I finally saw the jayhawks play and they are solid. wow, I feel blessed to see them play, finally. I caught the Stanford game too and they look soft and damn, UCLA came back to beat California. I think Cal lacks stamina. If only they could have held out! Of course, I am looking forward for the evening game too--UNC/Duke. It should be interesting.
Today, was stormy but I enjoyed it. I cannot believe that I will be home in 3 days. I had a massage this morning and it was great. The lady came to the hotel, whaled on my rhomboids and was thorough. It has been a wonderful day.
Tomorrow, I hope to swim, sunbathe and then return to the big city of Belize City. I purchased post cards and am set on sending them off on Monday. Life is good.
I am a little distracted right now and so I will check this later. Earlier, the computers were down and I had a comment to robin, but I lost it.
I walked into town and was told the bookstore was on Belize time, which means it is similar to Peterson time--about a half hour to an hour of waiting around for someone. I hope to check out the bookstore before I return to Belize City since it appears to be a real store with books. I need something for the return flight to Houston or I will be stuck reading skymall or the United Magazine since I have no music.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Friday, March 7, 2008
San Pedro
The beaches are beautiful. I took the water taxi to San Pedro and my bottom was numb from bouncing up and down. I was grateful that I wasn't hungover because that ride would have sucked.
My hotel is outside of the town, right on the beach. I have internet access and my own thatched cabana. Everyone gets around on golf carts and there are numerous mini markets, cafes, restaurants and they have a book store. I am going to check that out later.
I met some nice canadians last night while I was enjoying a drink on the beach. The woman, Joanne, lives here from January-June and she was very helpful in terms of suggestions and conversation. They play horse shoes on Sunday afternoons at the Crazy Canuck.
This is all about relaxation and contemplation of my return. I love the sun!!!
My hotel is outside of the town, right on the beach. I have internet access and my own thatched cabana. Everyone gets around on golf carts and there are numerous mini markets, cafes, restaurants and they have a book store. I am going to check that out later.
I met some nice canadians last night while I was enjoying a drink on the beach. The woman, Joanne, lives here from January-June and she was very helpful in terms of suggestions and conversation. They play horse shoes on Sunday afternoons at the Crazy Canuck.
This is all about relaxation and contemplation of my return. I love the sun!!!
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Belize City
I decided to be realistic and find coffee today. I almost settled for nescafe, but they don't even had that around here. Basically, there are 4 mini markets which are set up for looking only. The owners of the establishment decide on your choices and you pay them through a gate. I walked past the university of Belize and found a restaurant with coffee this morning. Afterwards, I tried to find the book store--Angela's Place and found myself ensconsed in the tourist area. I found a better coffee shop, found the water taxi and decided to locate Angela's Place. Really it is called Angellus Press and it has paper supplies and some text books. No novels outside of Classics literature or religious books. I didn't want to spend $16-20 on a book that I could find used for 50 cents. I hope to find something tomorrow.
I purchased fish, rice and beans and potato salad off of a stand for $3 and it was perfection. There are many tourists here, but none of them are walking...just me, the crazy blonde lady who needs braids--I was told today so that I could cool off. I saw many horse drawn carts with tourists and thought, get out of that and walk around the mainland. There isn't much to see and I understand the money the locals make, but really, it all goes back to being lazy. WALK SOMEWHERE is what I wanted to scream at people. I didn't.
I returned to the hotel and loved the AC. Belize feels like Florida in August. It is humid. Tomorrow, I will depart for San Pedro and assume there is internet but don't know about the charging yet. I will check in later.
I purchased fish, rice and beans and potato salad off of a stand for $3 and it was perfection. There are many tourists here, but none of them are walking...just me, the crazy blonde lady who needs braids--I was told today so that I could cool off. I saw many horse drawn carts with tourists and thought, get out of that and walk around the mainland. There isn't much to see and I understand the money the locals make, but really, it all goes back to being lazy. WALK SOMEWHERE is what I wanted to scream at people. I didn't.
