EcoNomad

30 July, 2006 Noon, El Centro Verde, Paraiso, Guanacaste Region, Costa Rica I made it to Costa Rica, no problema. I was having problems letting go of Kansas this time, for some reason, but I am relieved and invigorated now that I am here. I have been given an incredible opportunity and I feel I can get lost in it and bore full steam ahead. I am looking forward to working on this project and to spending the next two months in this tropical paradise. I am now with my host and client, Tom, and we have been enjoying some discussions about what we are going to be doing here, the local culture, the rainy season, peak oil, etc. This morning we went for a walk around some of the property, so I have officially been ... read more

It is too hot for me here in Kansas so... I am going back to Costa Rica. I know, that sounds backwards, but it really is cooler there than it is here. My reason for going is more professional than anything. I have been given an incredible opportunity to do some independent consulting work in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. I have been asked to be the primary designer on what my client hopes will be an example of how to build in a way that is not detrimental to the environment. In his words: We are convinced small, environmentally smart and economically self-sufficient communities will be a growing market trend in the 21st century. Pueblo Verde will be the first of what we hope are many such eco-villages in central America. The place that ... read more

3 Junio - Mis amigas, mi futuro y mi destino Three days ago I had to say “Adios” to my travel companions. They are on a 26-hour marathon bus ride to Buenos Aires. Jessica and Ben just left there. I so wish I was going and continuing my travels. These past couple of weeks have only sparked my wanderlust more. They have done nothing to satisfy my eternal urge to explore. I now have big ideas circulating in my head: Africa, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica, Iceland…cross country biking, long distance treks, river floats, volunteering in the jungle…and more. I am excited now, by the opportunity for me to at least pay off my debt by selling my house. Plus I’m getting offers to work in Costa Rica. I will have three to four weeks at ... read more

3 Junio - On the road from La Paz to Lima I am so tired today, and a little ill. Following our exodus out of Salar de Uyuli, I was exhausted. I started getting sick during the tour, something respiratory and more than likely resulting from the extreme climate changes mixed with cigarette smoke, mold and mildew in the dorms, long days, and plenty of dust. Follow all of that with a long, cold, dusty bus ride and there you have it. Once in La Paz, I slept. I slept during the day, through the night, during the next day, and again through last night. My stomach problems started yesterday and got worse today. I don’t understand how I can be having so many stomach problems. I “got loose” in Costa Rica and more than a ... read more

30 Mayo - Salar de Uyuni We are working our way out of the desert. This is our last night and tomorrow will be a short day. We breakfast late, leave late, and arrive in Uyuni early. These past three days have ridden us hard. They have been long days, with lots of driving, lots of intense sun, and lots of dust, and cold nights. This is definitely a land of extremes. We go from freezing at night to burning up during the day. Here, the sun and the wind rule everything. You have to dress in layers. If you are in the shade, you’re freezing. In the sun, sweating and looking for a sunburn, but if there’s wind, back to freezing and still looking for a sunburn. This place is so bizarre. It is like ... read more

27 Mayo - La Paz Okay, last day in La Paz. There are markets for different kinds of food, flowers, household stuff, basically anything you could ever want, you can buy on the street. There is an Api market here, where you can go buy the warm drink really cheaply and if you speak a little Spanish, you can be assured that you will be elbow-to-elbow with someone who would love to have a conversation with you. These are the coffee shops of Bolivia. There are all kinds of people stuffed into these little places getting Api and brunelas. Api is a thick purple drink comprised mostly of purple maize. It is seasoned with sugar, lime, cinnamon, and a little bit of cloves and served steaming hot. It is so thick that you don't realize how ... read more

26 Mayo - La Paz Nikki is feeling ill. Poor thing. She has not been well since Manu. She spent a couple of days sick there and now she is fighting something else. But she is a trooper, that's for sure. She doesn't wants to miss anything, so she toughs it out no matter how bad she feels. She reluctantly decided to go on the Caiman expedition with us in Manu, even though she felt like crap and should have just been resting, but we were assured that it would only be a couple of hours and that she would definitely want to see the Caiman. Then our boat never showed up so we ended up hiking all the way back to the lodge on some pretty rough river-rock terrain, and we never even saw the ... read more