We spent the last week or so hanging out and scuba diving in the awesome little island of Utila, Honduras (just west of Roatan).  It is a vibrant, colourful, friendly place where you begin to recognize people after just one or two days on the tiny Caribbean island.  We both loved the chill and safe atmosphere, though getting to the island is another story... 

We made our way from Jinotega to Tegucigalpa on the chicken bus (basically a souped up school bus) with one overnight stop in Ocotal, a border town in northern Nicaragua.  The bus trip was surprisingly easy - we're definitely getting the hang of this!  From there, to save time we chose to catch a relatively cheap flight, stopping over in La Ceiba, a small town on the northern coast of Honduras.  This is where things got interesting.  We were lead from our first plane (large enough to fit around 40 passengers), shoved down the runway, and packed into a small Cessna with barely room enough for us, three other passengers, and the pilot.  With six people and a whack of luggage, we were surprised the plane even took off!  Without any attempt at a weight balance or safety talk, we proceeded to take off down the little runway.  This was a far cry from any flying we've done in little planes with Chelsea's brother Shawn, where he goes through his full safety checklist, provides a headset, ensures we wear seatbelts, etc., but no worries - it was really just a short hop over from the mainland.  Everything was smooth during takeoff and I felt fine until the door right beside me popped open just as the plane left the ground!  I managed to get it closed again, though for the rest of the flight I wouldn't let go of the seat in front of me for fear of an exciting but very final skydive (did I mention my seatbelt wouldn't do up?)  

Once we landed (and after a couple more battles with the plane door) we caught a cab into town, got settled into our hostel and immediately fell in love with the place.  Basically a single narrow road along part of the coast, the town of Utila seems to consist mainly of bars, restaurants, dive shops, houses, and hostels.  The people are a weird mix of locals of either Caribbean or Spanish descent, backpackers, scuba enthusiasts, and retired ex-pats.  It was a great pastime to sit on a patio and watch as guys on motorcycles weaved their way through the mass of cyclists, pedestrians, and retirees riding around in golf carts.  We rented bikes one day and in the span of a few hours were able to make our way around most of the island, save for some of the rougher & muddier dirt roads. 
We were lucky and managed to score a room at Rubi's Hostel, recommended to us by our new Turkish friend Ozgar who we met in the airport at Tegucigalpa.  He was flying to Roatan for one night and catching a ferry to Utila the next day, so he asked us to reserve him a room if we stayed there (even though at the time we didn't know his name).  Rubi's was great!  Very simple and affordable ($20/night for both of us), but clean, and located close to everything.  We even had hot showers, which was a nice treat after returning from a night dive or being soaked in one of the many downpours (rainy season, sigh).

The main attraction for us, of course, was the scuba diving.  We'd read that it was possible to dive with whale sharks, which would have been incredible.  Unfortunately, we missed them by just a couple days (a pretty big storm on our first night drove them further out to sea).  All in all, though, the diving was great.  Lots of large & colourful coral formations, plenty of sea life, and nice, warm water (28 degrees celsius).  We did seven dives while there, including a night dive.  It's always great to be able to see how strange and different things are at night -  parrotfish awkwardly sleeping on the seabed, lobster & shrimp emerging from their hiding places inside the coral, and one of my favourite parts - the tiny bioluminescent plankton that are everywhere but invisible until disturbed.  Near the end of our dive we gathered on a patch of sand, covered our flashlights and waved our hands around, watching as the tiny glowing specs appeared out of nowhere.  It was an added bonus to witness the water and sky above occasionally light up from a nearby thunderstorm.  It was all quite magical.

Lucky for us, Ozgar generously lent us his underwater camera for a couple of dives so we were able to get some cool photos and videos.  We both felt very much like Monsieur Cousteau by the end of the week, and will likely have an undersea documentary in the works before too long.  =)

After Utila, we'll be making our way back down to Costa Rica to hang out with my parents for a couple weeks (assuming we survive the flight).

Pura Vida,
Mandrew

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When we arrived at La Biosfera late Saturday night, we walked up the steep muddy driveway to the lodge area and met Suzanne, the owner who immediately poured us some mugs of the most delicious home brewed herbal tea.  She is a VERY interesting character (check our her "Curious Character" profile).  Originally from Buffalo, NY, Suzanne's an ex-marine now in her early 50’s, living on a piece of land she owns just outside of Jinotega.  Although she lives alone, she has lots of visitors like us coming through all the time (though maybe not as many as she would like).  In a few words I guess I would describe her as eccentric, tough and very generous! 

There was also an Argentine family staying there (Rafi, Flor and their 3 year old son, Fidel) when we arrived who were equally as interesting and mystical, but unfortunately they had to leave the next day.  Rafi spoke the most English of them though we tried our best to speak in Spanish as much as possible (and then Andrew and I both had dreams in Spanish, FINALLY!).  We talked about just about everything including the meaning of life, water vibrations, UFO's, herbal remedies, etc…  Later, when we were getting ready for bed I told Andrew that I felt like we had stepped into – Andrew cut me off and finished my sentence perfectly – another universe…

