http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Central America Caribbean en-us Tue, 13 May 2008 22:54:12 BST Tue, 13 May 2008 22:54:12 BST Just for all the animal lovers among you....some pictures of Chica and her babies. They are so very cute the two dogs Lucky and Pluto love to help mama Chica with cleaning the babies and she lets them. Itrsquos amazing to watch the big dogs being so carefull with the tiny kittens.No need for a lot of words so just enjoy Voor alle dierenliefhebbers onder jullie....wat fotorsquos van Chic http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/Tronadora/blog-275921.html Dear All If you have taken time out of your day to navigate all the way to this page to read what Im doing over the other side of the world then thank you. Unfortunately I am having some trouble with this blog website and dont seem to be able to access it easily in some places. So Ive decided to move my jottings to this webpage herehttpjencentralamerica.blogspot.comIts more of a blog http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-275897.html A week ago Georgia and I went up to Playa del Coco a little town right in the north western part of Costa Rica. I had been there about 6 years ago and this time I had athe perfect excuse to return...a PADI member forum. We headed off in our rental car armed with plenty of driving tunes and diet coke and of course our diving gear squeezed in the back...just in case.Afer 4 hours we arrived in C http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Guanacaste/Playas-del-Coco/blog-275851.html We have been here around 10 days. Ordered parts from the US waiting...Lot's to see and do. People are very nice and helpful. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Puerto-Rico/blog-275825.html Hey AllHere are some new pictures I will write with updates laterbrookeroebuck.shutterfly.comactiona0ActXDNszcMWLC6ABrooke http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Dominica/Portsmouth/blog-275798.html 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 http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Granada/blog-275653.html Hi everyoneIt's been a while since I've posted so thought I'd just drop a note to say I'm still alive and kicking. Actually I have a lot of great updates birthday celebration things at school etc....but just can't scrape enough minutes together to type everything up. Plus I was sick for a week straight missed two days of school stayed in bed awful. Physically I'm better now. Emotionall http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Copan-Ruins/blog-275594.html Just another day in my office and suddenly... tarataraaaraaa.... carnival music and people singing the classic signs of a religious procesion in Casco Viejo. I know most people feel a serious ceremony should be more appropiate but so far I havent seen any procession here that is not filled with music ballons and flowers. Keep in mind Casco Viejo has at least 7 churches and they celebrate ever http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Panama/Panama-City/Casco-Viejo/blog-275593.html Day 53 2nd May Awoke early again. This backpacking holiday was starting to get very tiring. I am actuallygetting up earlier than I do for work. Something is going horribly wrong Anyway we caughta nonairconditioned bus to Belize City. So horrible but we made friends with a Dutch couple called Shanna and Joost pronounced Yost who were with us in Tikal. They too were going to Caye Caulker a Be http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Belize/Belize-Barrier-Reef/Caye-Caulker/blog-275532.html Bus strikes suck. They really do. Last Monday a bunch of the taxi and bus drivers went on strike protesting the price of gas. I can get anywhere within Managua without problem but to try to get to Chacocente. hah. Won't work. I can get the bus as far as Tipitapa where I would then normally pick up a bus to Masaya but they aren't running. The other teachers have been going in trucks that are runnin http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Managua/blog-275455.html NOTE this is the first entry of a new set of entries related to a multicountry trip from March to May of 2008. HondurasMy main goal was to visit Roatn the Hondurean Caribbean island. I knew though that just taking a plane from San Salvador to Roatn would be too easy too little adventurous. So I decided to drive. Actually my first thought was ldquonottoflyrdquo. The plan was to drive http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Copan/blog-275262.html Firstly i would like to publicly congratulate the might Manchester United FC for becoming this season champions. I doubt they have time to read our blog due celebrating but i feel its necessary to mention. Following Nicks last blog despite it only being a couple of days passing i thought i would give you all a few more details. The fact that there is air con in the internet cafe is NOT the rea http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-275225.html Hola todos. Saludos de Ometepe Island Nicaragua Hopefully soon to be in the new and revised list of the 7 Wonders of the World. Post your vote on www.laisladeometepe.comMany changes have been taking place which is the norm here. However some are worth taking note. Along the way I will tell my stories.First off NPH the organization I am serving through has recently partnered with the Enri http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/Isla-de-Ometepe/blog-275189.html This was the most relaxing spring break. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-275118.html It had to happen eventually we have been having way too much fun in the water I guess you have to pay to play. At the end of a great morning surf I Derek got smacked in the face with my board leaving a nice big gash above my eye. I didnt realize I was cut until Heather started hyperventilating H only becuase his guts were hanging out of his face. We caught some waves back to shore http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Puntarenas/Mal-Pais/blog-274887.html Day 46 April 25th The day before we had flown from Quito Ecaudor to Guatemala City via Miami.Arrived very late and caught a direct shuttle bus to Antigua as Guatemala Cityis not the type of place you wanna stay in the night. Antigua was a little town very touristic but cute nevertheless. We stayed at a cool hostel called yellow house. The next day we walked around the town and explored a bit. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Lago-de-Atitlan/San-Marcos/blog-274885.html Hier die Neuigkeiten von unseren letzten Tage in Costa Rica Golfito Golfito liegt im Sueden des Landes an der Pazifikkueste. Mit dem Auto ist diese Gegend einfach zu bereisen. Der Ort selbst ist touristisch wenig attraktiv und so machten wir Ausfluege ins Umland. Zuerst besuchten wir wie wir schon in unserem letzten Eintrag anklingen liessen Pavones. Dort befindet sich hier muessen wir etwas http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Cartago/blog-274855.html GuatemalaHello again everyoneThis is just a quick blog to share some photos from our recent April 24 29 Guatemala trip along with an update on our Guatemala family Jaqueline Barriosrsquos warm and wonderful family.Our visit corresponded with the wedding of Jackiersquos cousin Hugo Fernando to Fabiola. We got to know Hugo Fernando when he came to the Netherlands with Jackie and her si http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Guatemala---Antigua/blog-274832.html Yes to another adventureToday a group of us ventured to a spot in Jamaica known as The Blue Hole. I went along with Ema who until the start of this week was my roomie Thahn Ema's boyfriend who works in the Casino Craig social host Danny fitness instructor who sadly leaves the end of this cruise and Eddy the DJ. The Blue Hole is a spot that apparently only crew members usually go http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Jamaica/Ocho-Rios/blog-274814.html I havenrsquot been diving since I finished my scuba certification in St. Thomas back in February. Seeing as Irsquoll be going home soon I decided I needed to get out diving while I have the opportunity to.Getting myself out of bed this morning to go diving took a LOT of effort. I'm having such disrupted and anxious sleeps lately plus I was up late having a muchneeded phone call with Laur http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cayman-Islands/Grand-Cayman/blog-274662.html So for a long time I thought about what I would write for this premier blog and I thought about how I could really capture the total essence of ldquomy culturerdquo. The more I thought about it the more abstract and confusing my thoughts became. I saw my culture as a black woman I saw my culture as a student I saw my culture as a community worker a youth advocate a global citizen a entrep http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Barbados/Bridgetown/blog-274655.html hey.. ich weiss ich war ja schon einige ruinen anschauen.. wenn ich da so an mexico und guate zurueckdenk.. aber wisst ihr was.. wenn man das ganz schnell anschaut.. naemlich wie in der ueberschrift erwaehnt.. einfach hingehen machen und weggehen... dann ist das echt super.... ja.. ich grad so zurzeit in einer voellig anderen stimmung als auch schon.. irgendwie voll am reisen.. am unterwegs sein. http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Honduras/Copan-Ruins/blog-274647.html Holey Moley...the adventure never ends We begin our time in Guatamala by arriving in the strangely clean and comfortable city of Antigua. This is in stark contrast to the raw and difficult landscape that lays outside of the city. Cobble stone streets brightly painted buildings interesting decaying churches and large fountain filled town squares will be our jumping off point to several nearby at http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Guatemala/Antigua/Antigua/blog-274615.html Steve Talking to various people it seems that Playa Hermosa is the place to head form surf. All the locals keep telling us how big the waves are there. Accommodation is expensive there so we decided to head for Jaco which is about 2 miles from Hermosa and apparently their version of Newquay. The bus took about 6 hours from La Fortuna and when we got there around 9.30pm it was raining and our firs http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Puntarenas/Jaco/blog-274601.html Kate After such a wonderful time in Montverde but feeling a little tour guided and wildlife watching out we decided to head for La Fortuna which is home to one of Costa Rica's active volcanos' Volcano Arenal. Steve had never seen a volcano so we were pretty excited. The journey was slightly shorter this time thank god and we took the busboatbus option to break up the journey a little. As f http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Costa-Rica/Alajuela/Arenal/blog-274594.html Pictures are finally hereGo tohttpbrookeroebuck.shutterfly.comactionThis is the site I will be using to continue to upload and share pictures. I will make new blog posts when new pictures have been added.EnjoyxoxoBrooke http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Dominica/Portsmouth/blog-274589.html Well we made it to Nicaragua. Leftie central. About 9 buses 2 boats 2 countries bad bad BAD accomoations and now the beach. Result. Sort of....we came here instead of El Salvador via Copan Ruinas in Honduras with the intention of going back through El Salvador. I have to say 15 to get into Copan ruins and i was muchly underwhelmed considering the bigger and more atmospheric ones in Mex http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Nicaragua/San-Juan-Del-Sur/blog-274562.html Wednesday 16 April Slobozia to Braila 115 km. Not a very interesting day. Long straight roads huge endless fields some ploughed and some with crops. Yellow fields of rape as far as the eye can see. At Braila a reception at the town hall dinner at a restaurant 7 km away and slept in a gym. Quite a good one hot showers.Thursday 17 April Braila to Albota de Jos Moldavia 122 km.Went http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/blog-274531.html I arrived in Havana after a terrible journey in which we'd been stalled at the end of Lima runway with a 'technical fault' and then I ended up missing my connecting flight as a result. Anyway I arrived and attempted to check into the hotel tapas bar with rooms that is described as being for those who 'need a room nearby for when they drink too much at the tapas bar' but due to some problem with http://www.travelblog.org/Central-America-Caribbean/Cuba/Oeste/La-Habana/blog-274513.html