Paradise Found

Looking Back Looking Forward

2008-02-15T00:49:00.002-05:00

Been awhile, here´s my update.

Peru is great. Cuzco is a great city. Food has been great, and there are Incan and pre-Incan ruins throughout the city and countryside. I made it to Machu Picchu recently, and it was really quite amazing. My little point and click camera really can´t do it any justice. Also climbed Putucusi, one of the hills neighboring Machu Picchu, for a look over the ruins from above. A steep but rewarding hike--something I will always remember. I am determined to read up more on the history of the Incas when I get back from the road.

The idea of Paradise Found was not so much about the destination as it was about finding freedom in doing something you always wanted to do. Now that I am heading back, should I rename the page Paradise Lost? Perhaps.... I don´t feel free to do what I want--i.e. stay and teach English--due to the hospital warrant hanging on the wall. But I have chosen to return for employment that hopefully will allow me to pay it down, and I have a large degree of acceptance for that, because that is what I have chosen to do.

People in Peru survive on very little money. Even less than in Costa Rica. Spending time here with the Peruvian people has been humbling at times. I realize how much I take for granted the comforts of the Northern lifestyle that are unreachable in Latin America. Have also been able to learn from the Peruvian example of acceptance and perseverance in spite of poverty; there are nonetheless many smiling faces here. I think they know something about Paradise that maybe I could learn from. I miss you already Peru....

Cuzco

2008-01-31T23:42:00.000-05:00

I arrived in Cuzco yesterday afternoon on a tour bus from Puno. We made several stops along the way to view Incan and pre-Incan ruins, and also a very beautiful church outside of Cuzco. The ride into the Cuzco valley was quite scenic; I have to say, my inital impression is that I like Cuzco more than I liked Arequipa, there is more going on here, it is more cosmopolitan and lively.

Today, I changed over to a new hotel, and then met a German graduate student I had met on the tour bus for a walking tour of Incan ruins right outside of town. We took a bus to the outermost ruins, and walked back into town, about 4 miles, passing through 4 ruins total.

By ruins, let me emphasize ruined, as in ruined by the Spanish and the Jesuits. Only the very foundational stones are left at a lot of these sites as the Christians were wont to destroy everything foreign. They hauled away all but the largest stones, and used them to build their own houses and buildings in Cuzco, utilizing Incan slave labor. I know that people have dramatized the burning of books in public squares by Hitler, but I don't think he surpassed the centuries of seek and destroy empirism of the 'Christian' Conquistadores. Sorry. Not to be disrespectful--I admire the Golden Rule very much. However, the Catholics intentionally destroyed as much of the Incan culture as they could, just as they did to the Maya civiliztion in Central America, so we are left with little to really understand their history with.

Oh well. What remains of these sites is still quite impressive to gaze upon. There are many theories about how the stones were quarried, cut, and brought to these places, but all eventually must be considered speculation, as the Incas kept no written record or language, their history was passed down orally. The stonework is quite impressive. Large pieces fit together neatly and tightly without the use of mortar, and have survived several large earthquakes, whereas many of the Spanish built edifices had already crumbled during these quakes.

The largest site, Saqsaywayman, is on a hill overlooking the center of Cuzco, and was the site of the key battle that resulted in the loss of the Incan Empire to the Spanish, in 1536. Manco Inca, the last great Inca, led an uprising beginning in 1533, against Pizarro and his brothers, and against the Spanish occupation of the Incan empire, which had stretched from Ecuador to Chile and Argentina. The Incas recaptured Saqsaywayman, and from this entrenched position, rained red hot stones all over Cuzco's thatched roofs, resulting in the burning down of most of the city. Rebellion across the empire had the Spanish on their heels, and the regiments sent from Lima to aid the fight in Cuzco were all wiped out to the last man by the Incas. Somehow, the Spanish in Cuzco were able to storm the walls of Saqsaywayman and defeat the Incas in this decisive battle. The site then served as the literal stone quarry for the rebuilding of Cuzco up until the 1930's, so all that remains here, again, are the foundational walls and largest stones. The Peruvian government also has a program of "rebuilding" the ruins, so you have to look carefully to discern what is original, and what has been replaced.

