More of Costa Rica
Here I am sitting at a Casa Particular in La Habana,Cuba using the familly computer. The connection is so slow that one can almost not be bothered. But I try anyway. The last part of the Costa Rica tour was a success. I took two day trips with Ben from Norway. One was a Canopy tour where you slide on wires through the rainforrest...pretty cool I must say...kind of like horisontal bungy jumping. The longest slide was 750 meters! The same night We got inwited for dinner at the Hostel by John from Scotland who is a chéf from Glasgow. Very nice. Ben and John: If you read this, take care and hope to see you in Iceland or denmark:). The next day we took a tour to the highest volcano in Costa Rica, just over 3400 meters. We drove up to the mayn crater, but I could feel the hight as we walked the last 900 meters to the Punto de más alto (highest point). I really have to get into shape! It was a good trip and we did see the main crater even though it was foggy most of the time. Finally out in the nature and in the moantains where I am in my element...I definately not a city person at least not when I´m travelling. My last day in Costa Rica was for relaxing in the sun that finally showed itself for longer than for few hours in the morning. How tipical.
Any ways...I took the flight from San Jose to Panama very early on the morning of the 25th and from there to La Habana. You will hear about my adventures in Cuba next time.
Take care,
El Guapo
Pictures from Costa Rica
check out some new pictures from Costa Rica
here!
Volcan Arenal
Yesterday I took a daytrip to the Volcano Arenal in the north part of Costa Rica. After a short stop at a Costa Rican souvenir shop and lunch, we arrived at Arenal. It was quite spectacular because it was not raining (for a change) and we could see the smoking volcano allready from a far. It looks very much like you expect a volcano to look like. Like a cone that somebody bit the top of. After a short stop at some hotels where some my fellow travellers were staying the night, we went to the
Tabacon hot springs which are with out a doubt the most spectacular hot springs I have ever been to. Kind of like I would imagine Paradise to look like.
After we had a fantastic Dinner Buffet and drove back to San José. Unfortunatly, it became cloudy that evening so we could not see tha volcano at night. Even so, a really memorable trip. Today I walked into town with Ben (form Norway) and we bought a canopy tour for tomorrow...that will be interesting!
Tabacon Hot Springs
Wake up call
Finally I got my card from Visa so I can do something again. I already booked a day trip tomorrow to a very active volcano. It´s called Arenal and is in the northern part of the country. However it is still raining a lot so my hopes are not to high regarding the weather. I´ve got my fingers crossed and hope I will be able to see the Volcano which is supposed to be quite spectacular with lave running down it´t slopes. I have been following the path of hurricane Wilma for the last couple of days and it looks like it will pass over the northern part of central America, Beliz, Honduras and Guatemala, on it´s way to Cuba and then Florida. So it seems that I made the right decission pospone my Cuban trip. Just hope that there are no more hurricanes on the way.
I have not been doing anything really here in San Jose and I did not go out of the hostel for 3 days after I was mugged. Ther first time I went out it was together with my roommate from Germany and we went to the supermarket. After I got my card yesterday I had to go to the ATM machine to take out some money, and I must say it was not easy. Even if it was in the middle of the day and there were lots of people around. I can´t really describe it but I felt like every one I passed on the way were potential muggers and might suddenly jump at me and demand my credid card. My heart started to beat faster and and my palms were sweating. Even two dogs in a fence that I passed could sence this. They were just laying there half a sleep, minding their own business when I walked by, then they jumped up and began to bark at me. At first I thought it was maybe not me, but when they did the same thing as I was walking back I was not in doubt. Dogs really can sence fear, if you ever doubted that! I had to go to the ATM again that day and I was seriously thinging about asking someone to walk there with me. But, I didn´t and this time it was much easier. The dogs did bark again though...but only on my way back.
Having something like that happening to you does make you think about your life, about what you are doing with it and where you are heading with it. I sure have had nothing but time to think the last few days and I´m sure there will be some changes in my life when I get back "home"...whereever that is! I have allready decided to cut at least one month of my trip...probably more. I hope to be in Brazil in the beginning of february and then heading back to Denmark in the beginning of March.
