http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Hilarywinter2008/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Hilarywinter2008 en-us Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:56:43 +0000 Thu, 24 Dec 2009 13:56:43 +0000 Hello EveryoneI didn't think I would post another entry but this past week in Paris has been rather eventful so I'd just like to share it with you.However before I go into the exciting parts just a quick description of the first few days Arriving back in town was a bit hard. It was and is cold and grey and as usual when taking the RER from Charles De Gaulle airport Roissy into Pari http://www.travelblog.org/Europe/France/Ile-de-France/Paris/blog-264470.html I left Boston yesterday morning at 8 am. Finally took the bus as the rideshare to Montreal would have made me arrive after midnight in Quebec City. I was looking forward to a pretty ride up through New Hampshire and Vermont since last time I did it it was nighttime and snowing. It wasn't nighttime yesterday but it DID snow the whole way to the Canadian border and you couldn't see much of the http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Quebec/Quebec-City/blog-261023.html Well I arrived in Boston last night or rather early this morning at 1230 AM only to find that American Airlines again left my luggage at Miami Airport which I've decided is a terrible transfer place They've found it though and it should be delivered sometime this evening. Took a taxi to Jane and Don's where poor sleepy Jane let me in. By this time it was way after 1 am. I'm so http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Massachusetts/Boston/blog-260100.html I've just returned to Guatemala City from Tikal which are the Mayan ruins about 350 kms. north of Antigua in the region bordered by the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and the country of Belize. Had a wonderful Easter Sunday and Monday up there. Flew up there early Sat. morning on a prop plane and back tonight at 5 PM on the same one. As some of you may know I dont really like to fly even in big http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Flores-Tikal/blog-259443.html It's Saturday noon and things are a bit quieter after yesterday Good Friday. I've spent the morning seeing things I'd missed such as the fountain behind the Merced church and the courtyard and view from the roof of the Hotel Posada Don Rodriguo. In adition I went shopping Found two secondhand embroidered hupilas at an equitable trade tienda near the Merced. They were each less than 7 e http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-258656.html HelloAfter spending my last night in Costa Rica at Susan and Harry's place outside San Jose I took a taxi to the airport yesterday morning and flew back to Guatemala without a hitch. Then shared a shuttle bus from the airport to Antigua. Am staying with the first family I stayed with several weeks ago for four nights. And then I'm off to Tikal Mayan ruins in northern Guatemala by plane for t http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-258155.html Yes Ive found another paradise this time on the Pacific coast of Costa Ricaon the Nicoya Peninsula to be exact. Its a beach and small town called Playa Carillo. Its 8 kilometers south of Samara which isnt bad either but its more touristy and the beach at Carillo is much nicer see photos. Unlike Samara most of the beachcombers at Carillo are Tico families. Only problem is this p http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/Samara/blog-256802.html HelloThe hanging bridges were lovely as was the walk in the Monteverde Reserve this morning. Apparently the latter was started by a group of Quakers I was a bit disappointed because I didn't see much wildlife and then I saw a lovely quetzel which is the national bird of Guatemala.You'll see some photos below of the parks as well as the hostel where I'm staying. It's pretty modest and not http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/blog-256193.html Yes Costa Rica's best kept secret is a lovely lovely swimming beach 7kms from Puerto Viejo called Punta Uva. White sand turquoisecolored water small cabins nice people. I absolutely loved it and could consider staying there for a month or two. Indeed a French couple from Perpignan whom I met there discovered it three years ago and is now building a house just across the road from the cab http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/blog-255838.html Thanks for the comments and messages everyone. Sorry the weather in Paris and elsewhere Adelaide's drought are so bad. Please keep in touch.I loved Tortuguero We had three river trips see my photos and I had fun at my hotel. Spent some time reading in a hammock and playing in the waves. I say playing because it was very hard to swim. Lots of waves and a very strong undertow so nobod http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Limon/Puerto-Viejo-de-Talamanca/blog-254919.html Enjoy the photos http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/blog-254925.html I'm now at Tortuguero National Park where I'm spending two nights in a room right on the Caribbean. I have some wonderful photos but these will have to wait since this computer is very slow and it would take hours to upload them.Yesterday I came to the coast yesterday in a minivan which belongs to Modesto Watson who is a Nicaraguan who's lived 30 years in Costa Rica. He and his American wife http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Limon/Tortuguero-National-Park/blog-254400.html Well I arrived in Costa Rica safe and sound on Saturday and have been staying near here since then at the home of my friends Susan and Harry Liang whom I met at a party in Paris about five years ago.I couldnrsquot believe the number of tourists mostly Americansat the airport. Apparently 2 million people visit this country a year whereas the total population of Costa Rica is only 4 millio http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/San-Jose/San-Jose/blog-252777.html Before talking about my trips to Chichi and Guatemala City I'd like to give some information and impressions about living and studying here. Not knowing exactly how to go about settling in here on my own I went through and paid the 150 donation they asked for the Proyecto Mosaico which is a German NGO with an affiliate in the U.S. www.promosaico.org. In addition to giving me a cultural http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-250462.html This morning I changed families. I liked the family where I was and will be returning to stay with them when I come back to Antigua for Semana Santa but I wanted to have another experience with a different family in another part of town for this coming week. The new family is composed of Lucky Morales and her husband Jose and their three grown children who still live at home. I met one of the http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-249365.html Our trip to Lago de Atitlan was really greatexcept for the shuttle bus ride up there. We had to pick up a lot of people before leaving Antigua the seating was uncomfortable and the roads very windy. But we arrived safe and sound in Panajachel and then took a boat across the lake to San Pedro where Margie's two friends were waiting for us. Our dormitory room in a lakeside hotel run by a Span http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Lago-de-Atitlan/San-Pedro-La-Laguna/blog-247724.html Thank you all for your messages and comments. It means a lot to me to keep in touch while I'm here. And Happy Valentine's Day a todosJust to keep you up to date...Sorry the photos will have to wait till next time as I've been out all day and forgot to bring to this Internet Cafe the cable that allows me to upload photos from my camera.As I think I wrote previously I'm going to school from 8 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-246374.html HiIts now 5 PM local time in Antigua Guatemala. I've been here for two full days. but before I describe my trip and tell you about Antigua here are some photos of my last days in Boston.My trip to Antigua was eventful as I almost missed the connection in Miami because my flight from Boston took off late due to ice on the wings. Luckily however the Miami flight had arrived late from Jamaica http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Massachusetts/Boston/blog-245648.html Here are some photos of my stay in Boston which will tell you what I've been up to in the last few days. What you won't see is the theater performance Pam and I are going to see tonight It's called Bread and Puppet and is done by seven puppeteers from Vermont who'll be accompanied by a local Boston brass band. And yesterday afternoon I saw a movie In Bruges a rather violent thriller but wi http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/Massachusetts/Boston/blog-244483.html A few last photos from Canada http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/Canada/Quebec/Quebec-City/blog-244185.html