Fascinating stuff. The original Incan masonry is evident throughout Cuzco, and there are many museums and cultural attractions here to take in, as well as ruins in the Sacred Valley, heading out of town towards Machu Picchu, which I'll be exploring next week.

After the walk today, I went with the German gal and a couple of locals to the stadium for a soccer match, Cuzco hosting Uruguay. My first professional soccer game. Cuzco upset the Uruguayans, 1-0, but failed to score a key second goal despite many chances, which would have earned them more points in their league cup, so the local fans wandered off, drenched by rain the entire game, sullen despite the victory of the hometeam. It was really a lot of fun, and a loose atmosphere in the stands, with people shooting bottle rockets and roman candles during the game--the kind of thing that would get you arrested at a sporting event in the states. Vendors roamed the stands selling candy, hot tea, skewers of roasted meats and beefhearts for 70 cents (delicious !), and hot apple bread for 35 cents, among other delicacies. Ah Peru. The food here is varied, delicious, and cheap. I had lost 10 lbs in Costa Rica, and will dutifully enjoy as much of the food here as I can.

A very satisfying day. I hope these posts aren't boring. Wish you all were here to take in the sights. It's really been an eye-opening trip, relaxing, and rejuevenating.

As always, best wishes, and thanks for your interest. JJ

Lake Titicaca

2008-01-31T23:26:00.000-05:00

A slow boat on Lake Titicaca, but with nice sunny weather, who can complain? 3810 meters above sea level, the lake is 165 x 60 kilometers, that’s something like 90 x 38 miles in dimension. (Guestimate -- I still don’t have the conversions down.) Peru owns about 60% and Bolivia the rest.

A 2 day/1night tour costs about $19 or $20, including the boat passage to two islands, overnight accomodations, and 3 meals. Leaving Puno, the boats glide through channels cut through the reedgrass which is growing everywhere near shore. After 20 minutes, we arrive at the Uros Islands. Families live on these floating islands constructed on a base of the rootblocks of the reedgrass, tied together, and anchored to the lake bottom with eucalyptus poles. They then layer several feet of the dry reedgrass on top, and there you go, your very own island real estate. It takes between 8 months and a year to build an island.

Speculation was rampant among the group as to whether the people actually stayed there, or went home to the city somewhere at night, after working "the job". About 10 to 15 families live on each of the 40 islands, and eagerly receive the tourist boats passing everyday with handshakes and wares for sale, the usual handwoven alpaca blankets, hats, and also carved gourds and little knicknacks of woven grass. They also build these huge boats out of the grass, and hauled us tourists across the water to another grass island for $3 each. Not a bad business model, really, except the boats only last about 2 months until they become too waterlogged, and begin to rot. I wouldn’t have really believed it without having seen it myself. They subsist on the lake trout and small garden patches they’ve created on the islands, and go to town once a week to trade and buy vegetables, toilet paper I assume, and other necessities.

The tour continued on to two of the major islands on the Lake, each with about 2-3,000 inhabitants, preserving the Quechua (old Andean) language, and living simple, agrarian lives. These people are definitely for real. Electricity is only just beginning to arrive to some parts of these islands, in the form of solar panels. The family I stayed with did not have any, but provided candles, and did have a wood floor in the guesthouse, so we were living high on the hog. Simple vegetable and quinoa meals, but very tasty, and our group of 8 went on a hike up the hill to some of the old ruins, and for magnificent views of the ancient, agricultural steppes and the lake and islands beyond.

It was very scenic and peaceful on the islands. These people work very hard, and are just able to produce what they need, weeding the potato field in order to feed the cattle and sheep. Hardworking, but laughing and smiling. I don’t know if they realize how special a place they have, being so isolated by location from the rest of the “modern” world.