I returned to the hotel and loved the AC. Belize feels like Florida in August. It is humid. Tomorrow, I will depart for San Pedro and assume there is internet but don't know about the charging yet. I will check in later.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
First Class
I booked into my Taca airlines flight today and didn't pay too much attention to the seat preference. I only wanted to be as near the front as possible. I board the plane and she placed me in first class. It was awesome, luxurious and I loved every minute of the two flights. They combined for about 2 hours and 15 minutes. It was amazing.
I arrived into Belize City and took a taxi to my hotel. The population of Belize is 300,000. It is insane to be in such a small area and with few residents. The official language is english and so I am able to maneuver. It is humid and crazy hot, but I depart for Ambergris Caye on Thursday where I will remain until Sunday to return here. I am hoping to soak up the sun and relish in the end of this journey. I don't know how ambitious I will be in terms of diving, caving or just plain exploring. It feels nice to be here and safe.
I can watch basketball and enjoy the heat! Plus, there are no cockroaches in my hotel room, which is set up like a suite. I have a refrigerator, sitting area and separate room with a/c and an oscillating fan. It is cheap, too.
Until tomorrow or until I find some intersting facts about the country.
I arrived into Belize City and took a taxi to my hotel. The population of Belize is 300,000. It is insane to be in such a small area and with few residents. The official language is english and so I am able to maneuver. It is humid and crazy hot, but I depart for Ambergris Caye on Thursday where I will remain until Sunday to return here. I am hoping to soak up the sun and relish in the end of this journey. I don't know how ambitious I will be in terms of diving, caving or just plain exploring. It feels nice to be here and safe.
I can watch basketball and enjoy the heat! Plus, there are no cockroaches in my hotel room, which is set up like a suite. I have a refrigerator, sitting area and separate room with a/c and an oscillating fan. It is cheap, too.
Until tomorrow or until I find some intersting facts about the country.
Monday, March 3, 2008
best of costa rica
The best part of Costa Rica was spending time with Shari. I mean, she rented a car and so we were self-sufficient the entire time. It was fun to maneuver the pot-holed streets, with crazy drivers, taxis and of course, the semi. The road to Manual Antonio was crap which I remembered from my trip in 2004 with Brian.
Shari is a wonderful travel companion since she travels light and enjoys nature. She wasn't demanding or expecting me to wake at the crack of dawn for some crazy adventure. She enjoys life and the experience that is presented each day.
Once we got to Manual Antonio we found our bed and breakfast and I was sick. I think the heat, the drive down and nostalgia made me nauseous. I am sure that the owner couldn't wait to see more of what I could do!
He was a widower and the upkeep wasn't there, but he tried and we understood his situation. He was in shock, still, but trying to keep the business alive for the memory of his wife. The hot tub and pool were handy and in spite of the cold showers the first few days, it was the best place we stayed.
The hotel in Dominical was loud, without a tv/pool/hot tub and no breakfast included. Of course, it was fine, we can fend for ourselves and we found a lady to do our laundry. The roads to Dominical were trying on our little car, but it was an adventure. They are in the process of paving the roads to connect Manual Antonio to Dominical. I loved how rustic Dominical was. There were 5 hostels on the beach and a few hotels. Outside of this, it was mostly surfers, backpackers and no resorts. I could have stayed there the entire time. The beaches were beautiful.
In Cartago, our room was across the street from a famous church. Very beautiful, but I wasn't coaxed in. Plus, after the night I spent tonight at the computer, I feel like I was at a service. There are about 15 Christians on a mission and I had to listen to their meeting since my ipod was stolen. It was weird on several levels. I felt like I was intruding on their meeting and I felt like they were hurting my ears.
We had good food and spent time in the rainforest park in Manual Antonio and Mapiche, near Cartago. It was nice to enjoy the park without disruption since we went early. Around noon, Tico families came with picnic lunches and it was great to see.
