http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Double-J/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Double J en-us Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:49:54 +0000 Mon, 28 Dec 2009 22:49:54 +0000 Volcano Trail Day 17 San Jose Costa RicaThe final stop on our trip through Central America. If you want to read all the volcano tour entries start with the Guatemala one down the page...Before arriving in San Jose we stopped off in the town of San Ramon where our tour leader Christy lives. We stopped in checked out the diggs and headed on to San Jose.San Jose is the capital of Costa Rica http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-429017.html Volcano Trail Day 15 La Fortuna Costa RicaWe left Monteverde for La Fortuna. After an hour of driving we arrived at Arenal Lake. This is a manmade lake formed by a hydroelectric damplant. It was a quick 20 min boat ride across to the other side and the town of La Fortuna. La Fortuna is at the base of the very active Arenal Volcano. It is also a huge tourist town. Gringos are everywhere. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/La-Fortuna/blog-429015.html Volcano Trail Day 13 Monteverde Costa RicaWe left Ometepe early in the morning this time catching a proper ferry to the mainland. Crossed with ease into Costa Rica. As soon as you enter Costa Rica the differences in standard of living are profound nicely paved roads better built homes cars in better condition better clothing... it is apparent that Costa Rica is indeed the wealthiest of t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Puntarenas/Monteverde/blog-428960.html Volcano Trail Day 11 Aug 4 2009Ometepe Island NicaraguaWe left Granada around 9 to catch the chicken bus to Rivas Nicaragua. Chicken buses usually do not have chickens on them except maybe in Guatemala but are the main form of transport for the locals of Central America. They are almost always old American school buses. They are decked out with spoilers funky rims stainless steel exh http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/Santo-Domingo/blog-428753.html Day 8 August 1 2009Honduras Nicaragua BorderWe left Playa Cuco around 5am and entered into Honduras for a quick 2 hour drive. You have to pass through Honduras to get to Nicaragua as it stretches from the Caribbean to the Pacific. Due to the political problems we had been avoiding Honduras. A few months back the Honduran army performed a coup on the government. This was supported by the j http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Granada/blog-428473.html Volcano Trail Day 6 July 30 2009Playa Cuco El SalvadorAfter driving through most of El Salvador and passing some awesome volcanoes we arrived in the small beach town of Playa Cuco. Lonely Planet says that the beaches in this area are not worth visiting. Well I hope they keep writing this because it is SO worth coming here. You have the entire beach to yourself aside from a few locals pu http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/El-Salvador/San-Miguel/blog-428255.html Day 4 July 28Awoke early and left Honduras via Guatemala to cross into El Salvador.El Salvador was never in the plans until we arrived in Central America so visiting here was unexpected. The political problems in Honduras meant we needed to make up 4 nights so why not hit up El Salvador.One of the ladies on our tour got very ill and threw up on the bus. Poor lady.After a long day of buses we http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/El-Salvador/Suchitoto/blog-428250.html Volcano TourDay 3 July 27 2009 Copan HondurasWe left early in the morning from Guatemala for Honduras. Originally we were to spend 5 days in Honduras but due to the political problems we were advised not to go to Honduras at all. Our tour leader heard that it was still OK to go to Copan which is only 12 hour into Honduras from the Guatemala border. I'll write more about the Honduras situ http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Copan/blog-428246.html Volcano Trail here I come Day 1 July 25 2009Lisa and I left Toronto very early on a rainy morning off to Guatemala. Arrived into the sunshine of Guatemala City. Quickly got out of the city and arrived in the UNESCO heritage town of Antigua. This colourful colonial town was the capital of all of central America until an earthquake leveled it centuries back. Today it retains the charm of c http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-428240.html These are a bunch of photos of the high priced sigh action adventures we did in New Zealand.Including...Shotover JetHelicopter Ride to Milford Sound with a Glacier landingSingle engine plane back to QueenstownLugeFlying Fox100m abseil into Waitomo Caves http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/New-Zealand/blog-379952.html I used my aeroplan miles from my trip to New Zealand and headed off to Ottawa to visit some friends from university and to check out Ottawa... a place I hadn't been to and explored since I was a kid... alright I was there in university for a day but I was bombed most of the timeSpent most of the time with friends in Carleton Place but did a trip into the city and walked around the Parliament bu http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Ontario/Ottawa/blog-375354.html Here are some pics from Northern Chile. Arica is Chile's most northerly city and is also one of the driest places on earth. Parque Nacional Lauca is at 6000 m above sea level. Tacna is a small town in southern Peru where we hopped the border to have lunch and get a Peru passport stamp. I will have to come back to Peru as a lunch trip isn't giving it the justice it deserves sorry not all http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Arica-and-Parinacota/blog-368858.html Hola amigosWell the last week has been one of the most exciting ever. I'm writing you from Arica in the far north of Chile on the border with Peru. i just realized that this is a little long oops Last Saturday we left early morning to catch a flight to Calama in the Chilean Altiplano means high plains. Unfortunately our plane had some technical problems so we had to stop in Antofagast http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Bolivia/Potosi-Department/Salar-de-Uyuni/blog-368855.html GreetingsIts starting to get really cold here now. Last night it dipped below 0 for the first time.For those I havent told i was in my first earthquake about a month ago. It was a small one but still kind of neat.A few weekends ago was a long weekend. I went with a group of teachers from one of the schools to a cottage near Lago Vichuquen about 4 hours south of Santiago. It was a nice re http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-368852.html Hola Amigos.How are you all doing As I have mentioned I am working at a private school now. I work as a teachers aid in the English classrooms. I teach all ages from prekinder to 12th grade. Its actually a lot of fun. The smaller kids swarm me whenever I walk anywhere. I am hoping this will wear off soon but its kind of fun. I had one kid in grade 4 asked me if I liked Beaver when I repl http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-368851.html Greetings.Nothing really out of the ordinary for the last little bit. Started work at an English Language institute a few weeks ago working with business professionals. Next Monday I start working at a private school 3 days a week. www.colegiosdiaconales.cl Ill be working here until the end of November. Ill continue working for the institute the other 2 days to make some extra cash. Its g http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Providencia/blog-368849.html Hola Amigos Last week I was busy job searching I have a job already starts in March but am checking out all the options. I think I will take a job that pays a little less but offers me free Spanish courses. Ive been taking some and cant really afford it so free ones is a good idea. This past week I was in Buenos Aires Argentina. Great time the woman there are awesome. The city is ve http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Argentina/Buenos-Aires/Buenos-Aires/blog-368847.html Hola AmigosHere's the next update If you are into mullets youd love it down here id say at least 30 of the population has a mullet and half of them are really greasy. The 30 doesnt include the 10 who have rattails. Yes rat tails. I thought they disappeared in the 80s but not here. Ive even seen a few people with multiple rattails. Come to think of it there entire culture is http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Valparaiso-Region/Vina-del-Mar/blog-368844.html HolaHere's my second update.I'll start it off with what everyone calls me... 'Gringo'Gringo means foreigner here in Chile. The word originated in Mexico meaning Greens go home green referring to the US Dollar. So basically everyone from Europe or North America is considered a Gringo. Everyone knows I am a gringo as my complexion is very different not many people have blond hair and blue e http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-368843.html Hola I arrived in Santiago 4 days ago. When I got to my host families house I quickly realized that the lady did not speak ANY English. I had no idea what she was saying. Later I found out that they weren't expecting me until the 6th of January The lady seemed Ok with it though.The house is small but fairly modern. All the houses are gated and locked. The windows all have bars on them an http://www.travelblog.org/South-America/Chile/Santiago-Region/Santiago/blog-368842.html