Ladies young and old sit along the walking trail waiting for us tourists to pass by, patiently knitting another hat, pair of gloves, alpaca sweater, etc. Their skilled hands do not stop moving--they are spooling the wool as they walk by on the trail. The prices are almost ridiculously cheap for what you are getting, and the soft, gentle plea to purchase is nonetheless persistent. Although bargaining is culturally acceptable here, it would seem almost heartless to do so--I’d rather pay them an extra buck because I know they‘ll use it better than I will. The real issue for the traveler is how much luggage you can get on the plane with, and sadly, that doesn’t leave nearly enough room....

Juanita, the Ampato Incan Ice Mummy

2008-01-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

I visited the Ice Mummy exhibition here in Arequipa on my last day. Cameras were not allowed; sorry, no photos.

There have been approximately a dozen finds of ritual burials by the Incas among the various peaks of Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile. Many are in poor shape due to exposure and/or lightning strikes.

In the early 90's, I believe, Juanita was discovered at 21,000 feet on one of the peaks of Colca Canyon. A neighboring, active volcano had been erupting for several years, and melted away the glacier enough to expose her burial site, she actually rolled down the hill about a 100 meters where they found her, but was in incredible condition.

We watched a film in English describing the Incan customs of sacrifical burial, and the process by which Juanita was discovered. In the exhibit, I got to see in person many of the pottery and gold artifacts that were buried with her, her sandals, satchel of coca leaves, her vestiments, etc. Juanita herself is only on display 6 months a year in a little glass chambered freezer. Right now she is at a university lab, so they had on display 'Sara' I believe it was, a similar find. Though not in as good a shape, her hair was still shiny, and her garments and artifacts displaying bright colors and workmanship.

It was really a nice exhibit, and another piece of the puzzle of Colca Canyon. I was able to puchase a dvd (in English) about Colca Canyon for only $5, so I look forward to being able to show off more of the beauty and intrigue of Southern Andean Peru to anyone who would be interested. Be sure to scroll to the end of the page, I added a mongo size photo of the canyon. Hopefully the video will help do it more justice than my little point-and-click camera. A lot of my shots didn't come out because the dimensions are so huge, you can't fit it all in the frame, nor distinguish all the features at distance.

Heading out on the bus tonight for Lake Titicaca, the highest navigable lake in the world. Woo-hoo ! Wish you all were coming along on the trip.... Jesse

Running around, What next?

2008-01-26T14:02:00.001-05:00

Well, off to the races. I leave tomorrow for Puno. I'll be boating out to stay on one of the islands of Lake Titicaca with a traditional family, and off the next day on a bus tour to Cusco. I have 4 nights set up there, to start with, to see local ruins and towns in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and then off to Mac-Daddy Machu Picchu. Beyond that, I'm really not sure what next. I'm scrambling around trying to figure out an itinerary, should I bus or fly somewhere, there is so much to do, it comes down as always to how much money one would like to spend.

Amazon River would be cool to visit, albeit a little more sketchy, and it's the rainy season, and not the best time to go. Perhaps head to the beach at Trujillo. Hard to decide. Also considering heading off to Quito, Ecuador; I keep hearing that it is a really nice city, and a favorite of several travellers I have met around here. I am torn a little between financial considerations and not wanting to miss out on things, but there is always the prospect of that next trip, next time around. Fortunately, airfares to Latin America are a pretty good deal, especially during their periodic sales.

I'm trying to figure out what to do with baggage. Looks like I'll store it here, and loop back to Arequipa down the road. I brought extra things, such as dress shoes for work, books, vitamins, et al, thinking I would be staying for a year and teaching. I also want to bring back some souvenirs, blankets, alpaca sweaters and such.

After being on the road for a couple months now, I'm not sure that the teaching gig is really all it's cracked up to be. The offer in Costa Rica was about $3.50 an hour, and more than 40 hours a week. Paradise at what price...? Jammed into a classroom full of sugared up kids is not exactly the paradise I was looking for.

Am thinking about returning to the states in a month and working again in a casino, earn a better paycheck, and maybe take a leave of absence next winter for a new adventure. Might return to Washington, or maybe try living in Oregon, New Mexico, or Arizona. I'm not really sure right now.