The canopy tour was amazing and we have some great shots to prove it. It was uplifting and close to free. I guess, I recovered from my funk and didn't have anything bad to say except for the mosquito bite that wouldn't quit giving and the inconvenience of cold water. Really, Costa Rica is paradise...some of it. I do not enjoy all of the english speakers or the vacationing americans only because, there are so many of them. It felt like we flew into LA or Miami.
Take time to enjoy coffee, which by the way is fantastic in Costa Rica and enjoy the sun. They do have cbs, nbc and abc all tuned into Denver. Ironic, I suppose.
Tomorrow, I depart for another tropical paradise filled with tourists and english. I might get picked up by a cruise ship--who knows?
Shari is a wonderful travel companion since she travels light and enjoys nature. She wasn't demanding or expecting me to wake at the crack of dawn for some crazy adventure. She enjoys life and the experience that is presented each day.
Once we got to Manual Antonio we found our bed and breakfast and I was sick. I think the heat, the drive down and nostalgia made me nauseous. I am sure that the owner couldn't wait to see more of what I could do!
He was a widower and the upkeep wasn't there, but he tried and we understood his situation. He was in shock, still, but trying to keep the business alive for the memory of his wife. The hot tub and pool were handy and in spite of the cold showers the first few days, it was the best place we stayed.
The hotel in Dominical was loud, without a tv/pool/hot tub and no breakfast included. Of course, it was fine, we can fend for ourselves and we found a lady to do our laundry. The roads to Dominical were trying on our little car, but it was an adventure. They are in the process of paving the roads to connect Manual Antonio to Dominical. I loved how rustic Dominical was. There were 5 hostels on the beach and a few hotels. Outside of this, it was mostly surfers, backpackers and no resorts. I could have stayed there the entire time. The beaches were beautiful.
In Cartago, our room was across the street from a famous church. Very beautiful, but I wasn't coaxed in. Plus, after the night I spent tonight at the computer, I feel like I was at a service. There are about 15 Christians on a mission and I had to listen to their meeting since my ipod was stolen. It was weird on several levels. I felt like I was intruding on their meeting and I felt like they were hurting my ears.
We had good food and spent time in the rainforest park in Manual Antonio and Mapiche, near Cartago. It was nice to enjoy the park without disruption since we went early. Around noon, Tico families came with picnic lunches and it was great to see.
The canopy tour was amazing and we have some great shots to prove it. It was uplifting and close to free. I guess, I recovered from my funk and didn't have anything bad to say except for the mosquito bite that wouldn't quit giving and the inconvenience of cold water. Really, Costa Rica is paradise...some of it. I do not enjoy all of the english speakers or the vacationing americans only because, there are so many of them. It felt like we flew into LA or Miami.
Take time to enjoy coffee, which by the way is fantastic in Costa Rica and enjoy the sun. They do have cbs, nbc and abc all tuned into Denver. Ironic, I suppose.
Tomorrow, I depart for another tropical paradise filled with tourists and english. I might get picked up by a cruise ship--who knows?
Alajuela
Shari and I left Herredia with the intention of making it to Alajuela, a mere 12 km, without getting lost. I did make her drive through San Jose which she excelled at, but it was stressful due to the pedestrians, taxis and dipshit drivers. We survived, loved the coffee at Britt and were determined to make it to the hotel in Alajuela. Also, at that point we would be about 2 km from the airport which is ideal for both of us in terms of getting there safely.
We take off, heading west and realize that we had went quite aways. There are no signs, anywhere, only cars, pedestrians and the desire to pick a direction to find the plaza in the center of town. We would drive by churches or universities, but they weren´t on the map and so we wasted an hour and a half to go 12 km. We finally spotted the church and were able to discern the restaurant near the hotel that we wanted to stay. Discouraged, I believe, we would have stayed at any hotel we saw, but there weren´t any. The hotel we wanted to stay at was booked solid for Sunday, but I arranged to stay here for tonight. In the book, it says, they have a hot tub on the roof-THEY DON´T. It isn´t ready yet. The hotel is nice with an open kitchen, fast internet and Diego Rivera prints as decor. I love him and so I felt right at home.