For those of you who are still reading...take care,
Jón
p.s. more very soon
Everything right is wrong again
Well, time to let ppl. know that I´m alive. The last days have, however, not exactly been a walk in the park! After a long and tiresome flights to San Jose (via Miami) I got a pick up from the airport and was shown to my room at the hostel. It was not the main part of the hostel but a house on the other side of the street belonging to the same hostel. I had booked a good room just for me for the first night so that I could be alone and get over my jetlag. It seemed that I was the only one in this part of the hostel so it was nice and quiet and the room was fine. Unfortunately things moved rather ("rather" beeing the understatement of the year) down hill from there. I asked the guy in the reception where I could get something to eat at this time of night (it was 22:00). He thought for a moment and then told me about a Costa Rican Restaurant just down the street few blocks and then to the right. Ok, easy enough I thought I´ll just go there have a quick snack and go strait to bed. But there I made my first mistake. I just walked out in search of this restaurant without making any of the precausions I normally make when going out alone...can you see where this is going? It was probably because of the jetlag that I was just not thinking straight so it was basically my own fault running into three muggers just down the road. What happend next happend very quickly: They demanded my money (as muggers do) or else!, and as I was not particularely interested in finding out what "or else" was, I gave them my wallet. I did however ask then very politely (as one does giving the situation) to leave my creditcards and just take the money. This just seamed to make them mad so I just said ok ok ok and slowly backed off. Then they ran away. I spend the rest of the evening calling Denmark and Iceland to cancel my cards, getting them to send my some new ones. So now I am stuck here for at least two or three days more while I am waiting for my cards. I have always wandered what I would do in this situation and unfortunately...now I know! Afterwards I was a little bit surprised how calmly I acted and did not panic. The worst part of this story is that it could so easily have been avoided. If I had gone to the main part of the hostel in the beginning I would have found out that they have a kitchen there that was still open. I´m still mad at the other receptionist for not pointing that out to me. I even asked him why the hell he had not told me about that...and he answered: "the food is not particularly good over there". Then I strangled him! No I did not actually do that, even though the idea did briefly cross my mind. Also If I had been thinking clearly I would have left my credid cards at home and just taken a couple of dolars for the meal.
I suppose I could wander about the what ifs until the end of the earth but I am determined not to let this spoil my vacation. I might have to cut it a little bit short though. Not only does it cost to get new cards but the muggers also managed to use on of the cards before I could close it...so all in all this sets my back about 4500 Danish krona or about ten days in spending money.
Other than this I am fine and am planing to find out what I will do with the rest of my time here, when I get my money that is. I guess the Diving course is off, for the time being at least.
Until next time,
Jon
Now is Strange
Well now I´m off on my "little" trip, and thease words are written on a Internet café in Madrid. It feels a bit strange to be finally on my way but in a good way:). The trip here was good inspite of some hickups in denmark as I was starting. The metro "broke down" for 15 minutes and the conveyerbelt at the check in was also broken for about 15 minutes also!!. I was beginning to think: "So that´s how it is gonna be" . But then all of a sudden...vamo and everything has run smouthly since (7,9,13) . I was a bit dissapointed in the flight...we had to buy our own food and it was not cheap I can tell you! Then they showed some horrible programs on tv, TWICE! and if you wanted to hear something you had buy a headphone or have your own. Nevermind. I´m staying at a 4 star hotel in Madrid with breakfast included so I´m good ;) . Well better rap this up before my hour is up. Big day tomorrow!
Hasta la Costa Rica
p.s.
Skítkast is now number 4. on
www.kvikmynd.is everybody check it out!
Experimental Film
It worked finally after three hours in front of the computer with my friend Oskar the computer genious/Hekkenfeld Guitar guru, to set up a videoblog. Pretty cool stuff:)! I just hope I will be able to use it in South America inspite of out of date, and slow computers. You can already check out the first test
here. It is a video I made of my brother in Iceland this summer using my
Canon Power shot A520 digtal camera. If you are thinking about doing this yourself then try
this link.
Apart form this breakthru, planing for the trip is going according to plan except I have terrible cold. Hope I will be able to shake it before the week is over.
hasta la pasta