Due to the emergency appendectomy before I left on this trip, I have a hospital bill that is $25,000 plus. I am waiting to see if I qualify for any financial aid, since I was unemployed and uninsured at the time I became ill. If it had happened a week later, in Costa Rica, it would have cost less than $1,000. Who knows, perhaps I am financially doomed when I get back. Jesse James needs another bank job!

Well, off and running. Sorry I can't send more personal emails to everyone, but I'm in a time crunch right now. Back online again later next week in Cusco, hopefully with new photos and travel tales.

Wish y'alls the best.

Trekking Colca Canyon

2008-01-26T12:46:00.000-05:00

What a nice trip! 4 days and 3 nights, we bussed out of Arequipa to Chivay to stay the first night. The scenery was amazing as we rose in altitude to 4000, 4300, and finally 4910 meters high, where we were able to see the Andean snowcaps that are the birthplace of the Amazon River. The air gets thin up there, so the first stop was a teahouse for Mate de Coca (Coca Tea), the ancient remedy for altitude sickness.

Note: there is an expression in Peru: El mate de coca no es la coca que le mate. "Coca tea is not the coca that kills you." Coca leaf is the source from which coca base, and finally cocaine are manufactured. Peruvians realize that cocaine is bad, and do not use it, but drug traffickers send the drug north to dumb, indulgent Americans. In its natural form, the leaf is a mild tonic, and gives energy. It is much gentler than coffee, which can overtax a tired body. Coca leaf, cookies and candies are available everywhere here, even at my hotel, and the tea is available in every restaurant. It's a very nice beverage, and helpful to deal with the altitude. It is like comparing half an aspirin to a shot of heroin, or something like that. It is the national beverage, so when in Peru, do as they do.

In Chivay, we soaked in the local hot springs, and we were treated to an Alpaca steak and quinoa dinner, with live music (Andean music with guitars and pan pipes) and the performance of several traditional Peruvian dances. Diners were coaxed away from the tables one by one to try out each dance, and it was really a lot of fun for everyone.

In the morning we began the drive into Colca Canyon. Deeper than the Grand Canyon, it is its opposite in many ways, being at high altitude, but verdant and green with Incan and pre-Incan terraces planted with potatoes, corn, onions, et al. We ascended to the Cruz del Condor to catch a glimpse of the Andean Condor, the heaviest flying animal in the world, and with a wingspan of up to 3.25 meters. Unfortunately, it is their mating season right now, so they are nesting, and were not soaring the canyon like usual. We saw a couple of them only, and very far off, but the viewpoint from the Cruz was spectacular in every direction. Andean ladies selling Alpaca wool products and hot home-cooked food, and young girls dressed up with their most photogenic llamas (hoping for tips from photo-junkies like me) added to the unique "you're in Peru, now" atmosphere.

From here, I boarded a different bus, and met my local guide for the trek down into the Canyon. I was surprised there were not more people going for the trek, but it wasn't an easy climb either, but hey, I'm glad I did it. It gave me a good excuse (i.e. survival) to quit smoking cigarettes again for the umpteenth time in my life; I had started again in Costa Rica, and they become so bothersome and smelly after awhile....

Our guide was an 18 year old girl from the town at the top, Cabanaconde. Friendly and enthusiastic, and legs of iron, apparently. We descended the canyon along with a German couple, and were also joined by her uncle, who would be my guide the following days. It was a very steep set of switchbacks, and looking back up the hill from the bottom, it seems impossible that there was a trail on that slope. The scenery was awesome.

The couple split off with Neldi to the Oasis in the canyon, while uncle Flavio and I began ascending (!) the other side of the canyon to a little pueblo called Tapay, where we stayed the night in a family guesthouse. Very traditional: dirt floors, only recently have received electricity, most people without shoes other than the simple peruvian huarache sandal. Wow, talk about some banged up feet, it's hard for a Northerner to really comprehend how simply these people are living until you get there and spend a couple days with them. It kind of blows you away. I gave the family a few extra dollars for the stay, which gave me a lot of pleasure, because it was going to help them so much more than it would ever help me.