The hotel we stayed at last night was clean, but dark. We were overwhelmed by the disinfectant spray in the toilet, which was unpleasant, but we viewed our canopy tour this morning for free and the breakfast was nice.
The restaurant last night which was recommended in the book was disappointing. We both had chicken and I am convinced that I really want to become a vegetarian from this trip. It isn´t the first time that the chicken has been questionable and last night, it was sad. We walked around hoping to find coffee and dessert only everything had closed and so we found an helado place and had a sundae which was the fitting end to our tour of Costa Rica.
I hope that Shari enjoyed herself because it was wonderful for me. I hope I didn´t make her too crazy with my new mosquito bite. It was unpleasant to be kind, and this is the 3rd time I have tended to a wound on my ass. I am over mosquitoes!!!
I will do the best of later. I really liked spending the week here with Shari. Of course, having a driver was beautiful and we were able to see more with the car. I am ready to return to the States.
We take off, heading west and realize that we had went quite aways. There are no signs, anywhere, only cars, pedestrians and the desire to pick a direction to find the plaza in the center of town. We would drive by churches or universities, but they weren´t on the map and so we wasted an hour and a half to go 12 km. We finally spotted the church and were able to discern the restaurant near the hotel that we wanted to stay. Discouraged, I believe, we would have stayed at any hotel we saw, but there weren´t any. The hotel we wanted to stay at was booked solid for Sunday, but I arranged to stay here for tonight. In the book, it says, they have a hot tub on the roof-THEY DON´T. It isn´t ready yet. The hotel is nice with an open kitchen, fast internet and Diego Rivera prints as decor. I love him and so I felt right at home.
The hotel we stayed at last night was clean, but dark. We were overwhelmed by the disinfectant spray in the toilet, which was unpleasant, but we viewed our canopy tour this morning for free and the breakfast was nice.
The restaurant last night which was recommended in the book was disappointing. We both had chicken and I am convinced that I really want to become a vegetarian from this trip. It isn´t the first time that the chicken has been questionable and last night, it was sad. We walked around hoping to find coffee and dessert only everything had closed and so we found an helado place and had a sundae which was the fitting end to our tour of Costa Rica.
I hope that Shari enjoyed herself because it was wonderful for me. I hope I didn´t make her too crazy with my new mosquito bite. It was unpleasant to be kind, and this is the 3rd time I have tended to a wound on my ass. I am over mosquitoes!!!
I will do the best of later. I really liked spending the week here with Shari. Of course, having a driver was beautiful and we were able to see more with the car. I am ready to return to the States.
Sunday, March 2, 2008
still in costa rica
COsta Rica has been fun. We spent the night in Dominical and it was fantastic! Rustic, unpaved roads and not that many tourists. I loved being able to walk around and not be suffocated by the throngs of Americans. If you were here, you would understand.
Everyone speaks english and I am trying to continue to speak spanish. It is interesting. We drove to Cartago, which is south of San Jose to spend the night and currently, we are at, Britt Coffee plantation, loving life and coffee.
Tomorrow, Shari will return to the STates and I leave early on Tuesday morning for Belize. I am excited that I will not be staying at any other hostels until I am stateside.
Thank you all for your toasts and love--we felt it. The energy in COsta Rica has been fulfilling.
Everyone speaks english and I am trying to continue to speak spanish. It is interesting. We drove to Cartago, which is south of San Jose to spend the night and currently, we are at, Britt Coffee plantation, loving life and coffee.
Tomorrow, Shari will return to the STates and I leave early on Tuesday morning for Belize. I am excited that I will not be staying at any other hostels until I am stateside.
Thank you all for your toasts and love--we felt it. The energy in COsta Rica has been fulfilling.
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