http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Berb/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Berb en-us Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:48:42 +0000 Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:48:42 +0000 They were not kidding about being immursed Poco Ingles from everyone I try to converse with. The director of the school the homestay parents and children and least of all the instructor assigned to me for the day. Libardo had suggested a guy for an instructor so I hope Monday is not such a brain drain. It was the end of the week so Maria was just for today. I need to go home and study.To http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Quetzaltenango/blog-134346.html The drive to Leon was quite the experience and quite tiring for Martin how literally drove at the side of the road at time because the pavement was so full of potholes. Little kids stood by the side of the road holding out their hands for donations for whatever cordobas you would give for their effort to fill the potholes with dirt. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Leon/blog-266544.html Our plan was to meander to Seville and then fly late tonight to Barcelona probably arriving around midnight. Mike reviewed the map and plotted a scenic route to the airport. It was a good thing we had been early for breakfast as before we finished the entire hotel staff took off to watch the Holy Week procession on our street. We could not resist joining them and got a kick out of seeing some http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-390400.html I got up early to scope out opportunies for breakfast but found limited options. We did find a suitable cafe and headed to the Cathedral which is adjacent to the Museu d'Historia and our first destination. I always carry a compass on our travels and Mike has a more mysterious form of wayfinding so we periodically have a different way of getting there. Don't miss this museum on a trip to Bar http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona/blog-390404.html The plan for the day is to head for Parque Nacional de Donana a wetlands reserve on the flight path from Africa to europe and to track down some of the site pertaining to Columbus' voyage to Americas.We decided to take advantage of the expressways so we headed west toward Jerez north toward Seville then west toward Huelva. I had googled the directions to the solar tower which Spain has much http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Huelva/blog-390374.html Arcos is a great little town but we are staying here three nights we are planning a couple of day trips. We had planned to travel to Granada but Ruth had studied the maps lat evening and when we met for breakfast suggested it would be an aweful lot of traveling and thought a southern trip might be better. I've long since learned to listen to Ruth soo when we hooked up with LM we made the sug http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/Arcos-de-la-Frontera/blog-390353.html Today is going to be an agressive travel day. We are driving over the mountains to Madrid where we catch a plane for Malaga and then drive the sea coast up over another mountain range and arrive in Arcos for a three nights stay.We had a big breakfast for Spanish standards at the hotel and headed off. LM know the area so we stopped at a small hamlet Valsain on the way out of town and could no http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Andalusia/M-laga/blog-390352.html started the day with a breakfast except me who is still a little unsettled and another stroll thru this amazing restorationrenovation. In hindsight I had the best beverage of the entire trip. Although the waitress couldn't speak english she observed my discomfort and brought out some camomille tea. Either I was getting over the distress or this was an amaing drink...I felt much better wi http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/blog-390349.html After a quiet stroll and breakfast at our hotel we headed off for another day of adventure ending at a monesterio turned hotel.I'm afraid my journal of our trip and pictures are going to get redundant. I don't know if I just don't remember our previous trips to Europe or Spain has a lot more ruins of ancients times. It seems like evey hilltop has evidence of villages castles palaces etc. We http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Castile---Leon/Valladolid/blog-390344.html Trip started off a little sketchy...raining in ATL which always means the expressways are parking lots with misc car accidents. Kendra and Justin offered to drive us to the airport which took 34 times longer than when I took Lynn and Mke a day earlier. The weather maps showed thunderstorms to the west but we hoped to take off on time...655pm storms due 8 pm. Fortunately for many but not g http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Galicia/Santiago-de-Compostela/blog-387369.html We got up early for a breakfast in the courtyard of our hotel. We strolled the town taking in the vitality of this city...historic buildings and variety of urban housing. I love the variety of glass enclosed balconies in both old and newly constructed apartments. I don't think we have seen any single family houses. Finally we walked down to pick up the rental car for our start of the drive al http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/Spain/Galicia/Santiago-de-Compostela/blog-390312.html We got up early and headed to a Barcelo resort at Montelimar for a day at the beach. It does not get much better than this All inclusive day and night. We had the beach to ourselves and the weather was perfect so we walked a good distance then headed to lunch. Found a delightful table overlooking the beach and stuffed ourselves at the buffet and drinking various fruit juices might have be http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Managua/blog-265675.html Up bright and early for a drive to the beach town of San Juan del Sur. On our way we stopped at an old family friend of Maria's parents that runs a finca of sugar cane and plantain. It was interesting to hear the process of making sugar from the sugar cane. Much of the sugar cane is hauled to the processing plants using oxen drawn wagons. The cane is cut to small pieces then pressed to get th http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-264586.html We started the day with a hike up an active volcano. The dome had collapsed so the view down into the volcano was quite impressive. It was hard to breathe because of the gases and the warning signs to park backwards in the spaces made you aware that it could errupt at any time. A view in the adjacent inactive volcano showed how the vegetation filled in while the lava flow from the active volc http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Masaya/blog-264566.html Spring break 2008 and we are off to Nicaragua leaving our beautiful Atlanta spring behind. So far we have been fortunate to be getting a more normal amount of rain and the plants are rewarding us. And sure enough it's rainy and fog as we take offNo matter how many time i fly I still enjoy popping above the clouds. We had a uneventful 3 hour flight to Managua. Tried to get a picture of the vo http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Managua/blog-263327.html Week 3 was pretty much routine more verbos and they are getting mas irregulares. There is a logic to some of the grammar but not much to others. The school arranged for several good outings this week. Tried to learn salsa dancing but you all know that dancing is not in my makeup. I thought dancing was in the knees but this salso is all hips. We also went to the Gallo factory which is interesting http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Quetzaltenango/blog-143171.html Martes early morning and Raul put me on a bus for my trip to Coban. Couldnt take a shower or go to bathroom cause the water had not been turned on yet. I need to catch an 830 express bus in order to get to Coban in one day. Got to bus terminal earlier than expected because the chicken bus team of driver and assistant were amazing as we zoomed around the mountains and small villages. The assistan http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Coban/blog-143533.html Una qu experiencia maravillosa de dos familias y de dos culturas que vienen junto We are all loaded up and ready to head for San Marcos to meet up with Libardo's folks and then to The Rancho Libardo's grandparents home in the mountains. The ride to the Rancho is over two hours to go 30 KM 20 miles. Nine people and our luggage had five backpacks strapped to the roof of the car. Still can http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Quetzaltenango/blog-147566.html Apologies currently unable to restore. If you have a backup please edit this entry and savepublish.There is a small possibility that this entry will be restored only small.When Ruth was 13 yrs old she saw a girls name in the back of some magazine wanting to be a penpal with someone around the world. Ruth said she responded to Cheryl in New Zealand because it would save the hassle of another l http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/North-Island/Napier/blog-166941.html We are on the otherside of the outback portion of our trip. I didn't expect to have WWW access for that week but we still have not been able to find an internet cafe with a USB port or card reader for picture upload...unbelievable. We could find it in the most remote villages in Guatemala. Anyway we may be able to hook up at Hervey Bay tomorrow...we'll see. You will enjoy reading of our great adv http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Northern-Territory/blog-176949.html