The following morning we set out hiking across the slope through Malata and another valley pueblo, and ascended into the Oasis. Lush, green folliage, with natural spring pools, palms, and tropical fruits. I know Paradise is somewhere close by. Grass hut-style cabanas and lack of any electricity, dirt floors again...you know you've found the simple life. Neldi showed up in the afternoon. She had taken the Germans up the trail to Cabanaconde at 3:30 am, rested an hour, and re-descended immediately with a Brazilian fellow. If she ever enters the Boston Marathon, I'm putting money down on her.

Enjoyed the scenery and quiet reflection at the oasis, swam in the pool, took photos, and invited the guide for a beer. All supplies are packed down the canyon by mule, so the 20 oz beer was $2.70, a lot of money around here! A simple dinner, rested what we could, and ascended the canyon at 3:30, by moonlight, it took about 2 1/2 hours to climb 3400 feet back to Cabanaconde. I can't imagine going all the way from the deepest part of the canyon to the snowfield peaks, but the trails do exist. The scenery was mystical in the early morning, with low, foggy clouds drifting along the canyon, changing perspective. Passed the occasional, sandaled locals with supply mules heading downtrail.

Uncle Flavio took me to his small home for breakfast--again, dirt floors, but they did have a tv going. We had ascended on empty stomachs, and I got dizzy a couple of times, probably not feeling well due to recovering from smoking. Over the four day trip, the meals were mostly small portions, and not much protein to go around in the valley--it's too expensive--other than quinoa. I threw down some money for his wife to get us some eggs, and I ate 5 of them without taking a breath, and all the bread in sight. Again I left them with extra money because it gave me so much pleasure to do so. We went back to Chivay on the bus, and I paid his $3 entrance to the hot springs for the much needed recovery soak, and then a $5 all you can eat buffet at a tourist restaurant. Alpaca, trout, chicken, pork, stuffed peppers, vegetables, shrimp soup and everything you could want, all fresh produce. I ate 4 plates of food, probably more than I had eaten the previous 3 days put together, and my guide ate happily like a king.

He told me that he had never seen a buffet before, (and it was certainly out of his price range). I felt bad a little somewhere inside, I think guilt for how thankless I am for the lifestyle I am able to live. It is amazing how much Northerners waste or throw away. We buy frivolous things that we later don't need, and take for granted the ability to have shoes, electricity and indoor plumbing. It is just eye opening to have the chance to get out into the country a little and hang out with the locals. They are not unhappy by any means, but by Northern standards, they are absolutely impoverished. The paradox of poverty and of laughter and smiling local faces just kind of blows the Western mind. I feel so lucky to have spent time here. Maybe the world would be a better place if we all travelled a little, and walked a mile in another man's sandals. An average Peruvian (or Costa Rican for that matter) would have to save their whole life to afford a trip like this, and would still never make it. It's a little uncomfortable at times to ponder how lucky we are, and how unable we are to really appreciate, to really SEE what we have. I'm very thankful for this trip.

And as always, thanks for your interest. JJ

Lost and Found in Lima

2008-01-17T17:53:00.000-05:00

Well, I made it to Arequipa, and getting here proved to be an adventure. I am indebited for the kindness of a stranger who helped me along the way.

Arequipa is currently experiencing the heaviest rains in 78 years, and it was even foggy in town last night, which is a rare phenomenon here. (There is a La Nina in effect off the coast, which they think will continue to bring periods of heavy rain for at least another month. Oh goody, my favorite...). The only airport in Peru that is equipped with advanced radar and guidance technology is Lima. Hardly anyone has been able to fly in or out of Arequipa for a week.

Our connecting flight from Lima was finally cancelled Tuesday night after several hours of wait-and-see if the weather would clear. Another gentleman, an American working for a mining company in Peru, struck up a conversation with me while waiting for the status of our flight. It´s rather easy to spot a fellow ¨whitey¨ down here, and can be grounding to share some conversation in English when you haven´t had many chances to speak it lately. He had an apartment in Lima and knew I was stranded, so he taxied us there so we could break out the laptop computers and catch up on email while we waited for a flight the following morning.