In the morning we got ready to start some work and said our goodbyes to Rafi, Flor and Fidel – we hadn’t known them for long but for some reason it felt like years.  We took a tour of the property with Suzanne, which is huge and so green!  There is a waterfall and small river, the bat cave is wicked cool, and the potential for forest preservation and education is enormous!  There isn’t too much infrastructure there right now, and lots to do to get some more in there.  We did some high priority work for the day including scrubbing the algae off of the walkway so no one would slip and fall.  The next day we did some more manual work, as well as put our engineering skills to the test with the design of a lightweight, mobile chicken coop (which we chose to make out of PVC pipe, inspired by the photo booth structure Kim and Nate made for our wedding) as well as a support structure for the squash greenhouse.  The chicken coop became our pet project for the next few days, and it turned out very well, we think.  Assuming she can be caught, the pet chicken (originally known as "cena", meaning "dinner", but after many battles with the pet dog now known as "cena the warrior chicken") can chill in there now, along with some egg-laying hens Suzanne plans to buy from a neighbour.  It was a really fun project even though Andrew and I had some trouble working together as we both like to take the lead on designs, lol.

After a few more days we got some new visitors!  Michael and Amanda are in their early 20's and are basically searching for the meaning of life.  They were kind of funny to talk to, and in a weird way, reminded me a bit of Andrew and I when we were their age travelling in Australia (oh so long ago now!).  They were very enthusiastic about everything, and really seemed to take what we said, and anyone else said, to heart.  We talked about all kinds of wacky, fun things such as, again, the meaning of life, vibrations, water, mermaids, fractals (patterns that repeat on all scales, for example the Fibonacci Spiral found in nature; snail shells; broccoli), free energy, the Bermuda Triangle (which by the way it looks like it could be the location of Atlantis based on some underground quartz pyramids!  Seriously! Check Youtube!), pyramid power, DMT, etc.  From what I gathered, Amanda grew up in a very religious family and had, only in the last couple of years, begun to question her beliefs.  It must have been a very stressful and scary time for her, but now she says she is re-discovering the meaning in her life, and determining what is really important to her. Michael is a free spirit who appreciates nature more than most 20-year-old guys I've known. He thinks outside the box and is in search of new experiences.  They make a very good couple, finishing each-other's sentences, sharing the same open-minded philosophies, and they are very supportive of each other. We had a really good time getting to know them over a few days. We even spent one evening making German Strudel with a Nica twist!  I used the recipe that Oma taught me before we left the Yukon, but we had to substitute some of the ingredients (instead of apple and raisin filling, we used guava, passionfruit, raspberry extract & coconut oil), and we baked it in a wood-fired cobb oven so it tasted a little smokey which wasn't the best, lol. But it was still fun and turned out pretty well.

When the time came to leave, we were very sad to say goodbye.  In a very short amount of time we came to know Suzanne, Michael and Amanda surprisingly well.  I would say the highlight of La Biosfera for me was the people, and the bonus was the place; nestled in the mountains and full of life.  We made some possible plans to meet up with Michael and Amanda in a few months in Peru as they will be heading down there after a short stint back home - I hope we do see them again!  

We hope you enjoy our pictures, Andrew says that I post too many, but I really have a hard time cutting out any because I think that if they are good they should stay.  He thinks that no one will look at them if we keep putting this many, but I guess I don't really mind if you don't, lol.  What do you all think?  Should we be putting limits on them?  Or just keep going as we are so that in the future we can look back at this website and have all our photos on hand? That's my logic anyway...

Sorry that we have been running behind on posting, the internet has been pretty terrible these last few weeks, but we are catching up now!

Adios Amigos!
-Chelsea

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We spent five nights in Leon (including one night camping on an active volcano!) and loved every minute of it!  After spending lots of time in the rainforest and on a beach, we thought it was time to see a little culture.  Leon is pretty small but has a great market and a ton of history.  It isn’t as touristy as other cities either, which made it attractive for us.  We stayed at Sonati, an interesting hostel run by a volunteer organization that gives environmental tours to backpackers and educates the local children in Leon.  

On our first day we split up and explored the city by ourselves.  I was so stinkin' hot I decided to buy a dress that was much much cooler than my yoga pants and t-shirt.  Andrew explored the markets and churches.  It was a nice relaxing day.

The next day we decided to take a tour with the Sonati group.  Johnny, a German dude who just so happened to turn 20 that day, was our tour guide on a daylong kayak trip through the mangrove forest!  Two other volunteers from the hostel joined in the fun for the day, Simon, another Sonati guide, and Emma the awesome receptionist, which made the trip extra fun.  

We left around 7:00am on foot from the hostel and walked a block or so before catching a local... truck-thing…  It was supposed to be a bus but apparently when they are short on busses they use pick-up trucks with canopies on the back and jam a TON of people in.  So we jumped on while it was basically still moving and I nearly fell out when they gunned it, thinking we were all secure (though they do this ALL THE TIME).  From there we switched to a real bus that was a little less crowded (but not by much) and had a bunch of people wandering through the aisle selling food and drinks.  You can buy just about anything from your seat on any bus in Nicaragua, it seems.  At bus stops sometimes people will board the bus from the front with a basket of baked goods or other treats and walk to the back trying to sell, advertising their goods quickly and loudly kind of like an auctioneer.  Then when they get to the back they hang out until the next stop and get off.  It is very interesting!  We’ve seen them sell everything from baked things, ice-cream, corn-on-the-cob, little plastic bags of juice, razors, nail clippers, hammocks, DVD’s, SIM cards, and even pharmaceuticals.

