cuatro gringos

OLIVER (thats Sir to you!): So after a 1 1/2 long taxi ride from san jose a bumpy unimog ride a death defying tractor journy and a 1 or 2 hour up hill treck we have arrived in RARA AVIS one of the first ecotourist lodges built in costa rica. The place was going to be sold to a logging company but somehow they managed to buy it from under the loggers noses! the place is a private reserve with with a "hotel" (hot water no eletricity but coool old carosene lamps) the comunal meal time place and cabinas ( all made out of on sight cut fallen tree wood) and of course trails. on our first night there, there was a univercity group of 14 plus us and bob and justin (father and son who ... read more

Martin: Having learnt the entirety of the spanish language in two weeks (ha!), and being so completely fluent we were asked to translate for complete strangers, it was time to cut the apron strings and set of to explore guatemala in the raw. We said good bye to our Maestros and left them some spanish versions of ¨the cat in the hat (not realising that it doesnt rhyme in spanish...) took photos (which got fried in a power surge) and set of on the next leg of out trip. After numerous discussions in spanglish with the travel agent down the road, Hugo and the charming but incomprehensible Raquel pursuaded us to part with $US1,500 in return for some hand wirtten pieces of paper, that they assured us would provide us with hotel rooms, private shuttles to ... read more

This afternoon we caught a bus to Pacaya - a live volcano near Guatemala city. We climbed right to the top and walked around the cooling lava flows. You can look down into the hot magma below wherever there are cracks in the solidified lava. We went late in the afternoon and it was almost completely dark by the time we got to the top. The boys all poked sticks into the magma and set fire to them. It was way cool.... read more

We have arrived en Antigua! Antigua is a very old city with entirely Spanish colonialist style buildings. The trip here was VERY bumpy, windy and lONG so 3/4 of the way there I spewed all along the outside of the van. A great start. All the locals are tiny. I am a giant here! Anna, who cooks and cleans our casa is much shorter than my LITTLE brother. The city is quite beatiful (a bit grungy) you can easily imagine the city (much like it is now) at the time of the Spanish conquistadors. We are going to a language school for four hours every morning to learn Español. Last night we went out to find el Diablo papel - a paper devil that is ceremonially burned before Xmas. We found it, but it turns ... read more

In early December 2006, the L/H whanau (minus Henrico - who is presently esconced at NMIT in Blenheim) is embarking on an extended adventure through Guatemala, Cuba and Costa Rica. In preparation for the big trip, we joined a 'Spanish for tourists' evening class here in Wellington. Olivier and Luis are picking it up fast and leaving the old fogies for dust. We hope you enjoy following our Central American Adventure. Watch this space! Hasta luego muchachos! ... read more