Without sleep, we returned to the airport, and were able to get put on the 4 am flight to Arequipa. However, we were not able to land there, and continued to the next stop, which was a practically deserted altiplano town called Juliaca, at about 4500 m of altitude. The airline kind of just dumped us off there to fend for ourselves, or with the option to continue on to Cuzco, which wasn´t really much help to me. Somehow, I suspect that there was never any clearance to land in Arequipa when we took off, and the airline was just trying to clear the backlog in Lima, and get us out of there. Who knows, it´s only an hour away, and the weather may have changed that fast.

The samaritan called his company to send a vehicle to get us to Arequipa, and he again offered to bring me along. After more than 30 hours of travel without sleep and regular meals, I was able to get here in one piece. When he dropped me off, he laughed and said something to the effect of ¨how many people would have done that for you?¨, and of course the answer was probably one in a million, or none, so I made it here with a lot of luck, and I am grateful.

Thanks again, friend. Best wishes, and a .45 caliber salute.

Final days in Costa Rica

2008-01-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

Greetings from Lima, Peru. I could not get to my final destination tonight due to bad weather at the Arequipa airport. Waiting for the ticket counters to open, I have a little time, and wanted to jot some final notes on Costa Rica before we delve into Peru.

Costa Rica was absolutely beautiful. For lovers of the outdoors and wildlife, you will be thrilled with the opportunities that abound. Along with pleasant, warm weather, and warm people, it is a great place to visit.

For the work opportunities I am seeking, I did not find Costa Rica suitable for a longer stay. There are many jobs in the San Jose area for English teachers and call-center employees--such as for the multinational sportsbooks--but San Jose is a congested, expensive city to live in, and it seems like the wind is always blowing a little there, which is a weather phenomenon I have never liked much. It is not a desirable city to me, and I wanted to see more than one country anyways, so onward and upward.

I was able to visit the Guayabo National Monument before leaving, a 3,000 year old ruin about 12 miles north of Turrialba. The acqueduct system is still working, diverting and slowing the flow of spring water around and under the ruins, and into holding cisterns. The ruins are not as dramatic as the Mayan temples of Mexico, Guatemala or Honduras, but still left one with a sense of awe to consider that all the stone was brought there from the Turrialba Volcano, and the passage would not have been easy at all, and had to have taken a considerable amount of time. The main stone road leading into the ruins is at least a few feet thick, and you could drive a semi-tractor trailer on it. It was quite impressive. The drive to Guayabo Village is very scenic, and we lucked out with good weather. A day to remember.

In San Jose, I was able to visit the Pre-Colombian Gold Museum, and learn about the lost-wax method of casting gold and tumbaga objects (tumbaga is an alloy of gold and copper). There are many pieces on display, many of them representing frogs, birds, and crocodiles and such. and I tried to photograph them, although I'm not sure the photos do them justice. I was intending to see the Jade Museum as well, but it got late in the afternoon, so I walked around, took a few photos, and popped in on one of the local casinos to see what they are like.

The Horseshoe Casino has no relation to the Vegas Horseshoe, but surely benefits from the name recognition. The casino was very small, with a couple dozen slot machines, and a few gaming tables. A funny thing about casinos here: slot machines are called tragamonedas, which translates as "swallows money" or "gulps money". How appropriate. I'm sure they do pay off sometimes.... I was coaxed into playing a little blackjack by one of several becoming hostesses, who sat at the table with me and the other gentleman playing, presumably to make conversation (and distract us from counting cards?) I was able to realize a $20 profit off a $40 buy in after 3 shoes, and was glad to get out of there ahead. I hadn't planned on playing, but the casino had planned on getting me to play long before I ever walked in the door.... Ha ha, my friends in Washington are laughing now. I scampered out the door with their $20 and had a nice dinner to celebrate.