Anyways, I digress, so we get to the kayak place around nine, get in our kayaks and off we go!  It was so gorgeous!  But after an hour or so we started thinking it might be fun to check out some of the little channels that branch off of the main river, something Johnny had never done before, and it turned out to be super awesome!  We dragged ourselves through the narrow mangrove channels by pulling on the roots ahead of ourselves and came out into some neat ponds with birds, bugs, crabs and even a raccoon in one spot.  At lunchtime we made it back to the main channel and stopped off at a beach spot to chillax, eat a bunch, and swim in the ocean.  It was an awesome day!  And to top it off, when we got back to the hostel, everyone that was staying there, and more (probably 20 people or more!) decided to throw Johnny a surprise birthday party!  Emma and I made up a delicious chickpea salad thing, and Andrew did a couple of beer runs to contribute (20 cordobas, about $0.80 for a LITRE of beer!).  The dinner was great, and the company was even greater!  After dinner and a bunch of drinks I decided to call it a night but Andrew stayed out and played Flinky-Ball, a German drinking game that sounds a lot like dodgeball.

The next morning we got up and packed our bags for a two-day trek up Telica, an active volcano in the area.  People were a bit hung over so we got a later start than we had planned, but we picked up a few more hikers, which was great!  We had Johnny and Simon again, our friend Devon who we had hiked La Conception with on Isla de Ometepe a few weeks earlier, and a girl named Anna who arrived at the hostel the night before and after some consideration we had convinced to come along.  

It was a 15min walk to the bus station, then an hour-long bus ride to the starting trail.  The hike was incredible!  We started out at some boiling mud pots that smelled like sulfur then headed up a dried riverbed/ cattle trail and up over some farmland.  It wasn’t until after lunch that we started the climb.  I made a bad decision to eat two peanut butter sandwiches even though I don’t like peanut butter, because I was so hungry by the time we stopped for lunch.  Unfortunately the steep hill with a nasty peanut butter filled stomach was not so pleasant.  I managed to keep it all down but couldn’t stand the sight of peanut butter for the rest of the trip, and that’s almost the only thing we brought… (I traded for other things).  Once we made it to the cone, the view was surreal!  A massive smoking cone sprouting out of the hillside and a frozen lava river spilled over the top.  We quickly set up our tents as we had less than an hour before sundown, and then headed up to check out the cone!  It was loud, like a jet engine but muted.  The cone was about 1km across and maybe that deep.  We stood and crouched on the edge, literally where the ground cuts deep into the engine below.  Yes we did acknowledge how dangerous it was there, but how could you resist!  Deep in the center of the pit was a fiery glowing red hole with smoke spewing out.  After staring at the lava hole for some time, mesmerized, we got up and walked to the other side of the cone to watch the sunset before heading back for dinner (a delicious homemade Dutch veggie mush dish made by Simon and Johnny) and topped it off with some roasted marshmallows at the campfire.  

The next morning was equally awesome, we woke up early to see the sun rise (4:30) then hiked back up to the cone for another look before cruising around to a bat cave that Simon found one time when he was guiding another group up there.  It was neat-o!  And then we headed back down the volcano.  The hike back was fun and quick, but everyone’s legs were happy for the break by the time we got on the bus to go home.

So while our cultural visit to Leon itself was a little short, we got to see some super neat things, meet some new friends, as well as an “old” friend, Devon.

After Leon we hoped back on the Chicken Bus and headed to Jinotega to stay on a finca/ nature retreat called La Biosfera, about two and a half hours north of Leon.  We found La Biosfera on helpx.org while looking for another place to do some volunteering, and chose it partly because there is a bat cave there, and partly because it sounds very unique!  

Hope everyone is well at home!  I would like to congratulate my Dad and Carolyn on a successful hunting and fishing year!  They finally got two moose and 27 Coho salmon!  Of course it isn't all for them as there were others in the group to split with, but the freezer is full this winter which is awesome!  We are also getting excited to spend two weeks with Donna and Jim (Mandrew's parents) who will be heading to Costa Rica on Nov 11th!  Can't wait to see you!!

Love,
Chelsea

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For our first “people of interest” profile, detailing a select few of the interesting people we meet during our travels, we are featuring Marcos Garcia, a Costa Rica born-and-raised eco-farmer/ nature guide / football (soccer) player / language professor/ avid birder – you can see why we thought he was interesting.  Chelsea and I had the pleasure of spending two weeks with Marcos while volunteering at his farm in Mastatal. 

Introduction
Marcos is a 29-year-old entrepreneur from the small farming town of Mastatal.  While the majority of his peers and family have relocated to the city of San Jose after high school in order to find jobs, Marcos has fought to stay in his home town.  After a few unsuccessful career attempts (where he gained valuable trade and language skills) he believes he has finally found his calling in the eco-tourism business, working right out of his own home on his parents’ farm.  He spends most of his time doing things he loves including bird-watching, meeting volunteers and guests from around the world who come to stay on his farm (we were some of those), building and landscaping, farming, and guiding tour groups around Mastatal and other regions of Costa Rica. 

