bags on board. We got to the Belize border at about 4 in the morning where we had to exit the bus and collect our stamps. The procedure was a bit bizarre, and we’re still unsure if we were all ripped off. The customs agent took people in individually or in small groups, charged us each $25 or 306 pesos as an exit fee. Only accepted cash (no atm there either).Didn’t (wouldn’t) make a receipt or sign anything. Just stamped the passports. Luckily I had a few American dollars stashed away, and we got our stamps. Shadily. A few more hours on the bus, and we were in Belize City.
We met a few others on the bus that were also intending on going to Caye Caulker so we made a motley crew and headed to the water taxi. $25 BZ roundtrip each! Oh, English in Belize. Nice. The water taxi was about a half hour and we were on Caye Caulker. There really aren’t words to describe the beauty of this place. The clearest water I’ve ever seen, abundant sea life, beautiful welcoming people. Stunned by this amazing piece of land in the Caribbean Sea. We checked into our hostel which had a twin bed and a double bed. Our new friend, Maurizio from Naples, Italy, was unable to get a room, so, we offered him the twin bed. ($12 U.S. each per night)
After stashing our stuff, we walked around the island and found a pizza shack with a 2 / $9 BZ rum drink special. Sold. The three of us shared a thin crust lobster, onion, and garlic pizza and had our cocktails served up by true Rastafarians. Rough life 😉
After relaxing for a bit, we headed to a popular local bar called The Split. Claudia and I took a dip in the Caribbean, then broke out the hoop! A local was selling Curry Stew Chicken pockets (3 / $10 BZ) so we had dinner on the dock and watched the sunset. Truly magical. After chilling with our new Rastafarian friend, we decided to watch the moon rise over the water. There are no words to describe this beauty so I won’t even try. We ended the night with a six pack on the dock and slept like babies.
We began the day with a short nature walk. We spotted blue crab, hermit crab, 6 iguanas at once, countless birds and fish. Huevos rancheros and coffee for breakfast. We the went back to The Split to watch Argentina and Germany in the world cup! What a party. And post game hooping in paradise was, again, a treat.
We decided to “splurge” on dinner with a whole grilled lobster. $35 BZ for lobster, salad, rice, cinnamon chocolate cake, and 4 rum punch drinks. That’s $17.50 US folks. Not too shabby. We finished the night with another six pack of Belikin stout with some island locals and went to bed.
The next morning, it was time to leave the island. Breakfast – lobster mixed with cream cheese and sriracha on a homemade whole wheat bagel and organic local coffee. Yep, paradise.
Caye Caulker, you are gorgeous. One day of sun, one day of rain. Delicious food. Happy, helpful locals.
Now, work on getting rid of those sand fleas.
We’re off.
Week 1
This week has been a whirl wind of crazy. But all is well, and we are learning so much! The week started off with the best send off party a gal could ask for. So spoiled by my family, friends, and community. Thank you all. You are such a blessing. My first flight brought me to the Cancun airport. Customs was, and probably always will be, hectic and confusing. A couple lines and stamps later, I was in Mexico! Thanks to the bloggers of the world, I followed the instructions to politely decline the many aggressive tour and shuttle salesmen and took the local bus downtown for 62 pesos (about $4.50). My booked hostel was only 8 blocks away, so, with bag on back, I attempted to locate it at sunset in…downtown Cancun. No dice. After walking in circles with pending darkness, I opted for the 40 peso taxi (which I had previously ignored) and quickly checked in and crashed for the night. My first hostel experience was pretty much as expected… 3 bunk beds in a small room, a shared bathroom, and small dining area with kitchen. Perfect for $13 / night.
My next day (still alone) I decided to spend on Isla Mujeres, a small island that separates the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea… I dipped my toes in both. (Taxi from downtown to Puerto Jaurez, 50 pesos. Ferry roundtrip, 146 pesos). I walked along a majority of the island for hours leaving the tourist part behind. Amazing beaches, cute community, very friendly people, seafood tacos (70 peso), crystal clear water. I returned to downtown via local bus (9.5 pesos) and was very proud of myself for navigating on foot back to my hostel. Shower, ramen (17.5 peso for 3), and bed (again $13 / night).
Hooray! Claudia arrives today! I went back to the bus station, big bag in tow, and waited for her bus to arrive. Big hug, big chat. Decision making time. We discussed our options and decided to leave Cancun, skipping our chance to visit Chichen Itza, and head to Playa del Carmen.
Playa del Carmen. Aaahhh. Beautiful beaches and great local vibe, once you leave the main tourist zone. We spent two lovely days in the city walking along the beach and meeting new friends. We were treated to an odd Mexican dance twirly thing as well as a street art fair with incredible paintings and photography. We really enjoyed our time in this beautiful town. As of now, we have met people from Australia, Denmark, Scotland, England, Wales, Italy, Israel, and Germany. We have already learned so, so much and ate improving our Spanish skills. Well, we’re off.
Happy #caturday
Gear…. time to pack!
The time has come to assemble all the gear, pack, and pray we have what we need! This list is probably more for me than you but here it is…
Clothes
- Wrap dress
- Dress
- 2 skirts
- 2 tank tops
- 2 t shirts
- 2 pairs of cotton shorts
- 1 pair of hiking pants
- 1 pair of waterproof pants
- 1 pair of tights
- 5 pairs of socks
- 7 undapants
- 3 bras (1 sport)
- 1 swim suit
- 2 hats, 4 bandanas
- 1 pair of gloves
- 1 pair of hiking boots
- 1 pair of tevas sandals
Outdoor /MacGyver Stuff
- Hemp string
- Backpacker can stove
- Metal cup
- Fishing line
- Tape
- Emergency candle
- Pocket knife
- Whistle
- 2 liter bladder
- Camelbak water bottle
- First aid kit
- Compass
- Hammock
- North Face ultralight sleeping bag
Personal / Toiletries
- Sunscreen
- Bug spray
- All purpose soap
- Antimalarial prescription pills
- Antibiotic prescription pills
- Toilet paper
- Toothbrush, toothpaste
- Hairbrush
- Journal
- 2 books
- Sunglasses
- Glasses
- Passport and docs and copies
- Wallet, money, credit cards
- Phone charger and extended memory card
- Plug adapter
All in my Osprey Xena 70 pack with ,of course, an attached collapsible hula hoop!
Infinite Geography 