Ah, Costa Rica. Nice place that it is, I was both happy and sad to leave. I am excited to move on and see new things. The rental agreement I had in Turrialba had soured a couple weeks ago. I had notified the landlord in December that I would not stay January, and they had told me not to worry or make decisions based on their situation. Then, when January rolled around, I got a note demanding me to pay for the whole month, even though I would not be there. By the way, I was dealing with an American, not a Costa Rican. This ended up being an unnecessary hassle at the end, which took some of the wind out of my sails, but that is far behind me now. I found that the people worried most about money in Costa Rica were Americans, not Costa Ricans.

I felt very safe in Costa Rica while travelling and enjoying the natural splendor. I recommend it highly, you will love it !

Caribbean Coast

2007-12-27T20:04:00.000-05:00

The coastal areas of the Caribbean are very beautiful here. Several species of turtles come to the shores of Tortuguero to lay their eggs on the beach, however this is not currently the season, so I headed south to check out Cahuita.

Good weather made the stay very enjoyable. Very small, mostly geared toward beach and snorkeling activities on the coral reef. Cahuita National Park is a beach trail of about 8-9 kilometers, with many chances to see wildlife, like white-faced monkeys, or to duck over to your own private little beach, or one of the larger, blue stretches of white sand beach. Very pleasant, and nice weather for swimming, although it was a little too rough to allow good visibility for snorkeling. I was able to walk along much of the trail, do some swimming, and thoroughly enjoyed my time there. The weather was mid 80's, and the ocean there is warm enough while still being refreshing.

Further south, in Puerto Viejo, I had some contact with La Puente, a volunteer organization with programs that assist the Bribri and other local indigenous populations to access jobs, to help enroll kids in school, and food and micro-loan programs, among other activities. Puerto Viejo was a nice town, a little bigger and more touristy, but small enough to walk around. It was very rainy during my whole stay, but it did help kick up the Salsa Brava waves a little for the surfing crowd. It had been sunny and dry the whole week previously, so the rain can be expected eventually. I guess that's why they call it a rainforest environment....

Excursion for rafting and ziplines

2007-12-14T14:00:00.000-05:00

Our last tour returned us to the Sarapiqui region for a canopy tour on ziplines, 60-80 feet above the forest floor. They were quite exhilerating. The last one was 1000 feet long, and flew us over the river at around 30 or 35 mph. Quite a blast ! Then a rafting trip on Sarapiqui, with class 3 rapids, exciting enough, but not super-tough. We saw more monkeys and waterfowl, and enjoyed the day thoroughly. In the forest, we saw lots of different bugs and plants, including the famous bullet ant, which is almost an inch long, and feels like you've been shot with a gun if they bite you, for about 14 hours.

My friends were sad to go, knowing how much else was out there to see, like the Caribbean coast, and many other biological reserves. Because the trip was put together at the last minute, we were generally pleased with how details worked out, and we were continually amazed with the amount of vegetation and wildlife on constant display around us.

With advance planning, a trip of 10-15 days would allow one to see a lot of Costa Rica, and private commuter flights at around $100-$150 round trip would allow one to access areas such as Corcovado Reserve, in the far southwestern region near Panama, in about 45 minutes, instead of 9 hours in a bus. A 2 week flight pass would cost about $350 or $400, and would allow several jumps around the country. I think this is a good option if you can get away for awhile.

Turtle watching, whale or dolphin tours, snorkeling, surfing, sportfishing for sailfish, marlin and snook, rafting, ziplines, and wildlife viewing opportunities await you in almost every region of Costa Rica, so it is as much a choice of what to do, as to what you will choose to miss this trip....Costa Rica does not have the archeological prestige of the Mayan Riveria or Peru, but it is an ecological paradise, with over 25% of its territory dedicated as National Park or Wildlife Refuge. People have been very friendly and laid-back here, and it's a great place to come stay for awhile.....

Day 2 vacation

2007-12-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

Today we travelled to the Sarapiqui River on the Caribbean slope. We drove through coffee country to the north of San Jose, and stopped at Poas Volcano, hoping to see the huge, active crater. Alas, it was shrouded in fog, at about 9,000 feet.