Background
Marcos grew up on his parents’ farm in the small town of Mastatal, consisting of four or five locally-owned farms and, including a few of the smaller neighbouring communities, about 150 people.  He spent most of his adolescent life helping his parents on the farm, milking and herding cows, managing a few horses and chickens, and growing produce including corn, beans and rice.  Costa Rica is an amazing place to live in such a way – it seems that everything grows ridiculously fast, and cows and chickens are seen wandering pretty much everywhere.  One of the coolest things we learned during our short visit to Mastatal was that all of the farmers in the country plant crops according to the lunar cycle.  I’m not sure if they do this at home but it was the first time we’d heard about it.  

Because Mastatal didn’t have a secondary school while Marcos was growing up, each day he and the other kids rode the bus for about 45 minutes to La Glora High School in a neighbouring town.  Once finished high school, many of Marcos’ friends moved away to look for work, the majority finding themselves in the capital city of San Jose.  This was not the life Marcos wanted for himself (fair enough, San Jose is a crazy place, interesting, but crazy).

Soon after Marcos finished high school, a professional carpenter came to Mastatal and trained Marcos and ten other students during a one-year carpentry internship.  The group received on-the-job instruction while building the local community center.  Although the training was valuable, Marcos soon found that in Mastatal he could not make a living at carpentry alone. 

Growing up, Marcos was always fascinated with the English language.  His first exposure was through music (we were quite surprised to find that much of the local popular music was stuff we knew from home – lots of Bob Marley, Green Day, Celine Dion, Creed, etc.).  Marcos quickly fell in love with the language, devouring any books he could get his hands on and eventually teaching himself enough to become almost completely fluent.  After speaking with Marcos for a few days, we were amazed to find that he had learned English independently in this way.  After working for a couple years as a carpenter, Marcos worked teaching English in the local grade school.  Although he enjoyed working with the kids, he often found that their parents were a bit too much to handle.

In 2002, La Cangreja National Park was created near Mastatal.  This led to a local boost in eco-tourism, and around this time, a few local farms began offering volunteering and internship positions for travelers.  Marcos saw an opportunity in this and started “Finca Siempre Verde” on part of his parents’ land.  Starting with just a couple small cabins in the middle of the rainforest, Marcos and his volunteers have now built a two-story building including a large classroom / yoga studio, two large dormitories each with beds to sleep about fifteen, a private room (the “honeymoon suite” during our stay), and an area below for relaxing in hammocks.  Pretty sweet place to stay!

As part of his eco-tourism offering, Marcos also recognized an opportunity to teach Spanish to English-speaking travellers.  He received training and became a certified Spanish instructor, and has been teaching his guests (which included us for two weeks) for the past nine years.  To further supplement his income from the farm, Marcos also works as a tour guide for groups of students from a few different Universities in Washington state, leading them on multi-week trips around the country and sharing with them his knowledge of the local culture and ecology.

Interests and hobbies
Marcos’ passion for birding was quickly evident from his habit of stopping mid-conversation to eagerly point out some rare species of bird that happened to sing, fly by or stop to rest on a distant treetop.  Apparently, his passion for bird-watching is not uncommon in the area: Mastatal is in a region of Costa Rica which boasts some of the best birding worldwide.  On a three-week trip guiding a group up and down the Pacific coast, Marcos claimed to have seen over 300 species of birds!  

Horseback riding is also among Marcos’ favourite activities, having ridden since he was a small child.  In town, he often competes in a game called “carrera de cintas” where riders gallop under a tiny hanging ring and catch it on the end of a pencil-sized stick. Marcos also enjoys playing football (soccer) on the local team and watching the regional games twice a week on TV with his father. 

Interview with Marcos
Note:  the translations below might not be 100% correct.  We did our best, any mistakes can be blamed on Marcos, our spanish teacher.  =)

What do you think is the meaning of life?
DESPERTARSE CADA PODER ABRIR LOS OJOS Y PODER REALIZAR LAS COSAS QUE LE HARAN FELIZ - “To wake up, open your eyes and do what makes you happy”
VIDA ES PODER VER LO LINDO DE CADA DIA Y PODER DISFRUTAR CADA MINUTO DE EL DIA INDEPENDIENTEMENTE DE LO QUE SE ESTE HACIENDO - “Life is to be able to see the beauty of every day and be able to enjoy every minute regardless of what you are doing”

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
POR SUPUESTO EN EL LINDO PUEBLO DE MASTATAL CONTINUANDO EN LA FINCA GRECIENDO Y TENIENDO LA OPORTUNIDAD DE MOSTRAR A OTROS UNA MANERA DIFERENTE Y SOSTENIBLE DE VIVIR EN ESTE MUNDO.  – “Of course, living in the beautiful town of Mastatal continuing to grow the farm and showing others an alternative and sustainable way of living in this world”

What do you love about Mastatal?
 LA PAZ -LA TRANQUILIDAD -LOPURA VIDA DE LA GENTE – “The peace, the tranquility, and the pure life of the people”

What do you see as the biggest problem in Mastatal?

LA NECESIDAD DE TRABAJOS PARA QUE LA POBLACION NO TENGA QUE SALIR DE MASTATAL A OTROS LUGARES Y ASI CONTINUEN EN SU TIERRA – “The lack of jobs, forcing people to leave Mastatal instead of continuing to work on their own land.”



What would you do with yourself if your parents were to sell the farm?
MOVERME A LA CIUDAD TRABAJAR COMO POLICIA O CARPINTERO Y TENER UN GRAN NECESIDAD PERDIDA POR NO PODER REALIZAR UN SUEÑO – “Move to the city and work as a policeman or carpenter, and miss out on being able to realize my dreams.”

