Fully paved streets, unexciting but standard chain restaurants and stores, Target and Wal-Mart, people looking seemingly distinctly "Midwestern", skyscrapers - what's old is new again. As you have likely now guessed, I am home! I know I have not written much in the last few weeks, and there is some reason behind it. Some of you who already know I am home will be aware but the reality is that my drive to keep exploring had started to hit a wall. This is, of course, on top of the reality that I was running out of things that I really wanted to see and do before I knew I was originally heading home. That said, I investigated the cost to change plane tickets and discovered that especially in light of what I would spend to be ... read more

It's been a number of days since I last wrote you, I realize. That said, if I have nothing worthwhile to say it doesn't make much sense to just ramble on pointlessly...I can do that often enough without my helping that cause... So...with that out of the way, I think I do have some to write about and share with you. I have returned to Granada in the country of Nicaragua. As far as sites to see, I am not sure there's much new to see. To be honest, in these closing days I am losing some desire to do a whole lot more exploring. Yes...if I haven't said to you all before (I forget what I write in my personal journal and what I've shared on the blog), I'm ready to be home. Who would ... read more

Well...I know I haven't written in a short while, in part because the last few days haven't been all that interesting, at least to read about. I also am at a public internet source, so I'm paying to write this so it really will be short. Anyway, here is the quick recap... Since I last wrote you, I made it to the small town of San Juan de Oriente, to talk with some people on pottery. I brought along a bi-lingual friend who translated and the long and short is I have at least one contact for some interesting items to buy and sell. San Juan de Oriente is a town known for pottery, though is small and otherwise off-the-map. It is a small dusty town that other than to look for items to buy is ... read more

Okay, the title is admitted not very catchy. However, I figured it was time to do some writing to my friends and family via the blog. Today was going to be another trip to San Juan de Oriente, where most of the pottery that is sold is actually made. I was going to go with the person I met at La Merced church as he speaks Fluent English and think I can trust him some as he introduced me to the priest in the church for a while. However, the priest needed Mauricio for his own translation in Managua with some Americans, so I will wait one day and we will go tomorrow morning before I take the shuttle to Managua. Anyway, perhaps the last biggest thing I have done or seen is Masaya. Masaya is ... read more

It's now been a few days that I've been in Granada, able to see what changes have or have not occurred in this Spanish Colonial city in the country of Nicaragua. With this observation, I can say there are two Granadas...the one of hope and that INTUR (the Nicaragua Tourism Agency) and the one that remains much of what Nicaragua still is...waiting in desperate hope of a better tomorrow. The city of hope...Granada has the Calle de la Calzada. This is a large pedestrian street going from the central park to the lake. On the park, there is the city's "crown jewel", the large and bright yellow-and-red painted Cathedral. It is the traditional Spanish Colonial style, as is much of the historic center of the city. As you walk down the Calzada and its brick-lined street, ... read more

Today started bright (well, it actually wasn't very bright when my cellphone alarm went off at 4AM) and early in San Jose. I had managed to find the Tica Bus ticket agency relatively close to my San Jose, Costa Rica hostel and had purchased my ticket previously. I got up and ready for the long journey to Nicaragua with the taxi picking me up promptly at 5AM as arranged. The taxi driver quickly became annoyed when he heard that I only wanted the Tica Bus Terminal as opposed to the airport as the San Jose airport is actually in the 'burbs of San Jose, hence would have been a larger fare and where he thought I was going. The guy at the hostel who arranged the taxi for me and the taxi driver exchanged some words ... read more

About 3 seconds after reading the title, my friend that is following along from the offices of the City of Fridley should be getting quite a chuckle. She emailed me this morning saying she was remembering the Dionne Warwick song of that name... I've now been in San Jose for a few days, and thought I'd share some thoughts. Again, Costa Rica really was going to be more a pass-through country but ran ahead on my schedule, not needing as much time as I may have thought in Panama. Overall, San Jose is an okay city even if not the most incredibly exciting. I'm in a hostel that, to be honest, is a little off the downtown area. When you walk down the streets immediately surrounding the hostel, it could seem a little foreboding. In what ... read more

I bid farewell to Boquete, Panama early in the morning on the 5th, deciding I would take the local bus from the small town of Boquete into David, the main transfer point on the northern part of Panama and where I had gone the previous day to purchase my Tracopa Bus ticket to San Jose. The hostel owner, who spoke good English and had lived in the States for a while saw me off in the morning and directed me to the bus on the corner. I was thinking I would fork over the cash for a taxi into David, but ultimately glad I saved the cash. I got onto the bus around 6:45AM and put my backpack behind the last seat of the school bus. We then worked our way down the road that is ... read more

I’ve been spending the last 6 days now in Boquete, Pamana. Boquete is a small town, with gringo influence, in the mountains of Panama. There is the main street, with some restaurants, a few small souvenir-type shops, small supermarkets, and other assorted stores. There’s also the small hotels or hostels around town. Finally, for those people ready to buy their second home (or relocate to a whole new life) - which will often be older gringos - there are plenty of real estate agencies ready to get you into a new house. Finally, being in the mountains, there are great views and cooler temperatures than that of even David, a short 40 kilometers away. In fact, it is amazing the temperature difference. Here in Boquete, the temperature has not seemed to have gotten much above ... read more