At Sarapiqui, we boarded another riverboat for a wildlife viewing excursion. More caymans, and several families of howler monkeys playing in the trees. The usual herons and egrets were everywhere, as well as the iguana, and we saw many toucans, at least two different varieties.

We disembarked downriver and enjoyed a nice lunch in an open air, thatched roof type lodge. A strung up bunch of ripe bananas provided a roost for the many different birds and toucans to display themselves on as they gorged on fruit. Snake and amphibian exhibits were also set up at the lodge, but a heavy downpour arrived, and we had to leave a little earlier than we wanted to.

Day 3 We went to my house in Turrialba for a barbeque with the neighbor, and enjoying the nice weather. We toured the botanical gardens here at CATIE the following day, and visited a local serpentarium.

CATIE is a prestigious graduate school program that follows research in areas of tropical forest and crop management. For example, their 2,500 acre botanical garden gives home to the most important coffee and cacao collections in Latin America, with more than 1000, and 175 different varieties of each, respectively. These crops are not grown for harvest, but simply to maintain the genetic diversity for future hybridization. There is a cryo-seedbank for seeds which can be frozen, and there are many other types of tropical plants displayed in the gardens, like tea, guavas, macadamias, palms, mangosteen fruits (delicious !), annatto, and many many others.

The local snake expert has 43 years of experience studying snakes, and gave an informative talk about snakes, and especially pit vipers, of which there are many types in Costa Rica, such as the famous bushmaster, and the much feared, aggressive, fer-de-lance viper. One particular fer-de-lance in his serpentarium has been featured in 9 documentary films, such as by National Geographic, and holds the world record for most venom in its glands. Untreated, a bite from the fer-de-lance will destroy the kidneys in 30 hours. Fascinating stuff.

A week of tours in Costa Rica with friends

2007-12-14T10:07:00.000-05:00

Back home now after hosting a couple friends for the week. We stayed in a budget hotel in San Jose, and did guided tours each day, which included meals, transportation, and bilingual guides. It's a good way to see the country without hassling too much over details. The roads here are narrow, and not signed particularly well, so it was nice to relax in our mini-van and let someone else do the driving. There is so much to see here, it was difficult to choose between various tours. Here's what we were able to do:

Day one:

Best of Pacific Tour -

We headed west towards the central Pacific coast. On the Tarcoles River, we boarded a boat for a wildlife viewing cruise. We saw at least 30 crocodiles, caymans, 2 types of large (3-4 feet) iguanas, several types of heron, egrets, pelicans, osprey, and other water birds. The vegetation and wildlife were quite amazing, and the weather was perfect.

One crocodile came right over to our boat, and my friend was so busy trying to focus his camera, he did not realize that this croc was already nose up to the boat, right next to him. The guide warned him not to stick his arm out, and he looked up from the camera to total surprise at the 15 or so footer croc. The croc was surely disappointed that he did not fall out of the boat....

Afterwards, we completed the drive to Playa Blanca at Punta Leona Resort. Much of the Jurassic Park movie was filmed here amongst the lush vegetation. We did a short rainforest walk, and spent the rest of the afternoon wading in the ocean and admiring all the scenery and seashells on the beach. The food at the resort was excellent, and made for a very satisfying day.

Jesse draws a gutshot wound

2007-11-24T02:26:00.000-05:00

Does anybody know what that strange organ called the appendix is for?

The "up-end" icks came up and bit Jesse like a snake on the trail, suckered up on him reel sneaky like, right b'fore he was fixin' to leave town. Ol' Jesse was in a mighty bit of pain til the doc done worked his fee and save his outlaw hide.

Thankfully we only get one, and that one's gone now....

Welcome to Paradise

2007-11-17T00:33:00.000-05:00

Thanks for coming by. I am getting ready for the big trip south. But I think I'm in Paradise already. Paradise is a state of mind, and its hallmark is freedom. I may fail or lose my way, but I relish the chance to step out of the ordinary and onto a new, inviting path just ahead. Finding the freedom within to take a chance and do something you never thought you could.... Attitude is everything in Paradise. Friends, family, lovers, and haters: all are welcome here. Thanks for your interest.........