If you could travel to any place in the world, where would you go and why?
ME GUSTARIA IR A CUBA PARA PODER TENER UN EJEMPLO DE COMO ERA LA VIDA CUANDO IS PAPAS CRECIERO.  TAMBIEN VIAJARIA AL AMAZONAS EN BRAZIL PARA PODER VER LA NATURALEZA ALLA. – “I would like to go to Cuba in order to see an example of how life was when potatoes/the pope was growing.  Also travel to the Amazon in Brazil in order to see the nature there.”

What is your opinion of the growing tourism industry in Costa Rica?
ES BUENO SIMPRE QUE SEA EN FORMA SOSTENIBLE CON SEGURAS FORMAS DE CONTROL Y QUE SEAN FUENTES DE INGREASOS PARA LA POBLACION COSTARRICENSE. – “It’s good as long as it’s done in a controlled and sustainable manner and is bringing income for the Costa Rican people.”

Who were the coolest Canadians you have met?
COOLEST: YOU PLURAL (the two of us, of course)
COOL: A FRIEND COOL AARON & A FREIND 67 BETTY FROM CALGARY 

Do you have any regrets?
NO SIMPLEMENTE  EL NO PODER TENER LA FACILIDAD DE VIAJAR POR EL MUNDO PARA PODER VER NUEVAS COSAS PARA APRENDER Y PODER APLICARLAS EN MI VIDA Y PROYECTOS PERSONALES. – “Only that I haven’t the opportunity to travel the world, see and learn new things and be able to apply them to my life and personal projects.”

Thanks, Marcos, for the great experience & we wish you the best of luck in realizing your dreams!

Pura Vida,
Mandrew & Chelsea

Hola, 
Just a very quick note that we have made a couple of updates to our website including a new "Cool Things" tab where we are keeping track of some COOL THINGS!  

On the Video section we've uploaded a couple new films that we made, described below, and you can check out the other pages when you like.

That is all!
-Chelsea

COSTA RICA WITH MARCOS
Marcos Garcia, a local Costa Rican farmer and entrepreneur that we met in Mastatal, Costa Rica, was gracious to show us some of the most beautiful things about Costa Rica.  On a quick afternoon hike and while hanging out on his farm, Siempre Verde, we saw countless birds, lizards and insects.  This video is a summary of what we saw in a very short amount of time!

YOGI'S MURAL
Andrew and Chelsea paint a wall mural at Yogi's Hostel in Moyogalpa, Isle de Ometepe, Nicaragua

Hola amigos!  Buenos nachos?  (mmm nachos...)

 Just wanted to post a few photos from this past week and say hi!  We've been hanging out at Camino del Gigante, a gringo hostel on a surf beach in Nicaragua.  We meant to be here for just a couple of days but it looks like it has already been a week!  And I think we might leave tomorrow if we can get our shiz together. 

Our last few days on Ometepe were pretty cool!  We rented a scooter and spent a day checking out the Island on the brick roads (man that must have been a ton of work!).  And for our last 2 days we painted a wall mural in one of the bedrooms in exchange for a few nights free at the hostel.  We spent 11 hours total on the wall and I think it turned out quite well!  The bottom of it looks a little weird, but we ran out of white paint so we had to do something down there.  And our paint brushes were not the easiest to use, but we made do and had a blast!  Andrew took a bunch of pictures so we could make a time-lapse video (coming shortly!) so it was like a double-whammy art project.

When we decided to leave Ometepe, our friend Devon, who we met there, recommended Playa Gigante for our next stop.  It is near Rivas and is a quiet little town with amazing beaches and surfing!  We arrived by taxi (there are no busses to get here) which stopped in the middle of the town of Gigante.  There are two restaurants (very expensive compared to Ometepe!) and one little corner store.  When we got out of the taxi we saw a sign on a little building beside us that said hostel, so we went over and booked a room since we thought there was only one hostel in town.  The price was good ($15/night) and the room was nice (our own private room with bathroom).  But there was no hang out area, no table or chairs to use, no internet.  All this was ok, since we were mostly going surfing, but it made making food a challenge, and was a bit uncomfortable to hang out at.  Since it is so expensive here and we have all kinds of free time, we thought it would be nice to cook some of our own meals on our camping stove.  So behind our hostel we found a round cable spool to use as a table, and some broken chairs to sit on, and we set up our kitchen in an abandoned shack behind our room.  It was absolutely hilarious, but slightly uncomfortable.   Andrew said he is glad I'm not a "Princess", referring to my willingness to eat badly cooked rice and beans off of a cable spool in an abandoned shack.  But I'm pretty sure if that wasn't ok with it, that wouldn't make me a "Princess", so much as "a rational person"!  Haha, it was all good though, I didn't mind one bit.

After a couple of days we realized that there were no other people staying at our "hostel", and yet there were other backpackers in the area that we saw while surfing and wandering around town.  After talking to a few people (who hadn't even heard of the place we were staying at!) and when we decided to find some internet, we discovered Camino del Gigante, a gringo hostel at the end of the beach, where all the backpackers and locals hang out.  There's a bar, free internet, surfboards, slack lines, free coffee, hammocks, music all the time, comfy tables and chairs, directly on the beach, great food and more!  We immediately went back and packed up all of our things from the first hostel, and moved over to Camino's.  I admit, I feel a little bad about leaving the shack behind like that, but Camino's has been such a game changer!  All of a sudden everything is easier and more enjoyable!  And we got the exact same price as the other hostel.  We still chill with the locals, and go surfing and exploring, and now we have a sweet-ass bar to chill out at when we get back, fresh coffee in the morning and other people to watch and hang with.  A bunch of people that are staying here right now have been here for several months because every time they try to leave they just don't.  And I can totally see why!  Like I said earlier, we meant to leave a few times now but we keep putting it off for "just one more day"!

Surfing has been great!  At first, I was a little weary about it since I haven't done any surfing since Australia (2006) and I wasn't any good back then, so I knew it would be a steep and painful learning curve, again.  The first day was a little difficult for me, getting used to wading through the crashing waves that pull you backward 3 steps every time you take 1 forward, and getting tumbled around in the waves when you fall off the board, sometimes face-planting into the sand if it gets too shallow.  Andrew didn't show it, but I think he might have felt the same way, given a few comments he made after we showered off that day. The second day was much better!  Aside from the bruises and board rash, the waves were less intimidating, and we both actually caught a few decent (by our standard) waves, stood up, and carved a little!  Since then it has been something to look forward to.  We might even go again today since it is potentially our "last day" here, or we might rent a kayack and check out one of the other bays since we haven't done that yet!  Damn, as I write this I am saddened by the idea of leaving   :p


Our next stop will be Leon, Nicaragua.  It is north of here and we will have to take a few busses I think, and maybe a taxi to get there, but it shouldn't be more than a few hours total.  It is a fairly large city with some history and culture for us to learn about.  Also there is another volcano there that we can apparently board down!!!  There are some good nature hikes and outdoorsy things to do nearby, and the hostel we picked out looks really fun.  We hope the internet there is good because Harrison's first birthday is on Sunday and we would love to facetime with him!!!  Aparently he walked a few steps the other day!  And I thought he said "hello" to me a few days ago, and then I realized it was just Kim being a ventriloquist which is easy to do over facetime     :)   
We miss the little guy!!!  And Everyone else at home!  Any time any of you wants to come down, let us know!!!   We will find the best spot to hang, just get a place ticket, we will do the rest!   :D 

Love ya's!
-Chelsea 

Last batch of Isla de Ometepe photos

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Playa Gigante photos

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Isla de Ometepe is very interesting so far!  We are staying at a place called Yogi's Hostel which was recommended on wikitravel.org.  When we got off the boat on the island, we were bombarded (as usual) by a bunch of people trying to get us to stay at their hostel or take their cab or buy their snacks, etc.  And one hippie guy in particular tried to convince us to stay at his hostel, making it sound pretty awesome and much cheaper than the rest.  The name of it was Hospedaje Central which rang a bell for us.

During our research into where to stay (really just reading the wikitravel.org page for 5 minutes) we read about the Hospedage Central thinking it was a joke.  Word for word the blurb on wikitravel.org was this:

"Hospedaje Central, From Procredit Bank, 1 block south, ☎ 2569-4262. Very colorful and friendly atmosphere with free parking lot, internet service, dvd movies, laundry, volunteering opportunities, a restaurant and a bar. Unfortunately the owner is wanted by INTERPOL for Fraud, Kidnapping, etc. Dormitory is basic with bunk beds, its own toilet and shower, lockers and a safe available at reception. Rooms are clean, large, with new beds, fan or AC and private bathroom. However, some travellers report that, despite Lonely Planet's endorsement, theft is a problem, especially in the dormitory rooms where random locals wander in and out through three doors. And the bar/restaurant shares a filthy bathroom with guests and plays loud music until late at night. $2.50 hammock-$3.50 dorm-$5.50 to 9.50 for room."

I admit I almost fell for the hippie's recommendation but Andrew insisted on sticking to our guns and heading to Yogi's Hostel.  At Yogi's we met some other travellers and they brought up the topic of the criminals down the street.  None of us really thought too much of it, thinking maybe it was just a rumour, or blown out of proportion.  We actually ended up having dinner there the night before last because the food sounded so good.  And it was!  We were served by a SUPER creepy man, an equally creepy woman lit our candle when it got dark, and a bunch of other creepy people hung around at nearby tables having very deep conversations.  The place was actually nicely decorated, very colourful and kind of reggae-ish.  It did seem like a nice place to stay, if it weren't for the creepy people.  

When we got back to Yogi's we were chatting with Robinson, the owner, who sent us a link to a woman's blog.  Apparently this woman stayed at Hospedaje Central a while back and started hearing rumours, so she began to look into it.  She found out a ton of crazy things about these people and wrote this blog post about it, hoping to get them kicked off the island and hopefully Nicaragua altogether.  They are hiding here because the Nicaraguan police  are very understaffed and are unlikely to do anything about them.  

It is a very interesting read if you have a few minutes.  These people (the ones that served us and the old guy sat beside us when we had dinner) basically are involved in a horrible cult, starving people to death and causing children to die of malnutrition and lack of medical care when they got sick.  They also created false names and companies in order to get investor money so they could live lavishly.  Very evil people.  And now they are here in Nicaragua, trying to get travellers like us to stay at their nature retreat on the other side of this island, where you can "live like the natives", which is basically how they got people to enter their previous cults.  Creeeeeeepy!!!  Can't believe we met them and they are literally right down the street, four houses down.  

THANK YOU Wikitravel.org for giving us the heads up on this!  We will continue to read you  :)

On another note, we have been doing well.  Yesterday was our first full day on the island and we made good use of it, hiking Volcan Concepcion with Devon, a fellow backpacker from Yogi's.  We hired a guide (Walter) who accompanied us and lead us to the top of the volcano.  It was a pretty insane hike!  Very very steep.  It took us from 7:30 to 11:00 to reach the top, where the rocks we stood on were warm, and sulphur gasses were strong.  We only stayed up there for a couple of minutes because the gasses could be dangerous, but it was so neat!  It was very cloudy, of course, so we couldn't see too well, but that in itself was really  cool.  The hike back down was maybe even more difficult as we were literally sliding and surfing down loose basalt gravel and trying to avoid tumbling down the steep incline.  It was definitely the most challenging hike we have done so far, in that it was the most dangerous!  And totally worth it  :) 

Today we will probably relax a bit, as our legs and knees in particular need some TLC.  

We may even rent a motorbike and check out the rest of the island!  Ne neither of us has ever driven a motorbike, but you gotta start somewhere, right?  

Pura Vida everyone!
-Chelsea  :)

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Well, we have said our good-byes and are now on our way to Isle Ometepe, Nicaragua.  While we are excited to see a new place and spend some time on a beach, we were also sad to leave Mastatal!  The tiny farming community in the middle of nowhere, Costa Rica.  After three weeks we came to feel like locals, passing familiar faces everywhere we went, and recognizing the newbies in town when they passed through.  We will fondly remember the tink frog sounds at night, the rooster in the morning, and the smell of caca de vaca (cow poo) that frequently wafted on by.  

During our last few days in Maststal Marcos, the finca owner at Siempre Verde, was very gracious to show us some of the most beautiful parts of Costa Rica and he enlightened us with heaps of birder knowledge.  I have never met a real life "birder" before, and now that I have, the movie, "The Big Year" makes much more sense to me (if you haven't seen it, you MUST!  It's hilarious!).  I have always found birds to be very beautiful and neat, but I admit that I have developed a higher interest in them since meeting Marcos.  He could name any bird making a peep or flying by at any time.  He would be in the middle of explaining something about the finca and abruptly turn straight around and point dead square at a tiny humming bird five trees away!  He really is connected to all of nature and being around him for two weeks really strengthened our connection as well.  

Marcos took us on a hike down (and through a few times) one of the main rivers that runs through Maststal to show us the sights, birds, insects, plants, etc.  We took a bunch of video footage and will be making a short video about the Costa Rican wildlife while we are in Nicaragua.  He also took us on a very cool night hike near the finca where we got to see some nightlife in action!  

One thing that I find kind of hilarious is how used to something you can become.  For example, I was cooking dinner a couple of nights ago, stirring a bunch of rice and beans in a big frying pan on the stove, when the rice began to move!  I gave it a second before poking it with the wooden spoon and all of a sudden two large cockroaches crawled out of the rice and over the side of the pan.  I did take a half a second before I continued stirring but I realized that it really didn't have much impact on me.  But if I think about how I would react if that happened at home?!  No friggin way would I even still be in the same room, much less continue cooking and EATING it!  Haha.  Also, on our night hike, I had stopped to take a picture of something (a frog maybe?) and Marcos came up and asked me if I had seen the giant tarantula standing next to me.  I calmly looked down and started taking pictures of it, without a second thought.  If this had happened on the first, or even fifth night in Costa Rica, I would probably be in the ground, dead from a heart attack.  Not only have we gotten used to these things, we have grown very fond of them, and will miss them terribly while we are gone!  

But we don't have to get too far ahead of ourselves just yet, we are staying in Central America for at least a couple more months and I am sure will have many more encounters with the jungle.  Next time you hear from us will be from a beach in Nicaragua looking at a volcano!  Hope everyone at home is doing well, I heard it was snowing in Whitehorse today (hehehe).  

Love you all!
Chelsea

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Hola amigos!  Nosotros estamos aprendiendo espanol ahora.

We are staying at another organic finca (farm) near Mastatal, 2.5km from Villas Mastatal (the last finca we volunteered at).  Marcos is our Spanish teacher and is instructing us on our volunteer activities.  Our days are very busy here starting with preparing breakfast at 6:30am, eat at 7:00, work from 8:00 to 1:00, eat lunch, Spanish lessons from 2:00 to 4:00, and prepare dinner at 5:30, eat at 6:00.  Not much free time…

Our work is variable, including gardening and planting things, digging holes and landscaping, harvesting, and building projects including constructing a wall in the dormitory area, sanding and varnishing wood for the wall and other projects.  I have also agreed to help Marcos with a computer project, making a 5ish minute video about the nearby national park, La Cangreja. 

We are usually pretty beat by 1:00, covered with sweat, mud and caca de vaca (cow poo), so the cold shower is a great reward.  While it is gratifying and interesting, I am finding this work to be pretty hard.  Since the bugs are so bad (for me anyway, it feels like I have chicken pox all the time!) I have to wear long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and rubber boots.  It is super hot and humid here and nothing ever seems to dry, so it is like working inside a steam sauna all the time that stinks like mold and vinegar.  Even just walking is hard work.  Plus there is no flat land here, and the paths to everything are muddy and clay so you’re constantly trying not to slip. 

I don’t mean to complain so much, but I am really looking forward to having some FREE TIME to RELAX and READ and SWIM and EXPLORE and DO YOGA and whatever else we feel like doing.  We are paying quite a lot of money to be here and we don’t have much time to ourselves.  And we are the only volunteers here and we miss having others to play cards and share experiences with.  We will stick around here for one more week so we can continue with our Spanish lessons with Marcos (he is an amazing teacher) and then we will probably head north to Nicaragua!  Lilly and Kim, the awesome French girls we met at Villas Mastatal, recommended an island on a lake near the Nicaragua/Costa Rica border (Isle de Ometepe) so we are going to figure out how to get there soon.  After a week or so of that maybe we will head to Roatan for some diving and then back down to CR to meet up with Andrew’s parents!  Christina (another lady we met at Villas Mastatal) recommended a cool hostel in CR that we might check out before Donna and Jim arrive. 

The dormitory at Siempre Verde is very very nice.  We have an amazing view of the rainforest from the second floor yoga deck, and we sleep on the third floor above that.  At night we hear the craziest sounds!  When the night thunder and rainstorms aren’t hammering on the tin roof above us we can hear owls, frogs, monkeys, crickets, geckos and a TON of unexplained noises.  It is a little bit scary sometimes because most of the sounds are completely new to us!  Plus going to the bathroom in the middle of the night is intimidating because you never know what is lurking in the shadows.  Last night, for example, we were awakened by something climbing and rustling in the tree beside our window (everything is open, no glass or walls or anything) and then a bat was flying around our bed for a few hours.  Pretty cool stuff! 

Yesterday we hiked through La Cangreja national park near Mastatal with our friend Spencer from Villas Mastatal, and we saw some neat frogs, bugs and a small coral snake.  We heard some kind of larger animal running down a tree but didn’t see it.   It was probably a coati or monkey of some sort.  On the way back home we stopped at the bar in Mastatal for a cerveza and someone had killed a fer de lance snake (extremely poisonous) and left it on the roof of the bar.  This snake is responsible for several deaths per year, and this was the second one we encountered in the last week…  The first one was trying to get into Marcos’ parents place (just up the hill from our cabana) a few nights ago!  So we have to be pretty cautious when we go hiking through the rainforest, or even just walking around at night anywhere.  When we first got here 2 weeks ago, we were pretty much fearless and ignorant, hiking for a few hours through a small overgrown stream to a beautiful waterfall, wearing nothing but shorts, tank top and barefoot.  We have adjusted a little bit and aren’t so much afraid of anything as just a bit smarter, I think.  We walk a bit slower through overgrown trails now, and we take a machete with us just in case a boa constrictor decides to try to make lunch of us. 

Overall, Costa Rica is completely amazing!  Everything is new, and weird, and difficult, and uncomfortable, and confusing, and scary, and EXACTLY what we were hoping to experience!  This is travelling!  This is how it must feel to be a kid again, discovering the world, testing limits, trying to communicate, and navigating anything!  And everything that is normal to us is completely crazy to the people we meet here (cold winters, bears and moose, northern lights, dishwashers, fast food, etc).  How cool is THAT?!

Pura vida
-Chelsea

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Hola amigos!

Our first few days in Costa Rica have been awesome!  When I was originally planning our first destination I had an inkling we'd be a bit off the beaten path, and indeed we are!  Although the 36 hours of traveling was a bit painful (including three hours on a bus along a winding and hilly dirt road - not for the faint of stomach), it was definitely worth it, as we've found ourselves in a small farming town (about 150 people) in the middle of an incredible lush and hilly forest.

Villas Mastatal is an organic farm of about 40 acres, owned by a local family & passed down for the last fifty or so years.  About half the land is maintained with a mix of fruit trees, veggies, herbs & leafy greens, a grazing area for the cows, a couple chicken coops, a pig pen, a small tilapia pond, and accommodations for the family and up to about 40 volunteers; the other half is left in its natural mostly forested state.  It seems to me that Javier, Raquel and their two year old son Andres have it pretty good with their own slice of paradise, and they've been extremely happy to share it with us.

The volunteering experience so far has been great.  A typical day has been wake for breakfast at 7, work from 8-12, and then relax, read, hike, hang out with the other volunteers and help the family prepare & clean up after meals (typically beans, rice and or pasta, salad and fresh fruit).  We spent a couple days sanding & varnishing the dining tables, and the rest of the time helping with various tasks around the farm: fertilizing plants with compost, planting seeds, collecting fresh fruit & herbs for meals, and shoveling cow poop (caca de vaca).  The work has been just vigorous enough to ensure you're soaked in sweat by lunch time and ready for a refreshing cold shower.

The weather has been warm but not hot, but incredibly humid (it is rainy season, after all).  Most mornings seem to be overcast but rain-free, and at some point in the afternoon it will either rain a little or rain a lot.  Our biggest challenge has been finding a way to properly dry our clothes to avoid a musty odor - a losing battle thus far.

We've now got the weekend off, so we'll likely spend some time checking out the bar in Mastatal or wandering into the national park to hunt for monkeys (we can hear them screaming at night, but have yet to spot any).  On Monday we'll move 1.5 km down the road to Siempre Verde and begin our much anticipated Spanish lessons.

Pura Vida,
Mandrew

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